Headlights

[paul93eslex]

can anyone tell me why car manufacturers are making headlights out of plastic now? It's so annoying when I park next to an 88' corolla with crystal clear headlights, then look at my yellowing plastics. shame, cause the twin projector cluster design on the 92'-96' ES looks so good. I feel like this is an important topic because a cars headlights are among the most important style statements (they're like the cars eyes). anyways, is it a way to cut manufacturing costs, or because they are less apt to fracture?

[paul93eslex]

Oh, and vanity is not my only issue with them. I can think of several occasions where I rode in a friends older (like late 80's) car at night, and could barely see the road cause the lights were so faded.

[SKperformance]

They usually only yellow when they are parked outside all the time ,as in Japan

or when not waxed frequently.

Plastic hazes but can be removed

glass cracks and needs to be replaced

[Lexusfreak]

Agreed, plastic is more durable in the long run & it's cheaper for the automaker to build them that way as well.......they won't rust either. B)

[SW03ES]

And also you've got to remember that headlights are FAR different nowadays than old sealed beams like 80s Corollas. Headlights are styled, swoopy, huge, tiny. The costs involved in morphing glass to those shapes along with the added weight is what makes carmakers use plastic, they can do a lot more with them.

[paul93eslex]

skperformance, you said the haze can be removed. how's that, a rubbing compound or something?

[SKperformance]

There is a product called plastic polish from meguires

It does wonders in removing hard to remove stubborn stains.

[lbinh]

Don't know if it will work for everyone but I used Clay Magic bar and it removed the superficial dirt on the plastic and now they look new. Used it on whole car and the paint now looks new again.

[SKperformance]

CLay bars work great on paint and anythnig else with an oxidized finish

the plastic polish is mroe of a tiny abrasive to cut down the arm work with out scratching the finish.