Ok, I got these headlights from another board member and I had they cleared and everything, they look decent, but the problem is the previous owner had a great idea of shooting a clearcoat over the plastic outside lense. With the lights off, it's a little yellow and you can see texture, with the lights on, the housing and output look like crap, all foggy and milky looking.

My questions are:

1.) Can the clear be removed and what is the best way, mechanically or chemically (wetsand, chemical removal, etc.)?

2.) Is there a way I can mask off the painted sections of the car surrounding the headlight or should I remove the housings and have it done that way?

3.) once the clearcoat is removed, if the headlights have fine scratches, can those be removed to expose clear shiny plastic of the lens?

thanks, this would beat buying and clearing another set of headlights.

 

I just did a set yesterday .. The lense was cleared some time ago but what happened was the heat from the lights made the clear etch the lens and I never did get them back 100% .. It was on a beater so 90% was better than the 40% mess he had.

 

So what did you do exactly to get the clear off? My mess is about 50%, would love to get it to 90%, lol.

 

I wet sanded with 1500 then 2500 .. it was slow but I find using courser paper scores it too much . Then I buffed it out with My PC and a yellow pad .. dollowed by a white pad . Then waxed them.

One of those 3M headlight kits might give you all you need.

 

All while on the car and masking tape around the headlight?

 

Yeep

 

Automotive or rattle-can clearcoat?

If its rattle can, acetone applied with a rag might be able to slowly and safely remove the film.

Any way you look at it though you're going to need to wetsand. Just spend alot of time with higher grits if you want a good result. I'd go all the way up to 3k and then buff.