Restoring 70-72 Buick Side Marker Lights

Discussion in 'Wrenchin' Secrets' started by Duane, Nov 24, 2018.

  1. Duane

    Duane Member

    NOS examples of 70-72 side marker lights are getting harder and harder to find, and are getting more expensive. One of the things I do is recycle originals.

    Usually the ones I find have either nice chrome or nice lenses, so I take the best examples and put sets together.

    The ones with the nice chrome usually have lenses that are "bleached out" by the sun. (The ones I get from Texas are great, thanks James) I take these and break out the lenses, then pick out all the glue, and polish the housings up. To get the lenses, I break the housings off ones that have bad chrome and then polish up the lenses until all the scratches are gone.

    Then it is a simple matter of gluing them together and you have a complete side marker light. You can do this for both front or rear lenses if needed, the process is the same. I use a bead of clear silicon to glue them together.

    I have also done this same thing on 70-72 Oldsmobile Cutlass/442 side marker lights, but they are much harder to do because you have to cut the "pot-metal" housings apart to get a good lens.

    The first 2 pics show a typical lens that I start with and the next few show the pieces I put together.

    It takes a while to do this, but if you have more time then money, or really want to use original pieces rather then reproductions, this is a way to get what you need.

    Just thought I would pass along one of my tips for recycling parts.

    Enjoy.
    Duane



    0.JPG 1.JPG 2.JPG 3.JPG 4.JPG 5.JPG 6.JPG 7.JPG 8.JPG 9.JPG
     
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2018
    patwhac, 3clicks, tubecatgs and 11 others like this.
  2. Brett Slater

    Brett Slater Super Moderator Staff Member

    I love recycling OEM stuff!

    Well done, Duane!

    What's the tip for polishing the lenses?
     
    russ455 and TorqueMonster1 like this.
  3. Duane

    Duane Member

    I use a plastic polish a friend of mine made up years ago. It is Koala Plastic Polish. I don't know if you can buy it, but am sure there are other plastic polishes available. I use a regular Chrome polish for the housings.

    The trick is to NOT use chrome polish on the lenses, at least not for the final polishing. It is too aggressive and scratches the crap out of them. Now the chrome polish (used gently) will work fine if there are some heavy scratches on the lens, so you can work them out first, but then you need to use the plastic polish for the final finish. (I generally just stick with the plastic polish.)

    I just sit there and work on the lenses while I watch TV. Like I said it takes a while but the results are great.

    When I did my 71 Blue GSX I made up a set like this for the car. It has gone thru Concours judging a few times, as well as an AACA Junior and Senior Award and has never had any points deducted.

    Also, if you are replacing the lenses it is a lot easier to polish them before you put them in the housings.

    The other thing is this, most guys will simply give you the starting pieces, or charge very little for them. The ones from out West usually have great chrome, but the lenses are baked. The ones from up North have great lenses but the chrome is bad. Neither are really marketable items, so if they can get a few bucks for the parts they would usually throw out, then they are happy.

    This is a time intensive project, so all the value is in the labor, not the part itself. No body is going to make a fortune on this, but it is a good way to bring parts back to life that would otherwise be thrown away.
    Duane
     
    Brett Slater and TorqueMonster1 like this.
  4. Premier 350

    Premier 350 Chris (aka Webby)

    So I'm not alone in sanding/polishing in front of the TV. There's either a cat or a bowl to sand models on my lap. Great work on the lenses too.
     
    patwhac likes this.
  5. Cutlass

    Cutlass Platinum Level Contributor

    Great idea and super results!!
     
  6. Duane

    Duane Member

    Premier 350,
    I often use the TV as background noise while I do things. I am one of those guys that watches the same movies all the time. I keep doing what I need to do, and then stop to watch an interesting scene, like the chase scene in Bullitt, then go back to what I'm doing.......................and by the way the cat is sitting next to me and not on my lap.:D..............that is until the cat wins and I have to stop for a while.
    Duane
     
    71GSX likes this.
  7. scubasteve455

    scubasteve455 Well-Known Member

    Get Automotive clearcoat. I tinted my clear with lil red. lil yellow. with a drop or two of orange. Now look new . No UV wash out on the plastic. like new
     
  8. Utah455

    Utah455 Platinum Level Contributor

    Thanks for the tips! I have a couple sets of lights. When the time comes, I will have to try the above before spending the cash for repo’s.
     
  9. Brett Slater

    Brett Slater Super Moderator Staff Member

    I just made this a sticky.
     
    Dano and BUQUICK like this.
  10. RustyFuryIII

    RustyFuryIII Well-Known Member

    A tip if you can’t find plastic polish. And I’ve used this method to temporarily restore plastic headlight lenses on today’s plastic cars.

    I’ve been terminating fiber optic cable since the early ‘90s. The final step after termination of the fiber optic cable in a connector is to polish the fiber end.

    This is done with fiber optic sandpaper. If you held a piece of this stuff and didn’t know what it was, the last thing on your mind would be that it’s used to polish glass and plastic fiber optic cable ends.

    I’ve used this stuff on my wife’s ‘03 Solara with amazing results. I say it’s temporary on headlight lenses because once they’re hazed over, it typically means the protective coating on the lens is gone. Yes, they can be polished up to like new, but since the protective coating is gone, the haze will return in several months.

    Anyway, if you find the “final step” grade of fiber optic sand paper, that’s the ticket. You will want a spray bottle of water to keep the surface of the lens lubricated as you go.

    It’s also referred to as lapping micro-finishing film. Comes in many grades.

    Some grades are .05 micron, .3 micron, 1 micron, 3 micron, 5 micron, 9 micron up to 40 micron.
    .05 micron is equivalent to 500,000 grit.

    Enjoy,

    RFIII
     
    patwhac, Tomahawk and Dano like this.
  11. Dano

    Dano Platinum Level Contributor

    Nice!
     

  12. I used some of this I got from a friend on my wife's old tuscon, after getting them all cleaned up, I just sprayed them with some clear coat out of a rattle can from the local auto zone, lights stayed clear for several years till the grandson wrecked it
     

Share This Page