The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Re-silvering headlamp / fog lamp reflectors

Anyone one here ever had headlamp, or fog lamp refectors re-silvered.

nope, but a low budget buddy of mine used to clean his up and spray paint them with silver paint, sometimes the sparkly metallic kind, then put 'em back together.

You might could test it out on a really bad one...

He also would run the yellow flasher bulbs in the brake lights, they were a lot brighter and kept people from running into him.

-W

You could replate at home with a Caswell kit, or contact your local BGT. Big Giant Telescope. Telescope folks like to lay down vaporized aluminum when making mirrors, and you might have luck getting them to do so on your reflectors.

I live near The Centre of the Universe and I believe they have a huge onsite vacuum oven to do so. It's an industrial thing though, and you might have a place near you.

Chevy's of the 40's resilvers reflectors but it's pricey anymore. Used to be in Hemmings under "Services Offered" there were several that did this.

I simply use chrome paint, let it dry for about 1 hour then cover with clear.

I have seen test where they used white paint in tail lamps next to silver painted ones, the white was much brighter once the lenses were installed. Can you just buff out the steel and clear coat?

Joe

My last 2¢ is this. If you ever drive at night, you wan't silver. It's far more reflective. Otherwise your lights will only be useful for identifying objects just before you run over them.

I've used semi-chrome from a tube on my fog light reflectors and it made them look brand new. I also bought an aerosol can of M.R.O. Chrome Galvanize Coating industrial 143 from Eastwood for my headlight reflectors and both have worked great. I was really impressed with how well the semi-chrome worked because those reflectors were the worst.

Steve's Auto Restorations in the Pacific Northwest does it.