LX 470 Glass headlights worth it?

[TAckhouse1]

Hey all,

I'm going to get my headlights replaced with a new projectors and HID ballasts. I'm wondering if its worth the extra cost to purchase a set of the 98-02 glass lenses headlights (that would be immune to UV hazing) versus the newer plastic lenses?

If so, any recommendations on where to purchase them from? Looking on ebay, it would be approx. $900 shipped to get glass lens headlights compared to $350 for a plastic lens set.

 

[SteveH]

Well, you're in Las Vegas. Do you garage your truck? I would think it would take several years for the new lenses to get hazy. You could also wax them frequently and try to park in the shade. $900 is big money for glass, as nice as they are.

 

[TAckhouse1]

Good questions. Unfortunately my truck lives outside. That said, I think I can stay on top of waxing/ceramic coating them. Sounds like plastic is the way to go.

 

[baltistyle]

As an 06 owner and having a truck that lives outside in Md, when I purchased the truck it had plastic lenses and they were pretty bad. I did a nice job restoring them but really fixated on glass, weighing the pros and cons. The glass can break from a stone and can be expensive. But, plastic lenses are one of the worst inventions, IMO. I was fortunate to find a pair on here from a seller that had them in their garage. I randomly read an article about this person upgrading their lights and asked if they had the old ones. 250 and some shipping for the pair. I really like the glass much better. Ive thought about putting a film on them to protect them but have not. The one thing different for me was losing the greenish tint that the lights have from afar when parked. In order to find that in glass you have to import Cygnus lenses. Additionally I use stock bulbs and while I love hids in my amg, I like the look of the stock light in these and they are plenty bright for me.

 

[trdcorolla]

Check over in the classifieds for a 98-02 part out, make sure it doesn't have any broken tabs.

 

[OEMGUY0720]

The glass looks really good, clean and crisp. The trade off is that glass don’t flex, it cracks when hit pretty good by a flying rock projectile from a truck.

This is the reason why the original design was changed to polycarbonate. I just ordered a brand new set of HLs and considered the glass, but after weighing in long term use - polycarbonate outweighs the glass for me. I will be installing PPF on the new ones when they arrive.

 

[baltistyle]

I think ppf is a good idea. All headlights (not just lx) were changed to plastic due to insurance costs related to broken glass headlights. Little did the insurance industry know that the plastic headlights can cost upwards of 3k each for some brands, and the cost just to replace a glass lens is much less. Plastic lens replacements are always of inferior quality and do not last as long as the stock oem plastic. Each person will have their own best option.

 

[suprarx7nut]

I've had good experiences with using PPF on the headlights. I don't believe it affects performance and it lasts 5 years before it looks anything less than perfect. In 5 years, pull it off, have a new one put on. Super cheap, very effective and maintains that super-glossy finish while eliminating the UV exposure problems.

My original 06 lights were PPF'd by the original owner in 2007 and then I just had them redone in 2020. The lights still look new, minus a few small sections that were chipped/torn and left like that for many years.

 

[y5359]

Do the glass versions fit the later version LX without modification? I know the lens will fit but could never get a definitive answer on the whole assembly. I’ve been trying to find just the OEM glass lens but haven’t found any yet.

 

[baltistyle]

Ive not found actual lenses separately. I searched all over and really wondered if there could be a market for them to be made. I found some plastic lenses at some point but they did not have the tint, and Ive not been a fan of aftermarket lenses, generally on other vehicles.

I was able to remove and replace without issue. The headlight adjustment mechanism is slightly different. I could take a picture if needed, tomorrow, comparing the two.

 

[OEMGUY0720]

Do the glass versions fit the later version LX without modification? I know the lens will fit but could never get a definitive answer on the whole assembly. I’ve been trying to find just the OEM glass lens but haven’t found any yet.

I’ve searched near and far for a glass lens replacement user or new for the last 6 months or so, I haven’t seen one. Polycarbonate replacement lens are aplenty. And yes the glass lens fit the later year models of the Lx.

 

[baltistyle]

Yeah, I did that on and off for a couple years, nothing ever popped up which is why I wondered if there could be a market. Would people buy the glass instead of plastic if they were available?

 

[y5359]

Yeah, I did that on and off for a couple years, nothing ever popped up which is why I wondered if there could be a market. Would people buy the glass instead of plastic if they were available?

I know I would buy glass. my 4runner has glass lens, lives outside and still looks like new. My LX stays in the garage has had the lens buffed and polished and has the micro cracks all over.

 

[pjabber]

Anyone have a recommendation for the plastic lens? Most Of the ones I’ve seen are from Aliexpress et al.

 

[geoffapril]

I just rebuilt the front of mine, 03, and went glass headlights, morimoto projectors, high beam splitters, and led highs. I went glass for fading reasons. Love the final product. I found a set on eBay for $750 shipped… it’s a lot of money, but I use my headlights everyday and my rig stays outside. Just my 02

 

[CPKLX470]

Where are people buying glass headlight assembly? Seen a few on eBay. Want OEM. Seems like the 99-02 glass headlight will fit in an 05 LX. Current 05 has glass with one chipped

 

[y5359]

I would put some kind of protective film on them. I just picked up some used ones off eBay that were supposed to be in great condition and they have a bunch of pitting all over them. Has anyone tried sanding glass headlight lens?

 

[Berkut10r]

I would put some kind of protective film on them. I just picked up some used ones off eBay that were supposed to be in great condition and they have a bunch of pitting all over them. Has anyone tried sanding glass headlight lens?

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Yes and never again. I used Ceriglass with an appropriate pad, very marginal improvement. As you are shaving a fine layer of glass off, glass itself becomes steaming hot and can break if you go overboard.

 

[y5359]

Yes and never again. I used Ceriglass with an appropriate pad, very marginal improvement. As you are shaving a fine layer of glass off, glass itself becomes steaming hot and can break if you go overboard.

I tried it and I made mine worse. I watched a bunch of youtube videos on how to do it and what people used and didn't look too hard but I think the glass Toyota used is way harder than normal glass. I tired braso, toothpaste, baking soda, Scratch X, pumice hand cleaner with rubbing compound, cerium oxide powder. I used 3M wet/dry sand paper starting at 240 and working my way up to 2000 but it didn't work. Mirka Abralon is supposed to make good products for glass so I'm going to try ordering some better stuff to atleast correct the damage I did.

 

[OEMGUY0720]

If you search eBay there are couple of replacement brand new polycarbonate covers you can consider. Once the glass have pitting and/or nicks, it is close to impossible getting them removed.