lol. I'm not sure that "OEM quality" is much of a benchmark to aspire to, particularly as far as fog lights are concerned.
Right you are. I've learned to be careful of the fine print. Phrases like "OEM quality" and "same as OEM" or "built to OEM standards" should be red flags in general. And I agree that a lot of OEM fogs aren't really decent fog lights.
In general, I've learned there are applications where "same as" does not work. Certain GM cars need the GM fuel pump because the one from O'Reilly's will die quickly; certain Honda cars must have the Honda thermostat because the one from NAPA won't work, etc. It certainly appears that lights and body parts constitute an area where a great many cheap copies exist, and a lot of shops buy the cheaper parts.
NFT5, thanks for spotting my typo: I'll definitely NOT hold my breath. :sick2:
That Autogeek test with all pictures is certainly interesting. The part showing failed auto paint clear coat sure is familiar. Right now, Dad has a 1995 Town Car that looks bad on trunk and roof, where the sun hits it directly.
As initially stated, the example of the 1999 minivan with $500 headlights is food for thought. If expected remaining life of the vehicle is within expected life of a headlight refurb job, then refurbishing the lights for perhaps $300 makes sense. But the decision hinges on how much longer the vehicle will last and how long the refurb will last. Even if you can refurb the lights more than once, that cost quickly begins to argue in favor of new lights, especially if cost of the new lights drops to $400, $300 or less. I'm really interested in this pursuit of better clear coatings. So far in this forum, we've seen a number of refinishing products that will work with enough patient polishing, but none would last very long. While a product requiring the controlled environment of a professional spray booth still rules out cheap home jobs, it does offer some of us a viable alternative.
Oh: Scheinwerfermann, I like the
concept of steel doors protecting solidly mounted headlights. It's better than pop-up lights that can move around and won't stay aimed. But I agree that reliability of the extra gadgetry to do it is an issue. My mother and her first husband had a 1937 Cord 812 (Dad was her second husband). I wish I could have seen it. I've often wondered about those hand cranked pop-up headlights. On the whole, I still favor a moving door over a moving light, but manual operation would probably be more reliable than the vacuum arrangement seen on the 67-9 Thunderbirds.
I suppose all modern cars undergo extensive wind tunnel testing. But I think there are still some cars where the headlights take more of a beating than on others. I recall a friend who bought one of the early Chevy Monzas, and he had trouble replacing headlights as quickly as he broke them.
I'm a bit sorry that protective covers aren't legal, but I understand why. Too bad there's not a feasible way to refinish something like a Cibie 175 fog after years of highway running on winter sanded roads has degraded the lens surface. (I didn't have the heart to get rid of them, so I put them on my old IH 4x4 as offroad cornering lights.) I doubt we'll ever see cost-effective refinishing of glass lenses.
This is a good thread. We're learning.
An off-topic but cheerful note on a manufacturer that stands behind its products: I've used an Al Mar SERE 2000 folder for about a decade, and used it hard. It's done a few things not recommended for knives. Not long ago, I contacted Al Mar Knives and arranged to send it back because of an issue with the tiny screws holding the pocket clip and the steel block they thread into. I had a couple of pleasant phone conversations with "Gary," during the last of which he asked if I had any sentimental attachment to that particular knife. I told him "No, only the work it can do." I am right now looking at an invoice that says "1 S2K loose, worn and well used throughout. Per Gary - exchange for a new one. N/C." And there is a brand new Al Mar SERE 2000 clipped into my pocket. I wish there were more companies like that. :thumbsup:
That's why we're flashaholics, remember? It's nighttime half our lives and it's hard to do anything well in the dark. But yes, steering comes up a close second, and braking a close third.
