Deglazing/polishing the Lexan headlights

[Crunch]

Has anyone here deglazed or polished the Lexan headlights themselves, or is this something to let a glass person do? Mine aren't that bad, but it's definitely underway. A few years ago the local news ran a segment on a product that you can buy that promises to renew them, but in the end the recommendation was to pay the $100 and have a "professional" do it. If I remember correctly, the product they reviewed was something you wipe on and polish by hand, not something you would use a drill or screw gun fitted with a polishing disc.

 

[MMeier]

Seems like whatever method you use, it only lasts so long, then you get to do it over . After a while its almost futile trying to keep after them. Some methods that will get you buy for a bit, with out the high cost, is a bit of Crest toothpaste on a dampened towel, nu finish, and didn't believe this till I saw it .... bug repellant ,deet, IIRC,

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

Yup, bug dope. But, I've found you need to use the high deet concentrate formula. Just spray it on a rag, like an old t-shirt, and rub it on. Then I just polish the lights every couple months.

 

[mwilson]

I sell and also use the 3M 39008 restoration kit. Wally World sells it as well.

http://3mauto.com/products/headlight-restoration

It works well, but I have discovered that it is far easier to remove the headlight units and polish them in a vise on a work bench.

I was a nervous wreck doing Hoopty's $1200.00 headlights last summer.........but they came out really nice and I didn't trash them....Whew....Looks like a it will be an every other year event as they are just starting to yellow up top where the sun beats on them.

 

[sag2]

I have done many of them over the years. If they are really bad I use 1500 sand paper and wet sand them first, then use the plastic polish with the 7" buffer. They are coated from the factory with some type of clear, so once that is gone they never seem to last more than a year or so and have to be polished again. I usually hit them with wax as well when waxing the vehicle.

 

[mwilson]

There is some kind of home grown chemical cocktail that our body shop uses on headlights, I'll ask if it includes a sealer. If so I'll find out what they use. Have to catch those guys in the morning if you want a coherent answer, the paint thinner gets to them as the day goes on....

 

[jkalchik]

It's a hard coat you're referring to. It's got 2 functions, one is for abrasion resistance (polycarbonate is fairly soft) and ultraviolet filtering (which will turn polycarbonate yellow over time.) If you hit the lens with any sort of abrasive, you either need to not go through the hard coat, or replace it somehow.

 

[HHhuntitall]

There is some kind of home grown chemical cocktail that our body shop uses on headlights, I'll ask if it includes a sealer. If so I'll find out what they use. Have to catch those guys in the morning if you want a coherent answer, the paint thinner gets to them as the day goes on....

Yeah, but they're never in as good a mood in the morning.... They act hungover and grumpy, for whatever reason.

I've used the 3M polishing kits with good luck, too. I've done countless 2nd gen headlights, and several dozen of the 3rd gens. My body man suggested hitting them with a good enamel clearcoat, so I started investigating this.... this is one of the better paint jobs I've seen... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yuULP3bpXM Now, for those that aren't setup with a paint booth, at the end of the video, there is a link for doing this with aresol cans. Plastic adhesion/primer coat is essential for it to last.

I haven't had good enough weather to try it with the plastic adhesive (lots of rain, here). The ones I've clearcoated with regular enamel clearcoat have done well, lasting 2 years or so, then they start chipping off and fading again.... Most enamel clear coats have a UV inhibitor in them, so that helps with the yellowing.

 

[Crunch]

Thanks for the responses. One of the things I was worried about is that it's like a crack habit--once you start you have to keep doing it over and over. Mine aren't that bad yet, so I may wait a bit before I take up the pipe - er, I mean habit and have to do it regularly. I've seen a lot of vehicles with headlights that look as milky as the eyes of a 12 year old dog. I don't know how those people drive at night. But in reading this thread an idea popped into my head that if valid, someone might look into and I put it in the public domain for whoever thinks they could make it work: Would it be feasible to manufacture and market clear, adhesive plastic overlays with UV protection that can be placed over the Lexan to protect the clear coat and factory UV protection? They would be similar to the protectors available for the glass face on smart phones. Even if they cost $20/set and had to be replaced every year I think it would be worth it if the Lexan was protected for the life of the vehicle. They could either be manufactured in shapes specific to the lights, or as large rectangles that are trimmed to spec with a razor. I think that the only real, critical factor would be that the adhesive not adversely affect the true surface of the lights. If they were cheap enough they could be replaced every month or two and it would still be worth it.

 

[HHhuntitall]

That's been done. I don't know the brand name, but it's an "as seen on TV" type product. The problem there is the shield also begins to yellow, then the adhesive lets go and the shield falls off. Waxing the lense works great for several months, but has to be done regularly, too.