John said:
The plastic lens on my 99 Concorde has taken on a rough surface,
almost like it was sandblasted. The replacement cost for this part is
over $300! Has anyone encountered this problem and if so, what did you
use to smooth out the surface? I'm thinking of something like the
Maguire body scrub. Thanks for any help.
Many people have tried polishing them out (including yours truly who
also owns a '99 Concorde). Some claim to have been successful, but it's
a lot of work, and the results aren't usually long-lived - usually
involves progressively finer grades of sand paper and some form of
chrome polish or wax that fills the remaining scratches and has to be
repeated periodically to keep anything even close to a clear
appearance). One of mine was replaced by the insurance co. due to an
accident, so I'm good on that one (would not suggest having an accident
to have it replaced) 8^) .
I'm saving money for my other one now. I also have Ston-Gards sitting
on the shelf ready to put on when I get it - hopefully they will block
the damaging UV light and slow down the hazing process so they last as
long as the car.
Some on-line dealers have the headlight for under $300 (take a look at
http://www.mechanicsvilledodge.com/parts.htm - hit the "Parts" link and
drill down with the vehicle info. and part you're looking for).
IMO, this is a problem that needs to be solved in general across the
board - having to replace $600+ worth of what should be durable parts
after 4 years from normal wear and tear is highly unacceptable.
Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")
