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Restoring A Pair Of Lexan T-Tops! - The Pair That Should Have Gone Into A Dumpster...
So long story short a buddy of my was going to toss these in the trash about 7 years ago i took them in as a partial trade for some parts i had, since then they have been siting on the shelf along with some other glass sets that i had... I took them down the other day and i now remember why these where getting thrown in the dumpster they had so many scratch that would catch your finger nail and lots of pits (In fact i used a depth gauge to determine how deep, some of the pits where 0.010" The lexan it self is about 1.995" thick) i decided before tossing them to just try and see if i could bring them back to even decent looking... I read countless threads about "There is no way to restore or fix lexan" "Just paint them black" i even ran across threads on other forums "my lexan has pits how do i fix them? - The replies were "you can't do anything about pits just wait till it cracks and call your insurance company"
Re: Restoring A Pair Of Lexan T-Tops! - The Pair That Should Have Gone Into A Dumpste
The fill has held up to sanding and flex...
So we'll fast forward... next steps in wet sanding after 220 and 400 where 600, 800, 1000, 1500 and 2000 to get them to this point im sure i could have skipped a few but it seem to take less time going up in 200 grit increments...
Here's a shot after 2000 grit
Last edited by FueledSoul; 06-23-2012 at 03:03 PM.
Re: Restoring A Pair Of Lexan T-Tops! - The Pair That Should Have Gone Into A Dumpste
Nice job! Some things are worth saving and repairing, rather than just throwing away. I have refinished many plastic headlights for people using the sanding method. So did you mix an epoxy for the filler?
Re: Restoring A Pair Of Lexan T-Tops! - The Pair That Should Have Gone Into A Dumpste
Next i used a wool polishing pad on a 7" variable speed buffer on the low setting around 200 to 400 rpms with Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound also spraying water here and there with a spray bottle to keep things from getting dry. I spent about 25 minutes on each panel...
Then i washed the t-tops, the wool pad and the place i was working and switched to Turtle Wax polishing Compound also spraying water here and there with a spray bottle to keep things from getting dry used the same pad and speed as before. I spent about 15 minutes on each panel...
Washed everything again, moved to a foam buffing pad and some car wax to keep the pad lubricate spraying water here and there. I spent about 30mins on each panel...
Re: Restoring A Pair Of Lexan T-Tops! - The Pair That Should Have Gone Into A Dumpste
Originally Posted by red rock
Nice job! Some things are worth saving and repairing, rather than just throwing away. I have refinished many plastic headlights for people using the sanding method. So did you mix an epoxy for the filler?
In all honesty these should have been thrown out... I just wanted to see if i could bring a pair of shitty lexan t-tops to look decent but they came out better then i thought they would i looked into epoxy but i didn't use epoxy for the filler
Re: Restoring A Pair Of Lexan T-Tops! - The Pair That Should Have Gone Into A Dumpste
I know nothing about the lexan tops....but I wonder if that stuff that brings headlight lenses back to life would work on them? Nonetheless, yours turned out nice!!
Re: Restoring A Pair Of Lexan T-Tops! - The Pair That Should Have Gone Into A Dumpste
great job , lexan has been used for many years for general aviation small acft. windows . i have seen many restored with light sanding & good polish . good info. , good job .
Re: Restoring A Pair Of Lexan T-Tops! - The Pair That Should Have Gone Into A Dumpste
Originally Posted by Confuzed1
I know nothing about the lexan tops....but I wonder if that stuff that brings headlight lenses back to life would work on them? Nonetheless, yours turned out nice!!
I know someone who tried to use a headlight restore kit on there golf cart windshield which i believe was plexiglass and it looked worse after... Im not sure what most kits consist of or how much effort they put into it but it didn't seem to work and iv never used a headlight restore kit all you need is sand paper and a good buffing, but you really have to spend the time buffing to get them to look like glass...
Originally Posted by mantaguy
Look brand newI'm trying to get the nerves up to do my tail lightsI don't want to screw them up.
Taillights are easy most the time you can start out with 800 to 1000 grit or even higher and most the time you can skip a rubbing and polishing compound and go to wax and a foam pad one thing to keep in mind is since the area you are working on is much smaller then say a t-top your pad will have more contact time with the taillight so keep the speeds low and check periodically for heat build... its easy and wont take much time
Originally Posted by 82tarecaro
What did you use for filler?
I'll probably reveal this in a later post as i'm still not done
Originally Posted by UNCLE TOM
great job , lexan has been used for many years for general aviation small acft. windows . i have seen many restored with light sanding & good polish . good info. , good job .
Thanks
Originally Posted by yota4runnernut
Looks Nice, makes me wish I would not have thrown mine out!
Yeah i know a lot of people who have thrown a set out, i almost throw these out...
Originally Posted by kylet8020
Awesome work looking at the last 2 pics had I not have read this I would have thought they where brand new.
Yeah they look pretty good from what they were before i don't know if you caught that or not but i posted 2 video links, ill just report them again...
Re: Restoring A Pair Of Lexan T-Tops! - The Pair That Should Have Gone Into A Dumpste
Very good job! Might start working on mine now.
Mine don't look nearly as bad, but I can't really see out of the tops from the inside like the glass tops on my dad's car. Did doing this increase visibility out?
Re: Restoring A Pair Of Lexan T-Tops! - The Pair That Should Have Gone Into A Dumpste
Wow. This almost makes Lexan t-tops worth having! I'd just be worried about them getting scratched/de-laminated again...
Just noticed for the first time that the Lexan tops have trim on the other 3 edges that the glass ones don't...always thought it was dumb that they didn't put trim on the other 3 sides, even 2nd gen's had trim there to protect the tops from chips and scratches.
Re: Restoring A Pair Of Lexan T-Tops! - The Pair That Should Have Gone Into A Dumpste
That is amazing! Mine were clear coated, and that has started to peel up... I might have to try your method if my project I'm doing with them does not turn out the way I plan.
Re: Restoring A Pair Of Lexan T-Tops! - The Pair That Should Have Gone Into A Dumpste
That's and incredible outcome! I'm going to restore my lexan ttops for my 3rd gen now. I'll take pics of before and after and post them hopefully my ttops come out great too!
Re: Restoring A Pair Of Lexan T-Tops! - The Pair That Should Have Gone Into A Dumpste
I would try mine but they look like cracked tempered glass from the inside. If they would have just been weather worn I would try this. Those look amazing.
Re: Restoring A Pair Of Lexan T-Tops! - The Pair That Should Have Gone Into A Dumpste
HMMMM... I may have to reconsider trashing mine now. I've already purchased a new set of glass replacements, but I really do like the lighter weight of my lexan tops.
Re: Restoring A Pair Of Lexan T-Tops! - The Pair That Should Have Gone Into A Dumpste
In 3 more months it's going to be a year and he still hasn't revealed what he used to fill in the pits and deep scratches on the tops.
What's the big secret?
I'm guessing it's probably some kind of clear resin epoxy filler used for Lexan/Acrylic, but he should've replied by now on what type of formula/recipe he used.
Re: Restoring A Pair Of Lexan T-Tops! - The Pair That Should Have Gone Into A Dumpste
To bring an old post back from the dead. . . I've been playing with an old set of lexan T's that had been badly scratched. Tried a window tint removal trick to break down the anti scratch coat.
Goes like this:
Spray entire top with straight ammonia. Be careful to not inhale the ammonia, it's nasty!
Cover the top with a plastic trash bag. I left mine in the shade, but I bet in the sun would go quicker.
Let sit for some time, I think mine were "soaking" for over an hour.
Pull back the trash bag and the clear coat should be all loose and wrinkly.
Then use a plastic scraper and get most of the clear coat off.
Now that most of the clear is gone, follow the wet sanding and polish noted above.
Re: Restoring A Pair Of Lexan T-Tops! - The Pair That Should Have Gone Into A Dumpste
I live on the gulf coast so T-tops aren't "cool" in the summertime. When mine started crackling really bad, I sanded, primed and painted them with black basecoat. In the first coat of clear, I added some pretty large gold metalflake, then three more coats of clear. I didn't put the metalflake on the three sides with the metal trim. After color sanding and buffing, they look great on my new flame/bright red paint job and the summertime heat is reduced. I did the same procedure on the louvers.
I have an extra set of lexan tops in the attic. The heat may have made them crackle by now.
Re: Restoring A Pair Of Lexan T-Tops! - The Pair That Should Have Gone Into A Dumpste
Looks great! But in all honestly I would have just tossed them and got a set of the glass one. Plastic would probably still be **** to warping and cracking from intense summer heat, and the cold weather elements around the area I live in.
Re: Restoring A Pair Of Lexan T-Tops! - The Pair That Should Have Gone Into A Dumpste
I kept my Lexan tops which I restored following this threads directions and a glass set as a winter set. I didn't trust people not to drop the glass ones in the summer. I always had to adjust the latches and test with a hose everytime though. It was a pita Lexan were also much quite then glass t tops driving.
Re: Restoring A Pair Of Lexan T-Tops! - The Pair That Should Have Gone Into A Dumpste
Originally Posted by ImBrandon
I kept my Lexan tops which I restored following this threads directions and a glass set as a winter set. I didn't trust people not to drop the glass ones in the summer. I always had to adjust the latches and test with a hose every time though. It was a pita Lexan were also much quite then glass t tops driving.
If you got noise with glass ones your body is probably flexing from age. Sub-frame connectors will stop that. Also why would you let someone else open your glass tops? I would NEVER let someone else touch them. My 89 GTA only leaks in a VERY small place on the passenger side door at the rear top part of the sail panel. I fixed it with a dab of caulk and new T-Top weather stripping.
06-23-2012, 01:44 PM
I'm trying to get the nerves up to do my tail lights
I don't want to screw them up. 
