I just replaced the headlights on my Mustang (housing, headlight bulbs, and turn signal bulbs) Total cost was $115 for headlights and two new turn signal bulbs, only took 5 minutes total to remove the old ones and install the new ones.
While it is nice to be able to cheaply replace the headlights, I haven’t had the problems with the new style. When I wax the cars I use plastic polish on all of the lights and I’ve never had a hazing problem. I really haven’t had a problem with chipping or sandblasting either and I like the new styling. Hazing I think is more a problem of lack of maintenance than anything.
I just changed my lighting units (I messed one up trying to modify it) and both sides ran me about $200. New bulbs cost about $50 (for the high extra bright incandescent ones).
@thesamemountainbike
my colleague at work regularly uses that regular polishing compound on yellowed lenses.
They initially look very good.
However, when the car comes back in 6 months for its next scheduled service, it looks like its old yellowed self. You can’t even tell that the guy did anything at all.
I used the Sylvania headlight restoration kit on my car several months ago. Followed the instructions. To the tee. They still look good.
Luckily my 03 lenses are still clear, and a pair of bulbs is less than $30 and easy to replace. Cheaper than previous posts for sure! Halogen, I think halogen as you are not supposed to touch them, but recall a previous post of a honda for a $200 repair bill for new headlights.
You can make the old yellow plastic headlights like new as I did:
Take them out of the car.
Wash the lenses with dish washing detergent and plenty of water.
Sandpaper 400-600-1000 wet.
Let them dry.
Spray paint them with clear coat.
Best if it is the bodyshop clear coat, but the one in tin can will do.
They look very good for several years.
My colleague doesn’t spray the clear coat
That is why his polished lenses look like . . . . in no time flat
I asked him why he even bothers if it doesn’t make any difference in the long run.
He just looked at me and said “Huh”
Its just that the lenses almost seem to start degrading immediately, Would putting clear film over the lenses help I wonder? Whats the trick, no exposure to uv light?
When a car is new a composite lamp is a marvel, cant be beat, but I swear after 3 years you would be better with a sealed beam. My old camaro never had these issues.
Personally, I prefer the old 5 X 7 rectangular glass, halogen sealed beams. They’re durable, cheap, easy to install, and polishing is never needed.
While in Wal Mart this evening I noted those things are on sale for 8 bucks and change apiece. Less than 20 bucks tax and all gets both sides.
Polishing composites is not always an answer. Some reflectors dull and there is hardly any way to get around that problem.
Style over function is the norm.
My protocol works great for restoring the modules, however like everyone who feels styling should not compromise function I’d prefer sealed beam.
What I’d actually like to see is glass lenses over chromed reflectors with replacable modern bulbs. But I’ll never see that again. Too expensive to manufacture.
TSMB - that was the ‘hot’ setup some years ago, Cibie ‘BOBI’ I believe:
http://winktimber.com/vintagerally/gear/lights/cibie_catalog_1985.pdf
"What I’d actually like to see is glass lenses over chromed reflectors with replacable modern bulbs. But I’ll never see that again. Too expensive to manufacture. "
I’d sooner pay extra for a car with glass-front headlights than HID lamps.
I’d rather circle “1964 Jaguar XKE”. The first of the breed had glass headlight covers, I like the link, though. It provides a lot of good information.
But guys . . . if you want a vehicle with sealed beams, that leaves two choices
Older car
Big commercial trucks (they can still be had with sealed beams of all shapes)
The Lincoln Mark VIII headlamps are so pathetic in regards to reflector burning that some people have wired them up so both low beams and high beams are on at the same time. Still, oncoming traffic does not flash their lights…
I’ve run my Mark up under a single, orange street lamp at night before and turned the headlights on and off. The headlamps washed out so bad under the streetlight that I couldn’t even detect the slightest difference in the lighted area in front of the car.
To make it even worse, both dealers and the aftermarket do not carry replacement lamp housings. That leaves the salvage yards or eBay and odds are those used housings are not far behind the ones that need to be scrapped. In a nutshell, poor engineering and even poorer materials used in construction.
“The headlamps washed out so bad under the streetlight that I couldn’t even detect the slightest difference in the lighted area in front of the car”.
I was trying to make my students in a computer science class learn to look for the essentials first in a piece of software so that they could get started on their projects. I said that after they get started, then they can try the extra features of the software. I gave them this analogy:
I told them that I know only 4 things about driving a car: 1) I turn the wheel clockwise and the car goes right; 2) I turn the wheel counter-clockwise and the car goes left; 3) I press the pedal on the right and the car moves; 4) I press the pedal on the left and the car stops. I have no idea out the heating and air conditioning work. Mrs. Triedaq knows how to roast me in the winter and freeze me in the summer. My son has the radio set on his rock station at 100 decibels and I have no idea how to turn it off. I’ve never figured out how to use the headlights or the wipers, but those things are for wimps anyway. With my knowledge of the 4 things about driving the car, I can go anyplace I want to go.
I was trying to make an analogy about learning a new piece of software, but one graduate student took me seriously. He had to go to the graduate office about a problem. My wife works in the graduate office and she helped him. The student saw my picture on Mrs. Triedaq’s desk, put two and two together and asked, "Does your husband really drive a car without using headlights or wipers?"
That evening, my wife was curious about the student’s question. When I told her about the illustration I had given in class, she said “You need to give simpler examples for graduate students”.
@ok4450–Bright headlights are for wimps. Wimps don’t drive a Lincoln Mark VIII.
I’d rather be wimpy and see where I’m going… 
My dad felt the same way. His 1939 Chevrolet did not have sealed beam headlights. This feature came out in 1940. However, there were kits available at Sears and Montgomery Ward to convert pre-1940 cars to sealed beam headlights. My dad put in the conversion kit and he thought the headlights were ever so much better. It sounds like your Lincoln Mark VIII is a throwback to the old days.
I liked the plastic sealed-beams. They weighed nothing and when they yellowed you could replace them with plastic (I don’t know if replacement plastic was available, I’m guessing) or glass ones.
“I just don’t understand why the Pinto engine was never well liked…”
@Rod
I have a speculation. It was from a car named “Pinto.” The name itself conjures up some bad memories. The Edsel had a decent motor I’m sure was used in many other models. No one advertised after the fact…"hey, I have an Edsel motor in my Merc ! “
The same people might say say, " hey, I have a Honda motor in my generator.” It’s all about perspective and reputation, deserved or not.
I reminded a friend that the new Ranger he bought had a Pinto based motor and showed him the literature. He traded it shortly after. I reminded him that his previous Ranger that he was happy with did also, but it made no difference. He never bought another Ranger. The dealership he bought it from certainly never advertised the fact.
Besides, real trucks aren’t suppose to have car motors. The more successful selling trucks, Tacoma, Ford, etc. in their base lines for some, makes subtle changes to emphasize that their motors are for trucks. I’m sure the parts department knows the real difference…which is to say…not as much as one would think.