Headlight lense RESTORATION!

[Slimjimmn]

First project today was to clean up the headlights. They were so yellow before the dealer i bought my car from just buffed them with compound and a buffer. They turned out...ok. But I wanted a better outcome since I dont want to spend $200 for new headlights right now (rather have a cup kit).


Stuff needed:
1500 grit wet sandpaper (also 3000 if you are super anal)
some gloves so you dont get plastic resin all over your pretty hands
painters tape
some paper towels
heavy cut buffing compound
buffer if you are lazy and don't want to use up elbow grease



1: start by cleaning the headlights off real good.
2: tape off area around headlamp with painters tape (it comes off easy)


3: fold the sand paper in 1/2 and get it wet. Then get the headlamp wet with the sand paper (you cant get it too wet, the more wet the better!) thats what she told me.

Start by sanding around the edges
4: keep rinsing the sand paper in water and do small blocks of the headlamp side to side. took me 3 blocks for the whole lamp.


Remember, clean the headlamp off every block you do to get the old plastic fuzz off. Make sure the rag or paper towel is CLEAN and doesnt have floor sand ect on it. You dont want to sand a rock into your headlamp buddy..


4: After you do the whole headlamp in blocks clean it all off again. Don't hesitate to use new sand paper every block, its cheap. Now take the final new piece and sand the whole lamp side to side.
Clean it off and let it dry. It should look like this \/


At this point you are probably thinking, oh **** I totally f-ed up my headlamp. Don't worry. thats why we buff it, to fill the small valleys created by sanding the layers of plastic off. IT should be smooth as a babys butt at this point. IF you did 1500 then 3000 it should be a little more clear.

5: get out the buffer if you have one, or just a pad like this one.

I only used about a 4" strip per headlamp and apply it to the whole headlamp side to side and buff it off by hand or buffer.

Mine turned out pretty good I think. The pics dont do justice IMO.


Dont forget to buy some laminx to cover those pretty clean headlamps now, or they will yellow in a couple months again. You have to seal in the clean headlamp. Or just wax them once a month.

[sagunjak]

good job

[sim0nvr6]

that doesnt look very shiny at all.

and they have 3k grit paper wtf did not know that.

[i3rent]

that doesnt look very shiny at all.

and they have 3k grit paper wtf did not know that.

they also have 6000 too

http://www.greatmodels.com/~smartcar...tem_num=DM9007

[sim0nvr6]

they also have 6000 too

http://www.greatmodels.com/~smartcar...tem_num=DM9007

mind: blown



OP, try meguiars plastix. and try jumping less grits IE 1000, 1500, 2000 etcetc it'll get the previous scratches out better.

[oakdub]

you only need to go up to 2k grit and then give it a really good polish. i did mine last year and they look better today then yours do right now.

just sayin. oh and get coils not a cup kit

[1BadTitan]

No, they dont look nearly as clear as they should... I did mine with 1000,1500,2500 then a 3000 compound with a high speed polisher. I can still get them better with a mild cut polishing compound, I will this week, but this is how they should look.

[sim0nvr6]

my cell phone picture doesn't do mine justice.



left is polished with a power ball and plastix, right is 2000 grit right before polish

[DIMIK_GTIMK4]

im gonna be polishing mines soon. Im planning on just using my rotary buffer and the compounds that i use to buff cars.

op they dont look as shiny as they should

[Slimjimmn]

picture is in garage with cellphone camera. they look good in person compared to what they were, no hazyness and a good shine. I couldnt even see through the lens when I got the car it was so yellow.

also just using a buffer and compound doesnt get out rock chips. You have to sand it first then polish. I am going to use my buffer on them. I just didnt bring it home from work this weekend.

[DIMIK_GTIMK4]

also just using a buffer and compound doesnt get out rock chips. You have to sand it first then polish.

oh yea thas for sure. I just did mines today and really love the results. Theyre like new

[trevronious]

I picked up 3M's headlight restoration kit, worked wonders and everything is made to fit on a drill to ease the sanding

[DIMIK_GTIMK4]

I picked up 3M's headlight restoration kit, worked wonders and everything is made to fit on a drill to ease the sanding

you just think that because you havent seen the rotary buffer results

[AKOEuro]

I tried restoring my GLI headlights but im not satisfied with how they came out. With the headlight on the left i used 1000 grit 3M sand paper and then moved up to 2000 grit. After that i used Plast X i buffed it in using a electric buffer. The end product wasn't really what i was expecting it was still hazy.



The one on the right i did a little different i started with 320 grit then went to 600, 800, 1000, 2000 then finished it the same way as the left headlight. this one was even more hazy than the left,



Do you guys have any suggestions to get the headlight crystal clear?

[3DGE]

I think you went a little to low on the wet sandpaper 320 grit is pretty harsh.

Try doing it again this time starting with 800, 1500, 2000.

[AKOEuro]

I think you went a little to low on the wet sandpaper 320 grit is pretty harsh.

Try doing it again this time starting with 800, 1500, 2000.

Thats what i thought it was. I'll try doing it with some higher grit sand paper tomorrow. Thanks

EDIT

Tried again today and got much better results. I did 800, 1000, 2000 grit paper with alot of water. Then finished off with mothers power plastic for lights imo it works much better than plast x

Before


After

[Slimjimmn]

bump for this, my headlights are still just as clear as they were almost a year ago when I did this. i haven't buffed or waxed them since.