Hi,

I bought a rather neglected car and I'm going to try to restore it to its former glory step by step. I've already replaced the passenger airbag and have almost finished cleaning the interior after the previous owner, who probably used the car to transport a dog.

I also sent the headlights off for restoration, but unfortunately, the dryer broke and the headlights simply melted. The price for a set of headlights on eBay is half of what I paid for the car... I'll have to find them somewhere.

 

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new RX-8!! I would think the company that you sent the headlight to would help you with a replacement set. Were they just yellowed? If so, typically you can buff the yellow haze off of the outside of the lens and they can be coated with a UV resistant clear coat to help minimize the yellowing in the future.

How's the interior of the car? How well does it run and drive. Do you know any of the car's history?

 

Thank you for your interest. I imported the car from the USA to Poland in September. Apart from being very dirty, there wasn't really much else wrong with it. I've already bought a few of the missing parts and cleaned the plastic trim.

The biggest issue, however, is the availability of headlights. They're simply not available in Poland, and the few units I've found on eBay are expensive.

The vehicle's history is known – it was regularly serviced. It had been sitting for almost a year, but thanks to online guides, I managed to get it started. It now runs perfectly – both when cold and warm. Unfortunately, I can't drive it because the technical inspection requires the headlights to be present, and I'm missing those.

 

They aren't cheap here either. Fortunately, I think this is one of the parts the aftermarket might make cheaper...

I used... I think it was a Dr. Colorchip kit. Had a UV cured lacquer that goes over the top after you sand out the yellow. It's mild enough that the instructions say to just leave it out in the sun to kick it. Took a few hours on a pleasant Saturday morning. Didn't even have to take them out of the car. I got a dust mote or two in one of them from the outdoor aspect of it (I wasn't especially careful, and probably could have done better), but otherwise they turned out great and have held up... three years so far?

Doesn't really help in your situation, but much cheaper, quicker, and lower risk than sending them off for smelting.

 

You can get a good deal on the headlights on Yahoo Auctions, especially with the yen rate. Here's a search link:

https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/search/...rx8%29&x=0&y=0

You can buy them through Buyee (link at the top of the auction page), but I always use Jordan at Tweed-Autogarage.