CX/GS headlights

[andrewj]

Has anyone ever had a go at re-silvering GS/CX headlights?

Chrome paint seems to work ok on the outer plastic bits, but isn't reflective enough for inter-reflectors.

I've worked out how to get the old silver coating off (just soak with laundary detergent for 10min)

I'm thinking that it is a chemically applied finish, rather than an electoplated one. I doesn't tarnish, so I guess it must be chrome, rather than silver.

Any ideas????

 

[Alan S]

There's a thread running along the same lines, but I have a feeling there's gunna be a few disappointed owners in there.

http://www.aussiefrogs.com/forum/showthread.php?p=224814#post224814


My first CX had holes literally eaten through the base of the reflectors; the bit that sits between the glass and the reflector around the actual bulb. This part in the bulb area was still OK but the rest, particularly the part that cops the sun and the moisture can get under was totally stuffed. This was 1984 and I was quoted $350 each for them which was a motza in those days. I used to hear stories about owners getting their cars comprehensively insured and suddenly getting mysteriously backed into by unidentified vehicles, often utilities which usually smashed both headlights and required both to be replaced which might explain why today so many Cits cost a fortune to insure!!
I had been involved with a company that did stainless steel fabrication, so I went and had a yarn to the factory manager and we worked out a system between us that I did and the lights were still being used on my later model 2400 when it was tailended and still had brilliant lights.
Firstly, we sanded the underside of the reflector base to clean all the crap off. Then we sanded the inside (former reflector) between the (what we'll call) the main reflector and the glass that had been removed. I then took a piece of cardboard and kept trimming it until it sat square on the frontal reflector base. I then bought a couple of offcuts of cold rolled stainless steel (mirror finish will also work but may be expensive) slightly larger than the pieces of cardboard (templates) I now had. Keeping the mirror finish as the upper surface, I sanded the underside and wiped off with a solvent. Mixed a batch of Araldite and painted a light coat of the Araldite mix on both sides of the mating surfaces (ie) underside of stainless steel and top surface of the former reflector. Place the piece of stainless on top of the other araldited surface and using a couple of pieces of ply, clamp using the ply below the headlight and on top of the piece being fitted and leave dry for 24 hours. Use some silver paint in the area between the edge of the stainless and up the side until it blends in with the remaining silver that is usually left along the top as it never sees the Sun and refit the glass.
If it has that silly second bulb, toss the wire onto the back of the plug in the centre and use a double filament bulb.
I had all the bush barristers of the day tell me how I would get put off the road, wouldn't get a roadworthy and all the other old wives tales, but I used those lights from 1984 until about 2003 when the car was written off and they were still looking like new (people wouldn't believe what I'd done to them), never had a problem with the law and the car flew through a RWC.
Cost in total about $5.

Alan S