Headlight Restoration.

[Vortech347]

There are a gazillion products out there. Who's used stuff that WORKS with our Headlights.

Mine are starting to get a little glazed over.

[Curless]

I have a 3M kit from NAPA. It consists of two different air powered tools (polisher and a sander) 4 levels of sanding discs, one cleaner and one polisher. It works great, if you take about a half hour with each light and really concentrate they come out beautiful. Now what they don't tell you is its not forever, the lights will turn again and its not going to be in 80,000 mile either.

[WhatsUpDOHC]

Just use some compound on the lenses.

I use a clear-coat-safe type that has worked fine.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[2,4shofast]

I use the 3M kit bro, it works out pretty well...

[ctrlraven]

Most of the kits out there work pretty well, the biggest issue is after the treatment is done a sealer is needed, this prolongs the life of the fresh surface. The sealer acts as the clearcoat which was originally on the lens but is dulled and worn over time.

[jwibbity]

i just recently used the 3M manual kit, and i plan on spraying a couple coats of clear on the headlight to protect them in the future

[fastblackmerc]

i just recently used the 3M manual kit, and i plan on spraying a couple coats of clear on the headlight to protect them in the future

Clear coat won't keep the lenses from clouding over for long. You need a coating that has a UV inhibitor / protector. The lenses get cloudy because the plastic they are made from didn't have any or not enough UV inhibitor. You can polish /sand the lenses to get the old cloudy layer off but it will return if the lenses are not protected.

[ctrlraven]

i just recently used the 3M manual kit, and i plan on spraying a couple coats of clear on the headlight to protect them in the future
Don't use auto paint clear coat, it won't last long and then you will be back to square one again with having to resurface the lens. Need to use UV sealant for plastic if you want it to last longer than 6 months. Auto clear coat will turn yellow pretty quickly.

This is something that can last over a year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBtl68SlcBc
oBtl68SlcBc

[GetMeMyStogie]

Looks like Sylvania makes a kit that includes a UV blocker:
http://www.ricksfreeautorepairadvice. com/repair-topics/lights/headlight-restoration-that-really-works

That was posted a while ago - perhaps other companies have started to include something similar.


Here's a thread I was following for a while on an alternative method:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/19021-headlight-restoration-new-uv-sealant-idea.html

It looks like the orginal author has followed up with an update after 2 years:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/37701-headlight-sealant-spar-urethane-vs-opti-coat-2-0-a.html

[capt512]

I have the sylvania kit, and used it on mine last year due to clouding and yellowing, less than 8 months later yellowing. It looked great at first but not so much now. There are alot of pros that do refinishing that guarentee thiers for 2 years so I am looking that way now. Will see what they say price wise.

[kmastl]

I start by wetsanding the entire lense with 300 grit until there is no factory finish left. From there I go all the way up to a 3000 grit. When that is all done I use a 50/50 mix of paint thinner and helmsman clear gloss varnish. At this point they will look brand new. To preserve this finish I use a clear vinyl film *off ebay* its like Lamin-x and they will last for years.

[Chad1987]

I used the BG Headlight Restoration kit about a month ago and it looks amazing! I was the Southern MN BG rep for three years and this kit works wonders! You start by wet sanding the headlight covers with three different grades of sandpapers, then applying a polyurethane based sealant and hitting it with a heat gun. It's not sold over the counter, only through select BG retailers. With this kit, BG warrants it for two years and in the three years I sold them, I never had one come back nor one complaint.
http://www.bgprod.com/products/headlightrestoration.html


Before:
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j313/Chadillac8705/The%20Marauder/2012-06-03_13-11-39_191.jpg

After:
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j313/Chadillac8705/The%20Marauder/2012-06-08_12-39-54_565.jpg

I think I paid like $73 for Viking Buick/GMC down in Rochester, MN to do it.

[Siege]

I used the Sylvania kit with the UV sealer on my headlights when I purchased it. The posters above are correct that if there is no UV sealer applied afterwards they will be cloudy again in no time.

A year after using the Sylvania kit the lenses look as clear as they did then.

[capt512]

^ thats wierd, thats the same kit I used and it didn't last 8 months!

[Siege]

^ thats wierd, thats the same kit I used and it didn't last 8 months!

Maybe some variables in prep before the sealant? I did read that you don't want the headlights 100% clear before applying the sealant otherwise the surface isn't "rough" enough for the sealant to adhere properly.

I still have half a bottle of the sealant left so if they do get cloudy again I can perform the process again.

[blkZooM]

What was it that I used? some 2000 grit wet sand paper, and used compound and a buffer work like a well for me

[IwantmyMMnow!]

Is this 'cloudy/hazing' of the headlamps also an issue with HIDs as well? I have OEM headlamps, but will be making the switch to HIDs soon...

[capt512]

This has nothing to do with the bulb type, but instead has to do with the plastic oxidizing and deteriorating. So HID or not makes no difference.

[fastblackmerc]

Is this 'cloudy/hazing' of the headlamps also an issue with HIDs as well? I have OEM headlamps, but will be making the switch to HIDs soon...

Nothing to do with HIDs, aftermarket or factory bulbs.

The problem is not enough or no UV inhibitor was mixed in with the plastic when they made the lenses.

[IwantmyMMnow!]

Oh...I thought HIDs had their own specific lens/module/compartment...

[Chad1987]

The hazing/yellowing is something you'll never see on any car with glass headlights.

[Architect]

Another option would be to install "X-Pel" clear protective light shields...after you polish the headlights...
I installed mine back in 2005 and they look just as good today as they did when I installed them...now my Marauder stays in the garage when it's not out doing it's normal "Daily Driver" stuff... so I'm sure that matters too...
They are about $60-$75 depending on where you get them...
just search "X-Pel" for all the info for the specific ones for Marauders...:cool:
Architect

[GetMeMyStogie]

Imho, wetsanding is overrated. The first set I did were severely pitted from sandblasting. I started with hand sanding 300 grit or so, and then wetsanding to see i that sped things up. Finally used 180 grit on my random orbit electric sander, and that worked wonders. Continued with the sander up to about 800 grit, then went with wetsanding again up through 1500 grit. That took forever!
On the 2nd lamp, I stuck with the sander all the way to 2000 grit. It was much faster, easier, and the result was equivalent.
Bottom line: wetsanding is good if you have to do it by hand; random orbit sanders make for less work.