carguyyy

My headlight lenses on my wife’s car are real dull & cloudy. I thought about replacing them but now I see that there are some restoration kits available. Has anybody tried anything like this? Does it really work? Here’s a couple I was looking at:

http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/3m-h...8-p-16386.aspx

http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/symt...0-p-16214.aspx



Thanks

robertbartsch

yeh, i tried the chemical only repair kit which did not work. Then I tried the 3-stage abrasive kit which also did not work....


If your plastic is real hazy, buy new lenses......

zachrywd_01TA

I used sand paper and polishing compound. You can restore lenses and make them look new for a year or two but they'll just oxidize and haze over again.

In any case your best bet is to wet sand the lenses down to a 1500-2000 grit paper and then polish out with compound... and when I say polish I mean with a buffing wheel or A LOT of elbow grease.

tording99Z28

iTrader: (3)

I have done this before and it requires a lot of time and patience and elbow grease, easier just to order new lenses and they will look better for a lot longer.

supadaddy

iTrader: (3)

I highly recommend the 3m headlight restoration kit, it comes with 3 different sanding pads to put on a drill and polish it worked wonders, try it its only 20 bucks you wont be depressed afterwards

99monguse

I was going to try one of "THOSE" kits but I decided to do it with what I had. I also hate the nipples on the lenses from being molded; so, I removed them. My lamps were very dull and since I removed the "horns", I started with 400 grit and worked my way up. Here is how I did mine:
-cut the nipples off the lenses with my dremmel and ground down what was left
-began sanding with 400 grit, using horizontal strokes
-began sanding with 600 grit, using verticle strokes
-800, 1000, 1500 and ended with 2000 grit (alternating stroking directions with each grit)
-once you get finished with the sanding, use rubbing compound to polish lenses. I used the Turtle Wax rubbing compound(its in a plastic tub and is very dark in color and thick). I take a fair amount and completely smear it all over the lense and polish the lense with my Makita 9227 rotary buffer(with a wool pad) at 1500rpm. I did two applications.
-after the rubbing compound, I used Meguiars Plastic X polish, with the same wool pad and same rpm. Then I swithced to a finishing foam pad and polished once more with the Plastic X.
-the final step would be to protect the lense, since it no longer will have the UV coating. I just put a few coats of Collinite 476 wax (its a very durable was) but I will be getting Diamondite Liquid Armor for the lenses: http://www.autogeek.net/dia-plastic-liquid-armor.html

There are some good kits out there, like this one: http://www.autogeek.net/diamondite-clear-plastic.html

Supposedly this kit will not require ANY sanding at all, unless the lenses are very bad, as mine were.

GSus

iTrader: (2)

The $2 harbor freight kit works great. Just spray some clear on when you're done...buff and polish.

Just did my tails on my silverado...came out great

supadaddy

iTrader: (3)

i believe the 3m came with 500, 800 and 3000, its 20 bucks but if you had some of this paper laying around you could do it for next to nothing and little elbow grease and wax, beats spending a couple hundred buck on new lights...IMHO

99monguse

Heck yeah...new GM lamps are about $350.00 each

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

I'm sorry to hear that your wife's headlights are cloudy and old. Personally, I like my wife's headlights in tip top shape. There's nothing like perky and shiny headlights.

Before you try a wholesale replacement, you might want to interview some professionals. In the city, we have doctors who even specialize in "restoration" of headlights. Before you go for wholesale replacement, you may check in to rehabilitation. The doctors here can make a pair of headlights look they came right off of a new model.

supadaddy

iTrader: (3)

^--ya its nice when 40 year old headlights can look half that age hahaha