My headlights look like new again!
03-02-13, 02:32 PM
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My headlights look like new again!
It's good to be back on the CL Forum once again. I've been off for a while (for no particular reason other than life catches up to you), but it's good to be back! I have learned more about my car from the members than any manual can teach me! 
My headlights were starting to look bad, so I decided to restore them. I used the Meguiar's Heavy Duty Headlight Restoration Kit for the first time and it is definitely the best product I've used for the headlights. The before and after pics don't really show how bad they were or how great they look now, but the difference is noticeable.
Before and after shots (sorry, but no before shot for the passenger side)
Now, I gotta do the same to the fog lights!
:
My headlights were starting to look bad, so I decided to restore them. I used the Meguiar's Heavy Duty Headlight Restoration Kit for the first time and it is definitely the best product I've used for the headlights. The before and after pics don't really show how bad they were or how great they look now, but the difference is noticeable.
Before and after shots (sorry, but no before shot for the passenger side)
Now, I gotta do the same to the fog lights!
:
03-02-13, 03:17 PM
#4
If you want to be preventative, you could always clear bra your headlights. I did this and it actually filled in some imperfections so my lights actually look clearer afterwards (ie i could see my afs easier). You could also clear bra your headlights after doing something like this to keep them perfect.
03-02-13, 04:23 PM
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Yeah in the nearly 7 years that I've owned the car, I've tried 4 different headlight restoration products. The other 3 would make them look better, but nothing like how they do now using the Meguiar's kit. Also, I didn't apply UV protection after my previous attempts, so the "restoration" was very short lived and I just dealt with it being unpleasant looking. I think I've found the right product this time, and it should last longer with regular application of the UV protectant.
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03-02-13, 04:32 PM
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03-03-13, 11:05 AM
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Just a friendly reminder:: unless you seal the headlight, the hazing/fogging will continue to come back. You have most likely removed the factory UV coating after wet sanding. When the UV coating breaks down, it causes the hazing, because it's doing its job.
I would suggest applying some sort of UV protectant. Ultimately, something permanent, like Optimum Opti Coat 2.0 is a good idea, or, at the VERY LEAST, a wax that has UV protectants in it (like Optimum Car Wax) in that you reapply every 3 months or so.
You could continue to use the headlight protectant in the Meguiar's restoration package, but what I don't care for is that they don't explicitly state how long it should last. Do you apply it after every car wash? Every month?
Optimum is supposed to be coming out with a dedicated headlight sealer, but I haven't seen it hit the market yet. In the meantime, those two previously mentioned options are good choices.
I would suggest applying some sort of UV protectant. Ultimately, something permanent, like Optimum Opti Coat 2.0 is a good idea, or, at the VERY LEAST, a wax that has UV protectants in it (like Optimum Car Wax) in that you reapply every 3 months or so.
You could continue to use the headlight protectant in the Meguiar's restoration package, but what I don't care for is that they don't explicitly state how long it should last. Do you apply it after every car wash? Every month?
Optimum is supposed to be coming out with a dedicated headlight sealer, but I haven't seen it hit the market yet. In the meantime, those two previously mentioned options are good choices.
03-03-13, 12:27 PM
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Just a friendly reminder:: unless you seal the headlight, the hazing/fogging will continue to come back. You have most likely removed the factory UV coating after wet sanding. When the UV coating breaks down, it causes the hazing, because it's doing its job.
I would suggest applying some sort of UV protectant. Ultimately, something permanent, like Optimum Opti Coat 2.0 is a good idea, or, at the VERY LEAST, a wax that has UV protectants in it (like Optimum Car Wax) in that you reapply every 3 months or so.
You could continue to use the headlight protectant in the Meguiar's restoration package, but what I don't care for is that they don't explicitly state how long it should last. Do you apply it after every car wash? Every month?
Optimum is supposed to be coming out with a dedicated headlight sealer, but I haven't seen it hit the market yet. In the meantime, those two previously mentioned options are good choices.
I would suggest applying some sort of UV protectant. Ultimately, something permanent, like Optimum Opti Coat 2.0 is a good idea, or, at the VERY LEAST, a wax that has UV protectants in it (like Optimum Car Wax) in that you reapply every 3 months or so.
You could continue to use the headlight protectant in the Meguiar's restoration package, but what I don't care for is that they don't explicitly state how long it should last. Do you apply it after every car wash? Every month?
Optimum is supposed to be coming out with a dedicated headlight sealer, but I haven't seen it hit the market yet. In the meantime, those two previously mentioned options are good choices.
03-03-13, 03:47 PM
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I got the Heavy Duty kit which was $25 at Walmart. Autozone and O'Reilly's had it for $30. They also have a basic kit which was $20 everywhere I checked. The Heavy Duty kit was definitely worth the extra $5.