For headlight restoration, try 3M

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Old Jul 20, 2015 | 09:13 PM
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For headlight restoration, try 3M

Worth every penny. My headlights were fogging up. I bought this kit off Amazon (3M restoration system) but it requires a drill (any drill will do the trick). Takes about 30-45 minutes for both. A 2/10 in terms of difficulty. Useful for that yellow haze or regular old fogging up. Actually for the regular old fogging, I think any polish and drill should do the trick but I said what the hell and did these extra steps on top of that.

Here is the link:
Amazon.com: 3M 39008 Headlight Lens Restoration System: Automotive Amazon.com: 3M 39008 Headlight Lens Restoration System: Automotive

I highly, highly recommend it.
Attached Thumbnails For headlight restoration, try 3M-img_2542.jpg   For headlight restoration, try 3M-img_2547.jpg  
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Old Jul 20, 2015 | 09:36 PM
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great stuff
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Old Jul 21, 2015 | 05:04 PM
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Originally Posted by guitarplayer16
great stuff
Save the money get some polishing compound it will do the job as well.Throw on some RAIN X and your good to go.Done this many times with prior vehicles I've owned.
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Old Jul 21, 2015 | 05:31 PM
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good to know
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Old Jul 21, 2015 | 06:41 PM
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this stuff is very good, i've done this on my wife's honda civic a few times. after the 3rd time, i paid a local company $80 to put on clear tint after and they have a 7 year warranty against fading/hazing. if you don't do that, you'll keep repolishing it over and over every 6 mo to a year.

my headlights are starting to get hazy so i'll prob do this and get them covered like my wife's
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Old Jul 21, 2015 | 07:06 PM
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Nice....and only $17.50 too.
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Old Jul 22, 2015 | 12:19 AM
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get a clear bra over it and it will stay shinny for a very long time
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Old Jul 23, 2015 | 09:31 AM
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You can also just pick it up at Walmart or Autozone for the same price and no waiting period


Also, for the clear tint:


Headlight, Tail Light, Fog Light & Paint Protection Products from Lamin-x=
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Old Jul 23, 2015 | 10:30 AM
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Did the same thing with mine about 2 months ago:

https://acurazine.com/forums/photogr...-07-tl-931804/

Make sure that you use a good sealant! Clear bra is what I used on mine.
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Old Jul 23, 2015 | 10:34 AM
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I've always been reluctant to put on a film on the headlights.

I've seen stress cracks way too often after removing headlight film.

I'll be using Opti-lens.
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Old Jul 23, 2015 | 11:20 AM
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for those who is doing this. from my experience, it better to put a clear coat over it after you sand it down, otherwise you will be doing this every 6-12months. I done it twice in past 2 years and realized that the yellowing comes back after 4months.
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Old Jul 23, 2015 | 11:45 AM
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What is a "Clear Coat"? Wax, Sealant? thanks for explaining.
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Old Jul 23, 2015 | 02:09 PM
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Sams club $30, looks perfect and lifetime guarantee. It's worth it, I will never do it myself again.
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Old Jul 23, 2015 | 02:13 PM
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Originally Posted by hues10
What is a "Clear Coat"? Wax, Sealant? thanks for explaining.
Can't tell if serious, or trolling.
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Old Jul 23, 2015 | 03:22 PM
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Originally Posted by hues10
What is a "Clear Coat"? Wax, Sealant? thanks for explaining.
if you are serious then here is the answer.

cleat coat can be a film apply or spray a solution and it form coating like clear coat on the paint.

Wax is a compound like wax you have to apply once a month after the initial restore, it same as you wax your car help it protect from the element.
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Old Jul 23, 2015 | 03:38 PM
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Originally Posted by truonghthe
Wax is a compound like wax
Makes perfect sense
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Old Jul 23, 2015 | 06:05 PM
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^^^^^lmfao.
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Old Jul 23, 2015 | 06:18 PM
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Originally Posted by guitarplayer16
I'll be using Opti-lens.
Can you please post your results when you do? I've always been wondering about this product and if it was worth the money. All of these kits look good, and most of the reviews on here and everywhere else show the result right after cleaning. I haven't really heard anything regarding longevity of the sealants. I did hear that Sylvania's sealant that comes in their headlight kit was great though.
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Old Aug 1, 2015 | 01:20 AM
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i use clear vinyl to cover them after i restore them its the best way to keep the looking new for longer periods of time
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Old Aug 2, 2015 | 03:12 PM
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Agreed. I am in the auto business and the 3m headlight restoration products are the best.
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Old Aug 2, 2015 | 08:25 PM
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Originally Posted by Will1688
Can you please post your results when you do? I've always been wondering about this product and if it was worth the money. All of these kits look good, and most of the reviews on here and everywhere else show the result right after cleaning. I haven't really heard anything regarding longevity of the sealants. I did hear that Sylvania's sealant that comes in their headlight kit was great though.
Will do. Currently I'm using Meguiar's Headlight sealant but I want something more permanent.
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Old Aug 18, 2015 | 06:18 PM
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Originally Posted by ezland00
for those who is doing this. from my experience, it better to put a clear coat over it after you sand it down, otherwise you will be doing this every 6-12months. I done it twice in past 2 years and realized that the yellowing comes back after 4months.
Are there any recommended brands of clear coat to use? Looking to get this done while I have the lens off for black housing project.
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Old Aug 18, 2015 | 07:19 PM
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I used the Megs product on Sunday-great results and very easy to use.
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Old Aug 18, 2015 | 09:46 PM
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i restored my wife's honda headlights a few months ago and didn't like that her car had something that looked better than mine, so this past week i restored my TL headlights. i used the 3M kit, which in my opinion is much better than the Meguiar's kit I used to use on my wife's car. it came out very well and then I got a local shop to put a clear tint on top that has a 7 year warranty against fading and yellowing.

it took me about 1 hour per side because i'm very picky and wanted it to look nice. the kit takes you through 3 sanding steps and then a polishing step. it came with sealant but i didn't use it.

30 bucks for the kit, 80 for the clear tint. i did this previously on my wife's car and it looks great.

prior to restoration:
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after the first round of sanding:
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final result after the clear tint was put on by a local shop:
Name:  IMG_4445_zpsgrhvaqlb.jpg
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Size:  42.3 KB
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Old Aug 18, 2015 | 09:52 PM
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beautiful results

From what I've read also, the 3M kit is much better than Meguiars
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Old Aug 19, 2015 | 01:35 AM
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Originally Posted by sockr1
final result after the clear tint was put on by a local shop
Did you just go to a window tinting shop? What kind of film is it? window tint film? or something specifically for lenses? I'm curious as I wanna do this too.
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Old Aug 19, 2015 | 09:31 AM
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Originally Posted by Will1688
Did you just go to a window tinting shop? What kind of film is it? window tint film? or something specifically for lenses? I'm curious as I wanna do this too.
yea just ask around local tint shops. the one i went to does tint mainly. i don't think it's window tint since it's completely clear and almost all window tint has some form of light transmission reduction.

some places may even restore your headlights for you but it isn't that hard to do and you can save some money.
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Old Aug 20, 2015 | 10:35 AM
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just ordered clear film and the 3M kit... I have 3 sets of HL's to do
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Old Aug 20, 2015 | 04:04 PM
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Where did you order your clear film from?


I'm still debating usting opti-lens or lamin-x ...
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Old Aug 20, 2015 | 08:18 PM
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Sockr, that looks really good!


The Meguiars kit I used was $15. It is one or two steps and works really well. And naturally, I forgot to take before and after pictures.....
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Old Aug 20, 2015 | 09:23 PM
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Originally Posted by Steven Bell
Sockr, that looks really good!


The Meguiars kit I used was $15. It is one or two steps and works really well. And naturally, I forgot to take before and after pictures.....
Thanks Steven! I used the Meguiar's twice on my wife's honda civic and it did the job well enough, but when I went to use it on my TL lights I had to step it up to the 3M kit since the Meguiar's didn't restore the TL ones at all. The 3M kit blew Meguiar's away!

hopefully i don't have to use any kits on our two cars now that I have them clear tinted
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Old Aug 21, 2015 | 09:35 AM
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Originally Posted by imj0257
Where did you order your clear film from?


I'm still debating usting opti-lens or lamin-x ...

I wasn't impressed with the LaminX precut, when I added yellow film to my fog lights. The cut was way too small.

And 60$ is steep for one set of HL's esp when i have to do 3 sets.. So I went with a huge roll of clear tint off Ebay for like 13$. They had over 500+ rolls sold and not many complains. I figured I would try that first.
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Old Aug 21, 2015 | 09:46 AM
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Sockr1, looks great.

mvp2765, could you share the link on Ebay so I know what you're talking about? Thanks.
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Old Aug 22, 2015 | 10:49 AM
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http://www.ebay.com/itm/12-x-60-Clear-Bra-Headlight-Bumper-Hood-Paint-Protection-Film-Vinyl-Sheet-/121349887868?hash=item1c4104577c&vxp=mtr

Last edited by mvp2765; Aug 22, 2015 at 10:51 AM.
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Old Aug 22, 2015 | 12:28 PM
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Originally Posted by sockr1
Thanks Steven! I used the Meguiar's twice on my wife's honda civic and it did the job well enough, but when I went to use it on my TL lights I had to step it up to the 3M kit since the Meguiar's didn't restore the TL ones at all. The 3M kit blew Meguiar's away!

hopefully i don't have to use any kits on our two cars now that I have them clear tinted


Interesting, buddy. I only did one headlight. I had to put some elbow grease into it. I'll check out the 3M kit.
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Old Sep 10, 2015 | 03:14 PM
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Well, i was able to make new 2 sets of headlights with the 3M kit.. I failed tho at installing the clear bra film. I even tried installing it wet. I just couldn't get it perfect so I kept taking pulling it up and the install wound up looking like crap. Maybe i'll just have someone else install it for me.
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Old Sep 10, 2015 | 03:40 PM
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just got mine done with the M105 and M205 recently, I will show the result later tho.
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Old Sep 10, 2015 | 03:59 PM
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Originally Posted by mvp2765
Well, i was able to make new 2 sets of headlights with the 3M kit.. I failed tho at installing the clear bra film. I even tried installing it wet. I just couldn't get it perfect so I kept taking pulling it up and the install wound up looking like crap. Maybe i'll just have someone else install it for me.
What method did you try? Soapy water mixture, squeegee, and heat gun?

---

Just a heads up for anyone looking to buy, amazon has a $5 dollar off clip & save coupon and also qualifies for $5 mfg rebate. I picked up this one to try:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o01_s00

Last edited by Will1688; Sep 10, 2015 at 04:02 PM.
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Old Sep 11, 2015 | 11:05 AM
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Originally Posted by Will1688
What method did you try? Soapy water mixture, squeegee, and heat gun?

---

Just a heads up for anyone looking to buy, amazon has a $5 dollar off clip & save coupon and also qualifies for $5 mfg rebate. I picked up this one to try:

Amazon.com: 3M 39045 Headlight Renewal Kit with Protectant: Automotive
Yah I tried soapy water and a hair drier. A 2nd set of hands with the drier probably would have helped. Also I got my 3m kit from eBay for 15 -16$ free ship no tax.
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Old Sep 11, 2015 | 02:03 PM
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Originally Posted by mvp2765
Yah I tried soapy water and a hair drier. A 2nd set of hands with the drier probably would have helped. Also I got my 3m kit from eBay for 15 -16$ free ship no tax.
Second set of hand is almost a necessity when doing vinyl IMHO (from doing my tails)

Squeegee also necessity, soapy water in a spray bottle and hairdryer and you're good to go. Wet both sides, wet the headlight (after cleaning it!), position and don't be scared to slide it around a bit. Stretch it out with the hair dryer while using the squeegee/fingers and don't forget to keep it wet.
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