Just shoot me

[terryford8]

Going onto my third front passenger headlight on my 99 merc mystique
The DEPO unit lasted two weeks before one of the tabs broke
The plastic seems so flimsy and cheap
Took the unit out to make a tin tie down tab only to find the plastic split
all over the place. Looks like somebody walking by the car kicked it or something.
I tried using a 3M headlight restorer kit on a spare headlight but despite the 3M video
saying it was so easy i ended up with a piece of junk as headlight wouldn't clear no
matter how much i handed and polished.
Found one for $134 from go-Parts for $80 less than rockauto but with
my luck it will probably show up without headlight bulbs like my last rockauto unit.
I would like just two minutes alone with the clown that bashed my light LOL
Also had to keep my cool after this black car pulled out in front of my motorcycle

 

[MadDog]

Find one with tabs at a junkyard. Use 600-1000-1500-2000 grit sandpaper (wet) followed by buffing compound the polishing compound, and finally there is a UV coating (I forget off the top of my head). It won't be quite as good as a professional job, but much better than fogged over. I also reinforce the tabs with a coating of JB Weld.

Mad Dog

 

[terryford8]

UPDATE
wish i had the energy and patience to take apart my two passenger headlites and make one good unit
read one post about putting it in and out of oven to heat it up to pull it apart
In two hours i go in for IV dental surgery maybe i will try the oven trick while full of pain meds LOL
with my luck i would fall asleep fill the whole house with deadly plastic fumes

MadDog
the 3M kit starts with 800 grit then goes to 500 then a wet buffing compound then the uv coating
I used all those steps and ended up with this result
Thought maybe my battery drill wasn't strong enough so did the whole thing over with an electric unit
same result
Your tip about the JB Weld sounds great because at least with the DEPO units the plastic of the whole headlight is junk
Luckily i have my huge Super OSCAR driving lites on the front of my merc and when they are on i don't even need headlites

 

[MadDog]

I used a variety of sandpapers from the auto store, but in principle the kits should also work. The only time I used a power tool was for the final polishing and UV coating.

The oven trick is if you want to put the front plastic off so you can modify the beams - something I have not tried.

Mad Dog