Quality of 50resto.com parts to OEM

Shakerhood said:

Get some Original Ford Headlights from PPI instead of some junk repops.

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I have not had good luck with ford ones either. I have replaced the main headlight a few times with ford originals and they all have fogged up after six months to a year.

I have used 50 resto fox lights no problems. I have used Sherman Cobra style headlights for 94-98 body style. I had slight condensation the first night it sat outside in 30-40 degree weather. By the next few nights the whole lens fogged. Pissed me off.

SVT32VDOHC said:

I have used 50 resto fox lights no problems. I have used Sherman Cobra style headlights for 94-98 body style. I had slight condensation the first night it sat outside in 30-40 degree weather. By the next few nights the whole lens fogged. Pissed me off.

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The condensation seems to be a common problem. The reported fix is to seal the seam between the clear lens and the reflector with clear RTV. I am currently testing this to see if it really works.

Once you have removed the bulb, a common hair dryer may be used to remove the condensation. Tape a short piece of garden hose to the hair dryer and use the hose to direct the hot air inside the light assembly. Be sure to use a low heat setting.

I have bought a couple sets of headlights from 50 resto.

One was for the fox and the other was for the '98.

No fogging up problems to date.

Some of 50resto's products are OEM Ford and many are not.

jrichker said:

The condensation seems to be a common problem. The reported fix is to seal the seam between the clear lens and the reflector with clear RTV. I am currently testing this to see if it really works.

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It does. That is exactly what I had to do to my repros from 50resto.

I thought the clear RTV would work too. But I tried this on my girlfriends 02 Grand Prix. Her RH headlight was all fogged up. I dried it out completely, let it sit all day. ran come RTV....let it dry 24 hours and installed it. The next morning it was all fogged up again. Could it be getting in through the bulb/seal area?? That is all I can think of.

It is getting through from somewhere, or else it would not fog. Especially that quickly...

That is the key, if it is completely sealed it will not fog up. Some headlights have "vents" in the back of them to allow any moisture to "evaporate" out and keep the lenses from fogging up....but that is the same idea as drilling a small hole in them. Sure it will allow the moisture to get back out....but if it is completely sealed it will not get moisture in there in the first place.

What I did with the headlights from both my 88 coupe, 99 Explorer, and old 99 Cougar:

Remove the assy and plug the holes for the bulbs. If you can, use old bulb sockets and gaskets. Submerse the lens under water and look for the bubbles. Dry the headlight assy inside and out, use some clear silicone to fix the "leaks". It is always a good idea to go ahead and run some silicone around the seal anyway. Once that dries, hold it under water again to see if you got all the leaks.

Every repro part I have gotten from Late Model has been great. I got a set of lights for my 92 Gt and they were perfect (ecspessialy at half the price) and tail lights for my 84.5 GT350. Even got a set of 1/4 windows and have not been dissapointed in any of their repro parts. I say go for it and save alot of money over the OEMs Their shipping is great too as long as the part is in stock, they need to work on their backorder stuff as its usually problematic

Everything I've ever gotten from them was top notch.