Bargain Basement Motoring

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NewcastleFalcon
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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

BB Clio
Image

Might have to put it in the "awful" lights thread if I end up getting these, (they are the choice at the BB Price)

Image

Regards Neil
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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by mickthemaverick »

Surely the £36 for a pair of used originals from ebay is a better bet than those! They look truly cheap to me!! :-D
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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

They may look better in situ, lets hope so...

The Hella ones at £132 a piece look just as bad out of the box :-D

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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by mickthemaverick »

Don't they just!! I just don't like the conceptual design of black plastic surround I guess!! Perhaps you should give a tube of Oral B Gum Repair a try after all :-D
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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by CitroJim »

I rescued the headlights on Sian's Pixo with a good polish using Brasso wadding just before her last MoT...

They had gone quite opaque and were awarded an advisory on the previous MoT... No way it would have passed without attention...

A good bit of elbow grease and a few lumps of wadding did a great job :)
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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by white exec »

Not just appearance problems with some cheap aftermarket headlights, but performance issues too.
A while ago, after a bump, I fitted a new pair of TYC brand headlights to our RAV4, and was appalled at the beam pattern and coverage for both main and dip. Optically hopeless, although they looked as good as the factory originals. Removed and donated to our village garage.
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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by myglaren »

CitroJim wrote: 17 Feb 2021, 04:22 I rescued the headlights on Sian's Pixo with a good polish using Brasso wadding just before her last MoT...

They had gone quite opaque and were awarded an advisory on the previous MoT... No way it would have passed without attention...

A good bit of elbow grease and a few lumps of wadding did a great job :)
I tried that on the last C5. Spent hours and hours at it with very little improvement then saw that much of it was on the inside - looked rather like algae growing, strange as there was no condensation.
Bought a pair from eBay, about fifty quid.
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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Well as it turns out, a lot of unnecessary expended energy. I knew I didn't really fancy a drive down to Sunderland so phoned up my MOT garage see if they could get the lights, quicker and at a reasonable price. Quick word with the main man, and the reassuring reply "dont worry about the lights Neil. I'll just polish them up with the machine."

So in on Friday, no faffing about...suits me fine.

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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by mickthemaverick »

That's a result!! I polished my C5 ones up last year with 3000 grade wet and dry and then the dremel with t cut, They came out sparkly but I would never suggest that to someone else in case it went up the swanny. Once polished it is well worth coating them with a UV blocking clearcoat which will help retain the crystal finish. Something to keep you busy Neil!! :)
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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by mickthemaverick »

Example of the stuff I finished mine with

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/382547005826
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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Yes thanks to all who chipped in with my false alarm as it turns out! I did watch a couple of polish-it-out videos

This guy was quite thorough


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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by admiral51 »

NewcastleFalcon wrote: 17 Feb 2021, 10:34 Yes thanks to all who chipped in with my false alarm as it turns out!
That is not a false alarm, that is someone being sensible and looking ahead to possible problems and trying to work them out in advance. :-D

A false alarm is when you are a young lad making your way into the Birds and Bees phase and get the look and sentence I think i maybe ............. :rofl2:

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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

The BB Fleet has been swapped back. BB Clio returned after a £110 MOT escapade, and BB Micra back home. Gave the Micra a top up of Morrison's finest fossil fuel as a treat on the way back, now showing about 3/4 full.

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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by mickthemaverick »

Was the additional cost just for lamp polishing or something else awry? :)
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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

mickthemaverick wrote: 19 Feb 2021, 19:06 Was the additional cost just for lamp polishing or something else awry? :)
Coil spring at the rear which I didn't fancy doing.

Regards Neil
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