Hi all, I had my mom's headlights restored from a well known headlight restoring outlfit a number of years ago (between 6-8 years ago) and the headlights looked as if they were just installed from the factory after completion.This Honda sat in the sun for almost 12 years.. My LS430 has ok, not yellowed, but far from clear headlights that I have lived with by massaging with toothpaste, meguires, and of course wax after. It looks fair, but not great. I saw a 03 LS430 that was just done by this guy and it was absolutely amazing. Here is the thing. I paid this guy $95 many years ago for my mom's Honda and he did come back 4 years later to redo it (the clear starting peeling away) for $25. He gives a 5 year warranty on his work. He does excellent work. What should be the going price to do our headlights? I am not interested in buying a kit and doing it myself. I've seen this guy work for close to 3 hrs before the job was finished. $95-$125? Is that the range? I don't think paying the extra $30 matters if the guy does quality work.

 

Try calling a body shop

 

I paid $100 at a Toyota dealership - not sure if lifetime warranty or what it is. But $95 for a 5 year warranty sounds fair to me, especially if you already know his work is good. Do it.

FYI- looks like you're in FL- if you are in Orlando PM me and I'll tell you the dealership that did mine. They have done them on our car and SUV.

 

if you have a power drill and some free time you can do it yourself for a fraction of the cost. Lots of DIY resources on the web and youtube. Im going to tackle mine tomorrow afternoon

 

It might make more sense to negotiate something like that with a full detail than just as a standalone job. I just know I can get a mini-detail for $100.


But these types of services are all over the place in terms of price. People will advertise on craigslist for this type of thing for $20 to come to your house and do the headlights. I don't know how anyone can make a living do that, but that is what they are advertising.

Also, I would have to think ALL of them are temporary solutions as even when headlights come new from the factory, eventually they get that way. If there was some sort of super coating that never yellowed, all the car manufacturers would be using it already. So I would always expect this is a job that you'll have to come back to in a few years and redo, you might want to price it accordingly.


I just know I had a kit I did myself and it held up for about 2-3 years, very easy to do and didn't take very long. It looked nearly perfect after I did it. Still looks great now, but not that fresh look right from the factory. Something I'm probably going to redo if I want it to look brand new. I just think they are all going to be that way, maybe some restorations last longer but eventually it will get back to a hazy look.

 

I had a body shop work on mine a little bit, and they are nearly new now. However youabsolutely need to use a UV protectant like Mothers Power Plastic. Sun is the #1 enemy of those things. Coincidentally, I spoke with a product specialist at Mothers, and he told me that once you have had any restoration work done, you will need to apply the protectant/polisher more often, maybe every couple months. I think you compromise the original finish on the plastic.
It is easy. I do it by hand, no wheel, in 10 minutes.

 

I am the OP for this thread. Although I mentioned to the headlight restorer that I have used him before, he insisted on $125. I am not a believer in negotiating on someone's prices when I am aware of the effort involved in the procedure. I never want the quality of the work to suffer due to the dissatisfaction of the compensation. It's amazing how often this guy's name and card comes up where ever I ask for headlight restoration whether at body shops, car washes, or mechanic shops. He is licensed and insured specifically for this procedure and his name gets around. I have an appt for this Tuesday unless it rains. Personally, I feel that fresh clear headlight lenses makes a big difference in the appearance of our cars. Thanks everyone for all the imput.