DIY Head light restoration

[dannyboy86]

Just thought I would post up a step by step guide to restoring headlights which get foggy and accumulate that yellowish haze over them. So this is my cheap and very effective headlight restoration I did yesterday for my mums car. You can buy headlight restoration kits from auto one and supercheap auto between $40-$50 but they pretty much consist of sand paper, cutting compound and polish.

What you will need:

1200, 1500, 2000 grit sandpaper ( Bunning only stock up to 1200 grit sandpaper, I went to my local pannel beating shop and purchased the higher grade paper there)

Cut and polish of your choice

Car polish or plastic polish (I just used what I had on hand)

Rags

Tape for masking

Bucket with water

This is the left head light which you can see is hazed

First off start by wetting down the headlight at this point have a piece of your 1200 grit sandpaper in the water getting ready to use. I try to keep the sandpaper not to big so its much easier to manage.

I start with a horizontal motion across the headlight, you will see the water running off the headlight yellowish in colour this is just the oxidised layer which has built up. Remember to keep the sandpaper and headlight wet

Next step is to use the 1500 grit sand paper I do this in a vertical motion just to even out the fine scratches that the sandpaper leave. Its alright because these scratches will come out when you cut and polish. After finishing with the 1500 more onto the 2000 grit and do this is a horizontal motion. At this point the headlight will feel really smooth.

After you have completed the sanding dry off the headlight with your rag. The headlight will look hazy at this point but it will polish out.

I then mask off around the headlight because you dont want to burn out the paint around the headlight

It then time to cut and polish, this can be done by buffer machine but I dont have one so I just did it by hand. Start from one side and slowly work your way through the headlight. You will notice it becomes very smooth like glass.

Once you finish cutting and polishing the headlight will look great but I finish off with polish just to make it smooth and get all the fine marks out.

Headlight after cut and polish

Headlight complete after polishing.

Follow the same process on the right side

Right side before

Right side after sanding and taped

Right side after cut and polish and final polish

Hope this step by step guide helps, It only costed me $1.80 which was the cost of the sandpaper and 30 minutes out of my time.

[Silver-Aurion]

Wow. Good stuff mate, thanks for sharing :)

[Lunjiaow]

Good work. Wish this would work on my plastic headlights. I have heaps of scratches that doesn't come out.

[dannyboy86]

Good work. Wish this would work on my plastic headlights. I have heaps of scratches that doesn't come out.

This headlights are plastic and it had some minor scratches on them which seemed to come out with the fine sanding and the cutting. The scratches weren't anything major, nothing like a deep scratch or anything.

If it nothing to deep you should give it a go.

[maca_10]

Great tutorial mate

Check these guys out too as they used your techniques plus many more

[Kenshin X]

nice tutorial mate just wondering if this would this method be ok on the tail lights as well?

[dannyboy86]

Great tutorial mate

Check these guys out too as they used your techniques plus many more

HAHAHA yeah the boys from mighty car mods kill it!

[dannyboy86]

nice tutorial mate just wondering if this would this method be ok on the tail lights as well?

Thanks Kenshin, to be honest I really don't know. I don't see why it wouldn't work, as long the tail lights are plastic and your getting that oxidisation on the outside of the rear tail lights.

Whats up with your tail lights?

[Kenshin X]

tailights are ok, i just wanted to shine them up did it with plas X yday and they all look great. though i need to do alot more work on the fog lights <_<