# Any good polish/sealer for headlight lens refinishing?



## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

I bought an ultrafine sandpaper assortment (1500-3000 grit) to refinish the headlamp lenses on my cars. I've used Plastix and a couple of the headlight restorer compounds that I don't remember the names of, to polish them after sanding, but the lenses started to cloud up again in less than a year. 

Anybody found a product/method that lasts longer?


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## SARG (Dec 28, 2020)

I gave up on the polish routines and bought new headlight pods off Ebay.


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## Bob Sanders (Nov 10, 2013)

HotRodx10 said:


> I bought an ultrafine sandpaper assortment (1500-3000 grit) to refinish the headlamp lenses on my cars. I've used Plastix and a couple of the headlight restorer compounds that I don't remember the names of, to polish them after sanding, but the lenses started to cloud up again in less than a year.
> 
> Anybody found a product/method that lasts longer?


The last time I did that I just used a silicone based car wax after the sanding/polishing, It worked fine. In fact, I now use that same wax on my glasses to hide the scratches!


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

I have used the brand name kits from the auto stores with ultra fine sandpaper and chemical treatments and they work OK. It just doesn't last so I am giving up on that. I have a new pair of headlights ready to install in my Tacoma this week. $150 for the pair is not too bad. And it would be a 15 minute job if not for 1 bolt on each side that is buried in the fender well. It's always something.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

3M kid with the wheel is decent.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

The key may be clearcoating after polishing, to give the thing some UV protection.


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## Mike Milam (Mar 3, 2017)

huesmann said:


> The key may be clearcoating after polishing, to give the thing some UV protection.


Exactly. When someone sands the dull layer off they are removing the coating that is 'supposed' keep them clear when they are made. A urethane clear after you get the clear and buffed will prolong the life. The SAM'S clubs in my area are doing headlights for 40 or 50 bucks. Bro-in-law had his done about a year ago and they still look like new.


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## Half-fast eddie (Sep 19, 2020)

$40 is excessive, you can buy a kit for a few bucks and do several vehicles. Or get a bottle of paint polishing compound and a cotton wheel for a drill. i have done mine, they last about a year, but after buying the supplies the first time it’s free every year. Something like this.


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Not in my experience. I have used kits that supply that and it may make the results last a little longer but not enough to matter... so redoing it becomes a routine maintenance item.



huesmann said:


> The key may be clearcoating after polishing, to give the thing some UV protection.


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## bob22 (May 28, 2008)

I used this a month or so ago; seems ok, it has a "sealer" so perhaps it will last a bit longer than others.

SYLVANIA - Headlight Restoration Kit - 3 Easy Steps to Restore Sun Damaged Headlights with Exclusive UV Block Clear Coat, Light Output and Beam Pattern Restored, Long Lasting Protection
by iServe
Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00429NKWK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

When I did this on my '00 Silverado, I used the following method.

You will need;
Wet/dry sandpaper in 800, 1500 and 2000 grit
Grease/was remover
1 rattle can of automotive acrylic clear coat

Removed the headlamps from the vehicle or mask off the areas around the lenses. 

Fill a small bucket with water and add a little dish detergent. 

Wet-sand the headlight with 800 grit sandpaper using plenty water/soap solution. Sand left to right, then up and down and then diagonally from both angles to ensure full coverage. Be sure to sand all the way to the edges of the lens. 

Repeat the wet-sanding process with the 1500 and then 2000 grit sandpaper.

Your lenses look completely hazed and that is normal. Now comes the magic.

If you masked off the headlamps, change the masking material as it probably got wet and you do not want any water getting on the lenses.

Using a clean cloth, wipe the lenses with the grease/wax remover.

Apply a light even coat of acrylic clear. The lenses will instantly become clear. 

Allow the clear to flash (about 10-15 minutes) and then apply a second light even coat.

Allow to flash again and then apply a third light coat and allow to dry thoroughly before installing the headlamps or driving with them.

Here is a before and after. The pictures are not the greatest as they were taken with a cheap digital camera.

Before









After


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## Half-fast eddie (Sep 19, 2020)

Drachenfire said:


> Your lenses look completely hazed and that is normal.


When i use the polishing compound, my lenses never look hazy, so that’s not normal.


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

huesmann said:


> The key may be clearcoating after polishing, to give the thing some UV protection.





Mike Milam said:


> A urethane clear after you get the clear and buffed will prolong the life.





Drachenfire said:


> 1 rattle can of automotive acrylic clear coat


So applying a clearcoat seems to be how to keep it clear longer. Anybody know how long it lasts with acrylic or urethane?


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

Half-fast eddie said:


> When i use the polishing compound, my lenses never look hazy, so that’s not normal.


It's normal after sanding.


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

Half-fast eddie said:


> When i use the polishing compound, my lenses never look hazy, so that’s not normal.


 There is no "polishing" involved in the process I described. It is just wet sanding.

The sanding process smooths out the plastic as much as possible so when the clear coat is applied the clarity will be enhanced.


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## Half-fast eddie (Sep 19, 2020)

Using polishing compound, or rubbing compound, is a form of sanding, using an extremely fine grit in a liquid base.


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Timely thread... fixed my problem today with new headlights.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

New headlights get more and more expensive.


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Actually these days it is just the opposite. Yes, OEM will likely be prohibitive for some brands, but the aftermarket is huge for these parts, especially for popular vehicles. And the quality keeps improving. I could have gotten a compete pair for my Tacoma for as little as $89 which is about the cost of 2 of those polishing kits. But I opted for a Taiwan made set for $160.... came fully populated with all the bulbs, too.




huesmann said:


> New headlights get more and more expensive.


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## NitrNate (May 27, 2010)

huesmann said:


> The key may be clearcoating after polishing, to give the thing some UV protection.


Bingo. Once you lose the clearcoat on your headlamps, the headlamp repair kits will work but they will quickly yellow again because there is no sealant on the planet that will last very long or do nearly as good a job as clearcoat for UV protection. You MIGHT be able to get more life with a high-end ceramic coating, but that stuff is uber-expensive for a small bottle and is typically applied by professionals only.

Either buy new headlamp assemblies (you can get cheap generics these days that are pretty good), or clearcoat them yourself. Here's a good video on how to do it:


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## MassWineGuy (May 11, 2021)

I know this thread has been here a while, but I want to mention something I found worked extremely well: Meguiar’s Mag and Aluminum Polish. Spread it over the plastic cover and rub it in with a microfiber cloth. Use the other side to wipe the lens cover clean. You can also use a buffer. Once you’re satisfied, you can spray some plastic specific clear with UV protection.

I know it sounds odd. But YouTube has a lot of videos showing how it works.


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

Thanks for the tip, MassWineGuy.


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

I got onto some of those videos from my Tacoma forum and it looks pretty doable. Basically wet sand, polish, spray with clear. You can even wet sand and polish the clear if needed. Most use a rattle can of clear although if you have the equipment you can get even better clears like Speedkote to use with an air sprayer. I am going to give it a go with the OEM lights I just took out of my Tacoma when I replaced them with aftermarket. Do I absolutely need to? No, but always up for another DIY project. That's what we do.  I have a Harbor Freight air sprayer that I have only used a couple of times and I am not that good with it... and I am not sure it has the correct nozzle, so I will probably use a rattle can. We'll see.



MassWineGuy said:


> I know this thread has been here a while, but I want to mention something I found worked extremely well: Meguiar’s Mag and Aluminum Polish. Spread it over the plastic cover and rub it in with a microfiber cloth. Use the other side to wipe the lens cover clean. You can also use a buffer. Once you’re satisfied, you can spray some plastic specific clear with UV protection.
> 
> I know it sounds odd. But YouTube has a lot of videos showing how it works.


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