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#1
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New Headlight Polish Technique
I polished my headlights yesterday. I use a different technique than most. Being a scale modeler, I'm used to making glass smooth paint from a hazy rattlecan job. This method can be fairly quick to time consuming depending on the condition of the lenses.
Before After Here's my preferred method. You need a polishing kit from a local hobby shop or www.micro-mark.com Item #80939. This kit will do as many sets of lights as you can handle, until you lose a sheet. A bottle of your favorite wax. Start with the 2400 grit. It helps if you let water run over the headlights. Scuff the WHOLE light. Make sure that the tone is even all over. If the lights are EXTREMELY bad/rough, you can start with 1500 grit dry, then use 2000 grit before starting with the polishing kit. Work your way through the grits one at a time, DO NOT skip a grit. Once you finish with the last grit, dry the lenses thouroughly, then wax with your favorite car wax. Hope this helps someone.
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[SIGPIC]http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/image.php?type=sigpic&userid=5569&dateline=1207440 507[/SIGPIC] Naught but by the grace of God "42" Current Stable By Age:'89 Subaru XT6 Silver "Audrey" as in Hepburn '96 SVX LSi #767Brilliant Red "Lil Red" Now on the front burner. Looking for a totalled, but running parts car. |
#2
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Is that look a lot better in person?
Maybe you should take some better pictures.
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-SSSVX 92 LS-L TEAL since Aug '01 92 LS-L YELLOW since Mar '05 |
#3
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I've always stuck with 600 grit wet sand, 2000 grit wet sand, rubbing compound, polishing compound, then wax...
makes em look like they just came from the factory..
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Patrick 1995 Ebony Pearl. S.N. 0001 "Araby" JDM Power Mode Switch, Integrated GPS/Video Player 6Xk Miles. 1992 Teal - Sold to Mysvxrocks [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] |
#4
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My way:
PlastX buff, invisible glass clean (5-6 times per lens) 6 coats of the new turtle wax Ice paste polish. Takes a little time but they now look clean as new. Probably about 30 minutes per lens. Greg |
#5
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I just wet sanded mine with #0000 steel wool. Worked pretty well, but I think I need some more wax to get all the scuffing out....
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-Jason (8/23/07-Present) 1995 Subaru SVX LSi (197k) Polo Green (#1102) 03/95 Mods: DDM Tuning 4500k 35w Low Beam HID, 100w H3 Bulbs, Extra Ground Cables, 15 minute $12.96 mod, svxfiles designed transmission mount (), sporting a "new" tail light bar, silver BBS rims, custom power steering cooler (one that doesn't dump ATF constantly), new negative lead cable, no more third or fourth gear (1977-Present) 1977 Chevrolet Corvette (81k) Silver (12/01/2011-Present) 2005 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited 5MT (97k) I have a bad feeling about this. -Obi Wan Kenobi |
#6
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PlastX is gr8
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Danny 1994 Silver SVX in hybernation, awaiting for the monsterous awakening (Lebanon) 1967 Mercedes-Benz 250SL Euro Specs, Hard/Softtop, White/Red. Under Complete Restoration 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL350 Euro Specs, White/Red. Mint... Another step into SL Collection. |
#7
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I use that after I did the wet sand with the #0000 steel wool.
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-Jason (8/23/07-Present) 1995 Subaru SVX LSi (197k) Polo Green (#1102) 03/95 Mods: DDM Tuning 4500k 35w Low Beam HID, 100w H3 Bulbs, Extra Ground Cables, 15 minute $12.96 mod, svxfiles designed transmission mount (), sporting a "new" tail light bar, silver BBS rims, custom power steering cooler (one that doesn't dump ATF constantly), new negative lead cable, no more third or fourth gear (1977-Present) 1977 Chevrolet Corvette (81k) Silver (12/01/2011-Present) 2005 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited 5MT (97k) I have a bad feeling about this. -Obi Wan Kenobi |
#8
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another quick solution to polishing/waxing is after doing all the sanding. clear coat the headlamps. they look even better than polishing/waxing. the clearcoat covers up all the little scratch marks in a fraction of the time and lasts longer than the wax
[M]i[K]E[¥] |
#9
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Quote:
This is the best solution... but you should keep the headlights at a 600 sandpaper level before coating them... or else the latter will start peeling off...
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Danny 1994 Silver SVX in hybernation, awaiting for the monsterous awakening (Lebanon) 1967 Mercedes-Benz 250SL Euro Specs, Hard/Softtop, White/Red. Under Complete Restoration 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL350 Euro Specs, White/Red. Mint... Another step into SL Collection. |
#10
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The question that stands... Do we have one method that lasts longer than the others?
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Disclaimer: The above post is on the internet. |
#11
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Yeah, go with smallcar's kit
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Danny 1994 Silver SVX in hybernation, awaiting for the monsterous awakening (Lebanon) 1967 Mercedes-Benz 250SL Euro Specs, Hard/Softtop, White/Red. Under Complete Restoration 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL350 Euro Specs, White/Red. Mint... Another step into SL Collection. |
#12
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I have 1000 grit, 2000 grit, turtlewax rubbing compound, turtlewax polishing compound, and plastX.
I plan on doing mine today. Jim
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1992 Dark Teal LS-L with 4.44 swap. NC Plate "EVIL I" *Dont Fear the GEAR* 1977 Ford Pinto baby blue with 79,000 miles |
#13
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I heard that they have bad beam patterns though - is this really the case?
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-Jason (8/23/07-Present) 1995 Subaru SVX LSi (197k) Polo Green (#1102) 03/95 Mods: DDM Tuning 4500k 35w Low Beam HID, 100w H3 Bulbs, Extra Ground Cables, 15 minute $12.96 mod, svxfiles designed transmission mount (), sporting a "new" tail light bar, silver BBS rims, custom power steering cooler (one that doesn't dump ATF constantly), new negative lead cable, no more third or fourth gear (1977-Present) 1977 Chevrolet Corvette (81k) Silver (12/01/2011-Present) 2005 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited 5MT (97k) I have a bad feeling about this. -Obi Wan Kenobi |
#14
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And here are mine. They were BAD yellow. The bulbs lit up the lens instead of shining thru.
Now... not too bad if I do say so myself. Jim
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1992 Dark Teal LS-L with 4.44 swap. NC Plate "EVIL I" *Dont Fear the GEAR* 1977 Ford Pinto baby blue with 79,000 miles |
#15
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the headlight vut off is way more pronounced, yeah. My biggest issue with the small car kit is it looks goofy unless you do their corners (which look like junk to me) and put in a 97 grill. Even then, as soon as you pop the hood, the small car kit's poor fit and finisn is pretty obvious
As for the headlights...600 is pretty course, but if your lenses are REALLY pitted, I suppose you could start there. my personal opinion, start with 1,000, go to 1500, 2000,(Or, if they arent that bad, start here) then move on to polishing compound(s) and then plast-x
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R.I.P Cool Signature. You're gone but not forgotten. I mean, sure, I kindof don't remember some of the finer details..but I remember you were funny, and at one point you said spaghetti in Dutch....but definantly not forgotten |
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