i've just had my headlights apart to clean them and i found both dip & main beam reflectors are badly pitted with quite a large area of silver missing off one of the main beam reflectors, now i'm sure after cleaning these will be a lot better but ideally want to sort these reflectors out. the main beam ones feel like plastic, not sure about dip beam ones as i didn't do a complete strip down. but they have gone back on the car for now to see how they perform.

 

so as i see it i have 3 options

1.find somewhere to resilver my current reflectors (i can only find places that deal with metal reflectors on line with around 8 week turn round)

2. buy some new headlights, i have found somewhere with some rhd jdm units in stock but not in the uk, by time iv'e paid the vastly increased price plus shipping a pair is £900 plus import duty & vat

3. buy some LHD headlights from the zcentre or mjp and use them for parts to refurb mine (seems a bit of a waste but cheaper then new option)

 

any advice greatly appreciated

I did a full refurb on mine not so long back, I found the same thing.

Both reflectors are a type of plastic, I had mine Vacuum Metalized so as to bring them back.

Here is my link link..

 

http://www.300zx.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?174282-Passenger-Headlight-removal!!-Arrrrggghh&highlight=hand+headlight

 

Hope it helps.

ah brill thanks redwine, i've just tested mine and they do seem a lot better but still got a few specs of dirt in them, but i do have another set of jdm headlights hanging around somewhere so will give them the full treatment and fit them over the winter the new headlights would be nice but i can't warrant over a grand for a set.

 

any recommendations where you had the vacuum coating done and turn round times?

The company name where I sent my reflectors escapes me, but I do recall having several issues with their quality control.

With this in mind, I would prefer not to recommend them.

 

I do recall paying a little over £250 for both lights if memory serves me right.

I'm sure a Google search would throw up someone closer.

 

If I get chance, I will have a look today.

 

If you contemplate cleaning up the original reflectors, goes real easy as they mark up very easily.

Don't use anything that is abrasive as the chrome effect will be removed.

I would suggest soap and water and a very soft cloth.

 

Hopes this helps.

cheers again fella, i'll look around on the net and get quotes, my current reflectors are worse than your original ones as in i have tarnishing and black pitting in the silver finish, i couldn't find my other set of lights so bought a pair off eBay as a winter project to do a full strip/clean rebuild and get the reflectors redone, hopefully will then be as good as they are going to get then refit them just before i put the car back on the road in april,

Use tin foil glued onto the surface?

apart from not getting tinfoil to sit correctly without creases, i don't think it's much more reflective than my current tarnished reflectors

What about a proper mirror vinyl wrap?

What about a proper mirror vinyl wrap?

not 100% sure it will cope with the heat

Just buy brand new lights from zcentre, and swap over the light mask from your current set and hey its now eu !

 

I've asked luke about this before and he thinks that the best way.

 

Far as I know the metal mask in front of the lense is the only difference between US and EU.

The only issue with LHD headlights is that you've got the split them. It's fairly easy, but could you bring yourself to splitting them?

 

I was lucky to find the last set of brand new early style RHD headlights available!

True,

 

but in this case he's needing to split them anyways to replace or fix the reflector parts.

 

My reflectors have got that cracked look and if you look closely at them it resembles the hexagons from a bee hive.

 

 

The only issue with LHD headlights is that you've got the split them. It's fairly easy, but could you bring yourself to splitting them?

 

I was lucky to find the last set of brand new early style RHD headlights available!

The only issue with LHD headlights is that you've got the split them. It's fairly easy, but could you bring yourself to splitting them?

 

I was lucky to find the last set of brand new early style RHD headlights available!

 

well not quite the last set Si, Z1 have several sets of RHD jdm headlights in stock but at an overly inflated price, $398 ea plus $413 shipping for the pair works out about £900 plus import duty & vat.

 

cheers for the input on LHD drive headlights i did consider it as an option to swap the masks & the glass to make them RHD, i have however gone down the route of buying a used set (just been delivered) which cost me £90 for the pair, reflectors as i though are past it, so these are purely to do a complete strip down and refurb over the next month or so.

well not quite the last set Si, Z1 have several sets of RHD jdm headlights in stock but at an overly inflated price, $398 ea plus $413 shipping for the pair works out about £900 plus import duty & vat.

 

cheers for the input on LHD drive headlights i did consider it as an option to swap the masks & the glass to make them RHD, i have however gone down the route of buying a used set (just been delivered) which cost me £90 for the pair, reflectors as i though are past it, so these are purely to do a complete strip down and refurb over the next month or so.

 

 

Z1 can't get hold of them. All they can get hold of are used RHD headlights and 99-spec HIDs

i contacted them last week as they are currently on their website and they say they have several brand new sets in stock

https://www.z1motorsports.com/front-lights/nismo/jdm-z32-non-hid-headlights-p-6173.html

Daft question likely but what happens if I want replacement headlights on my lambo ? :whistling:

 

Don't they use the same lights just rebadged.

 

 

Z1 can't get hold of them. All they can get hold of are used RHD headlights and 99-spec HIDs

Daft question likely but what happens if I want replacement headlights on my lambo ? :whistling:

 

Don't they use the same lights just rebadged.

 

Lamborghini may have stock themselves.

 

RHD headlights have been NLS for a few years now. Car manufacturers generally only have to carry spares for a model only up to 10 years after last production date unless there is a specific demand for them and as the last 1st gen Diablo rolled off the production line in 1998, it could be NLS with them too.

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

i contacted them last week as they are currently on their website and they say they have several brand new sets in stock

https://www.z1motorsports.com/front-lights/nismo/jdm-z32-non-hid-headlights-p-6173.html

 

I am not sure who you spoke to, but this is not the case. I've been over there and they don't carry any, nor is there availability from Tennessee (HQ). They're listed NLS on Nissan global.

 

When checking (physically in their warehouse), the only ones on site at Z1 were all LHD.

Good job I didn't bite the bullet and order a set!

I have had a quote back from a company for vacuum metalizing the current reflectors in my rebuild set, £35 ea for main beams and £25 ea for dip beams plus £5 return carriage all in all not a bad price.

 

Lamborghini may have stock themselves.

 

RHD headlights have been NLS for a few years now. Car manufacturers generally only have to carry spares for a model only up to 10 years after last production date unless there is a specific demand for them and as the last 1st gen Diablo rolled off the production line in 1998, it could be NLS with them too.

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

 

 

I am not sure who you spoke to, but this is not the case. I've been over there and they don't carry any, nor is there availability from Tennessee (HQ). They're listed NLS on Nissan global.

 

When checking (physically in their warehouse), the only ones on site at Z1 were all LHD.

Just a thought on this one but I had an issue years back with the reflectors on a mk2 escort. Same problem, plastic reflectors with worn coating. I bought a can of plasticoat chrome spray and put a few coats on and they were like new again.. Total cost was £8.99 from my local car accessory shop. Got to say that when I sold the car 2 years later, the headlights were the best thing about it lol..

Might be an idea for future projects to give it a try? Worked for me..