Calling Dr. Wishbone....Headlight help non corvette

[LMBZ4ME]

Anybody have any good experiences with a product to restore headlights from the dull foggy look? My daily driver can use to help.

[Wishbone]

Anybody have any good experiences with a product to restore headlights from the dull foggy look?

My daily driver can use to help.

Although there are some products over the shelf as I like to call them that are availale at your local automotive store. They really do not do the job up to detailing standards. You would need compound bars for plastics and a cotton head piece to do the job correctly. Post up some pics so I can see how many steps you are going to have to take!

[az57chevy]

I just this weekend used Sylvania' s kit on a 2002 Sequoia, which has been ungaraged since 2005.

Before 45 minutes of work

Afterwards

Here's my write up on Autopia if you want the details

Headlight Restoration from Sylvania

Time will tell if it dulls out.

[old yeller]

That turned out looking great.

[az57chevy]

Thanks plus it is startling to see how much more light is now visible on the road!

[LMBZ4ME]

Nice work. Where can I buy the Sylvania' s kit? I will post up some pictures later.

[PatriotZ]

Not bad at all, for around 25.00

[dwdrummer]

They ALL end up dull again. I think that wet sanding is the best way. I know that gritty toothpaste and a buffer will work.

[az57chevy]

Nice work. Where can I buy the Sylvania' s kit?

I will post up some pictures later.

Scored mine at the AAPEX show in Vegas but they said all the usual suspects carried it. Pep Boys, Checker OReilly's etc

[Wishbone]

The reason why lenses go back to crap are for two reasons. 1.) The material used to detail the headlights were of a silicone filler and not a compound to SAND the top layers of plastic away to reveal new unburned layers. 2.) The owner neglected and or did not properly treat the lenses with UV and soluable protection IE: WAX, Canuba, Synthetic Wax.. A lens is nothing more than a piece of plastic. When new the plastic has oils in it that give it the nice shine along with any protective coating applied from the factory. When exposed to the sun over a long period of time along with weather, this protective coating will be eaten away. After the protection is completly gone and or there is no other protective film to protect the plastic, the oils in the plastic lens will dry out. You will now start to see this haze or fog IE: Dull look to your lens. I want to point out that the Haze and or fog is not coming from the inside 95% of the time. This haze and or fog look will be on the outside which is not caused by the light or intensity of the lights shinning through the plasitc. Now the ONLY way to PROPERLY take care of the problem is PLASTIC CORRECTION IE: SANDING. That is why you hear some people using actual sand paper to do the job. Although you will get results this way you are missing a critical step in the process when doing it this way, not to mention doing things the HARD WAY. A profesional Detailer will not do it using sand paper. Technology has brought us light years into detailing and taking care of our vehicles. Remember the oils I was telling you about, well these oils and additives are in the compound that you use to BUFF IE: SAND the headlight with. When you use the compound you are doing a couple things all at once. 1.) Sanding the burnt layers of plastic off 2.) Going up in sanding grit as you break down the compound 3.) Replace critical oils that have been stolen by the sun, weather and anything else we slop on the headlights. When the headlights are completly done, I suggest applying a good quality Synthetic wax as apposed to a Super Expensive Canuba wax or plain wax. Sythetic wax is going to last for about 6 months in the high desert terain. I hope this helps as my True goal is to EDUCATE club members on detailing and doing it right the first time..... Happy detailing

[dwdrummer]

JuSt BuY A NeW OnE!!

[Marco]

JuSt BuY A NeW OnE!!

[az57chevy]

The reason why lenses go back to crap are for two reasons.

1.) The material used to detail the headlights were of a silicone filler and not a compound to SAND the top layers of plastic away to reveal new unburned layers.

2.) The owner neglected and or did not properly treat the lenses with UV and soluable protection IE: WAX, Canuba, Synthetic Wax..

A lens is nothing more than a piece of plastic. When new the plastic has oils in it that give it the nice shine along with any protective coating applied from the factory. When exposed to the sun over a long period of time along with weather, this protective coating will be eaten away. After the protection is completly gone and or there is no other protective film to protect the plastic, the oils in the plastic lens will dry out. You will now start to see this haze or fog IE: Dull look to your lens. I want to point out that the Haze and or fog is not coming from the inside 95% of the time. This haze and or fog look will be on the outside which is not caused by the light or intensity of the lights shinning through the plasitc.

Now the ONLY way to PROPERLY take care of the problem is PLASTIC CORRECTION IE: SANDING. That is why you hear some people using actual sand paper to do the job. Although you will get results this way you are missing a critical step in the process when doing it this way, not to mention doing things the HARD WAY. A profesional Detailer will not do it using sand paper. Technology has brought us light years into detailing and taking care of our vehicles.

Remember the oils I was telling you about, well these oils and additives are in the compound that you use to BUFF IE: SAND the headlight with. When you use the compound you are doing a couple things all at once.

1.) Sanding the burnt layers of plastic off

2.) Going up in sanding grit as you break down the compound

3.) Replace critical oils that have been stolen by the sun, weather and anything else we slop on the headlights.

When the headlights are completly done, I suggest applying a good quality Synthetic wax as apposed to a Super Expensive Canuba wax or plain wax. Sythetic wax is going to last for about 6 months in the high desert terain.

I hope this helps as my True goal is to EDUCATE club members on detailing and doing it right the first time.....

Happy detailing

So what compound and sanding grits do you use?

[PatriotZ]

JuSt BuY A NeW OnE!!

I had to adjust my thinking on this and agree with the attached posts....most likely a whole lot cheaper and certainly a whole lot less aggravation getting a new one, in the long run