My dad bought a Citroen C2 this week with some horrible looking headlights. I promised him that I would pay attention to them as soon as I have time. My appointment for this morning was cancelled instead of moping I decided to spend the time on the C2
Before
I had to sand both headlights down twice to achieve desired results. Sanding them once just didn't provide the clarity I was looking for in this restoration. Here is some after shots. This is after sanding them twice, polished to perfection and then sealed using my UV Protection.
Note. Sorry for the dirty bumper I forgot to wipe it clean before snapping pics
Good job, very nice.
Just out of curiosity what causes headlights to look so terrible over time, i.e aging, sun?
They are plastic right?
THANAS wrote:Mix them together to create Shellstrol, and then mix that with Winstrol to create the ultimate, maximum performance oil for your engine.
panic-mechanic wrote:When I build engines and do stuff like this I do it when there is nobody else around, No distractions, No phone nothing so that you don't forget what you should be doing. It's the little things that make them run right. Anybody can slap a basic bottom end together. that is the easy bit. It's all the little things that makes these builds a success or not.
Unobeat wrote:Good job, very nice.
Just out of curiosity what causes headlights to look so terrible over time, i.e aging, sun?
They are plastic right?
It is mostly the plastic lights that ends up looking like this. From the factory the lights comes with a UV protection to prevent it from yellowing. Over time the UV coat starts to fail and thats when yellowing starts. So yes basically the sun damages the light.
In the late 1980’s, vehicle manufacturers changed the lighting lens system materials used for head lights from glass to a polycarbonate. Original equipment manufacturers (OEM) needed a material that could be moulded to aerodynamic shapes and was lightweight. A polymer material, Lexan® Polycarbonate, which was both lightweight and could be moulded into many different shapes aerodynamic shapes, making it suitable for sports cars
Over the years, the polycarbonate headlight lens on any vehicle are subjected to heat and humidity - high Intensity discharge (HID) bulbs also bulbs also contribute to the deterioration of the polycarbonate lens as they emit heat from inside the lens, heat from the engine bay, radiation heat and humidity from the atmosphere, depending on climate and season Ultra violet (UV) radiation degradation causes oxidation and the lens becomes hazy and yellow. Road salt is also a yellowing agent, and then there is the effect of high-speed collision abrasion from dust, road grit and insects.
To the naked eye one cannot tell that these plastic lenses are actually a porous material that expands ever so slightly when it gets hot. Degradation of the lens occurs over time Having your headlights on or being exposed to the heat of the day causes expansion of the micro-the pores, allowing debris from the road to get in.
All of the above will cause the lens to become opaque causing lack of available road illumination. Hazy headlights aren’t just a cosmetic issue; they’re a safety issue, too and replacing headlights can get extremely expensive, and is often unnecessary, as is evidenced by the restorations that Eitenne is doing.
There’s nothing you can do to stop plastic from degrading, but you can certainly slow the process down, however, by avoiding salted roads and prolonged sun exposure whenever feasible. Cleaning the lenses on a regular basis (whenever you wash the vehicle) and using a mild , polycarbonate compatible polish on a semi-regular basis, and some companies even offer clear protective films that provide a buffer between your lenses and the elements. Such measures do more than just promote safety; they‘ll also improve the resale value.
@Eitenne- Thanks for the explanation bud and yes you have answered my question
@Lawrence- thanks for the giving the background information bud, much appreciated.
THANAS wrote:Mix them together to create Shellstrol, and then mix that with Winstrol to create the ultimate, maximum performance oil for your engine.
panic-mechanic wrote:When I build engines and do stuff like this I do it when there is nobody else around, No distractions, No phone nothing so that you don't forget what you should be doing. It's the little things that make them run right. Anybody can slap a basic bottom end together. that is the easy bit. It's all the little things that makes these builds a success or not.
Great Job !!
I'm.abkut to do the same with my C2s heights they ugly I just wana ask you few things what sandpaper did you use very fine one I'm sure do you remember the number of it perhaps?
And for the polishing you used a polishing machine I'm sure which one I'll need to buy one haha it looks so nice hope I can get the same look on mine
Thanks
Regards
Charné
Great Job !!
I'm about to do the same with my C2s headlights they ugly I just wana ask you few things what sandpaper did you use very fine one I'm sure do you remember the number of it perhaps?
And for the polishing you used a polishing machine I'm sure which one? I'll need to buy one haha it looks so nice hope I can get the same look on mine
Thanks
Regards
Charné
instead of moping I decided to spend the time on the C2 
