Rusty Headlamp

[Guest atigue]

Is it just mine or do RH chrome headlamps rust. Mine have been polished so many times that i have worn through the chrome and they look awful. I decided before the winter that i would buy some new ones in the spring so do i buy from RH @ £40 plus vat for a pair or buy elsewere for £100 plus vat.

[Grim]

personally, i'd buy elsewhere. When i get some spare cash i'll be doing just that. They are much better quality items, thicker plating. the ones at SVC are brass bodied, so no rust to come through.

[Guest timswait]

It's a classic case of RH being cheap for a good reason! The chrome plating on the RH items is very thin on a mild steel base. If you do get another RH pair they will rust again if you leave them. You could try laquering them, but this makes them go dull, and hasn't worked very well on mine (although they were already rusting when I applied the laquer, so not a very fair test) Also if you keep a thin film of grease over them it should stop them rusting, I'm told baby lotion works well for this!

[Guest chris brown]

As mine lasted about 18 months I spent £100 with SVC on the assumption that I would spend more than that on RH ones in the next 5 years

[Guest salty_monk]

Got mine from http://www.premierwiring.co.uk/

 

Look under products (green blob) & then lights, has domain shielding on it so can't lnk directly.

 

I have the 5 3/4 Saturnus ones. Seem ok, not brass though (black). Lucky to get chrome on brass for under £150... Plating on their chrome ones may be better though.

 

Dan

[steve in stockport]

some headlamp units on ebay

 

link

 

link

 

 

may have a bid on the black ones myself cos i like the look of them

 

Steve

[Big Jim]

Chrome isn't rust proof! what you need to do, at the first sign of the weather becoming damp (ie. around Setember / October) is spray the outer part of the headlights (& anything else that might rust) with a thin film of WD40.

My lights are RHSC 1997 vintage, and are still fine, thank you! (oily but not rusty )

[Andy Spencer]

Yes agree with Jim, mine are RHSC and are 1996 vintage. I apply a coating of WD40 regularly in the winter (as did the previous owner) and they still look great. I also wax polish them (non abrasive stuff) which helps in the summer to protect them.

 

Andy

[Guest chris brown]

My lights are RHSC 1997 vintage, and are still fine,

By 2001 Richard had found even cheaper ones I spoke to him about them about 18 months ago and he said he had got a job lot from Taiwan and he agreed they weren’t very good but it did help to keep the cost down. This was in one of his chatty moods when he was talking about retiring into an old peoples home and never having to talk to customers again. At which point I left.

[Guest Battery Bill]

Sir Chris

By 2001 Richard had found even cheaper ones

 

Joeys are not rusty

We have of course used WD40 a few times

[Guest chris brown]

Joeys are not rusty

Perhaps is not ever used in the wet. I still question the use of WD40 for this job as it is a release agent (mostly paraffin) and does dry.

[Guest Battery Bill]

Look at the Third picture down Here

 

 

You have a short memory old fella

[Grim]

mine's an early 2000 car, and the headlamps are starting to go, but it wasn't used in the wet or the winter before i bought it.

[Les Welsher]

Look at the fourth picture down, Chris is laughing seeing Joeys car out in the pooring rain

 

By the way, mine are vintage 2001, occasionally waxed but no rust.

 

Les

[Guest atigue]

Thanks for the replys. Ihave been coating them in wd40 /wax polish even engine oil still the rust returns. will buy some brass/chrome ones from svc.