Got some S5 tails with some ugly tint on it for $90


started to dry sand with 800 grit



then wet sand with 1500 grit


Then polished with some Meguirs PLASTX



Called it a day, good deal.

 

Nicee... That's a good deal on them. And what was the black crap, like spray paint or something? Because when you said tint I thought about tint just peeling off...

 

Hard to believe those are the same lights, nice work

 

Nice work.

 

It was like a SPRAY kinda tint im guessing. But yea good deal anyways. Thanks. You guys should try this if you want your tails to shine like new.

 

It's probably Nightshades. It's pretty sweet stuff if you like that look. Personally, I think the stock RX-7 lights are great the way they are.

 

Yea I had them on for awhile with the tint. It was cool at first. But I wanted the stock look back.

 

i've always been hesitant to sand clear plastic parts but this has convinced me it can be done! nice job

 

Yea if the grit was lower it would have done some damage maybe?

 

not maybe, definitely. i have just always dreaded the lens' becoming cloudy after i was done.

 

Thats where PLASTX saves the day. haha

 

When you wet sanded did you use water and if so did you add anything to the water to make it more slippery and you need to be commended for an excellent job.

 

I've used as low as 400 grit (wet) on tails. Plastic is just like any other surface from my experience. The time I went to 400, I finished with (all wet) 600, 1000, 1500 and then 2000 with a plastic-polish to finish them off. I had to remove some bad clear-coat that *did* get cloudy.

 

This was my first time wet sanding anything. Me being the age of 18 it was a pretty good first try. I did not add anything to the water.

Just got a bucket of water and dipped the sand paper and started lol

Is that how it goes?

But yea thanks for all the e-props.

 

A little soap mixed with warm water is pretty good. Soaking your paper in the water is also a good idea to help "soften" it up a little bit--especially if you're going to be using a lower grit (like 400).

 

Ill try it this way next time

And I want to throw this out there

You are the creator of Modernized S5 tails right?

 

Reminds me of the FTP lens restoration procedure.
http://www.rotorwiki.com/index.php/Lense_Restoration

 

Yup. Thats where the idea for this came from.

 

I do my final buffing with tooth paste. Makes em shine

 

hahaha Erik is a celebrity for those.

 

Tooth paste? realy?

 

Yea ...I heard toothpaste has the consistency of 3000 grit. haha. depends if its Crest or Colgate :p

 

i have used tooth paste on the coolant over flow tank and it really really cleaned it up. it was like night and day difference.

 

ok i need to see proof of this toothpaste sanding haha but good job though. convinced me to do my flash to pass lights. getting a lil cloudy

 

Yea the supplies cost $16. Thats one bottle of PLASTX and the two packs of sand paper.