Those headlight restorers

No matter what method you use, make sure that after you clean them and remove the oxidation that you put a coat of good wax that has UV Protection in it.
 
I used the 3M kit. I'm satisfied the hazing is a result of UV not scratching or whatever. I did two different vehicles, a Honda (2005) and a Toyota (2007). Interestingly, we have a 1999 Toyota Land Cruiser with the plastic lenses that look new. Considering what the Land Cruisers cost new, I wonder if Toyota knew something to make them last. No, we did not buy it new, we bought it with 117,000 miles. Great vehicle, but only gets about 17 mpg on premium gas.

The newer 3M kits contain a protectant. Mine was an older kit and did not contain a protectant. We bought a protectant separately.
 
Plastic lens covers are a bad idea; the manufactures knew this when they put them on cars. They are designed to make
you spend money on what is a safety item they are responsible for in the first place. Another example of car companies
making the consumer responsible for poor and unsafe design.

Sue the bastards!!
 
I tried the 3M kit on a beater my brother had and it worked great. He sold the car, so I don't know how long it will last. I saw a remarkable difference and actually did not think it would do any good. Used my cordless drill, but if you have something higher speed, then a buffer I think it would be even better.
 
dawgfan said:
I tried the 3M kit on a beater my brother had and it worked great. He sold the car, so I don't know how long it will last. I saw a remarkable difference and actually did not think it would do any good. Used my cordless drill, but if you have something higher speed, then a buffer I think it would be even better.
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You don't want to go too fast when buffing stuff like that because you lose control and can end up cutting waves into the surface rather than cleanly and evenly removing material. I've seen it happen, if quick is good, turbo speed is better. Not always.
I used a Makita 18V cordless on the slow setting, made sure I hit every surface and took my time. It came out good, but I didn't use any UV protectant so it looked like crap about a month later. :(
 
I know a little something about headlight restoration. I ran a small business for about 3 years doing it. Here's what you do: first of all avoid every kit out there like the plague. NONE of them will give you lasting results. Pop the hood, tape around the lights to protect the paint with blue masking tape. Fill a bucket 1/3 with water, and fill a spray bottle with 3 drops of dish soap and the rest of the way up with water.

You will need:
Sandpaper:
(possibly as low as 300 grit), 600 grit, 1000 grit, 1500 grit, 3000 grit wetsand papers. 3M are fine. You're gonna spray the lenses with the spray bottle as you go, sanding first with 300 (or 600 if the coating is easy to scratch with your fingernail). When you're done with 300 or 600, wipe down with a microfiber to make sure you didn't miss any spots. Work your way up to 1000 for about 10 minutes, then 1500, then finish with 3000. Do this on both lenses first.

Next you will get some Spar urethane from home depot and a bottle of clear mineral spirits. Combine 60% spar urethane with 40% mineral spirits in a small cup. Get some blue scotch paper towels, fold one up as tight as you can so you have a good clean edge.

Pull the blue tape off and get into all the crevices with a microfiber so there's NO water left. Then you will dip the scotch edge into the spar/mineral mix and paint a new layer onto the lens one stroke at a time. When you've covered the whole lens, go back around and touch up the edges. If you blow it or get weird little bubbles, wipe the layer off with mineral spirits and start over.

Let it sit for 2 hours before you drive. It is self leveling so it will flatten out well. Using this method you will get probably 1 to 1.5 years out of the lens before it even begins to wear. When it does, repeat whole process starting with 1000 grit and repaint. Store the can of Spar urethane upside down so it does not leach and harden in the can...by doing this it will last until you need it again.

Hopefully this is helpful...if you have any questions feel free to shoot me a PM!
 
Sorry, didn't read all the replies, but high-grit sandpaper and a spray bottle of water will do the same. Just dry the lenses and hit them with plastic polish to finish.
 
vanslem6 said:
Sorry, didn't read all the replies, but high-grit sandpaper and a spray bottle of water will do the same. Just dry the lenses and hit them with plastic polish to finish.
Click to expand...

High grit sandpaper yes...plastic polish no. In my opinion at least. Finish sanding the lenses with 2000-3000 grit sandpaper until mirror finish and paint Helmsman Spar Urethane/clear mineral spirits mix onto sanded surface. Here's one headlight (of about 2,000) I skipped the polishing stage--the semi porous surface held the Spar urethane mix for about 2 years before any further degradation. Had I just polished the lens it would have re-oxidized within 3-5 months:

Before

After
 
dkblade said:
I know a little something about headlight restoration. I ran a small business for about 3 years doing it. Here's what you do: first of all avoid every kit out there like the plague. NONE of them will give you lasting results. Pop the hood, tape around the lights to protect the paint with blue masking tape. Fill a bucket 1/3 with water, and fill a spray bottle with 3 drops of dish soap and the rest of the way up with water.

You will need:
Sandpaper:
(possibly as low as 300 grit), 600 grit, 1000 grit, 1500 grit, 3000 grit wetsand papers. 3M are fine. You're gonna spray the lenses with the spray bottle as you go, sanding first with 300 (or 600 if the coating is easy to scratch with your fingernail). When you're done with 300 or 600, wipe down with a microfiber to make sure you didn't miss any spots. Work your way up to 1000 for about 10 minutes, then 1500, then finish with 3000. Do this on both lenses first.

Next you will get some Spar urethane from home depot and a bottle of clear mineral spirits. Combine 60% spar urethane with 40% mineral spirits in a small cup. Get some blue scotch paper towels, fold one up as tight as you can so you have a good clean edge.

Pull the blue tape off and get into all the crevices with a microfiber so there's NO water left. Then you will dip the scotch edge into the spar/mineral mix and paint a new layer onto the lens one stroke at a time. When you've covered the whole lens, go back around and touch up the edges. If you blow it or get weird little bubbles, wipe the layer off with mineral spirits and start over.

Let it sit for 2 hours before you drive. It is self leveling so it will flatten out well. Using this method you will get probably 1 to 1.5 years out of the lens before it even begins to wear. When it does, repeat whole process starting with 1000 grit and repaint. Store the can of Spar urethane upside down so it does not leach and harden in the can...by doing this it will last until you need it again.

Hopefully this is helpful...if you have any questions feel free to shoot me a PM!
Click to expand...

Are there any issues with drying/application of the Spar urethane in 40 degree temps?
 
dkblade said:
High grit sandpaper yes...plastic polish no. In my opinion at least. Finish sanding the lenses with 2000-3000 grit sandpaper until mirror finish and paint Helmsman Spar Urethane/clear mineral spirits mix onto sanded surface. Here's one headlight (of about 2,000) I skipped the polishing stage--the semi porous surface held the Spar urethane mix for about 2 years before any further degradation. Had I just polished the lens it would have re-oxidized within 3-5 months:

Before

After
Click to expand...

That is the worst I have ever seen. Is there a certain climate or condition that causes this? How old was that car? I have never owned a car that has done that myself.
 
Pyromancer said:
Are there any issues with drying/application of the Spar urethane in 40 degree temps?
Click to expand...

Good question. I live in San Diego and I never restored headlights below 50 degrees or so. I imagine as long as you stay above freezing and keep the lights from condensation you will be fine. Fortunately if you blow it you can use 100% mineral spirits to remove the mix and either wait until it warms up or give it another go. The stuff is pretty forgiving, but if it's going on streaky I would cut it down a little further with mineral spirits.
 
dr_fosg8 said:
That is the worst I have ever seen. Is there a certain climate or condition that causes this? How old was that car? I have never owned a car that has done that myself.
Click to expand...

Dry coastal desert air mostly. If I had a penny for every car with bad headlights I would have bought Benchmade by now. Very common problem. I moved on to a bigger and better market in San Diego so I gave up the headlights. I did just recently restore some lights for a buddy of mine and it was cool hanging out. I charged $99.00 for a set while I was doing it. Good supplemental income. To further answer your question this was a 2004 Acura TSX. These lights were severely oxidized, so much so that I had to start with 300 grit wet sand paper from 3M to remove that initial oxidation. A lot of Mercedes, BMW and Acura headlights have a very hard plastic that can be stubborn. If you start with a 600-1000 grit you will spend 5 times as much time sanding as if you start with a 300 grit paper...it really removes sanding time. If you have a Honda or a Lexus you will more likely start with a 600-1000 grit sand paper as the plastic is much softer.
 
rycen said:
This kit is not out yet but will be soon

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?62178-Perfect-Clarity-Headlight-Restoration-Kit
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Interested to see how this works Rycen. When I first started out I used Menzerna Rubbing compound with a foam polish wheel to buff the lenses. They looked good but didn't last long. Sanding is sanding. What's most important is the sealant. If Meguiars has figured out a way to spritz a good sealant onto the lens I will be impressed but surprised. A while back I came across a chemical that bonded with polycarbonate under UV light. I tried it once with a spray gun and a UV light and the lens fogged up. This technique would require top notch equipment to properly implement but would probably last 5 years or more. I'll update when I remember the name of the company.
 
I resisted a few headlights with s polishing compound and hand application. I used meguiars m105 and m205 then buffed til clear. Then you have to seal the lens with a good sealant to prevent it from hazing over again
 
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