headlight restoration with 1500, 2000, PLastX
Yea, that powerball products work suprisingly well. I watched them used the aluminum polish on a piece of aluminum dimond plate and it polished it like a mirror with little effort. The plastic polish i just put in on a micro fiber and did it by hand cause the store was out of the powerball, and it worked fast and did a good job. Four guys that i worked with went and bought there own after i demonstrated it on on of the ladys cars that worked there. I still dont think she knows her headlights are clear now. 
Kidding!! But it was something I noticed when I picked it up off the shelve.
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Driver School Candidate
Joined: Jul 2009
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From: Ca
Here are a couple of helpful Youtube videos I have put together demonstrating the proper technique to headlight restoration on a Porsche Carrera and a V.W. Jetta
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ab8aRZ9mAA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=260TxpkxgOk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ab8aRZ9mAA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=260TxpkxgOk
Last edited by Olskool53; Sep 2, 2009 at 11:18 AM.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 6,806
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From: californication
that's nice. but it's just gonna get yellow again in a couple months.
Have you found a hard clear coat that can preserve the clarity?
there are some headlight restoration kits that include a hardcoat at the end.
i have yet to find a product i can paint on.
i have never tried this, but i have heard you can use a paint sealant on the headlights to help prevent them from getting yellow again. obviously you have to apply every few months or so, but that should help maintain your headlights.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 6,806
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From: californication
ok. i got a problem. my headlights are smooth and shiny, and the yellow oxidation is gone. but it's not factory clear. i don't know if i should keep sanding deeper, or just give up.
there's this micro blotchy haze that i can't get out. it looks like it's deep inside the plastic. the blotches are very small, and it's like a carpet full of blotches. You can only see it when you look almost parallel to the plastic, as if you're looking at it sideways at eye level. But it gives the chrome some slight milky appearance.
I don't know if the blotchiness is inside the plastic. I've sanded one spot for 1 hour with 2000grit sandpaper, and it still has the tiny blotches.
blotches look something like this:
there's this micro blotchy haze that i can't get out. it looks like it's deep inside the plastic. the blotches are very small, and it's like a carpet full of blotches. You can only see it when you look almost parallel to the plastic, as if you're looking at it sideways at eye level. But it gives the chrome some slight milky appearance.
I don't know if the blotchiness is inside the plastic. I've sanded one spot for 1 hour with 2000grit sandpaper, and it still has the tiny blotches.
blotches look something like this:
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Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Dec 2006
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From: californication
you may be right. I was thinking the same thing.
there was condensation on the inside of the headlamps on a number of occasions.
so condensation stains huh?...
Pole Position
Joined: May 2007
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From: 408 NOR CAL
Essentially they are just water spots. I don't think it would etch the plastic or anything harsh like that but I am not sure.
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Jul 2009
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From: Ca
What you are seeing inside the lenses are the footprints of the condensation that sometimes occurs........Check seals or gaskets around lens and body for air leaks.........
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 6,806
Likes: 7
From: californication
interesting.
many people have said that their lights turn yellow within a few months after sanding and polishing.
I will leave my newly polished headlamp bare to the elements for a few months and see how it turns out.
I am applying MotoSkin's clear bra over the headlights immediately after I wetsand and polish my headlights.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,376
Likes: 92
From: Toronto, Ontario
are the sc headlights just prone to yellowing? every time i buf em out they look brand new..... a week or two later they start to yellow.. what can i do about that?