New to me 02 Q - seeking new headlight lenses

[MyFirstNameIsPaul]

i just bought an '02 Q45 and it's in great shape. The PO told me it has the sport package, which I believed him because it has the factory 18" wheels and 18" spare.

The headlight lenses are in need of replacing and I'm not sure where to go for replacements.

And can someone confirm that the dash is just regular vinyl? It's faux leather but is a lot nicer than other vinyls I've owned, so I don't want to ruin it or let it get damaged.

Thanks!

[elwesso]

Why do you need new headlight lenses, are they broken or are they fogged up?

You can buy the housing, but ironically its more expensive than the whole headlight assembly. From infiniti of scottsdale, it will set you back $1100 per headlight..

Your best bet is to try and find some used ones..

Welcome to NICO!!

[MyFirstNameIsPaul]

Okay, maybe I'm using the wrong word. I'm talking about the big clear plastic piece that gets damaged from road debris, sun, elements, etc. It's got quite a few large scratches on it.

I can't imagine that one piece costing $1100. I could make a tool in China to make the same part for not much more.

[elwesso]

Unfortuately you cannot buy and replace that one piece.. I checked around in the parts book and nissan does not make it as a separate assembly... Main reason IMO they do not make many of those parts for sale is because they are not easily installed.. In other words, you cant really separate the headlight lens from the rest of the housing.

[djwarner]

If they're just fogged, you can get a rehab kit at Wally World

[mcrews]

Unfortuately you cannot buy and replace that one piece.. I checked around in the parts book and nissan does not make it as a separate assembly... Main reason IMO they do not make many of those parts for sale is because they are not easily installed.. In other words, you cant really separate the headlight lens from the rest of the housing.

that's right wes. THey are 'sealed' from the factory. It's a bear to seperate them. I had to to install the ORACLE Angel eyes. I didnt quite seal them tight and got condensation build up on the inside!!! And these were my new o5 headlamps. I pulled them apart and used the 3m kit on the inside.

Paul, I'm over in sacramento are you in the bay area?

[MyFirstNameIsPaul]

Yep, I'm at the very bottom of the SF Bay Area in Morgan Hill, the first town on 101 south of San Jose.

I'm having some body work done to repair some scratches in the passenger door panel and for only a little more they offered to attempt a repair of the lenses, and won't charge anything if it doesn't work.

Last week as I was driving around and I began noticing how many cars have fogged up lenses and I wonder if it's for the same reason that my Q45 does - just too expensive to bother? Obviously the drivers of the low-end Kias and such are just being cheap or lazy, and those are the ones that seem to be the worst, but I really see a lot of Mercedez, BMWs, Acuras, etc, which have unreasonably obscured lenses. Doesn't it seem like there would be a market for rebuilding these? I could get the parts made if someone has a shop set up for me to sell to. The guy at the body shop made an interesting comment that a lot of otherwise fine cars get totaled out by the insurance companies because replacing the headlights is more expensive than the car is worth!

Here is what my lenses look like right now:

[djwarner]

From what is shown in your photos, I would think they should have no problem polishing them out.

At first I wondered how the pattern got there and only there. Then I realized the someone must have been buffing the clearcoat and got sloppy.