[JTav8r]

Hello All,

I just found this forum and wanted to ask a question. I have a 1999 Chevy Prizm (my daughter's car) and the headlights are suffering the clouding of the plastic that happens to all of these.

At RockAuto.com, the headlights for the 1999 Corolla are considerably cheaper than the ones for the 1999 Chevy Prizm. Looking at photos of the vehicles, they SEEM to be the same headlight fixture.

Does anyone here know if there is any difference between the Corolla and Prizm headlights for the 1999 model year?

Thanks for your help!!

John

 

[YotaRolla01]

They are physically different and are not interchangeable. Take a look at the inner most corner that's closest to the center of the front (to the left in these photos)

The Prizm one is more rounded

While the Corolla one has a sharper angle (still rounded, but a tighter "rounding")

Because of how they sit in the front bumper cover and the hood conforms to the top, one will not work for the other.

 

[G_gazoo]

I forget who posted this video first and showed me this added step but if you have the time this way is cheaper and a permanent fix.

 

[YotaRolla01]

I buffed the originals on my 01 at work lol

They looked terrible at first but they weren't cracked or anything, so I just hit them with a couple buffing wheels mounted on basically a bench grinder; came out great. About the same as sanding them.

 

[THEWISEONE]

Don't put a coat of clearcoat on the plastic lens because you will burn it.Lacquer based clearcoat will eat through the lens and ruine it.Instead,coat the lens with a good UV protection wax.

 

[Bitter]

Once they're sanded clear with about 2000 grit take them to a body shop and have them sprayed with 2K clear and buffed, about $50 for a pair of lights and they'll stay clear as long as clear coat on a car stays clear.

 

[THEWISEONE]

No,Acetone contained in these clearcoats will burn the lens and ruin it.Polish the lens with Merguiar plastx then put a coat of uv protective wax.The worst thing you can do to a plastic lens is sanding it like in the above video.

 

[Bitter]

Nope. I had my $800 HID headlamps cleared with 2K and they look perfect. I paid $40 for the pair to be done. 2K clear is urethane, not lacquer so it won't harm plastics when sprayed because no reducer is needed.

 

[1998corolla]

I used the one below just now and it works very very good, it looks like new from few steps away. It is not made for the headlight but I think they have one just for the head light.

Meguiar's M105 Mirror Glaze Ultra-Cut Compound - 8 oz