Polish headlights?

D

DFL

Registered
Hi guys,

The headlight plastic of my Mark are getting pretty dull. I have seen that Maaco offers a restoration of these at $40 per light. I was wondering if this can be done at home? If so what product should I use?

Reading a little further I came across someone wetsanding them and someone using a product called Revive-A-Lite... Any suggestions?
I also read mother chrome polish is a option??

budpytko, what product do you recommend? It seems that wetsanding and generic scratch removers are not a "the" solution. Jamies98lsc has a reply about the chome polish being the best, however he does not state if he used it after sanding it.

Regards,
Dave
 
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There has been a ton of write-up on the headlights of both Gen I AND the Gen II headlights. Scroll down here in the General thread and then do a search in electrical....it'll keep you reading all night!
 
DFL said:
Hi guys,

The headlight plastic of my Mark are getting pretty dull. I have seen that Maaco offers a restoration of these at $40 per light. I was wondering if this can be done at home? If so what product should I use?

Reading a little further I came across someone wetsanding them and someone using a product called Revive-A-Lite... Any suggestions?
I also read mother chrome polish is a option??

budpytko, what product do you recommend? It seems that wetsanding and generic scratch removers are not a "the" solution. Jamies98lsc has a reply about the chome polish being the best, however he does not state if he used it after sanding it.

Regards,
Dave
Click to expand...
Hey, I used that Revive-A-Lite headlight restorer, and it worked great. I think it is only in stores in CA. I bought mine off the web. www.Revive-A-Lite.com. I think it was about $20 including shipping. I did my lights in the middle of March and they are still crystal clear. I'll see if I can get someone to help me upload a picture. Cruise On.
WDSnake
 
I use Mequier's # 17 - Plastic Polish. Use an electric ( or battery) drill at very slow speed. Keep the plastic wet with the polish. Let dry, polish with a clean buffing wheel. Looks crystal !
 
i normally wetsand them with 800 of 1000 to start, then go to 1500 then finish with 2000. dry with compressed air and grab a buffer and mothers chrome paste in the small round can, put it on heavy and buff until you can see the mothers polish anymore, i usually do this a few times, the buffing part, maybe twice on each housing then i finish with a coat of hand applied wax and wipe off, your lights will look brand new again and this lasts a long time, i have never had to do a housings again after doing this. try it if you want, works wonders for me.
 
I have tried several different ways. Sanding, buffing, Meguires, Mothers, a combination of all. Then I bought this polish off of e-bay for about $5 or $6 with free shipping. Friday I bought a 95 Supercoupe daily driver, and I can hardly believe how well that stuff works. Done by hand, it took me about 10 minutes per side, and they look pretty well cleared up. I was totally impressed.
 
It sounds like great stuff...proof of the pudding will be longevity. Keep us informed on how long the stuff KEEPS it looking clear.
 
You mean no one uses tooth paste any more? Before all these products were available, we'd use toothpaste to polish the plastic windows on the removable hardtops on Corvettes. You'd ride around for days smelling peppermint. Yikes!
 
So, help the stupid guy (me). Do you polish the inside of the lense? How do you get it open? Do you silicone it closed?
 
junkman306 said:
So, help the stupid guy (me). Do you polish the inside of the lense? How do you get it open? Do you silicone it closed?
Click to expand...

Nope, just polish the outside. I have a pair of 95/96 HIDs that I will be doing this to.

You only have to open them if the reflective material inside is toast.
 
welldressedsnake said:
Hey, I used that Revive-A-Lite headlight restorer, and it worked great. I think it is only in stores in CA. I bought mine off the web. www.Revive-A-Lite.com. I think it was about $20 including shipping. I did my lights in the middle of March and they are still crystal clear. I'll see if I can get someone to help me upload a picture. Cruise On.
WDSnake
Click to expand...


I took your advise welldressedsnake and ordered the Revive-A-Lite product.

It didn't work worth a damn on my lights. :(

The instructions say it is enough material for 5 sets of headlights.

Well I used half the bottle doing my lights at least 4 times. They did feel a little smother, but that was it.
 
try my method now, spend about 9 bucks at autozone for some 800, 1500, and 2000 grit wet sand paper and a can of mothers chrome polish and go to town, i bet you are happy after you try it my way, i dont believe in any of that crap they sell to revive headlights or restore headlights blah blah blah. give my way a shot and if you dont like the results, i'll never speak of headlights again on here. here is a few pics of a pair of second gen housings done my method. you be the judge.

3black2ndgens026.jpg

3black2ndgens027.jpg

3black2ndgens043.jpg

3black2ndgens032.jpg

3black2ndgens042.jpg

3black2ndgens045.jpg


and a few of 1st gen housings

headlightrestore013.jpg

headlightrestore012.jpg

headlightrestore059.jpg

with hid's installed
headlightrestore077.jpg

headlightrestore078.jpg

headlightrestore079.jpg
 
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Thank's for those pix's Jamie.

All the other posts have shown the headlights removed from the car.

I see you just taped around them to keep from burning the paint on the edges with the Good 3M green tape. [The only tape I buy]

Here's what mine look like now.

100_0460.jpg


100_0463.jpg


100_0461.jpg


100_0462.jpg
 
The way Jamie posted is the way i do it as well - works just fine. Then, i just keep 'em waxed. (i never tried the chrome polish though, probably works better than the Plast X i used)
 
warthog you lights are perfect for this, they arent terrible, but will sparkle if you try what i said, 1st gen lights i do off the car, in my vise with foam on both sides, the second gen's are too damn hard to hold onto so its best to do them on the car, the tape works awesome even during wet sanding it doesnt lose its grip the green is the only stuff i buy too stuff is the bomb
 
New question Jamie.

I was going to go buy the sandpaper tomorrow. I figured standard wet & dry paper.

Then I looked at this pix and the DA sander is sitting there.

Did you buy wet DA paper in those grits and use the DA?

3black2ndgens026.jpg



Details -- Details ! It's always been important to include ALL the Details. :)

Da sanding will give even a finer finish, as it erases it's own scratches compared to hand sanding.


Example: 220gt on a DA is = to 400gt hand sanded.
 
i used regular D.A paper for these headlights above because they were very bad, 320 is what i used, these were the only ones i ever took my DA to, i used 320, then i went to wet 800, then 1500, then finished with 2000. i wouldnt use a DA on yours.
 
I sprayed a protective UV resistant clear coat over mine after I had them replaced. Should never get yellow again.
 
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