SDPD-style AeroHawk lightbar and lenses restoration (pic heavy)

toon80

Member
May 24, 2010
2,487
Laval, Canada
Hi everybody,

This thread is a mix of an AeroHawk model 24 as well as a good guide on how to restore AeroDynic lenses. This could be in the lens restoration thread too, but since there is quite a lot in this thread, I figure it can go here. (Mods please move accordingly if need be)

So this bar came from the San Diego Area and was found on Craigslist.
The bar originally came from the region of San Diego, while not being from SDPD as I heard. If someone can help me figure out the origin of the bar, knock yourself out :)

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So the bar came in average condition. The inside, altough dirty, was pretty clean. Oddly enough, there was no blue steady burn on the driver side. I got some relfector assemblies and put one inside. It is the average red blue and amber rear Calspec AeroDynic. The main challenge here was to restore the really faded lenses.
I found the endcaps to both be cracked upon arrival. I had NOS clear endcap and red-blue alleys filters to replace them, so I didn't mind too much.

Now for the lens restoration, I'll explain my method here.

First, I hand sanded the deep scratches with 220 wetordry sandpaper. Then, using the P500 pad from the 3M headlight restore kit, I sanded everything but the endcaps. Then, I checked if there was any deep scratches left out.

ai767.photobucket.com_albums_xx311_toon80_AeroDynic_2024_20AD_d03c3635e148a8e0fcd05f88cbafe81d.jpg

After 400 wetordry sandpaper:

ai767.photobucket.com_albums_xx311_toon80_AeroDynic_2024_20AD_d3a0b8877c4dfcb3752e9c4712bf24db.jpg


So there still were a few scratches left out.
You'll see green tape on the lenses. When the lens is wet, it's hard to figure where the scratches are, as water makes the lens seem a lot better than they actually are. So I sanded everything with the P500 pads supplied in the 3M kit, then cleaned the lens and dryed it.

ai767.photobucket.com_albums_xx311_toon80_AeroDynic_2024_20AD_e2d02c8660607a9454a660fe50505415.jpg

ai767.photobucket.com_albums_xx311_toon80_AeroDynic_2024_20AD_fe447e0033a14c643bfaf234bd39aaeb.jpg


Once dry, the scratches are easy to spot. I put green tape around them to keep track of where they are, and then used the 400 sandpaper again to eat through the plastic enough until all the deep scratches are gone.

ai767.photobucket.com_albums_xx311_toon80_AeroDynic_2024_20AD_53fd335aa0f436ce8361c236be3840f2.jpg


Then you sand with the 500 again to remove the 400 grit marks.

ai767.photobucket.com_albums_xx311_toon80_AeroDynic_2024_20AD_4b5d2ac43f7f2091344524ea80ea3a62.jpg

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Next, follow the kit directions to restore the lenses. Use the P800 pads to remove the 500 grit marks.

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Next pad is the 3000, which jumps quite too fast from heavier grit to very fine. I used a 1500 grit wetordry to even out the marks a bit more in between to 2 grit (800, then hand 1500, then the 3000 Trizact pad). Here's after the 1500 grit.

ai767.photobucket.com_albums_xx311_toon80_AeroDynic_2024_20AD_5313b7942e5426ba4e6be2a953970c79.jpg

Then the 3000 Trizact pad. You can see the lens regaining it's clarity a bit more now.

ai767.photobucket.com_albums_xx311_toon80_AeroDynic_2024_20AD_d70f628b5c3f6b8f171707098d0ec3bd.jpg

After the orange pad with rubbing compound.

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Then the usual McGuyers Plast-X and powerball.

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Last is the icing on the cake: Turtle wax platinum wax, inside and out of the lenses. Here's with the old endcap removed and the NOS one ready to install.

ai767.photobucket.com_albums_xx311_toon80_AeroDynic_2024_20AD_3afaf845fc11f6ffb61d2d0ae84b549a.jpg

Endcap replaced:

ai767.photobucket.com_albums_xx311_toon80_AeroDynic_2024_20AD_4d73e52956ed67f05363bece9f6996de.jpg

Lightbar cleaned and reassembled:

ai767.photobucket.com_albums_xx311_toon80_AeroDynic_2024_20AD_3a9ee2e0464c1722ffda0226bc98c1f5.jpg

....aaand the finished bar :)

ai767.photobucket.com_albums_xx311_toon80_AeroDynic_2024_20AD_583c1acd9c10092cad7348c92da4052e.jpg

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It is still missing lots of bulbs inside, as it was gutted at some point before I got it. Only an alley and 3 rotators have bulbs; everything else is missing.


That took about 2 days, averaging 5h/day of work.

Replacing the endcaps with the NOS ones I had was fairly easy to do, except screwing the domes together. I found it helps to pre-drill the holes before assembling them. Space is tight inside the domes and not having to strain with the tools inside the domes as much helps quite a lot.

I have posted informations here on the board before about restoring AeroDynic domes, but since we all dig AeroDynics, and there's no such thing as too much infos on Aeros, I figured I could explain once again. :)

I hope this will help people here restore AeroDynic domes. They are a PITA to work on, but since they are getting scarce -while still being avaiable from FEDSIG- this info might help members restore domes that would otherwise be trashed...
This might also show to members who are -rightfully- afraid to put sandpaper on a dome that it will turn out well if you just take your time to get it right.

All the best!

Toon
 

801

Member
Jul 14, 2014
679
NV
Wow, very nice job, and great write up on how to restore the domes. IIRC, SDSO was the largest user of the 3.5 dome AeroDynic's in the SD county area.
 
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2004p71

Member
Aug 27, 2010
367
canada
excellent work as usual ;)
 
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toon80

Member
May 24, 2010
2,487
Laval, Canada
Very nice job and clean finish.

But why you don´t had separate the domes from the metal stripe to get a better finished border line between stripe and dome?

I didn't think of it, but now that you speak of it, I'll try to do that next time. One element was that keeping the dome whole makes it sturdy enough to keep it on the bar to work it with the buffer. I have done my NYPD domes by hand and it took forever. It is a LOT easier when the dome is on the bar: doesn't move, doesn't wobble, doesn't complain ;)
 

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