Originally Posted By: raytseng
Originally Posted By: earlyre
Originally Posted By: 3800Series
I can't figure out why everyone went to plastic everything. Would gladly pay extra for glass headlight lenses the last virtually indefinitely. My old Volvo had the originals from 95 and they as clear as a glass cup.
Personally I feel if someone was to open a business making glass headlights to OEM spec they could make quite a lot of money.
they changed for 2 simple reasons, $$, and weight.
Plastic is cheaper, weighs less, and since it does degrade with UV exposure, and get pitted by debris in the air(sandblasting), you will eventually have to buy new light assemblies (more $$ for them)
personally i've placed protective films over the headlamps of my last 2 cars. there are several brands, and companies selling them, so google is your friend in this instance.
+1
If this is something you're worried about, you need to go with PPF on your headlights (ideally when it's new and before it got bad and you had to restore/refinished it).
If you don't trust your google fu or your own skills, start calling any reputable tint shop, or ppf/clear bra specialist shops around you, and see what PPF they carry and if they'll do your headlights.
Even if it's not "headlight-specific" film but meant for the body, and not strictly "legal", all the computer film plotters have the headlight patterns, and it's fine (results depend more on the skill of the operator).
By the same token, many window tints aren't strictly legal anyway.
this is the film/kits i have used on both cars. (not a Headlight Specific Film, it's from 3M's Aerospace Division Intended for Wing Tip lights, landing gear lights, and Radar nose cones on Jets)
http://www.clearmask.com/lightgard.php
on the Neon, i was replacing nasty, cataract-like assemblies, so it was relatively easy to put the film on BEFORE i installed them in the car.
then when i bought my sable last Jan, I ordered them for it's lights. Luckily, for a 5 year old car, they Looked really good, gave them a good polish before applying the film.
I know Weathertech also sells films along with the super-duper floor liners.(which i have a full set of in the Sable)