Headlight restoration
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Senior User
Joined: May 2007
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Headlight restoration
A friend recently told me about a process where you can restore your old cloudy yellow headlights to a crystal clear like new finish. I contacted Glass Doctor and they will do it for $90 but I have never seen it done before and am unsure of how well it actually works. Has anyone used this and how well does it work? Are there any recommended DIY kits out there? I would much rather spend the $90 than $300 a piece for new headlights.
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,145
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From: Hernando Ms
I used Micromesh on mine,and they looked good as new.We use this compound on Radar indicator faceplates.It has a graded grit polishing system.
Ive never looked for it in the retail market since we have it at our office.
The use of the kit requires quite alot of elbow grease,but its worth it.
You might try to Google it,or just do a search on the web.If you find its what you want,but cant find it,PM me and Ill hook you up....
Ive never looked for it in the retail market since we have it at our office.
The use of the kit requires quite alot of elbow grease,but its worth it.
You might try to Google it,or just do a search on the web.If you find its what you want,but cant find it,PM me and Ill hook you up....
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: May 2007
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Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,145
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From: Hernando Ms
I WISH it had the power pads...would make my muscles much happier
Guess the boss orders the commercial grade instead of the retail grade....at any rate,Ive restored the headlights in my f-150,as well as 3 eclipses,2 talons,and a 3000gt...its a good investment in my book.
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 700
Likes: 1
From: waterloo, iowa
I got my aftermarket projector headlights off of ebay for like $125. Obviously, like others have said, you can clean up your headlights for much cheaper than that, but for the money, new headlights make a drastic change to the look of your vehicle. there are pics in my gallery (i think there are some before and afters)
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,739
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From: Vale, NC
I've used the pads you get at autozone with varying degrees of success. First time I didn't read the directions and just slapped one on my drill and went to polishing. Turns out you are supposed to spray a little water on them .....
...... well, I wasted about 4 pads before I finally smartened up and read. Little white powder flakes blowin all over the place!!!
Once I used them correctly it was decent, but I'm sure you can do better with a better system.
One lesson I have learned on polishing things, take your time and expect it to take a good bit of time. I did my forks on my HD and started with 300 grit, then 600, then 1000, etc. Wet sanded everything and really worked hard. My hands were wicked sore the next day. But it came out like new. Same applies here. If you use the Mothers as suggested and really take your time it should polish up nicely.
...... well, I wasted about 4 pads before I finally smartened up and read. Little white powder flakes blowin all over the place!!!Once I used them correctly it was decent, but I'm sure you can do better with a better system.
One lesson I have learned on polishing things, take your time and expect it to take a good bit of time. I did my forks on my HD and started with 300 grit, then 600, then 1000, etc. Wet sanded everything and really worked hard. My hands were wicked sore the next day. But it came out like new. Same applies here. If you use the Mothers as suggested and really take your time it should polish up nicely.
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From: N. Fort Myers,FL
I got my aftermarket projector headlights off of ebay for like $125. Obviously, like others have said, you can clean up your headlights for much cheaper than that, but for the money, new headlights make a drastic change to the look of your vehicle. there are pics in my gallery (i think there are some before and afters)
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Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Lawton, Oklahoma
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Joined: Jul 2007
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I like the look of the clear crystal headlights like most vehicles use today. You can get the headlights and corner for $100 or less. I don't like the funky future looking headlights that the younger crowd uses. But I like to keep mine as close to factory looking as possible. Do too much and it looks too godly. I agree with just using a polishing compound and elbow grease for the cheapest fix. Never pay someone for work you can do yourself unless you just have money to throw away.
