My V8V is approaching 100k miles and my headlite covers are looking sad. The "Best" guaranteed product from auto parts store made it worse. Any suggestions? I was going to just replace them, but cost seems prohibitive. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Will be posting 100k mile report soon.

 

Funny that you wrote that now.

I fixed my wife's BMW X5 headlights this weekend and it came out mind blowing.

I purchased the 3M 39165 Headlight Restoration Kit with Drill-Activated Sanding
and U-Pol UP0796 Clear #1 - High Gloss UV Resistant Clearcoat Aerosol Can

from there i used the 3M kit with 500, 800 and 3000 (only wet) grid dry and wet sanding.
Clear coated the headlight with 4 layers and wet sanded it again with the 3000 wet.
Compound and waxed in the end.

The outcome was just wow.

 

What was posted above is pretty much how it works. Deep scratches wont come out. BUT...... plenty of youtube videos showing the process.


ME---- I use 800 grit, then 1500 grit, then 2k, then 3k then 5k. Then I use a Rotary Buffer with a cutting pad 3" with Menzerna FG400 compound and lightly go over it. Due to eh 5k wet sanding.

Then I use a polishing pad with Menzerna SF3500 polish and polish it out to perfectly clear.

Then apply a sealant to the light to protect from UV. If using a coating you can coat it also. I don't go for the "clearing route" although it works also.


3m kit is the best for using a drill which helps the manual labor part out, but I use rotary buffers for this. Much easier.

You Tube this and see what fits you the best.

 

Get some polishing compound and not rubbing compound and put a buffing pad on it and go to town, make sure to keep the pad moist and use lots of compound.

Tape off painted area so you do not harm your paint and the reason for not using rubbing compound is that you will end up with lots of swirl marks in the plastic.

Then get a good UV wax and keep it waxed, plastic needs wax more often then paint.

On another note, you may not get all of it, because after years in the sun, the inside can start clouding too.

 

Also, you can go to any paint store and buy clearcoat for plastic. Do NOT use regular clearcoat.

Not sure if it call clearcoat for plastic or just clearcoat, ask someone there they will point you to the right stuff, it comes in a rattle can.

 

After you polish out the imperfections, get the XPEL headlight protection film. Every car I have from now on is going to have that stuff, because it's fantastic.

 

Is there anything that will prevent headlights from deteriorating and getting hazy and amber? I've seen several older Vanquishes that have the "yellow" headlights I'd like to avoid and not have to bring back to life..

 

The process includes removal of whatever old clear coat is still on the lamp, this is why 800 grit is used. It gets down to the plastic. Gradually going to finer and finer grit simply removes the scratches made by the more coarse grid before it. Finally, after 2000 grit, thoroughly clean and apply a UV protective clear coat. I used Spraymax K2 High gloss clear coat (not on my Aston), waited a month, wet sanded a bit and polished. The K2 is a 2 part can that has a high gloss and tough finish. The results look fantastic and have lasted a couple of years with no yellowing. I've found that the sealants, coatings, and polishes that come with the kits at the auto store are temporary at best before the hazing and yellowing comes back.

 

I must be really late to the party.

I thought it was the surface of the plastic that degraded and you had to sand off and polish back. Are you saying headlights are clearcoated and it's the clearcoat that goes bad?

 

Yes, all of the plastic headlight covers I've seen have a clear coat from the factory. You'll see it when you sand the headlight and the line between the coating and the plastic shows up as you remove the clear coat. The coating yellows but so will the plastic, quickly, if left untreated. The clear coat that Lotus used on their covers, for example, is so poor that it flakes off over time.

 

Old dogs can learn new tricks.

So if it's clear why can't we just wax them good and prevent it?

 

IMO, a clear bra product and/or regular waxing would prevent yellowing on a nice set of lenses. I'd caution though, that the clear bra can pull the clear coat off of the lens, I did it to my Lotus and had to refinish the lenses.