Oops - Facelifting Headlights.

It was all going so well. Then I thought a little wet and dry on the plastic would work wonders to clean up the lense.

Started with 800 horizontally, then 1200 vertically and then 2000 horizontally to finish.

Not quite the clear cut look I was expecting!! Advice ?

You do know that you need to polish them as well right?!

Mate I've been polishing them for the last 20 minutes. My right hand hasn't seen that much action in 6 hours

I know it won't make you feel any better, but I did exactly the same thing. Ended up buying some newer lights...

Buff them up with a machine pollisher and some G3 compound.

Some people say go back over them with 1200 grit up again to 2500 or should I try and jus machine polish them out?

Machine polish them with a good compound and they will come up fine

youll have to bring them back up in stages mate , at least get it out to 4000 , then a course compound through to a fine .

tough job even with a machine .

did mine a few times over the years but it never lasts , so changed to glass as it wasnt worth all the effort

Thanks guys. Think I might bite the bullet and go glass then. Will try and polish them again soon to see what happens.

Make sure you post some pics up Greg, I keep meaning to do mine so be interested to see how you get on. I always thought it was a straightforward job, but saying that the only time I tried it I ended up over cooking the lights! Melted plastic all over the oven, needed professional cleaning in the end!

The should come up with a machine polish and compound.

We have stuff in the work from a company called Kent Industries. It is a headlamp repair kit. You flatten the lense to the stage that you have and the kit has special type of laquer in it which you have to spray on through a spray gun. Just spray it onto the lense let it dry and it comes up like brand new.

Once i get a compressor im gonna give this a go and hopefully sort out the age old problem of milky Supra lights.

It's worth sticking with as the result is worth it, I did mine and very happy just wish I'd sprayed black on the inner plastic lol (not the best pic)

http://sphotos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/419301_10151354548225116_754314932_n.jpg

I worked them through, started with 1500 grit, 2500, 3000 then 4000. To polish them up I used my rotary polisher and merzena power finish and then finished off with 3M ultra fina, came out perfect. Bonus was I managed to seal them right to and they don't mist up

Make sure you post some pics up Greg, I keep meaning to do mine so be interested to see how you get on. I always thought it was a straightforward job, but saying that the only time I tried it I ended up over cooking the lights! Melted plastic all over the oven, needed professional cleaning in the end!

Will do mate. The spraying and removal part was easy. I'm starting to think i should of skipped the wet and dry and just given them a good glass clean and polish. Silicone was all over the place mind and the Mrs has been flipping her nut as the headlights went in the overnight with the parsnips

The should come up with a machine polish and compound.

 

We have stuff in the work from a company called Kent Industries. It is a headlamp repair kit. You flatten the lense to the stage that you have and the kit has special type of laquer in it which you have to spray on through a spray gun. Just spray it onto the lense let it dry and it comes up like brand new.

 

Once i get a compressor im gonna give this a go and hopefully sort out the age old problem of milky Supra lights.

That sounds very interesting indeed. I'm looking at cheaper machine polishers on eBay. Will see what I can do.

It's worth sticking with as the result is worth it, I did mine and very happy just wish I'd sprayed black on the inner plastic lol (not the best pic)

 

http://sphotos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/419301_10151354548225116_754314932_n.jpg

 

I worked them through, started with 1500 grit, 2500, 3000 then 4000. To polish them up I used my rotary polisher and merzena power finish and then finished off with 3M ultra fina, came out perfect. Bonus was I managed to seal them right to and they don't mist up

Mate they look absolutely mint! Earn yourself some cash and do mine please

Mate they look absolutely mint! Earn yourself some cash and do mine please

If I had time dude I'd do it for free, but just don't have the time like I use to

Slightly better pic:

http://sphotos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/555493_10151330306280116_2135591026_n.jpg

Should machine polish fine from anything finer than 1200 paper.

A mate at his body shop could possibly do them if you haven't got the

mop and cutting paste, i guess £10 each would probably do it

Buy a polish attachment for a drill. Thats what i did, lots cheaper than buying a polisher!

The next time i have a headlamp to be repaired in work i will take photos and let you guys have a look. I couldn't believe the end result.

Might even try and get a hobbyist thing going once i get sorted.

If I had time dude I'd do it for free, but just don't have the time like I use to

 

Slightly better pic:

 

http://sphotos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/555493_10151330306280116_2135591026_n.jpg

No worries buddy. They look lovely.

Should machine polish fine from anything finer than 1200 paper.

 

A mate at his body shop could possibly do them if you haven't got the

mop and cutting paste, i guess £10 each would probably do it

Dunk being honest that would be ideal. Would rather pay someone for these to come up mint mate, if you could ask that would be great.

Buy a polish attachment for a drill. Thats what i did, lots cheaper than buying a polisher!

Good call, what polishing pad type do you use? Might be useful in the future.

The next time i have a headlamp to be repaired in work i will take photos and let you guys have a look. I couldn't believe the end result.

 

Might even try and get a hobbyist thing going once i get sorted.

Feel free to practice on my ones

Yep I done the same finished off with 1200 and some g3 on a machine polisher and booooom! Clear as glass.

Polished one is on the left:

Good call, what polishing pad type do you use? Might be useful in the future.

You can get them from halfords around £5 and it fits in a standard drill

No worries buddy. They look lovely.

 

 

 

Dunk being honest that would be ideal. Would rather pay someone for these to come up mint mate, if you could ask that would be great.

 

 

 

Good call, what polishing pad type do you use? Might be useful in the future.

I bought the solid base, then just a soft polishing pad. I originally bought it for polishing aluminium but did the trick :-)

Yep I done the same finished off with 1200 and some g3 on a machine polisher and booooom! Clear as glass.

Polished one is on the left:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb161/jamielfoster86/765A1530-CE6E-4742-9D18-62E359D1A025-123-0000001394B3F50B.jpg

You can get them from halfords around £5 and it fits in a standard drill

I bought the solid base, then just a soft polishing pad. I originally bought it for polishing aluminium but did the trick :-)

They look mint mate.

Thanks for the help gents. Will give these another shot next weekend then

Only the left one is polished in that picture lol.

If you get stuck you can send them to me and I'll polish them for you free of charge as long as you cover the shipping costs both ways

But I'm sure you will manage, just hit them with some g3 and you will be laffing