Sully's Detailing: CTS Headlight Restoration and Wax

sullysdetailing

sullysdetailing

New member
Joined
Mar 7, 2009
Messages
1,963
Reaction score
0
South Florida Headlight Restoration!!

This was one of my Clients parents car. She wanted to get the car washed and wax and when I arived she asked if I could correct the headlights. I said sure. The dealership wanted $1100 to replace both headlights and and install them. Restorating them cost $40.

Headlights:
DP Rinseless Wash and Gloss
M105 (Hydro cutting pad)
M205 (Hydro polishing pad)
WGPS

The Car:
Wheels: DP Wheels Gel
Wash: Chemical Guys Citrus Wash (Sorry AG but this car was pretty dirty)
Clay: Wolfgang
Clay Lube: DP Rinseless Wash and Gloss
Tire Shine: Black Again
LSP: Klasse AIO (2 coats, you will be suprised how long this stuff last and how good it looks. I used this because the car sits on the side of the beach all day and Klasse as good protection against salt so I gave it a try as an LSP)

Headlights:

Before:
CTSbefore1.jpg

CTSbefore2.jpg


After:
CTSAfter.jpg

CTSAfter2.jpg

CTSAfterFront.jpg


The Car:

Before: Since the car was silver it was hard to show all the dirt on the car, so the only before pictures are of the rims.
DSC_0409.jpg

DSC_0406.jpg


After:
DSC_0412.jpg

DSC_0413.jpg

CTSAfterFront.jpg
 
Last edited:
nice job on headlights!!! i have not yet worked on any newer headlights like that. They have all been too clean, so i just go over them with Meg's Headlight resto kit to polish em up a lil bit.

AFter i use the 3M kit on mine, or my family's, i usually go over mine about once a month with Meg's kit to keep em clean and polisged. The Meg's kit, you can use hundreds of times, and just buy refills of the PlastX. The drill attachment will last a LONG time.

i started making flyers this morning to hang around town to do "headlight restorations". so we'll see how this works!! itll be easy money if all goes well.

and here you go!!

4109826416_616ff61c8e_o.gif
 
Last edited:
Everytime I wash the vehicle I will apply wax to the headlights to make sure that the do not get foggy again
 
Wow - that's great results - especially without sanding!

DLB
 
Dalton Blevins said:
Wow - that's great results - especially without sanding!

DLB
Click to expand...

A lot of people go crazy sanding headlights. In all but the most extreme cases (these were pretty bad as it was) I find no need to sand. A good 4" pad on a drill/rotary will do great work with even a mild compound.
 
You use Black Wow as a tire dressing? Does that get expensive? Unless you're talking about a product I'm not aware of...
 
konrad said:
You use Black Wow as a tire dressing? Does that get expensive? Unless you're talking about a product I'm not aware of...
Click to expand...
Wonder about that one also.Not only $$ but must take forever to apply.He must of made a mistake during the write .I don't think anyone uses black wow for tire dressing but you never know do you LOL Feed back please
 
look's good. I can't seem to get them to come out that good. I use the 3m prokit, I start sanding with 600-800 dry then 1000 and 3000 trizact wet then 3m plastic cleaner then 3m plastic polish. The thick crud saty's and help with this would be great.
 
Nice job for sure! A friend of mine has an '05 CTS and I did some work to the headlights earlier this year. His were a bit hazy, but not nearly as bad as those, however, they were pitted pretty bad and required sanding.

Restored headlights really make the car!
 
Nice job, Need to find some "junk" cadilac headlights to restore. Hmm, actually sounds like an interesting side line of work. Anybody thought of going to these dealers and asking for "junk" headlights people get replaced?

Seems like a good polish and post on craig's or ebay would be a good way to turn over a couple extra $.
 
frosty said:
Nice job, Need to find some "junk" cadilac headlights to restore. Hmm, actually sounds like an interesting side line of work. Anybody thought of going to these dealers and asking for "junk" headlights people get replaced?

Seems like a good polish and post on craig's or ebay would be a good way to turn over a couple extra $.
Click to expand...

That is a good idea. Also, maybe go to some dealerships, or used car dealerships, and hand out a card. Say you do headlamp restoration. Maybe you could get a nice little side job, that their detailer doesn't know how to do, or doesn't have the equipment to do. :props:
 
i picked of a chevy dealer last friday and the used c.t.s light are kicking my but any tip with the 3m air kit?
 
i picked of a chevy dealer last friday and the used c.t.s light are kicking my but any tip with the 3m air kit?
 
Try 600 grit then 800, 1500, 2000, 3000 Then use a wool LC pad, orange LC then white LC. Sometime if the light is really bad you will need to start with 320 grit
 
sullysdetailing said:
Try 600 grit then 800, 1500, 2000, 3000 Then use a wool LC pad, orange LC then white LC. Sometime if the light is really bad you will need to start with 320 grit
Click to expand...

That's what i did and they still look like they did before i sanded them and polished them
 
You need to cut below ALL the oxidized yellowed plastic crud and pitting with the 320/500 or 600 grit first. If you move on before you have exposed new plastic then you'll just be refining the finish on the plastic surface that is still full of defects. The other grits will not cut below the pitting and textured defects. It doesn't sound like anyone is putting down a permanent coating afterwards that's loaded with UV blockers. When I first start doing headlights I would just seal with a AIO and then a sealant, but then realized that the headlights were yellowing again rather quickly. I now recoat the plastic lenses after any wetsanding is done.
 
DJBAILEY said:
You need to cut below ALL the oxidized yellowed plastic crud and pitting with the 320/500 or 600 grit first. If you move on before you have exposed new plastic then you'll just be refining the finish on the plastic surface that is still full of defects. The other grits will not cut below the pitting and textured defects. It doesn't sound like anyone is putting down a permanent coating afterwards that's loaded with UV blockers. When I first start doing headlights I would just seal with a AIO and then a sealant, but then realized that the headlights were yellowing again rather quickly. I now recoat the plastic lenses after any wetsanding is done.
Click to expand...

What are you using to recoat them?
 
[video=youtube_share;BPruok5oD9U]- 2005 Cadillac CTS Headlight Restoration[/video]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top