I was going to bite the bullet and buy new head lights for the Town Car. Then the $200 to replace made me rethink that Idea. Looking at the sale paper today saw HF had there headlight lens repair kit on sale. So what the heck ill try it.
I was going to bite the bullet and buy new head lights for the Town Car. Then the $200 to replace made me rethink that Idea. Looking at the sale paper today saw HF had there headlight lens repair kit on sale. So what the heck ill try it.
Wow! I saw the same kit and wondered....I'm probably going to try it, too.
Helpful hint: use toothpaste instead. 
I have brought plastic headlights back from the abyss!! In general, the more effort you put into it, the better it comes out. Most of the kits only come with 2 or 3 different grits of sandpaper and won't get you anything better than a 'decent' result unless the headlight wasnt that bad to start with.
Most lights, if there is roughness you can feel with your fingers, i'll start all the way down at 400 grit. I'll spend the most time with 400, then wetsand through 1000, 1500, and 2000. Usually after 2000 you can go to polishing compound but i have used 2500 depending on whether or not i had any.
Generally the polishing step turns out better if you do it with some sort of high speed tool vs by hand. I've been borrowing 3" polishers and foam pads from a couple of close friends for that. Doing it by hand turns out ok, just takes longer.
The best stuff i've found to put on them as the last step comes in a silver baggie kit they sell at advanced auto. It keeps them nice for a good year or more. The ultimate option is to have someone spray automotive clear on them and then machine-polish that but that's pie in the sky for an afternoon project.
The SHORTEST process i've ever seen (also gave the crappiest results, but good enough to raise eyebrows) was to spray undiluted purple power on the headlights and rinse it off after a couple seconds. It will take most of the yellow off a yellowed lense and make them a little clearer in a matter of seconds.
Nice job.
I use the 3M kit and get great results.
http://www.harborfreight.com/roller-cabinet-44-13-drawer-gloss-red-industrial-uality-68784.html That's a lot of tool box for $400. I have one. Thank you HF
stan_d wrote: I use the 3M kit and get great results.
Same here. I think I'll use the Purple Power idea though if I do another one that's really yellow. Maybe it'll knock 10 minutes off the process.
Flitz, rag, elbow grease, 10 minutes.
Next time you're at a large car show, grab a bunch of samples of a light cutting compound
My favorite process is to do all the sanding, clean the surface up good, then apply about three coats of clear duplicolor wheel paint from an aerosol can.
good lasting results on 8 or 10 cars for around $10 total.
ncjay wrote: http://www.harborfreight.com/roller-cabinet-44-13-drawer-gloss-red-industrial-uality-68784.html Thats a lot of toolbox for $400. I have one. Thank you HF
LOL.
You guys are hilarious.
I think you missed the actual point of that sentence.
Magazines on a tool box eating up valuable work space... head hurt!
kb58 wrote: Magazines on a tool box eating up valuable work space... head hurt!
yeah, but if he had a big screen tv on the wall and a tiki themed bar taking up valuable floor space and a bunch of cheesy neon lights and "vintage" signs on the wall you'd be saying how awesome his man cave is...
Harbor Freight is a blight upon civilization, and i'm pretty sure that headlight restore kit- or any headlight restore kit, actually- would be useless on my 01 Grand Prix- or any 97-03 Grand Prix that i've ever seen- since the lenses have decided to go yellow from the inside out due to moisture getting inside...
Junkyard_Dog wrote:
I'll give you $450 for it.
alex wrote:Junkyard_Dog wrote:I'll give you $450 for it.
Per week? Yeah, I can do that...
Junkyard_Dog wrote:ncjay wrote: http://www.harborfreight.com/roller-cabinet-44-13-drawer-gloss-red-industrial-uality-68784.html Thats a lot of toolbox for $400. I have one. Thank you HFLOL. You guys are hilarious.
I don't get it. The Cornwell box is quite nice. Why is it being compared to one at the HF link?
kb58 wrote: Magazines on a tool box eating up valuable work space... head hurt!
those look like shop manuals
Javelin wrote: Helpful hint: use toothpaste instead.
Its why I love my local drug store!!
My shop manuals look like a 17" monitor. But i do have piles and piles and piles of car magazines!
Back to headlights:
Remove 'em, wet sand with 400 'til the slurry isn't yellow-y anymore.
Shoot with automotive clear coat. I like DuPont Chromacolor.
New again, and lasts forever.
Make sure you hit them with clear coat or something after polishing them up. Otherwise UV rays will make them look foggy again in a few weeks.
In reply to novaderrik:
True story: Brand new headlights, including the corner lamps, are less than $20 a pop on Rock Auto. I just bought some 3 months ago for SWMBO's 01 Grand Prix.
$20 a pop, cheap. They're only one large a pop on the Elise.
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