Good reference pics, started on my own then remembered this and was glad to see I was doing it right. Great kit! Here's my pics of before/after with 3m kit
before
after
better lighting after
(and That spec on the lens is actually on my crappy cellphone camera)
I wanted to say I drive past my local mall yesterday and there were guys set up in the parking light offering headlight restoration for $70 a pair. They weren't busy. Lol.
True to the word toothpaste does the trick... Used it on a few vehicles now... I forgot the chemical compound in it that makes it work but it does... Just rinse as you are wiping and damp your rag....
I'm definitely going to be using this when needed on my '08 Focus, hopefully it isn't for a while because they are doing great thus far but I guess you really never know!
I just did this yesterday on my gf's Grandma's Mercury Mystique. It's really simple enough for anyone to do, it just takes some elbow grease. I actually quite enjoy doing it, especially when you get one done and it looks like new and the other is still cloudy, highlighting the difference lol.
I'm curious as to how well those "magical solutions" you see on tv work. It takes a hell of alot of wet sanding, I'm hard pressed to believe some solution just wipes it right off. I've heard toothpaste works too but I don;t buy that either. I'll trust my 2000 grit sandpaper and buffing wheel. Also, I don't use the 3M kit, just 3M 2000 grit wed sand paper and Gliptone rubbing compound followed by Gliptone polish.
I use the 3m kit all the time at work to refinish headlights for body shops. I have been doing this for about 4 years. It leaves some fog after you strip the clear coat so you want to put new clear coat on. If you dont re-clear you will have crappy headlights again after about 6 months. Quick solution for just yellowing headlights. Magic eraser takes the yellow off and if you hit it with a high speed buffing wheel on a drill they are clear again.
I used the 3m kit, but the first 600 grit disc loaded up almost immediately. I had the benefit of not reading the instructions, had taped things off anyway but then got a water bottle and did the whole job wet. It seemed to cut faster and cleaner with less pressure. I used the 600/800 then some velcro wet/dry discs of my own at 1500/2500 ( I missed the 3000 grit disc in the package) I trimmed by sticking it to the wheel and holding a razor to the backing while letting it spin. Doing it wet is messy but you only need one disc each. 3M kit is the way to go, after four or five damp polish passes, there isn't any haze.
Nice write up. I don't think the 3M kit comes with any kind of final "coating" liquid. Does anybody know what brand of coating will keep the lenses clear?
I used the 3M kit on my previous car (ZX2) and it worked beautifully. I think between that and detailing my car before putting it up for sale really helped me sell it quick. On a side note the last two cars I sold I used Simple Green engine cleaner for any oil or dirt buildup. When a buyer looks at the engine they say "Wow you really take car of your car."
After you are done sanding and polishing (I used toothpaste and it worked great) mix 1:1 high gloss spar urethane and mineral spirits and wipe on with a lint free cloth. The spar urethane is rated indoor/outdoor and UV protective. It makes the lens look better than new and lasts for years. It works so well that I only used 800 grit and 1500 grit before the toothpaste. I have pics if anyone is interested.
7 months later and the headlights are still perfect, no fading, yellowing or glazing. I sold the car to my friends dad so I can't put up a picture right now but I can grab a snap next time I see him.
I have extensive experience with this type of product and if you don't apply a UV protection after the sand and polish the damage will come back faster and harder. You must apply a UV protection after this process.
104,000 miles on it.
I added a switch above the cigarette lighter to turn it off when I get out of the car, and replaced the cigarette lighter because it didn’t work.
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I just bought a 2007 Ford Focus SE sedan for 3000$. The badge on the trunk and the dealer said SE on it, but it has fog lights, a tachometer, a 6CD headunit, an adjustable height steering wheel, etc. All stuff ive read is on the SES. Now I’m unsure of whether or not I have an SE or SES, can...
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