Recommissioning a 480: 6. Rear lenses
Posted: Tue May 17, 2022 4:50 pm
Part 1 is under ‘Secret Life’.
The main route for rain into the car was the rear lights, as documented by others on the forum. Mine were cracked and crazed making them almost opaque, the usual scenario. Strangely, the reflectors and the centre section looked like new, I wonder why? I didn’t want the expense of new lenses if I could avoid it. I tried plastic solvent on the cracks without success, then tried cyanoacrylate (Supaglue). Capillary action pulled the glue into the cracks and appeared to seal them. I wiped off the excess glue with kitchen roll and noticed some of the shine had returned to the lenses, presumably by filling all the micro-cracks which had made them so dull. I proceeded to dose the lenses with Supaglue, a section at a time, and wipe over with kitchen roll. The lenses are much improved; it remains to be seen how long it lasts. The cracking had caused some distortion to the lenses so they no longer sat flat. I resealed them with black silicone window sealant. It took two tubes, but at least the car is now dry.
The main route for rain into the car was the rear lights, as documented by others on the forum. Mine were cracked and crazed making them almost opaque, the usual scenario. Strangely, the reflectors and the centre section looked like new, I wonder why? I didn’t want the expense of new lenses if I could avoid it. I tried plastic solvent on the cracks without success, then tried cyanoacrylate (Supaglue). Capillary action pulled the glue into the cracks and appeared to seal them. I wiped off the excess glue with kitchen roll and noticed some of the shine had returned to the lenses, presumably by filling all the micro-cracks which had made them so dull. I proceeded to dose the lenses with Supaglue, a section at a time, and wipe over with kitchen roll. The lenses are much improved; it remains to be seen how long it lasts. The cracking had caused some distortion to the lenses so they no longer sat flat. I resealed them with black silicone window sealant. It took two tubes, but at least the car is now dry.