Headlight Restoration Thread

Hey everyone,

I just completed my restoration project on my hazed and yellowed headlights. I searched and went back a few pages, but couldn't find any threads that acted as a compilation of different headlight/taillight/plastics restoration projects. So my goal with this thread is to have people be able to post their own pictures and details including what kit they used, the cost, how much time it took, any extra tips, etc. This way, people can see what worked best or what is the most effective. I tried to do a quick google search when purchasing my kit to see what worked best but couldn't find much except for a brief Consumer Reports article.

I'll start. I purchased the Mothers NuLens Headlight Renewal Kit a total of $25 after taxes. Total time was about one hour with setup, polishing, and cleanup. Here is the kit:



Here are some photos as to what my headlights looked like before. The upper halves were oxidized and hazed pretty badly and didn't have any shine or reflection to them. The lower portions were nearly perfect, minus the bottom half inch which were hazing too.







I began the project by lifting the hood up and then masking off the area with regular blue painters tape. I was able to get the edge of the tape behind the headlight all the way around slightly so that there was no gap. I did just a couple inches worth of coverage.







Then, you basically attach the PowerBall4Lights foam ball to a variable speed drill (the variable part is highly important). I wiped the already clean headlight with a damp rag first. To start, simply pour a little of the polish onto the center of the foam and apply slowly at first and then work a section using moderate pressure. I worked a section about 5 inches wide and the whole height and worked left to right, bottom to top back and forth to ensure even coverage. I added more polish about twice per section. It seemed as though there wasn't enough polish on through the whole process, but it worked just fine. I believe I spent about 15-20 minutes on each headlight. Then, once the whole headlight is finished, I went back with a clean, dry microfiber towel and buffed all the polish off. Here is how both lights turned out:










Some final notes- Because this kit works best with the drill, there is a decent amount of cleanup involved. Even though I tried my best, I still had small dots off polish all over my front end, in the engine bay, and on my fenders. I think this is due to the curved lights, and that the foam ball flattens out over time. I just used a damp cloth to wipe everything up. All in all, I am super happy with the Mothers NuLens kit. It gave a good shine and a perfectly smooth finish and was about as easy as can be. The only downside is that it cost more than most other brands.

 

Nice

 

Nice clean up. But the best way to clean those lenses is to prevent it in the first place by washing and waxing the lenses every time you wash and wax the truck.

 

Just a quick update:

I haven't done anything to the lenses since the day I did this process aside from regularly washing them when I wash my truck. I haven't applied any wax or gone over them with the compound (as the directions state to do everyone once in a while) and they still look as good as the day I did them!

 

Here's another option, and many of us have the product already, so nothing to buy and no drill needed... the spray has to contain DEET, and the higher the amount, the easier it clears the lens!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2meDyYNx8rY

 

Sounds cool but doesn't it freak anyone out that this stuff is sprayed on ones body?

I may use it on my truck but no more on me.

 

Between the sun at the beach and using deep woods off when going mt biking in the woods, I'm sure skin cancer won't ever be an issue........oh wait, it already has been. I'll keep this in mind if any of my garaged vehicles get hazy lights.

 

For my 2000 Tacoma Pre-Runner
Here is my experience:
Thoroughly CLEANED the glass following instructions on the bottle of Lukat Fix It Color & Gloss Restorer Polisher

POLISHED the cleaned glass with Turtle Wax Premium Polishing Compound (do not confuse this with RUBBING compound)

No power tools or other tools were required, just soft cloths.

Use your favorite product to PROTECT the newly clarified headlight glass.

BEFORE

AFTER

 

Thanks for reviving this thread, I've done mine once since I got the truck but wasn't too happy with the results.

 

I’ve had mine done at Sams Cub. The key for longevity is to seal them after restoration otherwise you’ll be doing it again in a year or so.

 

I've done a handful of headlights and talking to other painters/detailers and this is the process that I have found that works best for me. While I do have a small rotary, you can get by fine without it. There are pads you can pick up to put on the end of a drill or a backing plate that you can attach typical polisher pads with.

To start, obviously tape up all around the headlight at least two layers thick. 2" tape is good, double up if working with something smaller. You're going to be drooling the sanded slurry all down the front/sides of the vehicle but this usually washes off with little effort. Mask those areas if you're concerned.

If you're considering doing this then obviously the existing UV coating is failing on your headlights. Likely not all of has started to haze but in general the areas that face the sun the most will be fading first. You've essentially got to sand down the already hazed sections which means if you're going after a full restoration you would be sanding parts of the headlight that haven't failed yet too. The caveat is there really aren't any EASY long term protection products you can put back on that will last more than 1-3 years. There are a handful of dedicated plastic or headlight products that may work slightly better than traditional sealants. Coatings are a good choice, best option could be PPF. For sanding it all depends on the condition of the headlights where to start the job can be much easier on lights that are completely faded as they coating is practically off already. Sanding through the sections where the old UV is still clear and in tact will take the longest.

Try starting at 800 grit, you may need to start with the paper dry or barely damp, if you saturate the paper it will just glide over the water making no cut. When you're starting to cut use water (spray bottle with plain water) to flush the area. Try to use some kind of sanding block for your paper, you may need something fairly small like a pen top if the lights have a lot of creases and crevices. This will just ensure that your scratches are consistent. Consistent scratch marks through each step will make the next step progressively easier. If 800 isn't cutting it, then step down to 600, only go lower if you have to. You'll just require more steps as you move up in grades of paper.

While sanding down the coating and flushing with water, clean your paper often and change it as needed. You'll have a milky slurry as you're grinding off the dead layer of clear. When the color of the slurry gets clearer you should be at the point you're just sanding plastic. Continually rinse and wipe down to see your results. If done correctly you'll have a completely cloudy lens, if you see streaks and patches where the lens is clear, then that still has UV coating on it, rework those areas. If 800 worked than move on to 1500 (move to 800 if you started lower) don't move on if you don't have a uniform haze. This pass over with 1500 grit should take a significantly less amount of time to replace the 800 grit scratches with 1500 scratches. You'll see the plastic get clearer now, more of a haze now.

After 1500 grit I've always jumped up to 3000 grit Trizact discs. These have a light foam backing and a hookit loop to attach to a backing plate. You could still do this by hand and your sanding blocks particularly if you don't have room to get in there with a tool. This is where rotary comes in handy as you can add extensions and even drop to a 1" backing plate. Trizact discs are pricey, you get 15 per box for 3" ones for about $40. As a comparison the 3" paper with hookit backing come in boxes of 50 for about the same $40. Cheapest option is to use regular sand paper (make sure it can work wet) that you can cut to whatever size works with your improvised foam block for all sanding stages.

From there I use a paint compound with firmer cutting type pad then on to a polish with a polishing pad. Results are amazing and can take an hour per light easy when working deliberately, less if the original lens coating has already faded to death. Now you've got to protect them and stay up on your regimen of protection, possibly twice a year if not going with a robust coating like a 2k clear or ceramic coating.

 

I made a video on how to do this. If you don’t want it in your thread, just let me know and I’ll delete it!

https://youtu.be/oGjoWAg0Q1A