For today's project, it was time to polish the Ranger's headlights...................again.
The above images don't fully display how bad the hazing had become, or how it was dragging down the appearance of the vehicle. In previous treatments, I simply polished the UV damaged sections, typically the horizontal edge facing the sky. This time I just went ahead and polished the entire headlight.
After taping up, I started with Sonax Cutmax on a Rupes blue wool pad, the most aggressive combination at my disposal. Machine choice was the 3-inch ShineMate EB212, and the Rupes iBrid Nano in rotary mode with a 1-inch pad for the edgework. That EB212 is absolutely brilliant for this role, primarily because it just won't stall out on what is a complex surface like a headlight.
Following the cutting stage, I switched to a ShineMate orange foam pad and Carpro Reflect to jewel them up. From there, a thorough wipe down with Eraser. There are still some imperfections, but I'm happy with the finish.
It was then time to try yet another miracle potion in an attempt to slow down the return of oxidation. The ultimate solution here would be to have PPF applied, but no one does it around here, and I just don't have the skills or patience to do it myself (which is way harder than it looks due to the multi-dimensional shape of these lights). Applying a clear coat to headlights is not recommended, mainly because you need to be a wizard painter to get a uniform finish. And if you don't get it right, you end up with a distorted light distribution.
I've tried various methods for protecting headlights, including spray sealants, ceramic paint coatings, dedicated polymer sealants, even a VERY expensive headlight coating from Opti-Coat. All but the Opti-Coat would last a few months at best. Having said that, Opti-Coat suggest 12-months protection for their solution, I got about 9-months.
Enter Carpro's new Cquartz DLight, which is a dedicated ceramic coating for plastic. Compared to other ceramic coatings, DLight offers significantly higher resistance to UV, which provides a high-level of protection for plastic surfaces and in turn will prevent fading, yellowing and cracking. Carpro put a focus on protecting headlights, but they also suggest it can be used on PPF, clear plastics, textured black plastic trim and bumpers, vinyl, and even as a top-coat to a base layer coating for ultimate protection in high-UV environments.
Carpro claims DLight can last "up to 3-years". We shall see..................
NOTE - Unless you are a professional detailer, all you need is the 10ml bottle. Also note that the 10ml size doesn't come in the pretty box, just a sealed bag.
Application method and amount vary depending on the surface being treated. For headlights, Carpro recommend two layers for ultimate durability and protection. Like any ceramic coating, prime the supplied applicator with product, then apply in crosshatch pattern to ensure full coverage. Allow to flash for about 5 minutes, then level off with a towel, followed by a final wipe with a secondary towel. Carpro suggest the product rainbows as it flashes, but I found it sweated.
After an hour, the second layer can be applied in the same manner.
The finished result certainly looks the goods. I've always loved these headlights with the black bezels, which differ from the tacky chromed out XLT and Wildtrak models.
I also went ahead and coated two replacement windscreen wiper arm trims for the XR6. I recently discovered one of these had broken, but the OEM originals are NLA. These replacements are 3D-printed using durable "high-quality ABS plastic". Coating them seemed like a logical thing to do, especially with an already used applicator with product on it.
It will be interesting to see how this coating performs going forward.
