took about 10 mins to do...not too shabby....better than buying new headlights....

 

Tommy, did you use Sandpaper and PlastX?

 

no, i used quik detailer, sand paper and then plastix

 

what grit sandpaper??

 

I just had my body guy do mine last week. Car was in there anyway, so I had him do them up. They looked like ass before, all hazy with the lights on. Now they look new and are much brighter.

 

2000G works good, or if they're real bad, 2 step it, 1500 then 2500.........USE WET SAND.......Keep paper wet for lubricaton, then you can use a general polish to final polish them......
If you go to this effort, by all means consider applying a vinyl film afterwards to avoid future sanding. Most kits available for around $50.00 or less. Wetsanding cant help cracks or breakages! And the vinyl comes with a U.V. inhibitor. Most U.V. inhibitors on factory lenses are on the outside portion. This is what your removing when sanding!

 

i used 1000 grit, 1500, then 2000....then finished it off with plastix

 

if your headlights arent that bad, just run over them with your udm, orange pad and some polish...everytime i detail i go right over the head and tail lights...

 

Ditto, I do that likewise.........

 

I did that today. I will create a thread later tonight or tomorrow if i'm tire. I'm so burn out after a full day of detail.

 

^^lets see that detail in 2 weeks at all cali

 

i'm no detailer but have heard about sanding the headlights deal and been wanting to try it. i had a perfect candidate (sister's IS300) so i gave it a go today...

pass side HL not done:



driver side HL done:



i think the sanding method worked

 

what was your sanding method?

 

A YEAH... that driver side looks brand new. Did you use the same method as the OP?

 

very similar. i believe OP used 1000, 1500, then 2000. i used 1000 (wetsanded vigorously i might add lol) then 2500

 

no doubt wet sanding works great and you can get near new if not new looking headlights....but if your using a udm or a pc and you are going to polish your car, you can achieve the same results with the machine polish as you can wet sanding without the mess.....

 

Could someone please explain wetsanding. Is it just a piece of wet sand paper?
My dad's car needs this badly. I already tried meguirs plasticx but it did not help.

 

i need to give this a try...maybe later on today

 

Couple of points.....
Wet sanding should only be used as a last resort. If you begin to see tell tale signs of oxidation, by all means, use your PC/compound/polish. In most cases, polishing will rejuvinate premature issues. It should actually be part of your detailing regimine.
Wetsanding on the other hand is really for lenses which are beyond what a UDM or PC could repair. Often times, the oils contained in polishes will mask your actual repairs, if theyre too severe.
The actual backing to the sandpaper is designed to be used with water, and is usually a little more rigid. However, soaking in water allows for the paper to soften up all while retaining composure.
Its actually not much different then sanding with a wood block, really that easy.

 

So.....I used the 1000 grit on my G/F's car a month ago and pretty much fawked it up, And yes, I wet sanded- not too vigorously, but I guess testing on a conspicuous area should have been the first step.

It looks more foggy/hazy than before, are there ways to restore? If not, I guess I'll order some new headlamps..

 

buy a udm, optimum compound and an orange pad. I think that's cheaper than a new set of headlight?

 

Thats a little rough grit to be sanding with. You cant finish with 1000! Hit it again with 2000, or 2500, then polish with a fine grade polish!!

 

What's the best place to start in terms of grit? 1000 or 1500 then work up?

 

start with 40 grit wet and work your way up to 2000 wet then polish

 

WTF...40 is like taking rocks and rubbing it on your headlights....! never go lower than 1000!

 

you forgot the red text

 

i just did mine w/1000 then 2000...wow, what a difference. it's like night and day. the lens feels like my paint did right after i did the claybar and wax for the first time. good thing i read this thread before going out and buying all new headlights.

 

I will try this if polishing doesnt work on my friend Lexus.

 

What kind of store are y'all buying 1000-2000G wet sandpaper? I looked in the local hardware store, but all i found was up to around 400 or 600, dry.

 

Try an auto part store.........or auto paint supply.....

 

anyone ever wetsand a car?

 

yes...wet sand with 2500 grit sand paper...follow up with Meguiars Compound....buffs right off...scratches go bye bye

 

why wet sand when you have a PC? Arent you making the work harder?

 

excel what do you think about this method I hope it isent against the rules to post this up on here.

http://www.mx6.com/forums/2g-faq-app...polishing.html

 

oops, i mean 400 wet and work your way to like 2000 then machine polish. makes it look brand new.

 

It really depends on the paint's condition. There are some cases where wet sanding is actually required and a PC won't really put a "dent" in correcting the paint without wet sanding, compounding, and polishing.

 

i guess I am the only person that ever ran into problems with wetsanding headlights. it seems like my headlights get swirl marks VERY easily now. I can polish 50% of them out with my UDM, but if I even wipe it down with a MF, more swirl marks will appear. it's almost as if the plastic has become very sensitive to any contact.