Headlight restoration

[ComaBlack]

Hey guys, I haven't posted since October (when I had pics of my newly waxed solara) so I decided to post again today, since I just did a headlight restoration. Keep in mind this is probably the only thing I'll be able to do to my car because it's in my price range, so that's why I'm kind of excited about how good it looks now, haha. With that being said, what else could I do that's not crazy expensive to make it look/run better? To be honest, I don't really know anything about cars. I want to learn though because I've been interested for a while, just no one around to teach me. Anyways, I used Turtle Wax Headlight Lens Restorer, it was $9.95:




I'm so embarrassed by all the scratches it has from the previous owner... they're EVERYWHERE. It looks like he bumped into everything that was in his path, drove behind a semi in a gravel pit and cleaned snow off with a metal shovel. Some people just don't car what their car looks like I guess. I'm in love with it though, I'm crazy about this car. And you can see why because it's an upgrade from this:



I give that car credit, though. Bought it for $1000 and nothing ever broke on it; little car that just ran and ran. Had it for about four years when I had to give it up because the bottom was rusting out.
Bought my Solara at 161k, I think I put around 7k on it so far.

[crispone]

Congrats on the light lens work! Looks MUCH better! Good to do the "little things" even if you aren't a grease monkey... and enjoy the simple pleasure of doing it yourself! Kudos!

YES, that's a step UP for sure! I'm sure you are enjoying the newer ride...


BTW, who is that in your avatar??? (Nice B&W pic, anyway. )






-crisp

[ComaBlack]

Thank you! I agree, it's such a small thing to do but it made a huge difference. The stuff attracted bugs like no ones business though, as soon as I started to apply it they would fly right into it and die, then I had to pick them out. Jesus. Anyways that's Lady Gaga in my avatar. I'm not on here much so I never made an avatar or sig for myself.

[crispone]

Thank you! I agree, it's such a small thing to do but it made a huge difference. The stuff attracted bugs like no ones business though, as soon as I started to apply it they would fly right into it and die, then I had to pick them out. Jesus. Anyways that's Lady Gaga in my avatar. I'm not on here much so I never made an avatar or sig for myself.

Ha ha! Lady Gaga! Funny... I don't know that I would recognize her if I saw her. Obviously, I didn't! (I'm an old fart... not too "hip" with the whole GAGA thing!)

At any rate, it's a good pic, and she does look pretty good, doesn't she? (Pretty good business woman, it would seem...)



-crisp

[ComaBlack]

Oh yeah, I'm in love with her. Is that your dog?

[GzNutz]

Headlight looks much better. Nice job.

[SleeperSolara]

The headlight restoration looks better.

[k-0tik]

That looks nice dude.I remember when I did mines...big big difference =)

[crispone]

:P Oh yeah, I'm in love with her. Is that your dog?

That was my dog, yes...



Edit
Farewell to little Sage...
by crisp on Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 12:23pm
Our little West Highland Terrier "Sage" just ran out into the country road we are on and was struck and killed a short while ago. My children were out on their battery "Gator" and "Quad" riding around having a blast while the dog chased them about. My 8 year old (of four) came running in crying and yelling that Sage was running up close to the road and was going to get hit. When I ran out and began to call, then he said "THERE she is" pointing way up at the end of the drive in the road... I began to run in the direction until I could see her fluffy body laying out in the road with the wind whipping her fur as some more traffic passed, notably slowing and appearing to avoid her. As I walked up the grade I could clearly see she was not going to recover from this blow... and as her body convulsed in several more jerks, I ran out between a semi and pickup to gently lift her near lifeless body off to the edge of the berm.

...I had to stand and just take a moment, as I peered back across at my yard and scanned it to make sure the kids had all followed my firm instructions to "get into the house, NOW" just a couple minutes prior. The neighbor's large Irish Setter was on their porch a few dozen yards away, obviously agitated with the scene as she bark worriedly and fidgeted from paw to paw in a restless dance... and I looked down at our little sage's well worn coat of playful fur... and heaved a deep sigh before transferring her back over to my side of the road, and placing her just in front of the roadside hedgerow where she would be out of sight and mind until I went back up to the house and sat down with the children and contacted my wife at work with the news.


This damn little dog was dumb and determined but I swear, for all the crap I dealt with in taking care of her against my better counsel since she was first purchased about a year ago... I'd be lying if I didn't come straight out and say it tore me up and I'm hurting in the wake of one of those little moments in life that truly epitomize the most poignant of what it has to offer, both good, bad and everything in between... even the hollow certainty of a loss that is found only in death.


Thank God my children had the good sense to run back up to the house and talk to daddy before running out and reacting to the event in a way that could have been tragic beyond my very ability to cope... in the broader context of things, I am sitting back and being very grateful for the life that is so dear to me and my family, while still grieving for the loss of the silly little white dog who always seemed to be underfoot... now painfully absent from our midst.


Rest In Peace little dog... I hope you were happy while you were with us.



Spring '09 ~ Saturday, April 17th, 2010.
Sage.





-crisp

[ComaBlack]

Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I didn't know. I didn't see that post. That's horrible She was a very cute little dog.
I've never had to deal with an animal's death before. I had to give my cat away a few years ago who I absolutely loved. I know it's not the same, but losing an animal is not easy. I'm sure she had a lot of fun with you and your family.

[crispone]

Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I didn't know. I didn't see that post. That's horrible She was a very cute little dog.
I've never had to deal with an animal's death before. I had to give my cat away a few years ago who I absolutely loved. I know it's not the same, but losing an animal is not easy. I'm sure she had a lot of fun with you and your family.

No problem! We only had her for a year... she barely made it to that milestone. Just a little pup, but a good little dog! My four young kids (especially the YOUNGEST @3) enjoyed her the most, so loosing the dog was toughest for him, but I was pretty bummed about it as well. I may have been the most "frustrated" with ending up doing all the cleaning, caring and disciplining of the dog... who was NOT my idea, but in the end, I got attached and it was rough to be the one to clean up the aftermath.

My kids and I went back into our woods together the next day and dug a grave together. Later, when I was alone, I put the dog in the grave and buried it, then took the kids back to plant some flowers and say "good bye" to Sage. It was good to include them in the process... as they handled the death better that way, I think.

Thanks for your kind sentiments! Now we have a CAT (Milo) that my wife bought me about one year ago. Although Milo started out as a RUNT of the litter, VERY small and weakly looking... he is now OVER 18 POUNDS!!! DOH! (He has to DRAG himself through the cat door to the basement, as he can't pass through without getting STUCK! HA!)


PS: On the OP's topic again... I'm getting ready to do my Solara lenses as well! They are looking VERY rough after a lot of years and miles on my '04!



-crisp

[ComaBlack]

I love fat kitties! My baby was big too:



Anywho, show pics when you're done! It's hard to do any work outside living in an apartment complex. Nosy people always walk over and start talking to me and they won't. go. away.

[ComaBlack]

Erm... they look better when the lights aren't on... which is unfortunate because they're daytime running. Sigh, someday I'll have a brand new car.