95 subaru headlights suck! Headlight swap?

[J_S]

The headlight on the 95 legacy wagon I have suck. I know I could just put in brighter bulbs to help the situation but I really don't like the frosted glass on the headlights either. Anyone have experience retrofitting some of the clear glass (or is it plastic?) headlight from the new generation cars? I know the sizes are likely different and it would probably take some work to get them aimed properly, but how about wiring? Heck, what about replacing all the lights on the vehicle with some new LEDs? Sounds sweet....

[bheinen74]

depending on the laws there, you may just want to put on a set of hella 500's at the same level as the current lights.

Subaru in general, did not research headlight beam quality when they design them..compared to about all other manufacturers, the headlight are as you describe.

[idosubaru]

have you tried cleaning them? they do not age well at all and get dirty/yellow.

how ever you feel about them, they're 100X better when they are "like new". they sell kits and there are various threads here and all over the internet on how to sand/polish/clean/clear coat them. or buy new.

 

although - i thought there were some glass options too from certain years that fit your 95?

[J_S]

Yeah, I haven't tried cleaning them beyond rags and cleaner. That sounds like a good route to go. Originally, I figured why spend the money on a new assembly that is more of the same? I'm not aware of any clear glass headlamps (I looked once before) but I'll keep my eyes out for those. I've been thinking for a while about mounting some hella lights to spot moose the size of my car so I'll probably look into those too!

[davebugs]

The headlight lens kits I've used are actuall pretty impressive.

 

They come with a sealer/clear paint/whatever. That's what makes the difference in my opinion. It helps make them very, very clear and helps stop them from getting crappy quickly. Getting crappy quickly happens if you jsut use buffing compound, fine wet sandpaper, etc. Since you never put a sealer coat on. But they will look better for a little while.

[987687]

JDMs are nice if you have the cash.

[NorthWet]

I was astonished how well that clean/polish/seal kit worked on my SVX. The lenses looked almost brand-new afterward; very clear.

 

What type of cleaner were you using? You NEVER want to use a cleaner containing ammonia (like most glass cleaners) on plastics as it will cause crazing on many of the common plastics.

[Xanadu62]

I used to have a business polishing out headlights, and I can tell you that even if it doesn't really look hazed or cloudy, it very well could be. I did the lights on my 95 lego wagon and was amazed at how clear they came out. Granted, my lights were night shaded (friggin ricer previous owners!), and the lights are misaligned to hell and back. I do agree though. The lights themselves do suck. If I were to do a swap, I personally would want to do a bug-eye front end swap. But before you do a swap, just wet-sand one down with sand paper and work your way up to the finer grits until you can polish it out with compound, then compare. You might be surprised. Other than that, HIDs. I'm gonna put some 3k yellows on mine.