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The surface "flashes off" (dries by evaporation) in minutes. Deep-curing takes longer, perhaps hours; but I turned the headlights off after twenty minutes, figuring that moisture had been driven off by the heat after that time. If there is any sun out, it also helps to park the car so the sun...

And if your local burger joint uses squeeze bottles, you can buy "medicine cups" from a drugstore, and "popsicle sticks" from a craft store.

If the opti-coat has any solvent in it that will dissolve or soften the spar urethane, you'll be sorry. Try it on a junk headlamp first.

The surface flashes over and dries in a few minutes under "normal" conditions when the plastic headlight is suitably warm. It actually takes several hours to CURE (completely harden). On mine I shut the headlights off after about twenty minutes. On a cool day, it also helps to park the car so...

I have had ONE set of headlights go bad, coming out unacceptably foggy. It was a cool day, in the fifties...but with no rain. Possibly it was too cold out, and moisture condensed while the spar urethane was still setting up? Fortunately it was one of our own cars, a 1994 Ford Taurus. I...

I suspect that despite advertising claims (and a manufacturer's representative is only going to parrot those claims anyway), Opti-Coat is not optimum for the headlight application, as it was designed to go onto paint. I'm not going to use Opti-Coat on headlights, simply because the spar...

Try asking for PAINT THINNER.

Not much to be done about this, I'm afraid, unless one wants to try opening up the headlight (there are some write-ups on the Web about doing that but they sound risky). I've noticed this myself, also on a Chrysler product, a fifteen-year old Dodge Intrepid that is garaged much of the time...

The blue shop towel works as well as anything. The ability of the spar/urethane mix to self-level is the key. Put it on evenly and walk away.

Looks good. Keep us posted on how long it lasts, as this would be very useful for others who can't get the Minwax product but can get Olympic.

Clear, as close to water-white as possible, gloss and UV protection are what you're after. You're probably OK. If the stuff in the can looks yellowish...so does the Minwax!

If any polish (which is usually oil-based) was used, you would have needed to remove all traces of it so the urethane would bond to the bare plastic. A detergent wash followed by a wipedown with clean mineral spirits usually will do it.

It can be VERY tricky. You have to get the consistency of the second coat JUST right so it will still self-level, have the applicator (blue shop towel) throroughly wet, and NOT rub too hard and excessively soften the first coat, which will be solvent-dry but not cured. I only do this...

I did my sister's 1996 Nissan Quest today. The top half of the headlight lenses had clouded up (they've been polished before but deteriorated rapidly). I went the hand-sanding route, with 600, then 1000, then 2000, then an application of truck-box polish. Degreased the headlights, then...

I've found that waxing, unless done carefully, could abrade the glossy surface of the spar urethane. Some waxes have abrasives in them and some have volatile mineral spirits in their formula; the mineral spirits can soften the spar urethane and degrade the surface.

Paint thinner IS mineral spirits.

A very few headlights, unfortunately, seem to haze over on the inside. Some deteriorate WITHIN THE PLASTIC (I rented a Pontiac like that, both lenses all full of tiny cracks throughout) and I'd guess if that's the case with this BMW, it's off to the BMW dealer. The owner will have to bring...

Yes; it is very dry here in Northern California during this time of year. However, when I wash the headlights with water to remove deposits left over from wet-sanding and polishing, the static charge disappears.

I mix and store my spar urethane and mineral spirits in a screw-top individual-serving wine bottle that has been washed out and thoroughly dry. Put in the proper quantity of each, close the bottle and shake gently. The bubbles disperse quickly enough. The mix lasts until it's empty and does...

Make sure the folded paper towel is saturated and you can make several passes. Obviously fewer if it's hot outside or you are working under the full sun on the headlight