Just did a headlight restoration using the Turtle Wax kit and it came out very nice! Took my time and wet sanded it down till smooth and it didn't really look very good until I applied the lens wipe. Came our amazing, then faded a little a few days later. Still very nice for the $10-$15 you pay. Maybe I should buff it out with Meguiars Plast-X. Any advice?

 

I used a Turtle Wax kit on a 2005 Civic that had some light oxidation and it turned out great. This was about 3mo ago and it still looks good.

Plast-X should help

 

Yes, buff it with Plast-X, or even toothpaste or other minor abrasive.

Then apply a protectant, which will stop the fading for a longer time. Some clearing kits come with a protectant.
Some people actually put on a clear coat over the lenses.

Welcome to AZ.

 

This. I usually sand mine with 1000 grit, then 2000 grit, buff with rubbing compound (harder compound) then use a polishing bonnet and polish with meguiars polishing compound (very fine compound). Then use a petroleum lens sealer to wipe the headlight with at the end. Might be overkill but I've had lenses last years easily before getting any kind of grime on them

 

I used 3m this past weekend.
Sprayed a thin layer of clear coat and rebuffed. Me likes the turn out.

 

I only have ever used the 3m kit and a drill. I normally take the headlights out so I can get a good even sanding on the headlights. I love doing the headlight resto's so I always take my time. That kid includes absolutely everything you need. But just to make sure, I generally wax my headlights the day after to make sure of a proper seal. Ill get some pics up of my TL and a few others here in a sec. Generally, don't have too much of a problem with fading anymore.

 

I used the Sylvania kit and I just can tell it works very good.

 

3m kit if you want to keep them shinny for years. I did this twice and then put protective film (same like lcd protector screen) so it protects the lens better than any other sealants. My 2 cents

 

I'm pretty sure all headlight kits are the same.. it's just a matter of what you use to seal and protect them after.

 

You shouldn't really need a kit. Just buy some wet sand paper 800-2000 rubbing compound the something to seal the light lenses with. Of course unless it's cheaper that way

 

Welcome to AZ!! I use a headlight kit from Harbor Freight Tools. Sometimes they are on sale for around $10.00. You use your drill to do the sanding. Use plenty of water. Better too much water than too dry. Your lens will get milky from the oxidation coming off. Just wipe it clean and go at it again. Can't over sand. Be careful with pad getting too hot also. Again, more water the better. Just dip the sanding pad in your water pale. After sanding and cleaning, dry. After cleaning sanded headlights, you need to seal them. I make a home remedy. Mix 50/50 clear urethane and mineral spirits. You only need to mix perhaps an ounce or two. At this point they should look cloudy, very cloudy. Take a cotton ball, dip it in the solution and rub it onto the headlight. Go up and down or back and forth, but don't lift the cotton ball until you do the whole headlight. It will amaze you how clear it is. Don't use a lot of solution, just a dab will do ya. I've done several sets of headlights using this solution to seal with and they last a least two years. Allow this to dry well before driving, perhaps a few hours.

 

Like they say.. This thread is useless without pics

I found this one step product to yield really great results with the need of NO sanding.. Just used a 3m buffing pad on my drill..

 

to seal the lamp you probably want to use a UV blocking clear coat paint similar to what the factory uses to keep the clear for a decade or more

 

Here is what I got using 3M kit on my friend's Audi A4 convertible:

 

I cleared my headlights with Meguiars plastic x with a meguiars buffer. I then finished it with meguiars headlight protectant. Been holding up for about 2 weeks so far, its no real mile stone but if it comes back again, I have an excuse to use my buffer!

 

That's some pretty damn good results for a one-step product.

 

Toothpaste FTW

 

So you're going to rub Toothpaste on your headlights on a weekly basis?

Guarantee you if you use Toothpaste just once it will return back to its original state in less than a month.

There is no other methods that restore headlights close to new condition other than wet sanding, polishing & lastly applying a UV protective coating back to the lens.

 

Uber Facts says use toothpaste and you know they cant put anything on the internet that isnt true

Next time I'll use the red text. My sarcasm isnt for everyone

 

I also used the 3m headlight restoration with great results. Once you are done using all of the different steps and rubbing compound with the kit, I used Min Wax Helmsman spar Urethane (clear gloss) applying it with a blue shop towel folded into a small square. You can't apply too much otherwise it will run, but it worked great. This made it unbelievably clear and does a great job protecting it from future UV damage.

I found the write up on a 350z forum somewhere. Turned out great. There were guys that did it over 2 years ago and their headlights still look great.

 

Here are some pictures of my results. The restored headlight picture doesn't do justice for how much better it looks. I took it right after I applied the urethane so it hadn't dried yet.

 

I have a question for you the gipper. I've heard a lot of people using a mixture of 50/50 mineral spirit and spar urethane to coat it at the end for longevity.

How does Min Wax Helmsman spar urethane compare to 50/50 mineral spirits & spar urethane mixture?

 

Same thing I thought after trying it.. Its been a month and they still look good

 

 

Anybody have tried this kit? Pretty good result in my MDX.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sylvania-Headlight-Restoration-Kit-Free-Shipping-New-/111390547235?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19ef64dd23

 

Viet, I can't remember if I used a 50/50 mixture or not, it kind of rings a bell though. If I can find the write up that I used, I'll post it. Otherwise search the web and I'm sure you'll find it.

 

I've used the sylvania kit before, worked great!

 

Do you have pictures how your headlights look now?

 

i liked the turtle wax headlight restorer also

i've used 3M before, but it sucked

the turtle wax looked ok before the final sealant wipe step, which really seemed to lock in the work. it did fade a bit, but it held up for many months afterward

 

plastix is the shitttttttttttttt, i used that stuff with a polishing attachment for the drill and it came out crystal clear. Definitely recommended!

 

Just remember to put a sealant/protectant on the lenses-- Plast-X is an abrasive polish only.

 

Yeah, I use a 50/50 mix when I do a restore. I do it for a job. Most people are lazy or don't realize how easy it is to restore headlamps.

I will say though that the spar urethane over time starts to yellow a bit after a couple years. It holds up great against hazing, but it will yellow a bit.

That's why I personally just polish mine monthly and put a few coats of wax on.

 

Okay, so I just bought a 06 TL and the headlights are a bit dirty/faded. Looking to do the sanding/polish with the 3M kit (heard that;s good) but looks like the real deal is in the protectant/sealant step.

Does the headlight polish kits have this protectant sealant and if not what would be the best brand for protecting/sealing the headlight?

 

Pretty much any kit will get the headlights to look nearly crystal clear. Drill method is preferred. If it were me (and I plan on doing this very soon on my Type-S), I'd finish it all off with some Optimum Opti-Lens. It's expensive, but there is a very good reason for that.

Optimum Opti-Lens Permanent Headlight Coating, headlight coatings protectants

 

Hmm ok sounds good. I've got a friend with a drill so I can borrow his. But very true, all the "headlight restoration guides" I've read on-line says that the most important part is the sealant/protectant at the end so it stays clear/shiny as long as possible.

$60 for that is still a bit too much for me to try out. I'll see how long a $20 kit lasts. Because if that's $60 then it better last for 10+ years, but then again there is a chance that the car may get wrecked or not last that long so.

 

Dont get that^^^, to me it seems to be a wasted. It did not last a long time. I first used ultimate compound and clean the headlight with mixed water/rubbing alcohol and then applied the Opti-lens; gave it a few minutes to flash and wiped off the excess, the truth was it only last 6 months. My RL is park outside all the time. With $60 i'm expecting a little longer than that. Plasti-X and wax will work just fine, you just need to do it every 6 months. Bottom line, save your money!

 

when i restore headlights, I apply laminx. its a 5 year 8mil film and repels all dirt, small rock chips and grime. Also doesn't yellow or oxidize and keeps the headlights looking fresh for up to 5 years..

I charge $120 for both with film.

next best choice is to clear coat but that can be VERY tricky…over time it may crack and haze then it has to be completely sanded down again..plus make sure its actual body shop clear…spray can will completely ruin the lens.

 

mineral spirits urethane is NOT a UV protectant and will ruin the headlights over time. It does make the lens look nice and its cheaper, but for something that has complete persuasion on how you see at night, it may ruin visibility if not done right. For the cost to life span, laminx is the way to go, you will not be dissatisfied.

 

Dang! Hey thanks alot! Sorry about your money. Now we know. Yeah for $60 it better last at least several years but now I know.

Yeah just gonna go with an affordable restoration kit and has included sealant.

Thanks again.

 

Did you wet sand before compounding?

Compounding and polishing is not enough to restore headlights. The key is to wetsand it first with multiple grits