Wow! The insides of the taillight assembly are covered with a fine dust that needs more than just compressed air to clean it away. I'm thinking of soap and water, but do not want to cause any damage. What's a batter way to do the job?

Think I read where someone had good results in the dishwasher, removed prior to dry cycle. ?

very good question

Has anyone out there tried the dishwasher, and had good results?

I think it was Saigon71 but cant find the pic in his thread

I think running them through the dishwasher should clean them up good without causing any harm to them as long as I take them out before the heat cycle. I will let you know how they come out.

Dishwasher works well!

I ran mine through on the top shelf, using Cascade extra action. I let them go through the heat cycle too, only because I forgot about them:

Click to view attachment

Your car looks great Bob! You are almost there!

Wow! those do look great Thanks for the feedback.

Any scrubbing and that reflective paint is in trouble. On mine the paint was already coming off in some spots, I cleaned w a sponge, and more came off. The plastic was red underneath the paint.

I ended up using rattle-can "chrome" paint to restore them. Be sure to remember not to paint inside the holes for the lights, it ruins the electrical connection (but easy to undo w a dremel and wire brush).

I cleaned the lenses w warm soapy water, installed all new bulbs, and it's a lot brighter

So do I understand this correctly? You put the housings and lenses in?

This should work for the front? too...

....Yeah,as long as no tumbling is involved? should work great!
(proceed with care!)

During my searches I read where you should not put the fog lights or headlights in. Something about the silver being ruined. Not sure the diff between front and back. Probably fronts need a highly reflective surface.

......May have to do with metal contac's & filament ruination?
(not good!)carry on folk's

I just took them out of the dishwasher - they are clean, but the reflective paint took a pounding. I'll be looking for some chrome paint too.