Best way to clean INSIDE headlight lenses

[Hunter_M_]

So I've had my cobra for 6 months now. There were only two "issues" on the car when I picked it up. One of the problems was the headlights. They're a little foggy on the inside... tonight I pulled the headlights off and thought maybe I could get inside the headlight with a cotton ball and some alcohol. Well, I really couldn't get to most of the headlight the way I thought I could. Have any of you guys been able to thoroughly clean the inside of the lense and if so, how? I'm also not wanting to buy new headlights quite yet. It's a 19k mile cobra.

Thanks in advance!

 

[oldmodman]

No.

The aluminum coating is vacuum deposited and is so thin that the slightest contact will permanently scratch it.

I have (with junk yard headlights from various brands) tried every chemical cleaning process I could think of. Nothing removed the haze build up. Nearly everything made it worse. Nothing made it better.

I even had access to a vacuum chamber and even several hours at 75 miles altitude couldn't get the haze to sublimate off.

Now I just replace the headlight housings and make damn sure the seal at the bulb is perfect.

 

[Zemedici]

As the wise man said, just snag some new headlights.