I have been messing around with headlights last weekend. My original headlights are still on the car, but are getting to the point where they are now failing every MOT. And to look at them it is no surprise. Peeling reflectors, filthy, cobwebs, shot seals letting in damp and allowing moss to grow. They are in a bad way!
So Matthew and I did a swap at the National. His COTY stickers for some used but decent headlights.
On Saturday, I set about cleaning them up ready for swapping these new ones for my crappy ones.
Although Matthews lights were much better, they weren't perfect. I was extremely careful with the silvering, very delicate in places and in some areas it was bubbling and flaking off. However a good clean has done wonders. On the flakey bits, I ...and I am not really proud of this....used aluminium tape. A bit of a bodge, but it at least sticks very flush and of course has a good reflective finish. Infact you have to look quite closely to see the joins. But it will do, there really isn't any other cheap solution. I intend to fully restore my original headlights with some special and expensive paint. But that needs more research. In the mean time, these new lights will do nicely!
The Headlights
They wouldn't be XM headlights without a bit of yellow lens action!
Light dismantled, ready for cleaning and repairing the flaky bits.
Light restored
We all know that XM's suffer from severe yellowing of the lenses. I did some research ages ago and came across some interesting information. Wether this is actually correct or not I can't say. But I thought why not try it out. Anything is better than those cloudy things.
The thinking is that although the lenses have aged and are subject to heat, the yellowing is actually a chemical issue. Bromine is used as part of the moulding process of plastics. Something to do with a fire retardant within the mould. I'm no expert on this!
Anyone with an old computer that has gone beige or yellow, will also be experiencing the effects of Bromine. Essentially the Bromine is leaching out of the plastic and covering the surface of it. So with clear plastics, you get a cloudy yellow coating.
This can be got rid of....and it can be done with simple household products. Peroxide can be used to clean and remove the yellowing. I did a bit more searching about, and found that oxi clean stain remover has hydrogen peroxide in it...small amount of course, and produces oxygen that helps to remove staining.
So I thought lets try it out.
Lens resto.
Soaking the drivers side lens in two scoops of powder, dissolved in water, and left in the sun for 6 hours. The UV light helps with the reaction.
This is what is left in the water after 6-8 hours. It is clearly yellow.
This is the lens cleaned up and polished. I had to repeat the process 3-4 times. You know when it has stopped working as it won't bubble and fizz anymore.
I used a spot of rubbing compound and then polish to clean up the lens after treatment.
It doesn't get rid of all the yellowing. But it certainly reduces it.
The two lenses side by side. One treated twice, needed two more soaks....the other one original.
Already there is a significant difference.
After that initial success, I repeated the same restoration on the other light. This inside was better than the other side. But the lens was worse.
At the moment it is in it's last soaking treatment and is now the same clarity as the other one. I need to polish and clean it up further. So will post the results soon.
This might seem like it is just cleaning the lenses by soaking them in washing powder, but this is different. It does seem to have an effect on the yellow staining. How long it lasts for I don't know. This is all part of the experiment.
Infact I would like to try other Peroxide products. So if anyone has some totally shot to bit lenses, I would love to see what can be done. Because if they can be restored, it means we don't have to panic so much. Even if it means having to soak them again. I am finding this quite an interesting development!!
I have just seen the back of my car and some git has marked the wings and boot lid including the lights. I couldn't believe it. And having washed it for the rally last week, I know it was done recently. And I think I know who did it. I was at my Grandmothers yesterday morning, and although parked in the drive, the window cleaner called. 
Still not convinced it is adjusted properly! 
