Headlight Restoration-new UV sealant idea

Steadfast detailing said:
Any long term reviews of spar urethane method and opti-lens or gloss-coat treatment?
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There are plenty of follow up posts in this thread. It took me a week to read it all, but trust me, do it! You will get literally an answer to virtually any question you can come up with.

In short, early on you will see most people had great results with the Spar technique for 3,6,9, 12 months and longer. As of late, though, people have been saying it fails sooner. Not sure why this is. Now, people are seeming to gravitate to Glassweld coating and saying it has a similar life.

After reading almost all 139 pages (aside from the drama half way through lol) I'd say that whatever you choose will be dependent on you. If you are a side-business then im sure the Spar varnish model will work well. If you are operating more as a legitimate branded business servicing clients that expect a branded product, you might want to consider some other products.

I am having one of my friends with a connection at a junkyard get me 2 sets of beaten headlights. I am going to use the Spar varnish technique because after your original coating fails, NOTHING will restore it to brand-new quality so a consumer must make the choice between something "official" or something developed more on the DIY side.

Thanks to all who contributed over the past 6 years. This was exhausting.
 
Headlight restoration is what brought me here a year and a half ago and ended up reading the whole thing. Now I detail part time.

About that long ago I coated my headlights with Opti-Lens. The passengers side light that was a replacement and is doing great. It was in really bad condition and I did a lot of heavy sanding to it before coating it. The drivers side was an original, and I only compounded and polished it before coating. Maybe a light sanding to remove bumps from rock impacts.

Both were looking great until I filled some chips on the hood above the drivers side light. I didn't think about compounding next to the light and I removed the Opti-Lens across the top of it.

I have a large truck that I did about a year ago with Opti-Lens after heavy sanding and they look great. Truck is always parked facing north though.

I've used up first 10cc of Opti-Lens, and have another unused one now. I think I did 8 sets with it, including a set of fogs and a spot on my car. I over applied it a couple of times too, so I'd think 10 sets is possible.

Opti-Lens also stored well. It took me almost a year and half to use it up, and it seemed to work about the same on the last application as it did the first.
 
Mantilgh said:
Headlight restoration is what brought me here a year and a half ago and ended up reading the whole thing. Now I detail part time.

About that long ago I coated my headlights with Opti-Lens. The passengers side light that was a replacement and is doing great. It was in really bad condition and I did a lot of heavy sanding to it before coating it. The drivers side was an original, and I only compounded and polished it before coating. Maybe a light sanding to remove bumps from rock impacts.

Both were looking great until I filled some chips on the hood above the drivers side light. I didn't think about compounding next to the light and I removed the Opti-Lens across the top of it.

I have a large truck that I did about a year ago with Opti-Lens after heavy sanding and they look great. Truck is always parked facing north though.

I've used up first 10cc of Opti-Lens, and have another unused one now. I think I did 8 sets with it, including a set of fogs and a spot on my car. I over applied it a couple of times too, so I'd think 10 sets is possible.

Opti-Lens also stored well. It took me almost a year and half to use it up, and it seemed to work about the same on the last application as it did the first.
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Great response. I think some of us who are newer to this technique need to hear opinions like this more and more. That said, experience is gonna be the ultimate test.
 
2pennies said:
Great response. I think some of us who are newer to this technique need to hear opinions like this more and more. That said, experience is gonna be the ultimate test.
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Thank you 2pennies and Mantilgh. I do this part-time atm but would like to offer a legitimate product so it seems Opti-Lens is the way to go. Thank you both for your comprehensive replies.
 
Steadfast detailing said:
Thank you 2pennies and Mantilgh. I do this part-time atm but would like to offer a legitimate product so it seems Opti-Lens is the way to go. Thank you both for your comprehensive replies.
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I've been using opti-lens since 2012 and have done numerous vehicles. I've discovered that opti-lens only lasts up to 2 years here in Malta where the average UV is 8. Plus we have 300+ days of sunshine per year. I'm not overly happy with opti-lens, due to the lack of longevity, however it is the best product I've discovered so far. I am currently investigating mixing my own concoction using nano non-organic UV blockers with resin as a carrier.
 
Ratsrs said:
I've been using opti-lens since 2012 and have done numerous vehicles. I've discovered that opti-lens only lasts up to 2 years here in Malta where the average UV is 8. Plus we have 300+ days of sunshine per year. I'm not overly happy with opti-lens, due to the lack of longevity, however it is the best product I've discovered so far. I am currently investigating mixing my own concoction using nano non-organic UV blockers with resin as a carrier.
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Have you tried gclear? Its been holding up very well for my customers the past 2 years
 
jeff79 said:
Have you tried gclear? Its been holding up very well for my customers the past 2 years
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No... I haven't tried gclear as yet. What is your UV environment? I'm grateful for your feedback. Mixing my own concoction from raw ingredients is fraught with trial and errors, not to mention that it is a damn expensive exercise.. I'm not looking forward to reinventing the wheel. All I'm seeking is a product that can hold up against the harsh environment.

On a different aspect, I've tried numerous cutting compounds. The best I've come across and highly recommend is 'Meguiar's 101' foam-cut compound. I read last year that it is only available in Europe and not USA. Things may have changed since then. The finish is excellent without leaving fine compound scratches. If you're not already aware of this product I strongly suggest you research it.

Wishing everyone success in their endevours.....
 
Ratsrs said:
I've been using opti-lens since 2012 and have done numerous vehicles. I've discovered that opti-lens only lasts up to 2 years here in Malta where the average UV is 8. Plus we have 300+ days of sunshine per year. I'm not overly happy with opti-lens, due to the lack of longevity, however it is the best product I've discovered so far. I am currently investigating mixing my own concoction using nano non-organic UV blockers with resin as a carrier.
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Thank you for the info on Opti-Lens. That is pretty good for how easy it it to use.
 
I tried Opti Lens a few times and it does not last very long on my headlights, a few months at most before they start discoloring again. I am going to try spraying my headlights with a 2K aerosol clear I will be using to paint other parts of my car. Has anyone tried this? It is supposed to first be sprayed with some kind of adhesive promoter or primer but I am not exactly sure what grit sand paper you sand down to before applying the adhesive promotor before spraying the clear. Some places say 800grit while others say you can go much finer, I would rather go finer, 800 grit seems to be too rough.
 
I use only one UV sealer for my headlight restoration and it applies easily and lasts extremely long time . .......Yacht varnish .
Highly UV , water , salt resistant . Also does not crack or peel . I love this stuff :)
 
cowandchikin said:
I use only one UV sealer for my headlight restoration and it applies easily and lasts extremely long time . .......Yacht varnish .
Highly UV , water , salt resistant . Also does not crack or peel . I love this stuff :)
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But is is crystal clear?
 
Rsurfer said:
Yeah, some has a golden tint to it. And how do you apply it?
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Get clear gloss yacht varnish . In the can the varnish looks slightly golden , however once applied and dried it is crystal clear . Usually I dilute it with mineral turpentine so its quite liquid , then I use a lint free cloth ( like you use to clean glasses ) and apply it in linear strokes across . Be sure to do long strokes from one side to the other side without stopping , apply quickly and evenly . Dont stop and over correct . Leaves a nice gloss finish that dries overnight .

***Its important it is quite liquid or it will leave pattern lines if it is too thick***
 
cowandchikin said:
Get clear gloss yacht varnish . In the can the varnish looks slightly golden , however once applied and dried it is crystal clear . Usually I dilute it with mineral turpentine so its quite liquid , then I use a lint free cloth ( like you use to clean glasses ) and apply it in linear strokes across . Be sure to do long strokes from one side to the other side without stopping , apply quickly and evenly . Dont stop and over correct . Leaves a nice gloss finish that dries overnight .

***Its important it is quite liquid or it will leave pattern lines if it is too thick***
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What brand and model of yacht varnish? Intrigued. Thanks.
 
Hey guys i hope someone can answer me soon. I saw this post and decided to try it. My headlights were wet sanded and buffed n polished about r months ago didnt seal them with anything. Well they are already cloudy. So i found this post and gave it a try. I compounded and polsihed the headlights then applied the mixture. Came out great. Well this morning after the dew wore off the headlights they looked horrible. Really streaky. I dont understand why. What did i do wrong? During the day after i applied it the streaks disappered and the headlight looked great. Not its crap. I was able to rub it all off this morning with just a microfiber towel and some pressure. I mixed the stuff in those lil dixie cups. Idk if thts makes a difference. I read something about them on one of the pages. But can anyone help?
 
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