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Headlight/Fog light Restore! (56k stay away)

162K views 67 replies 38 participants last post by  radius6 
#1 · (Edited)
Tools used:
-Cordless drill w/ extra batteries (I went through 3 of them)
-3M Headlight restore kit (Use the instructions!!!)
-Plastx rubbing compound
-Shop rags
-Lots-o-tape
-Spray bottle filled with water
-A good shop stool!

Here she goes..


Before:



After 400-grit:











After 800-grit (forgot to take pictures) and 3000-grit wet sand:



After the rubbing compound:



Success! After one more pass with the 2000-grit wet sand and rubbing compound:









The final product (after a good washing):







The 3M kit really does work! It also ended up being a few bucks cheaper at my local Autozone than buying all the sandpaper and rubbing compound seperately. And it's soooo much easier than doing it by hand. All you need is a cordless drill (as seen in some of the pics.) Although their instructions say to only do one row of tape, just double it up (one strip on top of the other.) But I HIGHLY recommend doing about 3 or 4 rows of tape wide jusssst in case. In order to hit some of the corners, you have to get in very close. And my paint around the headlights ended up catching some 800-grit in a couple places, all because there just wasn't enough tape. And another thing, make sure you're not sanding areas of the headlight that you don't have 100% visual of. It sounds like common sense, but after a while you just don't think about it. In order to hit the bottom lip of the headlight, you really need to get down there and look underneath the sander because I went over the tape without even noticing I was that close. So, just put in the extra 5 minutes for more tape.

Also, I was told this could be done in about 40 minutes..now, either I'm just slow, too anal retentive, or else that is just complete bullocks. I spent well over 2 1/2 hours on this tonight. And I really didn't even get the fog lights as well as I could have. So definitely give yourself some time to complete this.
 
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#8 ·
Toothpaste doesn't work ... and if it does ... it would only last until it got wet again ... trust me I have tried.

The Meguirs Pro Plastix clean solution works wonders and is worth the 7 bucks.

I did mine back in the summer and it is still clean.

-Ray-
 
#11 ·
Yup positive ... I saw that post a while back and we tried it on my roommates SVT headlights ... yup. Here comes back the fog.

So, we found that toothpaste is a bust ... no workie.

-Ray-
 
#24 ·
Ever since I bought the car, which was in August of 2009.

During the 400-grit, there was a LOT of yellow dust flying out from underneath the sander. Lol. So there was definitely a lot of it caked on there. Same with the fogs, but since my headlights were my main concern, and I only had one kit, I wanted to make sure I had enough to get the headlights done. Fogs were just extra.

And there's actually more than enough in the kit to do both headlights and both fogs. I ended up with three 400-grit pads left, two 800-grits, and the one 3000-grit pad is still better than 60% I'd say. Plus the compound pad, which I don't think will really ever wear out. Not for a while at least.

You just have to make sure you hit them with the 400-grit until ALL yellow dusts stops. And keep watching the lens. If you see spots that still have the haze to them, keep at it. And it doesn't look like much until after the compound and a wash. That's really what does it. When I got done with the 3000-grit I wasn't very impressed. But then I hit it with the compound, then hit it with the 3000-grit again, and then the compound again, and then I washed it. After I dried all the lenses with a towel (after the wash) I stood back and was like "Wow.."

Another tip, when using the sanding pads, make sure to periodically wipe off both the pads and the lenses to help the pads last longer. Also, wiping off the lenses will give you a better idea of what areas need to get hit again.
 
#27 ·
i have had decent luck with the 3m kit it lasted a little while for me and i kept up on waxing them it just didn't do the trick for me. I tried the sylvania kit and i was more than impressed with that kit. its all done by hand but the last step they give you a UV Clear Coat type of stuff you apply to the lense and it adds another layer of protection making the like new again. It was about the same price as the 3m kit just no fancy buffing pad and disc holder.
 
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