Headlight Restoration On The Worst Headlight

Описание: From the worst headlight to clear in 8 minutes. Headlight Restoration On The Worst Case Headlight

Links to videos:
3 Minute Headlight Restoration
   • 3 Minute Headlight Restoration  

Headlight Restoration Playlist
   • Headlight Restoration  

Our first video on headlight restoration had the title “3 Minute Headlight Restoration” there's a link to it in the description above. This showed the restoration of a headlight in 3 minutes. That headlight had oxidation on the surface and was in need of restoration. But it wasn't the worst case, I've seen much worse and restored them quickly as well.

Recently I came across what I consider the worst case for headlight restoration. This was on a 15 year old Buick that had been mostly parked facing a garage so parts of the headlights saw direct sun and parts never saw direct sunlight. The owner also tried a restoration kit from a parts store but with little success, he told me this actually made the lenses worse.

To see what I was dealing with I used a scouring pad about a #1 steel wool to see what would come off. The coating was not coming off easy. So even though the lens still had about 60% of the coating on it, this was damaged and needed to be removed.

Removing damaged coating from a lens is the hardest thing to do in a restoration, and is not always successful. The toothpaste method won't touch it. The sand and polish kits will take a long time, because they only include fine sand paper. The spray oils on the lens will not make this clear enough for light to pass through. This is the worst case and some might say just replace the headlights, not an option in this case as that would cost more than the car is worth.

So this is the worst case I've seen, coating needs to be removed, the parts that already have no coating may have contamination from the previous kit, and whatever else has been done to it.

So this is my change to the acetone wipe process for worst case headlights. You should try this only after successfully cleaning some headlights using the process as we have described it in the headlight restoration playlist in the description below or the link above.

Start with soapy water, and 120 grit wet dry sandpaper. Yes I said 120 grit. This is very aggressive sandpaper. Use it cautiously, it doesn't take much effort to get through the coating, and less effort to sand through the plastic.

When it feels like the coating is gone wash off the mixture and look at it, feel for the ridge that is the coating on the plastic, just sand where the coating is.

When the coating feels like it is gone wash it off again and look for the ridge again.

When it looks and feels like the ridge is gone switch to #3 steel wool. This is about the same as 320 grit wet dry sandpaper. You are now removing the scratches from the 120 grit sandpaper.

If you feel that the coating is gone and the scratches are better, try the acetone wipe. This will show you where the coating is still there. But you have to be aware that the plastic is still soft from the acetone. So don't start scrubbing again until it has hardened again. The day I did this restoration the ambient temperature was above 80 f. so it was hard enough in just a few minutes.

Just repeat the steps on any coating left on the headlight.

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GIMP 2
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