How to polish your PLASTIC headlights

[Reason]

This will go for any plastic headlights obviously :grin:

I do this a lot on my cars plus friends and family. Unfortunately my last set I did on my friends 2001 Mazda Millenia came out great and I didn't bother taking before and after pics. He was about to spend $600 a piece on new projectors from the dealer and I told him I can make them look new. So unfortunately I DON'T have pics but will next time I do a set. All the stuff listed I used and works, But ultimately you are responsible for screwing up your headlights. I also recommend that you use the same products for the same result. If you have questions or feel the need to challenge this write up have at it.

What you will need...

1. Clean Terry Cloths (4-5)
2. Painter's Tape
3. Cloth Applicator (like you'd use to wax)
4. 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper
5. 800 grit wet/dry sandpaper
6. 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper
7. 1500 grit wet/dry sandpaper
8. 2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper
9. 2500 grit wet/dry sandpaper
10. Nano Turtle wax Rubbing Compound
11. Meguiar's PlastX (plastic polish)
12. a hose and bucket of water

Pics to follow....

Step 1

Start with masking around the light to protect the paint on the bumper and fender

Step 2

I usually have pre cut pieces of wet sand paper in the bucket already. So once you wet the light with the hose you can get to work. Start with 600 grit, as you sand the entire lens keep dunking the paper in the water and spray the lens so it wont dry up. Keep doing this as you climb the grit latter.

Now some people will tell you theres no need to take small jumps in grit. I find it easier to sand, and find mistakes. you can see spots that you missed from the previous step.

Step 3

After all the sanding is done, wash off the lens then dry it. Once it's dried then you can hit it with the rubbing compound. This is a step thats not necessary, BUT it helps. The more time you spend on each step the better the outcome of your hard work.

Step 4

This carries over from step 3. I used power tools with the rubbing compound and plastic polish. With this stuff you want rotations, and power tools with giver you more rotations than your arm. Plus you want have a dead arm or arms when you are done. Once the rubbing compound is done buff it by hand with a clean cloth.

Step 5

Is time for the plastic polish, once it looks good to you, polish it by hand and take a step back in amazement. Now it's time for the other one!

Step 6

if you have some small scratches you can always go back a step or two and continue. Like I said earlier, the more time you spend on each step the better the outcome.

Pics would make this thread a lot better. So if you are local and want me to do this, I could do it for a small fee :smt023

[impreza_GC8]

Bookmarked and subscribed. I'll refer to this another day when I give my lovely blacked out JDM projectors a refresher.

[scubydu]

great write up reason. i can attest to the benefit of using multiple grits. I tried it without and didn't achieve very good results. Also a side note. Never, ever, EVER use products like goof off or oops on your headlights without testing on a hidden corner first. I had some sort of adhesive on mine and thought "hey, this will take it off!". It MELTED the plastic. I then had to sand and sand and polish to get it back to clear :smt021

[2000gtb]

there is a 3M kit they sell at walmart that came with a 500 and 800 grit and then the polish... works well for 18bucks..

[Reason]

there is a 3M kit they sell at walmart that came with a 500 and 800 grit and then the polish... works well for 18bucks..

That's nice and all for a quick job if you are looking to sell your car. Kinda like a Macco paint job. You won't get a like new finish ending at 800 grit sand paper.

[2000gtb]

ive tried it myself and that things works really well..

[richysteele]

OK reason, this method I'm familiar with. but does the meguiars plastic polish have UV protectants in it?? I imagine over time the lights may start to yellow again or appear hazy!

[Reason]

I don't think so, but no I wouldn't worry about getting hazy. If you do it the right way you will be fine for awhile. I have yet had to repeat any work I have done so far.

[richysteele]

I usually apply acrylic clear coats to seal and finish thats my secret

[richysteele]

a mercedes I did this summer

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak ... 1688_n.jpg (http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs175.snc1/6572_1183309548831_1411003206_517584_6151688_n.jpg)

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak ... 3780_n.jpg (http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs195.snc1/6572_1183309508830_1411003206_517583_4193780_n.jpg)

[warrior]

*cough* repost *cough*

viewtopic.php?f=39&t=3636 (https://sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=3636)

:smt019

[2.5GT]

Not to thread jack.

But I use a process that requires absolutely no sanding whatsoever. I used to sand down the head lamps, until i found out another option that requires less effort and still produce amazing results.

It involves a buffer and in the stages of the supplies listed below. I usually do atleast 2 passes on 1 stage. I wish i have before and after pics on the Legacy. It's a night and day difference if done right.

Equipments:

Orbital buffer/pads.

Supplies:

Cutting compound. (The one i used is called Clean Cut, and it's a blue creamy color)

3M finesse it II compound. (It's a white creamy liquid kind.)

Liquid wax (The one i used is called Presta Fast Wax. Comes in a blue liquid form.)

[grt3]

thanks! very helpful!

[Reason]

2.5GT, that method will work on scratched headlights fine. But if you have pits and deep gouges you HAVE to sand. Liquid compounds won't fix that.

[2.5GT]

Sanding won't get rid of the pits/gouges.

If the headlamps are super oxidized, then yes, sanding does help rid of the crap and speed up the process.

[Reason]

Sanding won't get rid of the pits/gouges.


WHAT?? Are you high on Clean cut? TRUST me, sanding takes that shit out. I've done many headlights over the past 10 years and it removes gouges in pits. I also have taken out damage from a broken chain that put a huge in the aluminum frame and now it's a mirror finish.

The sanding method (although has more steps and may take longer) is the absolute best way to finish headlights over any compounds and just buffing.

EDIT: Obviously depending on how deep the gouge is sanding won't fix it completely, but sanding will clean it up more than compound could. Any type of buffing compound or rubbing compound is good for hazy or yellow lens and or LIGHT scratches, thats it.

[Dead91silvia]

Sanding won't get rid of the pits/gouges.

If the headlamps are super oxidized, then yes, sanding does help rid of the crap and speed up the process.

When you sand the face of the head light, it removes some of the plastic, just like if you were sanding metal...

I'm not trying to get in a pissing match... Just stating the facts...

Now for my 2 cents...
I have a few different ways of doing it. The first time I did it was on a 97 Legacy at work about 3 years ago just to see what would happen.

The best way I have found is to use a DA sander with 600 grit, then if you have it, use 1500 on a DA. I then use a Buffer/Polisher (Makita or Dewalt works well) using Meguiars Heavy polishing compound.

This is a set I did this summer and they were really bad! Since I no longer work at that shop, I have to use what I had. I used 320 grit and the polished them with a the same compound. They look good, not as good as the others I have done, but my friend was excited about how much better they were.. This took me about an hour from start to finish...

I have done this to well over a 100 head lights on Subaru's, Honda's, Nissan's, and Toyota's and it works every time!!! It last's for a long time depending on how much time you put into it. Mine have lasted over a year with out fading and I didn a crapy job on my own car... hahaha... go figure...

This is the SUS I did this summer, before the car was wrecked :(

Before pic....
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/01/IMG_4771-1.jpg

After sanding...
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/01/IMG_4779-1.jpg

All done....
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/01/IMG_4780-1.jpg

You can do the same thing with glass lights too! Well, dont sand them, but you can polish the nasty crap off of them... Makes them look much better I think....
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/01/IMG_4782-1.jpg

This was the finished product...
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/01/IMG_4783-1.jpg

[B's Legacy Wagon]

Not to thread jack.

But I use a process that requires absolutely no sanding whatsoever. I used to sand down the head lamps, until i found out another option that requires less effort and still produce amazing results.

It involves a buffer and in the stages of the supplies listed below. I usually do atleast 2 passes on 1 stage. I wish i have before and after pics on the Legacy. It's a night and day difference if done right.

Equipments:

Orbital buffer/pads.

Supplies:

Cutting compound. (The one i used is called Clean Cut, and it's a blue creamy color)

3M finesse it II compound. (It's a white creamy liquid kind.)

Liquid wax (The one i used is called Presta Fast Wax. Comes in a blue liquid form.)


These same materials i used to use when i worked at a body shop good stuff. great thread with alot of good info subscribed..

[ouch1011]

We offer this as a service at my shop. At the shop, we use 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000 grit sanding disks on an air polisher, then 3M plastic cleaner then 3M plastic polish on a foam pad on an air polisher. It works great even for awful headlights. I used basically the same method Reason described. It works just as well but it takes a while.

This is not just an appearance improvement, this is a safety improvement, because oxidized or fogged up headlights put out significantly less light. I've seen some cars where the lights were so fogged up that the headlights were pretty much useless.

I don't have any great pics, but this kind of gives you an idea of the "after" on my lights.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/03/dscn1241-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/03/dscn1233-1.jpg

P.S. Sanding the lights will remove pits and scratches in the lens. Its basically the same as sanding paint, you are removing material and leveling it out.

[loganmossmusic]

I have used Reasons method on my old stock lights, and it works well, but when I was done I wanted it to last, so I got a 1 quart can of Spar Urethane and 1 quart of mineral spirits (about 25 dollars)
http://www.lowes.com/pd_274890-24-63050 ... ne$y=0$x=0 (http://www.lowes.com/pd_274890-24-630500444_0_?productId=3066239&Ntt=urethane&Ntk=i_products&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?newSearch=true$Ntt=urethane$y=0$x=0)
http://www.lowes.com/pd_55414-78-GKSP94 ... s$y=9$x=12 (http://www.lowes.com/pd_55414-78-GKSP94006_0_?productId=3182883&Ntt=mineral+spirits&Ntk=i_products&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?newSearch=true$Ntt=mineral%20spirits$y=9$x=12)
What you do is make a mixture of 1 part Urethane 1 part Mineral spirits, and use a foam brush to apply it, remember to use slow strokes, and a little goes a long way.
It leaves you with a beautiful glossy and absolutely clear finish, and also protects your headlights from UV and future chips/pits.

I will post pictures soon.

[LegacyGT97]

Just did this to my lights today. WOW! is all I have to say!
They look like brand new!!