Cloudy plastic headlights? Discoloured lenses? Here is a method that you can use to improve the look and effectiveness of your headlights using a headlight cleaner and restoration product.
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Lens Restoration 11/12/2004
Many of the low volume imports that come from Japan, especially those that are Domestic models only, come with plastic lenses covering the headlight. In Australia we traditionally have glass lenses on our headlights, but the Jap cars like the Supras, Soarers, Skylines and Chasers come with plastic instead. Of course there are many cars around the world that come with plastic headlights including a lot of American domestic cars.
The problem with this is that any dust, road grit, stones, or even dirty rain can scuff and scratch them to the point where they look dull and discoloured. The solution I thought initially was to use a very fine polish to buff the marks out. I used a typical light grade type of polish, but I discovered later that the best way to clean and restore your headlights to look new is to use a product like the NEW LITE headlight cleaner and restorer. Also some polishing products can permanantly damage your headlights so it is best to use the product specifically designed for this purpose.
The headlights on my MarkII were only marginally scratched so it is a bit hard to see the comparison. The lens on the left is the polished one and the one on the right unpolished. The difference using just the polish is marginal.
My Soarer headlights were more affected so I have included a photo to see just how much improvement can be made. The difference was much more effective than the MarkII. In fact I thought my lenses were permanantly discoloured. I thought I would get rid of most of the scratches but was sceptical about them becoming completely clear. I must say that the headlights look much better after only a very small amount of effort.
Apparently if your headlights are too cloudy you can fail a roadworthy inspection and your headlight effectiveness can be drastically reduced from original, so it makes good sense to use a good headlight cleaner and restorer rather than buying an expensive replacement lens or headlight.
What I wasn't aware of was just how much of a difference a product specifically designed and formulated for headlight cleaning could make. Go to the mdwholesale website to see their before and after comparisons on a variety of cars where the NEW LITE headlight cleaner and restorer has been used. Here is a small taste.
I thought this comparison was so good that I borrowed it from their website. Hopefully they won't mind me reproducing it here. You can see the absolute contrast with the before and after shots.
Click here to go to their website and then scroll down and click on the paypal image in order to purchase the "New Lite" product. You can then transform your cloudy discoloured headlights into something that looks completely new.
HID lights 25/8/2005
I was fortunate enough to win a set of HID headlights in a drifting competition, and so I wasted no time in fitting them to my car. The transformation is amazing. The light colour and intensity is incredible compared to the standard halogen bulbs. In fact the halogens (which I previously thought were quite good) looked absolutely dull and dirty compared to the HID's. I liken the HID's to bright white flourenscent tubes except that they are brighter and more intense.
The halogen lamp on the left is yellowy and weak, whereas the HID on the right is bright and powerful.
From front on you can really notice the difference. When standing in front of the car it is really quite painful to look into the HID's and I would certainly not recommend it. On the road however the clarity and brightness of the projected light gives such an improved visibility it is almost like driving in the daylight.
Lens Grinding ?/?/2006
Lens grinding to come.
site by 
RECENT MODS CHRONOLOGY
5-Jan-2007
Turbo pages and Headlights
I have recently added a new page about my single turbo conversion. There is a second page yet to come, but page one outlines some of the supporting components needed as well as the turbo itself.
Page 2 will be forthcoming where I detail the fitment of the turbo, manifold and wastegate.
I have also added a page for modifications to my headlights that should be very useful for owners of import vehicles.
25-Jan-2007
Site Revamp
Wow, it has been a very long time since I worked on the site, but now I
am in the process of redesigning it so stay tuned as I add some more content
and attempt to bring this project up to date.
18-Mar-2006
Car Changes
Lots has happened since my last update on upgrades to the car. For instance
the car is now running a 2JZ bottom end and the gearbox has been completely
rebuilt with a stage 1.5 shift kit, beefier clutches and a 2800 rpm stall convertor.
To say that this has transformed the car is an understatement. The car is now
torque heaven, and is an absolute pleasure to drive. The lag that was sadly
felt with the 2.5L motor is now completely gone with the 3L and the stally.
When I can find time to update the site with the process I went through I will
do so. I have many hundreds of pictures to add.
Fix up your dirty, cloudy, discoloured headlights and have your lenses looking like new. Clear and bright headlights make such a difference to the look of your car and your night visibility.
Toyota JZX90 MarkII TourerV.