Bargain Basement Motoring

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NewcastleFalcon
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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Just dropping these here for future reference. New they appear to be £70 upwards a piece. Second hand sellers appear to want far too much for them £40 and above, for dubious quality and even £30 for a one which is worse than my brillo pad effort, so hope a few wet and dry sheets does the job. Most of the resto efforts are temporary jobs which have to be repeated. I see my "new" headlight has a 2016 date of manufacture and its clear as a bell. With the car doing so little mileage a bit of a get it through the test job is all I'm looking for, but in general I would go for new rather than the faf of a temporary restore or the too high prices of the used part market on this item.





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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

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Is this what is known as a hack. Gives that just rinsed look, and may even last 24 hours.

WD40 and a paper towel, at least it shows under those brillo pad scratches lies a fairly clear lens.
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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by myglaren »

There is a coating that you can apply to reduce the yellowing and pitting.
Probably not worth it as the car is used so little, maybe just cover the lights while it is parked.
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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Being in the vicinity of a Halfords yesterday, being keen to get on I thought I would give this assortment a try. doesn't get up to the very fine grades so may not be that good, but its the first few on the Mick method so we will see how it goes. The 240 is as rough as a brillo pad! but the 1200 is hardly any different from a flat bit of paper.
DSC02180.JPG
Yesterday as it happened while charging up, a Micra K12 went past same vintage as mine with a pair of noticeably cloudy and yellowed headlights.

Here's what the WD40 method looks like 24 hours later
Temp2.jpg
Regards Neil
Last edited by NewcastleFalcon on 11 Jul 2022, 10:00, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by mickthemaverick »

NewcastleFalcon wrote: 11 Jul 2022, 09:28 The 240 is as rough as a brillo pad! but the 1200 is hardly any different from a flat bit of paper.

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Wait till you get your hands on a sheet of 3000+ :-D
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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by Rp0thejester »

As I mentioned before I read an article on how to polish paint to gloss level, it's in one of my magazines somewhere. What I can tell you is that it was Fine Scale Modeller, I never bought it before that as I always bought SAMI. It's surprising what grades of sandpaper you can get, 12000 for instance. If works on paint should work super easy on plain plastic. Yes that's 12000 not 1200.
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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

I've done my wet and drying from up to 1200 now, those brillo pad marks have gone and it the lens feels smooth as a baby's bum, but it needs something more to bring it clear without the need for a film of wd 40.
Looking at a couple of other Micras K12's parked up today of similar vintage, my duff one is better than their best!
up to 1200 grit,  with wd 40 enhancer!
up to 1200 grit, with wd 40 enhancer!
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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by mickthemaverick »

Looking good so far Neil, the next three stages 1500, 2000 and 3000 will complete the job and bring it up as bright as new. There's nothing to stop you going even further into the colour sanding techniques and 7000, 9000 and 12000 but it simply won't make that much difference to the 3000 finish on a headlight. Once achieved you can apply a coat of protection to help stop them fading again but I have never bothered, if they do fade again 2-3 years down the line I just repeat the process.! :-D
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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Mick, the final phase in your method after all that careful wet and drying is Windolene! and a microfibre cloth. :-D
No machine polishing? (not that I have anything suitable or plan to buy any accessories to turn my angle grinder into a polisher :-D


Just got to trust that one...if it works it works :-D So far so good.

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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by mickthemaverick »

Yes indeed but the windowlene is only to clean off the final haze from the 3000, if you use enough water it may not be needed but just a habit with me!! :-D
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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by myglaren »

I polished out some deep scratches on a windscreen with Autosol and a lambswool dolly on a power drill. Took ages but worked well.
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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Picture of the day.
I couldn't have been more creative with an angle grinder
I couldn't have been more creative with an angle grinder
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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by bobins »

NewcastleFalcon wrote: 16 Jul 2022, 12:54 Picture of the day.

Image

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That's modern art, that is. You should give it a name and put it in a gallery. "Suspension of Disbelief by N.Falcon" :rofl2:
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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

The old lower arm turned out to be OK bushes were still in servicable condition but the ball joint definitely worn out.

Got a new arm from carparts4less. £6 cheaper for the identical same part than ECP, and delivered to the door free. I know there are a few on here who dont rate them but I speak as I find and I am quite happy to use them. With bargain basement motoring and little mileage, I just go for the cheapest that does the job, but there are alternative offerings should you wish to pay more.

£34, and should I have wished rather than a few days for DHL to deliver to the door I could have picked it up from any of the local ECP outlets pretty much the next day if I had chosen collection rather than delivery.

At least the MOT inspector will have some new parts and shiny nuts and bolts to look at as surveys the scene under the car.
DSC02270.JPG
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Re: Bargain Basement Motoring

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Dr Abrasive <br />nice logo and name<br />and the 3 sheets of wet and dry ordered sent and received all good and surprisingly in a &quot;do-not bend&quot; envelope with a bit of stiff cardboard in.
Dr Abrasive
nice logo and name
and the 3 sheets of wet and dry ordered sent and received all good and surprisingly in a "do-not bend" envelope with a bit of stiff cardboard in.
Dr Abrasive and the Local Agricultural Engineer<br />come up with the goods for the next phase<br />of Operation BB Micra MOT.
Dr Abrasive and the Local Agricultural Engineer
come up with the goods for the next phase
of Operation BB Micra MOT.
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