The grid pattern is fading or coming off in spots on the lights and it looks bad. How do I fix it and put the pattern back on?

 

redraif had a pair and took the grid off and sanded em down and they look friggin badass i swear she never seizes to amaze me hopefully she'll come in and show ya

 

Check it off her 82 ta site http://images.cardomain.com/installs...93_13_full.jpg

 

The grid is not bad to remove, but you need to be sure that the bond b/w it and the lens is completely let go. I'm not sure if it will let go other wise and you could break your lens completely. The ones I started with were completely separated. They looked like a chalky black instead of a nice dark shiney black. You have to gently lift the grid off the lens from the back side. It will take some pulling to finally start to break the grid. You just have to slide under your finger nail and pull and get your finger under and pull and snap, it breaks out a section. Try NOT to use a screw driver to pry under the grids cause it will mar the lens. Its a bit scary, but slow and easy will do it. Again if the lens and grid are completely separated.

For taillight disassembly... There are 2 metal clips on the bottom of the light and 2 push in plastic pins on top. The plastic pins were shot on mine and I just broke them. I will prob replace them with the ones that are in our fender wells, if I can't get originals.

That pic was before I polished them. It took 4-5 hours of polishing to get them looking good. I have some polishing glaze to go over them again. The problem is the edges where the grid ends and the black plastic goes into the body of the lens. Its hard to get them to look clean. I'm going to have to paint a border on mine to hid them. I like the look though. Now I just have to get the car ready for the tailights. I have the pics of them polished on a roll of film to be developed. I won't promise whan I will have them. Seems whenever I do that the developer messes up the pic CD. I will try to get them posted soon.

 

Redraif- thanks for the advice, the lights look pretty sweet.
I don't know if I want to take the grid off or put it back on.

My grid isn't completely off yet. Right now its about 50/50 on and off. It looks like $hit. So, how is the grid bonded on?

Matt

 

I'm not sure how they are bonded on. Probably a combo of heat and pressing the 2 together. I could not tell what was on them, if it was glue or not, but I had to sand down raised stuff where ever the grid had been. Whatever it was it was so dried out I could not tell what it had been. It was clear though, it had not yellowed.

 

I have two different kinds of buffers. One is a high rpm for buffing a car and the other is one used to take off the wax. Which one should I use on my tail lights? and the other question I have is what compound should I use? I have some turtle wax light abrasive. Would that be to much or not enough?? And by the way your lights look bad @ss.

 

Thanks!

I was not bold enough to use a buffer of any sorts. I did it by hand. My fingers still hate me. I about sanded the finger prints off. I used some 3M fine cut rubbing compound. It shined them up and seemed to take 99% of the scratches out from the sanding. The exterior of mine were not bad, but there were some deep scratches. I may use some 2000 grit paper and then hand buff with the compound again. Then I have some polishing glaze to finish with.

On the buffers, you have to be sure not to heat the plastic to much or it will melt or warp. You could probably go with the one that has the lowest RPM setting and use that. Just don't sit in one place keep it moving and watch how hot you get it. It basically like paint, but easier to burn.

 

Thank you for the help. Right now I am calling around to try and find out about the wiring harrness for the lights. One place might have it for about $25.00 I really don't want to spend an arm and a leg on it! I still need the center peice. That might have to come from a dealer. By the way should I buff that as well? Would it matter?

 

A new center section would not need buffing, but an old one might benifit form a good buff. The actual piece is like the tailights. Its basically plexiglass or a lexan like clear plastic. It is painted on the back side. So buffing will not hurt the black it will just shine up the plexi and make the center look shiney like the lights. Fair warning 10 years ago the center section was $125.00 from the dealer. That was for the base model without the reflector. Thats the main reason RAIF's got painted red ($75.00 to paint the lights and center section. )