Headlight restore

[jdsnc82]

I have been trying alot of different headlight restore kits and i found one that works great! Its the turtle wax kit from auto zone. It damn near put my headlights back to new in one use.

[LetItSnow]

I think a lot of products work great, but it would be nice to sort out which one lasts.

[StatGSR]

what grit of sandpapers does it use?

iv always just done it with great success with various wet sanding paper (400 - 2000) and some 3m rubbing compound.

one of my before and afters on my integra corner lights. i didn't even go up to 2000 grit with these, and the buffing was done by hand.



Rob, as far as what lasts it depends what you use to protect the lens over time. any wax or polish will disappear over time leaving the plastic exposed to the elements once again.

I just don't think that most kits include a lower enough grit to actually work out the larger nicks and dings in the lens. I have started with 400 and or lower on lens restoration.

[Huskymaniac]

Just bought this. I like the combination of items in the product. I will report back on my experiences.

[Manarius]

I used the Turtle Wax Kit. In 6 months they were back to being yellow. I think the key here is that clear coat is necessary to stave off the yellowing. Clear Coat turns 6 months until yellowing into 2+ years.

[Huskymaniac]

Originally Posted by Manarius

I used the Turtle Wax Kit. In 6 months they were back to being yellow. I think the key here is that clear coat is necessary to stave off the yellowing. Clear Coat turns 6 months until yellowing into 2+ years.

That is true of any restoring product. The question is, how much does it cost and how easy is it to use. This one seems like a good product.

I wonder if a coating of high quality wax will protect the headlights. I will finish my restore with a coating of Collinite.

[StatGSR]

^ yes consistent waxing will keep the lens surface protected.

[Huskymaniac]

Gave this a try today. I will say that I could still see surface scratches after going through the 4 stages of grit and the polishing compound. On the second headlight I skipped the coarsest grit and the results were better. Perhaps there is too much of a jump from the coarsest and the second coarsest grit. I did like that the kit came with a clear coat finish of sorts. You just wipe it on and let it cure. I will top that with Collinite tomorrow. For the price, this seems to do a decent enough job. But my lights weren't that bad and skipping the coarse grits would have been OK for me.

[sd2649]

How much is this kit? Walmart does this as a service for around 30-40 bucks and it lasted me a good year before fading. I watched them do it and it was 3 levels of wet sanding and a clear coat wiped on.

[SilverSpear]

The quality plastic of the SVX headlights is prone to fading whatever you do.
Now I have the "German" glass headlights, but if I were to stick with the plastic ones I would do this:

1- Make one pass with a 800 sand paper;
2- Spray 5~6 layers of clearcoat;
3- Let them bake in the sun for few days;
4- Use a 1500 sand paper to get rid of impurities;
5- Leave in the sun for another day;
6- Polish.

[michael]

I just picked up the 3m headlight restoration kit and I have to say I'm impressed. It took a while but I think this is awesome If you have poly lenses this is a must have, you almost can't screw up.

[Sean486]

Finally broke down and purchased a 3M Kit for $22. It is the one that goes on the drill. I had been polishing them with various plastic polishes and kits, but I was never able to fully get rid of the yellowishness, so I hope that this will take finally take care of them.

I was wondering a few things for those of you who have used it. Should I remove the headlights from the car first, and should I spray them with clear coat when done? Does anybody know if I be able to use the same kit on 2 sets of headlights?

[icingdeath88]

Originally Posted by Sean486

Finally broke down and purchased a 3M Kit for $22. It is the one that goes on the drill. I had been polishing them with various plastic polishes and kits, but I was never able to fully get rid of the yellowishness, so I hope that this will take finally take care of them.

I was wondering a few things for those of you who have used it. Should I remove the headlights from the car first, and should I spray them with clear coat when done? Does anybody know if I be able to use the same kit on 2 sets of headlights?

You will have a much easier time of working with them if you take the headlights off the car. A clear coat would be a great idea, but I don't know what kind is the right kind to use. 1 kit might be enough for 2 cars, but it will be kinda close. Probably will depend on how bad they are.

[bishop]

i used the turtle wax kit and it improved a lot from what it was but not as much as i would have liked.

[Sean486]

Does anyone have a clearcoat brand recommendation?