Gauge Cluster Clear Plastic Lens

[1batt4u]

Hi all,

My lens has some white streak marks all over. I tried buffing it out several times with White Rouge Buffing Compound, but nothing at all!

Does anyone else have same problems on their lens?? What can be done?

I just checked out DMCH website for it http://store.delorean.com/p-7092-lens.aspx $149.95 for a piece of clear plastic??????? Is that for real???


Anyone make these??

[Dangermouse]

I recall seeing someone buffing one out with great success, but I don't remember who.

Might have been on the UK forum.

I know thats not a lot of help but it can be done!

[DeLorean03]

I'm learning how to "flame polish", and I'm going to try to do this to my plastic piece down the road.

I do this on my pinball plastic ramps. After they get so much wear, you take a small butane torch and get the tip of the blue flame to be JUST out of reach of the plastic. The heat causes the cloudy areas of plastic to clear up, and I've done it with great success on my pinball plastic ramps.

This isn't a HUGE priority to me right now, but down the road when I finally do it, I'll post my results. Don't hold your breath; I'm talking like summer 2013.

This is a good example of the art of flame-polishing in motion:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=splGGFriUq8

[john 05141]

Be VERY careful with this flaming polishing. This will work in very thick material only and will not be of any use in a lens like the one in the binnacle.
It melts the furface a bit but also warps the surface when it is too thin. the thick plastic pinball machine part with lots of bends will cope with the heat better than a thin lens.Also if you do not controll the movement very will, you can influence the shape if the plastic or burn the surface.

Buffung with a drillçing machine may also increase the temperature too much so it will melt the surface.. beyond repair.
I never removed the lens of mine, but can it not be cut out of a clear sheet of plastic? Tape the surface off real well, and with a saw cut it out. Drill the holes and you're done.

Jan

[Bitsyncmaster]

I've used an automotive (paint polish) compound with good success on clear plastic parts. I don't use any machine to polish for fear of over heating. You may want to try polish while under cold water.

[dustybarn]

I'd be very wary of trying to flame polish it. I use a polish called "Novus2" on my pinball machine plastic parts and it works phenomenally. I also used it to polish out an old "space helmet" hair dryer dome and it worked great.

[DMCMW Dave]

.
I never removed the lens of mine, but can it not be cut out of a clear sheet of plastic? Tape the surface off real well, and with a saw cut it out. Drill the holes and you're done.

Jan

The lens is not flat.

[Michael]

I have done plenty of plastic with very good success. Depending on how bad the scratches are you can do it by hand, but a machine always works better. I have used automotive compound, but the best thing to use is Novus plastic polish. Boat retailers usually carry it. I use a Makita buffer, but for something small like this, I would use my 3" Milwalkee drill polisher. It would no doubt be easier with the lens out as it would only take a few minutes to have it looking like new.

If it has a stain on it or if some chemical has eaten into the plastic, more drastic steps involving sandpaper are in order, which is no problem for an experienced person. An inexperienced person however can really make a mess out of it. You might swing in a few car dealerships and ask when the guy who corrects headlight lenses will be by. These guys make it a business on finishing plastic headlights to like new. Just make sure they sand and polish them and not refinish them with a coating.

[stevedmc]

The lens is not flat.

Actually the lens itself is flat. Only the mounting tabs are at an angle. Bill Robertson has been running a flat piece of exterior grade optical acrylic, mounted with custom made stainless steel tabs, for half a decade now no problem. Cost him $6 (half of a $12 sheet).

[Mark D]

I've used Meguiars PlastX polish and it works flawlessly.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=13976&d=1349960741

I typically wet sand with 800 grit paper first to clean out dirt and to get a nice even surface. You want to remove any pitting or deeper scratches. If you have any scratches that are really deep you can go down to 600 or 400 grit but then you have to spend more time sanding with progressively higher grits to get back to 800 again. You can sand up to higher grits if you feel like it, but the plastx polish has no problem taking it to a mirror polish from 800 grit sanding.

I use a cotton buffing wheel mounted to a regular cordless drill. Don't be afraid to use plenty of polishing compound and let it do the work. Avoid heat buildup and don't let the polishing wheel go dry. You can also do it by hand instead of using a drill but it takes 10x as long.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=13977&d=1349962010

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=13978&d=1349962011

[DMC3165]

Hi all,

My lens has some white streak marks all over. I tried buffing it out several times with White Rouge Buffing Compound, but nothing at all!

Does anyone else have same problems on their lens?? What can be done?

I just checked out DMCH website for it http://store.delorean.com/p-7092-lens.aspx $149.95 for a piece of clear plastic??????? Is that for real???


Anyone make these??

Mine had the exact same problem. I tried everything to repair it with absolutely no luck. I eventually bought a NOS one from Grady when I picked up another binnacle. The lens was not that expensive. I don't remember exactly how much it was but it was money well spent! He may still have some. I honestly don't know.

[David T]

There are many plastic polishes on the market. There are kits you can buy to polish the headlights on the new cars. I have tried Novus and Meguirs, to name a few. One person way back posted he was pretty successful with toothpaste. Flame polishing is going to take a LOT of trial and error and experience before you are good enough to do it on this part. I would use that method as a last resort. My latest polish of choice right now is Poor Boy's. I suspect they are all pretty much the same. As mentioned if you do try polishing, especially with a machine, you must keep the plastic cool.
David Teitelbaum

[1batt4u]

I used White Rouge Buffing Compound, over and over again but nothing! This is actually great stuff to use! I used it on alot of clear leneses, headlights, black ABS plastic trim, Black ABS plastic door mirrors!! Always works and great!!

I think something is up with this. I was taking a closer look at it looks like the problem is in the inside. It has a white smoke look to it, weird!

[1batt4u]

Mine had the exact same problem. I tried everything to repair it with absolutely no luck. I eventually bought a NOS one from Grady when I picked up another binnacle. The lens was not that expensive. I don't remember exactly how much it was but it was money well spent! He may still have some. I honestly don't know.

Do you remember how much you paid??

[john 05141]

I used a CD scratch remover once to polish the rear lights. effect was not that great; Anyone ever polished the Delorean rear lights? It is not a flat surface...

Jan

[Bitsyncmaster]

I used White Rouge Buffing Compound, over and over again but nothing! This is actually great stuff to use! I used it on alot of clear leneses, headlights, black ABS plastic trim, Black ABS plastic door mirrors!! Always works and great!!

I think something is up with this. I was taking a closer look at it looks like the problem is in the inside. It has a white smoke look to it, weird!

It sounds like the lens has been fogged. Using a solvent can do that. It creates small cracks through the plastic (crazed).

[1batt4u]

It sounds like the lens has been fogged. Using a solvent can do that. It creates small cracks through the plastic (crazed).

Yea, thats what it seems like. It came like that. Guess I gotta get a new one. I'll try PJ Grady, see how much he sells them for.

[DMCH James]

It's actually made from Makralon extruded polycarbonate, very high quality - better than the originals. The price is high, but that's more due to the fact that it is a very low-volume part, with sales of perhaps 6-8 per year. On other items, with higher volumes, the price can be much less.

James



Hi all,

My lens has some white streak marks all over. I tried buffing it out several times with White Rouge Buffing Compound, but nothing at all!

Does anyone else have same problems on their lens?? What can be done?

I just checked out DMCH website for it http://store.delorean.com/p-7092-lens.aspx $149.95 for a piece of clear plastic??????? Is that for real???

Anyone make these??

[Ryan King]

I used White Rouge Buffing Compound, over and over again but nothing! This is actually great stuff to use! I used it on alot of clear leneses, headlights, black ABS plastic trim, Black ABS plastic door mirrors!! Always works and great!!

I think something is up with this. I was taking a closer look at it looks like the problem is in the inside. It has a white smoke look to it, weird!

I JUST pulled mine out of my car on Sunday for the exact same problem. It just randomly started getting foggy right where my Speedo and RPM gauge are. I tried cleaning it with a number of different things to no avail.

I just don't have 150 dollars to spend on a new lens. My girlfriends Lancer costs 20 bucks for a new cluster lens. :/
oh we'll. I guess I'll just keep a foggy one.

[Ryan King]

It's actually made from Makralon extruded polycarbonate, very high quality - better than the originals. The price is high, but that's more due to the fact that it is a very low-volume part, with sales of perhaps 6-8 per year. On other items, with higher volumes, the price can be much less.

James

The reason why you sell 6-8 a year is because the price is so high. Continuous Loop.

[thirdmanj]

It's actually made from Makralon extruded polycarbonate.

James

Translation: Very expensive plastic.

[LEVY]

Translation: Very expensive plastic.

Yes, very expensive indeed: http://www.usplastic.com/mobile/item.aspx?itemid=24785&catid=704

[stevedmc]

http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/118/3571/=jr086x

[mluder]

Yes, very expensive indeed: http://www.usplastic.com/mobile/item.aspx?itemid=24785&catid=704

Yeah - A 24" by 24" sheet of 1/8" costs a whopping $20. You can probably get 2 out of that so we're in 10 bucks for materials. That leaves $140 bucks for forming. See...

All kidding aside - If I was in need of course I would send my $150 to Houston.

Cheers
Steven

[mluder]

http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/118/3571/=jr086x

Uh-Huh! Huh! Flourescent Rods
14127

Cheers
Steve

[jerrysony]

My lens are totally unusable. They seem to caught some kind of fire/heat by the PO so it´s totally clouded with a fog like screen. I´ve tried every posted solution without success, I even took it to a professional to polish it. my only option is to get a new one, but houston seems to be out of stock.

Does anyone know who´s making them?

[Texas Twister]

I think it was a Turtle wax product. At any rate, the lens had white spots from some spray. We first wet sanded it with 1000 grit same paper then polished it. The Meguiars PlastX should work too.

[TTait]

My lens are totally unusable. They seem to caught some kind of fire/heat by the PO so it´s totally clouded with a fog like screen. I´ve tried every posted solution without success, I even took it to a professional to polish it. my only option is to get a new one, but houston seems to be out of stock.

Does anyone know who´s making them?

Not unusable at all. Mine was really bad too, so I pulled it out and gave it to a friend with access to a vacuform machine. It tales a piece of thinner plastic, as is used in packaging etc, heats it up and then lowers it down over a mold. A vacuum table then pulls the hot plastic tight onto the mold.

My friend used the original lens as the mold (the original remained undamaged after this) and pulled a new lens for me in a couple of minutes. I had to trim the plastic to size and drill the holes for the mounting screws. I've kept quiet about it because its thinner than stock and I didn't know if it would hold up. So far it has - beautifully. Nobody would guess its thinner than stock - maybe a concours judge would pick it out, but maybe not.

After more than a year, including perhaps 30 days parked in the hot sun at work - I can affirm that its a cheap date that works well. If you decide to go this route, go ahead and have a few extras made - if it does crack or warp after a few years, pop a new one in.

Discuss with whoever you find to do the work the thickness of the plastic - as thick as reasonable, but still thin enough to pick up the contours of the mounting tabs and holes. It would also be a cheap way of experimenting with a tinted or smoke lens - with bright LEDs backlighting it.

[DMC3165]

I got one from PJ Grady a few years back when he sold me a new binnacle. Maybe he still has some?

[jerrysony]

Not unusable at all. Mine was really bad too, so I pulled it out and gave it to a friend with access to a vacuform machine. It tales a piece of thinner plastic, as is used in packaging etc, heats it up and then lowers it down over a mold. A vacuum table then pulls the hot plastic tight onto the mold.

My friend used the original lens as the mold (the original remained undamaged after this) and pulled a new lens for me in a couple of minutes. I had to trim the plastic to size and drill the holes for the mounting screws. I've kept quiet about it because its thinner than stock and I didn't know if it would hold up. So far it has - beautifully. Nobody would guess its thinner than stock - maybe a concours judge would pick it out, but maybe not.

After more than a year, including perhaps 30 days parked in the hot sun at work - I can affirm that its a cheap date that works well. If you decide to go this route, go ahead and have a few extras made - if it does crack or warp after a few years, pop a new one in.

Discuss with whoever you find to do the work the thickness of the plastic - as thick as reasonable, but still thin enough to pick up the contours of the mounting tabs and holes. It would also be a cheap way of experimenting with a tinted or smoke lens - with bright LEDs backlighting it.

Thank you for all the info Ttait. Great advice. I´ll try to do that and update with the results. Best regards.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Some plastics will "craze" when exposed to some cleaners or solvent. Someone tried using a bug spray on my wife's headlights because they saw on the internet that cleaned the yellow off. That crazed the plastic which puts cracks it throughout.