headlight restoration

02nissanISR

02nissanISR

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After hearing so much about wet sanding foggy headlights i figured it was time to try.

the steps
wet sand 1500 grit (this is all i had)
megs solo cut & polish cream w/4 in yellow cut pad (came with dimondite headlight kit)
megs plastx w/4 in orange med cut pad (also from dimondite kit)
I used my flex 603 rotary 12-1800 rpms

I know i could have used a finer cut sand paper after the 1500 and also a polishing pad maybe a white pad but this is a true run what you brung process and i was itching to try it. My wife's '94 corolla lights were in pretty bad shape.
i have not sealed them yet but im going to try the helmsman/mineral spirits mix i heard about on this forum. thanks for looking and feedback welcome:buffing:

oh and sorry about some of the pics its hard to see the difference particularly on the first 2 full front pics gotta work on my angles
 
it looks great! Great job on the restoration. I was lazy and just new headlights for my wife's car lol... I should have gone your way. I'll do that next time.
 
nice results! what is this sealing combo you speak of? i re did the ones on my mustang and decided to go the spray tint route and they turned out pretty bad. but i smoked the tails and those turned out great, just not quite as shiny as i would have liked.
 
I've been using Medallions 890, rubberized clear coat. UV activated. In a few bad cases, to save time, I'll start by wrapping my sanding block with either a 400 or 800, end up with a 2000, clean with a prepping spray, and shoot the lenses with 1 single, even coat of the clear coat. Right away, apply UV rays for curing.
Guys, they turn out great. and because of the 2000 grit finish and rubberized uv protecting clear coat, I bet that I'll be seeing a long life out of the durability of this new solution.
I do it for my clients for $150-$250... masking, sanding prepping, clean up, takes about 60-90 minutes for both.
cure up 1 layer at a time. the solvents attack the polycarbonet lenses if not cured up right away - it being a UV blocker, it won't let the bottom layer seal up like it should.
by the way. I love this stuff. I got tired of my clients coming back complaining about their foggy headlights after 2-3 months.
 
nice man!!! cant wait to do my nexty headlight resto!! My gf's lil sisters 98 mustang. they are about 10 tiomes worse than those, lol...

but you did a great job!!! def makes the car look 10 times better!!
 
Thanks a lot guys the whole process was pretty easy too. About 10-15 min per lens total time this does not include sealant
I just got the sealant today ill post pics when I'm done

Thanks "BlackSunshine01"

The sealant is a 1:1 ratio of indoor outdoor Helmsman Spar Urethane/Mineral Spirits. Hear is the original post from "HotRod" senior member. The first line is the title of the thread
so you can search it if you want to see what others said about it but these are the steps he used and his before and afters:

Again this is not my post this is a post from "HotRod"
(give credit where credit is due) thanks HotRod:props:

Headlight Restoration-new UV sealant idea
This is a method that I got from someone from another car related forum. Supposedly the UV protector is the same as what companies are selling for alot of money, but you can run down to home depot/hardware store to pick up everything you need for about $20-$25.

My process is basically already well known:

Wetsand-400, 800, 1000, 1500 and 2000
Buff-System one polish or equivalent with a high speed drill with small wool pad attachment
But here is the "new" part......
UV Sealer-Helmsman Spar Urethane(Indoor/Outdoor)Clear Gloss mixed with Mineral Spirits(1part urethane to 1 part mineral spirits.

After you buff the lights out with your polisher, you wipe down the headlight with denatured alcohol or isopropyl alcohol (to eliminate any compound residue.
Mix the urethane and mineral spirits in a plastic disposable cup. Remember the dilution ration- 1 part to 1 part.
Then, take a blue 'scott' shop rag and fold it up into a 1 inch x 1 inch square. Then dip the rag into the mixture and wipe it on the headlight. Dont use too much or it might run, but start at the top of the light and work side to side. It took me a few times to get my method down, so if you mess up with application, wipe it off with mineral spirits and start over.
This UV sealant dries in 10-20 mins usually and is far superior to any average detail product(paint sealant, wax etc.......)
Its like a clear cote, but you dont spray it, not as messy.
Longevity-The original "creator" of this method told me that he did a headlight restoration with this method about 2 years ago for a customer, and he said it still looks good.
This is my first "how to" thread, so any questions are welcome.
Before Pics
http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...m/IMG_2652.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...m/IMG_2657.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...m/IMG_2656.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...m/IMG_2654.JPG
After Pics
http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...m/IMG_2671.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...m/IMG_2678.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...m/IMG_2681.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...m/IMG_2670.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...m/IMG_2680.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...m/IMG_2666.JPG
I wasn't sure how to just post the pics, so I just posted the links, sorry.
 
Ok here is the finished product the hardest part was mixing the urethane and mineral spirits any tips or tricks are welcome. Once thats done take blue shop paper towel fold to a small square dip it in and wipe it on , thin coats, top to bottom and presto beautiful, clear, sealed headlights again. I would definitely recommend stepping up to the finer grit paper as I could still see some very light sanding marks but you have to be looking for it to see it 2000 grit or higher would have corrected this problem. Overall very easy, straight forward process.:dblthumb2:
 
02nissanISR said:
Ok here is the finished product the hardest part was mixing the urethane and mineral spirits any tips or tricks are welcome. Once thats done take blue shop paper towel fold to a small square dip it in and wipe it on , thin coats, top to bottom and presto beautiful, clear, sealed headlights again. I would definitely recommend stepping up to the finer grit paper as I could still see some very light sanding marks but you have to be looking for it to see it 2000 grit or higher would have corrected this problem. Overall very easy, straight forward process.:dblthumb2:
Click to expand...

It looks great!

When I mix the UV sealant, I measure out the correct amount of urethane (with measuring spoon) and the mineral spirits and poor it into a small clear plastic cup(disposable). Then I stir the mix together with a popsicle stick(found at wal-mart in craft section). I make sure its stirred up well, then I apply it using the folded blue shop rag. This process is very affordable and simple once you get the hang of it.
 
02nissanISR said:
Ok here is the finished product the hardest part was mixing the urethane and mineral spirits any tips or tricks are welcome.
Click to expand...


I use a coffee scoop and "scoop" directly out of the paint can since trying to poor from a paint can makes a mess! 1 scoop urethane, 1 scoop mineral spirits and mix in a small plastic cup as well
 
HotRod said:
It looks great!

When I mix the UV sealant, I measure out the correct amount of urethane (with measuring spoon) and the mineral spirits and poor it into a small clear plastic cup(disposable). Then I stir the mix together with a popsicle stick(found at wal-mart in craft section). I make sure its stirred up well, then I apply it using the folded blue shop rag. This process is very affordable and simple once you get the hang of it.
Click to expand...
thanks hotrod good advice and thank again for the original post
 
BackdraftDJP said:
I use a coffee scoop and "scoop" directly out of the paint can since trying to poor from a paint can makes a mess! 1 scoop urethane, 1 scoop mineral spirits and mix in a small plastic cup as well
Click to expand...
good tip and yeah i did make a mess trying to pure that out of the can thanks
 
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