Glas Weld COAT vs Opti-Lens

[Bird Horse]

What yall's opinion on headlight UV coatings?
I'm restoring the lights on my '94 SHO, as new ones simply don't exist. I want to give them the best chance of not yellowing again (or at least as long as possible). Already bought the Micro-Mesh kit for the cleaning phase. I've read a few good things about some of these coatings but no comparison from one to the next. I think i've narrowed it down to COAT/G-clear, Opti-Lens, or a 2K clearcoat. I know SprayMax makes ones specifically for headlights. I havn't completely ruled out PPF, but I'm worried it might not work right since these lights have those three protruding bumps for alignment machines.

 

[Rand]

All I've read suggest wipe on is superior result vs spray on.. and harder to mess up... orange peel, foggy etc.

 

[Bird Horse]

All I've read suggest wipe on is superior result vs spray on.. and harder to mess up... orange peel, foggy etc.

Makes sense, although I would think a clearcoat can still be polished after the fact. For me, I want the best of the best. Havn't seen any comparison from one wipe-on to the next.

 

[Rand]

Makes sense, although I would think a clearcoat can still be polished after the fact. For me, I want the best of the best. Havn't seen any comparison from one wipe-on to the next.

Glasweld has a nice product but its not cheap or easy.. for a non pro.

You cant really polish orange peel or some of the other defects.. you basically need to start over by wet sanding it.

I would likely try Cerakote If I needed one.

https://cerakoteceramics.com/cerakote-ceramic-headlight-restoration-kit/

 

[Bird Horse]

Just how hard is applying the Glasweld? I've heard a few have had trouble with it streaking, and the alignment bumps might make it hard to apply correctly. But I havn't heard much bad otherwise.
The Cerakote, i've heard is pretty good for that category of product, but not a long term solution like Glasweld or Opti-lens.

 

[Tempest1]

A few months ago I used McKees37 Graphene headlight coating on 3 different cars and have been very pleased with the results. No yellowing since and very easy to use.

They have a BOGO on right now as well.

I tried the Cerakote packages prior and it didn't last very long for me.

 

[Carmudgeon]

I applied the Cerakote kit to a car I don't own and it looked great, but next time I saw it inside of a year, and parts of it had already started to fog again. But it is not garaged, and run through automatic car washes.

The chemical stripper that's part of their package is nice, but the removal part really shouldn't distinguish any of the kits. It makes for a convenient package for those who don't otherwise have the tool/supplies on hand, but that's the easy part that can be accomplished in many ways.

Finding a durable coating is the tricky part.

The real solution would be for the DOT regulations to allow for replaceable lenses, but that's too logical and practical for those numbskulls. Still sort of stuck in the stone age sealed beam mentality long after the rest of the world moved on.

It is so worried about the risk of compromised integrity of modular fixtures that it is blind to the practical reality that most people don't do anything at all, and drive around with clouded headlights anyway. And those who do take the initiative are pigeonholed in poor solutions like these kits.

 

[The Critic]

2K clear is the only option that lasts.

 

[SatinSilver]

Check out C.Quartz DLUX for a headlight coating. Can be used on black trim pieces also. If the trim pieces are faded use Solution Finish first(2coats), before DLUX.

 

[Bird Horse]

2K clear is the only option that lasts.

How long does it last? How well can it be polised to not look like spray paint?

While we're at it, good recomendation for gluing the lens to the housing? Butyl seems to be the go-to, but can you get that in a grayish color to match the factory? Or is there a better suggestion.