Headlight restoration pics
- Thread starter BMW Dom
- Start date
Well thats good, didn’t realize kits came with a clear coat now. Its been a while since I purchased one.
- Joined
- Oct 6, 2020
- Messages
- 2,533
Not yet. I’m letting it cure overnight in the garage
Looks great!
Looks good.
f355spider
$50 Site Donor 2026
I used the Sylvania kit and finding the coating you apply with it starts to fail and peel after about 8 or 9 months on a daily driver Toyota Tundra.
I am thinking about refinishing again, and instead, apply Xpel film. Not sure if the film will protect as well or better.
I have had film on my 22 yo BMW since new (replaced every 6 years or so) and the headlights are still like new
I am thinking about refinishing again, and instead, apply Xpel film. Not sure if the film will protect as well or better.
I have had film on my 22 yo BMW since new (replaced every 6 years or so) and the headlights are still like new
Any headlight coating product in a supermarket available kit will not last very long. Around a year would be great results IMO for a garage kept car. I am not familiar with xpel but a quality PPF will almost certainly have much better results than the stuff included in the restoration kit.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2025
Can you expand on that please? My 14 Foz is starting to haze a bit. I think the wax I applied often helped, but it’s slowly starting to become less clear. I’d rather nip it in the bud than let it get awful like a ‘97 Subie I once head. That restoration took me forever and was never really great.
Not sure what you specifically want to know. Its essentially the same as paint care/protection. The widely available headlight restore kits is just a mini wet-sand kit along with a easy-apply clear coat. I think they work pretty dang well for what they are and the price, but the clear coat included can't be expected to last very long with that application environment/method or at that price point, and it doesn't. Stuff like PPF or ceramic coating(the real stuff, not the spray/wax on) provides better protection. Wax certainly works too, but not as well and you have to re-apply more often(just like with paint). If yours aren't too hazy, there is no need for a restore kit (aka wet-sand), just a good polish/buff and your chosen protection strategy. There is no surefire way to prevent oxidation, just have to regularly maintain and protect.
Didn't want to flood BITOG with another thread on same topic, so I'll piggyback off of yours OP...
Had some headlight restoration partial kits leftover, little bit of Rain-X kit, and 3M, both drill operated. Different stages of sandpaper between both kits, polishing compound from RainX, and clear coat wipes from 3M (really interested to see how that holds up), and masking tape from 3M kit.
So I gave the Armada headlights a refresh using these leftover products. Unfortunately the headlights are damaged from the inside, so still look "eh", but better than before.
Here is the before.
Had some headlight restoration partial kits leftover, little bit of Rain-X kit, and 3M, both drill operated. Different stages of sandpaper between both kits, polishing compound from RainX, and clear coat wipes from 3M (really interested to see how that holds up), and masking tape from 3M kit.
So I gave the Armada headlights a refresh using these leftover products. Unfortunately the headlights are damaged from the inside, so still look "eh", but better than before.
Here is the before.
