headlight restore?

my buddy had a guy come out and restore his headlights he slightly sanded them and then sprayed something on them and they look better then new, any idea as to what this could be? or any idea how to fix terrible looking headlights?

 

Replacement headlights are cheap now days. Most people who restore their headlight and seal them still say they turned yellow after a period of time. Buy a new set and seal them with a sealer.

 

Go to any local detail shop if you want them restored... Id rather just buy a new set though

 

I used vinyl window swirl remover on mine.

 

I polish mine every few years, but I already have the polish and associated gear (pads, buffer etc.) because I'm in the business.

I agree with the others; price a replacement first.

If you were local, I'd polish your headlights for free; it's that easy once you've done it a few times.

 

plishandwax.com what do you use?

 

The best way to polish them back up is sanding, clear coat, and a buff job. If you just sand and polish there is nothing to protect the lens anymore. You need a UV protectant.

 

Rotary buffer, polish and a wool pad.

I use CSI Cut N Polish, but any quality polish will work. Not too long ago I used Meguiar's M205 and that worked great.

If headlights are REALLY trashed, I recommend wet sanding them first, otherwise polish on a wool pad works fine.

If you don't need to sand, the whole job takes maybe 10 minutes, including cleanup. Actually a little longer if you mask, which I would do on someone else's vehicle.

 

I agree that they will not last as long without some sort of coating, but depending on conditions, they can last years without fogging up again.

Unlike paint, headlight lenses are really thick so you can polish them over and over and over and never go through.

Mine are due again and I did them in 2007 and then again in 2010. But my ride is garaged.

 

?hmm. well can you buy the csi anywhere besides online? what about plastix?

 

CSI is available in some paint shops but not in your typical retail outlet.

I haven't tried the Plastix kits, but some people like those and other headlight kits. There are a lot of options out there.

 

I just finished using the Meguiars Heavy Duty Headlight Restoration Kit and it worked great on four headlights. They were in pretty bad shape.

You start off wet sanding the lens with 1000 grit pad and then move to wet sand with the 3000 grit pad and then use the paste with the provided attachment for your drill. After that you put on the UV protectant and you are done. Meguiars says the UV protectant should be reapplied every three months.

I will see how it holds up. But they look really good now.

 

How easy is it to apply the UV protectant?

I don't mean to sound like I'm bagging on Meguiar's, because I actually like several of their products, but every three months sounds like like a lot, unless it is really easy.

 

i bought some bluemagic lens cleaner and meguiars uv selant i will try it in the morning and let yall know the results

 

The protectant is easy to apply. Put some on a cloth and wipe it on. Then buff it off. It isn't a liquid, so it doesn't run. It is a thinner paste you squeeze out of a plastic bottle.

 

i used the two items i mentioned yesterday, and they worked great never seen my headlights shine like they do now, I also used this same method on my mothers cr-v today and it worked wonders on it too, im sold on bluemagic and meguiars

 

I've had good luck with the 3M brand headlight restorer.

One thing I did as well was purchase the weathertech headlight film, it's just like clear helicopter tape cut to fit all the headlights, major pita to put on but it will keep the plastic from oxidizing, or at least it has for 9 California months.

 

No before and after pics? ?? Shame on you sir.