And speaking of H4's...

[Doug Smith]

Mine just weren't displaying the intensity I was led to expect, so I removed and dis-assembled one just to see what I had. It appears that some very light overspray somehow made it into the assembly when this car was re-sprayed causing the reflector to become slightly red tinted. In addition, the bulb shield appears to be ailing as well. The coating has deteriorated to the point where I can't tell exactly what it should look like.

First, has anyone successfuly cleaned their reflector without damaging the reflective surface, and how,

And next, what type of coating should this bulb shield have on it.

Thanks in advance for your help. Doug

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by Doug Smith

First, has anyone successfuly cleaned their reflector without damaging the reflective surface, and how,

I'd start with solvents and a soft rag myself. Maybe an extremely mild metal polish if that didn't work, like Brasso or a silver polish. Solvol Autosol would be way too abrasive, I think.

You can't apparently buy the reflectors separately, even in Europe (if I'm wrong, tell me, as I can resurrect a set of used H4's with trashed reflectors), so be careful...

And next, what type of coating should this bulb shield have on it.

New, it's a semi-matt finish, something like cadmium or galvanising. I think it's purely to prevent the bulb shining directly ahead, e.g. to reduce direct glare on low beams.

[Doug Smith]

Hi Spuggy - Thanks for the advice. I'll go the solvent route first. The last thing I want to do is scratch them. And as far as the bulb shields, how do you think black would look? Too much?