Headlight Restoration-new UV sealant idea

SameGuy said:
FWIW, EXOv2 plays nice with Gclear that's had 48 hours to cure.
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francesco

did you apply the EXO2 on your own car or a customers? Never thought of adding another clear coat but it could be a great idea. i wonder if it would be alright to mix the EVO2 in at the same time as the Gclear. It would be interesting to see if it can provide an extra layer of protection on top of the gclear.
 
It was on a family member's car, so I was given some leeway with which to experiment.

I don't think it'd be possible to mix the two even if they both use an alcohol carrier. The Gclear goes on almost as thick as the Sparathane mix, while EXOv2 is almost a vapor when applied. The EXO just adds an hydrophobic layer to the UV coating's surface.
 
Hello to all. My name is Peter and I'm a 'newbie' to this forum.

A bit of background info. I reside in Malta where the average winter temp is 16c-61F and the summer is 32c-90F, We enjoy an average UV index of 7 for approximately 8 months of the year plus 300+ days of sunshine. Understandably, UV and environmentally damaged headlights are prevalent. I have been restoring headlights for 2 years.

I am constantly searching for new methods and products that will improve the end result for the customer. I have tried and/or experimented with just about every UV protectorate mentioned here. Todate, I am yet to find one that goes beyond 2 summers before it shows signs of deterioration. The most resilient product so far has been the Opti-Clear. The Spar/MS method doesn't last as long here.

With regard to headlight prep, like you, I do what ever it takes to remove the old film. I wet sand up to 800 grit after which time I switch over to Mequires M101 compound. I understand it has the cutting ability of 1000 grit and polishes out to a crystal clear finish with no fine scratches evident. It beats every other cutting compound I've tried. I use a standard power drill with a 3" buffing pad attached. The trick I found is to keep the RPMs low thus preventing over heating resulting in heat haze.

As always, I'll continue to prowl the internet searching for that ever elusive UV shield that lasts for years.

Wishing you all every success in your endeavors....... cheers
 
SameGuy said:
It was on a family member's car, so I was given some leeway with which to experiment.

I don't think it'd be possible to mix the two even if they both use an alcohol carrier. The Gclear goes on almost as thick as the Sparathane mix, while EXOv2 is almost a vapor when applied. The EXO just adds an hydrophobic layer to the UV coating's surface.
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interesting. is the purpose of the hydophobic layer just to prevent water damage or what exactly is it suppose to do? Do you think it provides that much extra protection on top of what the other clear coat already provides? may invest in trying what you did but not sure if its worth it yet.

on a side note, i forgot to mention that i applied to the glcear to a test headlight that i got from the junkyard about few months ago(when i first got the gclear) and it is holding up really well. i keep it in my backyard facing the sun so it gets as much UV exposure as possible as well as rain(its rained about a dozen times) and it looks just as clear as when i first got it. i did the same thing back with the spar and by this time the lights were starting to streak up. Def a good sign!
 
I still prefer the UV spray types like See-Well. Although it stinks like hell. Absolutely flawless finish and incredible longevity.

Great thread...I've learned a lot here. It's over a year now and still absolutely amazing...just like new lights.

Have a look;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm4r84CMVrU
 
Looks like the 2 oz. kit is 48 plus dollars. If it outlasts all the competition then it may be well worth the price?
 
On another forum I'm a member of there is a vender selling vinyl headlight covering, like a clear bra. Anyone tried something like that?
 
FocusSTguy said:
On another forum I'm a member of there is a vender selling vinyl headlight covering, like a clear bra. Anyone tried something like that?
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Check out X-pel. It's great stuff. Have it on my headlights.
 
Hi, newbie from Hawaii here. My recent attempt at the Glasweld Gclear on a 96 Dodge Caravan light. This was my first time using a coating like this so there was a bit of a run in the middle of the light. Personally I don't think its bad at all, though I wouldn't call it perfect. From a distance and to the casual eye...it looks pretty good.

7c95bee6-8ce8-41d3-8ad9-a60d3cb824cf.jpg
 
Headlight sealer: Spraymax

i wonder if this would be a good idea to spray onto the lights(instead of cleaning it with oms/ipa) as a primer right before the clearcoat. ive been reading good things about this helping to promote plastic adhesion.
 
If you're using Gclear you shouldn't need a primer. Just sand off the old coating, clean with diluted IPA and apply the Gclear. I've had better results finishing to P3000 before the Gclear, BTW, rather than stopping at P2000 as GlasWeld suggests.
 
SameGuy said:
If you're using Gclear you shouldn't need a primer. Just sand off the old coating, clean with diluted IPA and apply the Gclear. I've had better results finishing to P3000 before the Gclear, BTW, rather than stopping at P2000 as GlasWeld suggests.
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i know it may not be neccessary im just wondering if its possible that the primer can help the gclear adhere to the light better and increase the longevity of the gclear. again i have no idea if this would work or not(im not a chemist) but i wonder if theres a chance it could help.

did you stop at P3000 to improve the clarity of the lens? i have done a comparison where i would stop at p2000 on one light and P3000 on the other and i didnt notice any visible difference in clarity between the 2 lights. Another reason i stop at p2 is becuase ive read stopping at a lower grit will promote better adhesion for the clear.

also how is the gclear holding up for you? does the headlight have the same clarity as the day you applied it? i applied the gclear i think 4-5 months ago and am starting to notice light white streaking on the light but you need to be very close to the headlight to notice.
 
ok so ive received 2 complaints of about 40-45 regarding the longevity of the gclear. One guy whose lights i did looked real bad after only 3.5 months like the gclear really started to streak up after a few months. They arent starting to yellow but you can tell the gclear is either peeling or streaking or something and i feel obligated to fix this since i have been giving out 1 year warranties with the gclear. Im guessing there are more then 2 people whose lights need to be redone but only 2 have complained. does anyone know anything about jetseal109? i heard it will last a long time on headlights.





Here is a pic of the lights

TuWmgnu.png
 
Did you contact Glas-Weld and get their comments? If so What did they tell you. I haven't had that problem with Gclear
 
That looks like what I've experienced on one single lens, I've attributed it to contamination from my IPA wipe and some residual slurry that may have flowed out of a seal. That lens didn't want to cure as quickly as it should've, and looked about 95%. As this was right before winter I told my friend I'd do it again in the spring, sanding down to the PC again. Not looking forward to it, but I knew it would be a problem as soon as I finished.
 
SameGuy said:
That looks like what I've experienced on one single lens, I've attributed it to contamination from my IPA wipe and some residual slurry that may have flowed out of a seal. That lens didn't want to cure as quickly as it should've, and looked about 95%. As this was right before winter I told my friend I'd do it again in the spring, sanding down to the PC again. Not looking forward to it, but I knew it would be a problem as soon as I finished.
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i dont think the ipa/oms is what caused it because they looked brand new right after i finished and stayed looking that way for a few months. i had this same problem with the spar/oms method where the exact same streaks would start to appear after several months. this could be happeing becuase i am using the sunlight rather then the lamp to cure the lights even though the guys at gclear assured me the sunlight(few hours) would be enough to cure the lens properly. im deciding whether i should invest in the uv curing lamp or find a new system for the clear coat. have you heard anything about a company called dvelup? apparently they have a very good liquid clear coat according to other forums.. let me know if you have heard anything about them
 
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