foggy tail-lights (240 wagon)

[Perry Noid]

the plastic tail-lights on my '89 240 wagon are really getting foggy/cloudy.
They are still intact, just the plastic getting fogged by exposure.

Back in the '50s, friends and I used to build model airplanes. The balsa
wood structure was covered with thin paper or silk, then painted with
"dope", a solution of some sort of plastic dissolved in a fast-drying
solvent. After it dried, the paper or silk was transformed into a relatively
solid but lightweight "plastic", with a nice gloss.

I was thinking that maybe I could paint the plastic with a similar solution
(clear gloss polyurethane, perhaps?), to smooth it out and at the same time
maybe even strengthen it slightly with a couple coats... Any thoughts???

m9876c at yahoo dot com

 

[jg]

the plastic tail-lights on my '89 240 wagon are really getting foggy/cloudy.
They are still intact, just the plastic getting fogged by exposure.

Back in the '50s, friends and I used to build model airplanes. The balsa
wood structure was covered with thin paper or silk, then painted with
"dope", a solution of some sort of plastic dissolved in a fast-drying
solvent. After it dried, the paper or silk was transformed into a relatively
solid but lightweight "plastic", with a nice gloss.

I was thinking that maybe I could paint the plastic with a similar solution
(clear gloss polyurethane, perhaps?), to smooth it out and at the same time
maybe even strengthen it slightly with a couple coats... Any thoughts???

I doubt it would help, and might react with the plastic. Mine are still ok
after 25 years (if they are original), sure they are not just dirty or have
condensation inside?

 

[Perry Noid]

not to say there isn't some dirt inside, but you can tell that this is in/on
the surface of the plastic. I expect the solvent would interact with the
plastic lens, but since it dries quickly, the plastic should harden again.
I've got an old lens from the front turn signal somewhere that I could test
on, to be sure no permanent damage occurs... And I have looked in junkyards,
but usually they are either broken, missing, or in just as bad shape as
mine!...