3M headlight restoration kit before/after pics

[stephen9666]

This is my first time attempting to polish a headlight lens.

I’ve been wanting to polish the headlight lenses on my girlfriend’s VW Beetle for a while. I had the day off and I noticed that Advance Auto has some of the 3M kits on sale. I used kit 39008 today and here are the results.

I chose this one because it had the drill attachment. It was on sale for $17.99 marked down from $22.99.
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/...rm=3m+headlight

This kit includes:
-500 grit discs
-800 grit discs
-3000 grit polishing pad
-Foam pad and polishing compound

On this car you pull out the headlights to replace the bulbs, so I popped them out an inch or so to help protect the paint and masked everything off.

The 500 wasn’t quite cutting it on the really course, badly yellowed parts, so I ended up wet sanding with some 400 grit sandpaper I had first.

Overall I’m pretty happy with the results for the price I paid. The first headlight (the one shown) turned out really well. The second one doesn’t look quite as good. There’s some minor hazing and fine scratching, despite really polishing it in the last step. I think I may have needed a little more time with the 800 grit on that one. I could go back and repeat the last couple steps if I want to.

I also waxed them to hopefully slow some future hazing.

 

[Brybo86]

true love right there...

 

[Donald]

This is not something you will get perfect the first time. Better to do too little than too much.

Could you feel any of the hazing with your finger before you started?

 

[SatinSilver]

Much better! Now put some sealant on there to protect them so you don't have to do this again in 3 months. Nufinish, etc...

 

[stephen9666]

Originally Posted By: Donald

Could you feel any of the hazing with your finger before you started?


Oh yes, they felt really rough. The "before" pics don't really show how bad the headlights looked. They looked more yellow in person and were very rough. That's why I added the first step of wet sanding with the slightly courser 400 grit I already had. The small 500 grit discs weren't cutting it, literally.

Originally Posted By: satinsilver
Much better! Now put some sealant on there to protect them so you don't have to do this again in 3 months. Nufinish, etc...


Yes, I waxed them with some Collinite wax I had. It claims it helps protect paint against UV damage, so we'll see how it works.

 

[The Critic]

Looks good. With the proper pads, the hazing should come out. I think a wool pad can do it.

If you can get a wool pad, I can send you some M105 or FG400 to try out. That should take out those scratches quite easily.

Like the others said, be sure to protect the headlight lens as soon as possible. Your best bet is to try something like optimum opti-lens.

 

[Rolla07]

I liked the 3m kit. Mine werent that fogged but it still improved it alot. I think they need a 1000 or 2000 grit though..i think it would make a huge improvement to going right to the trizac wetsand paper as the kit i used did.i also used collinite 845 as a sealant, been 4 months so far..and it still looks good. Wax em every 3 months and u will b good.

 

[stephen9666]

Originally Posted By: Rolla07
I think they need a 1000 or 2000 grit though..i think it would make a huge improvement to going right to the trizac wetsand paper as the kit i used did.


I was thinking this exact thing during the process. The leap from 800 grit paper to the 3000 grit pad is a big jump. If I had some paper in the 1000 - 2000 range on hand I would have tried it.

 

[dparm]

Jumping from 800 to 3000? Not how I would do it.

There are bigger kits that contain 1000 and 1500, I think.

 

[Artem]

I personally use 1,000 as the first step to cut through any build up that's stuck on the lens, then follow up with 1,500, 2,000, 2,500 and finally 3,000. This processor slowly sands down the prior sanding marks, making it easier to polish and also leaves a clearer lens as there are no deep sanding marks...

You definitely let the headlight go too long. It's MUCH easier to do quick touch ups with the buffer ONLY every few months vs letting the headlight get really bad and then have to go through the time consuming sanding process.

Regular car wax won't be enough to keep the lights protected and clear. Buy a dedicated headlight lens protection sealant to keep the lights looking clear for longer.

 

[Texican]

Same method we use in the body shop, sand the heck out of them then buff them out. But the thing that works the best is to sand them and spray a couple coats of clear over them.

 

[285south]

I did mine and not happy with it. How I did mine was added the polish and let it sit for a hour, then polished it off, and saw some difference. Perhaps sanding it would improve them instead of just buying a new set.

 

[Hendo]

In my experience these kits work well, but temporarily. If you want a lasting solution- clear coat them. Rub back all oxidation with a wet scotchbrite pad, allow to dry (will go very cloudy due to the abrasion) then clear coat (2 pack) and they'll last forever.

 

[Artem]

Nothing lasts forever. The clear coat will fade as well and will require reapplication after sanding off the previous layer.

I personally prefer to buff the lights every time I do a full car detail. Keeps the lights crystal clear.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: Artem
Nothing lasts forever. The clear coat will fade as well and will require reapplication after sanding off the previous layer.

I personally prefer to buff the lights every time I do a full car detail. Keeps the lights crystal clear.


Covering the lenses with PPF seems to work for a few years. I'm sure that if you use opti-glass on the headlight and put film on, it should be a long lasting solution.