Headlight Restore

[RTW DC2R]

Sup yall. Did a little headlight restore on the ITR so figured Id post up the process and some pics as I am pretty happy with the results. I may do the passenger side one more time since I think its still a little off. I was a bit hesitant since there are so many ways to do this, but it really comes down to prep and being thorough, and then buffing/polishing at the end (huhu). I havent clear coated these yet. You can apply a UV sealant but that will not last long term. You are better off clear coating with plastic friendly, non-yellowing UV protecting clear coat. You may need to buff/polish the clear coat for optimal results.

I picked up a Meguiars restore kit at Advanced Auto. I went with this one because it had the drill attachment and I figured I would get best results polishing if I used a drill since I dont have a buffer
https://www.meguiars.com/automotive/pro ... -g2980-kit

Came with 1000 and 3000 grit pads, foam sanding pad, and buffing/polishing drill attachment pad with a finishing polish.
I also used my own 2000 grit sandpaper just to have more of a gradual jump between 1000 and 3000 grits.

My headlights werent too bad, but they are original to the car as far as I know. So they were a bit beat up and the passenger side was definitely starting to yellow. You can see the slight difference in the pics.

You will be WET sanding. Very important to use a lot of water. I just used a spray bottle. Spray the lens and sandpaper often to clean off any large deposits as you are sanding to make sure you get a nice even sand.

If your headlights are really bad, might want to start with a lower grit. Just remember the lower the grit, the more coarse it will be and more material will be removed. You will have to incrementally work your way up to 3000, or even 5000 if you want. Going from 400 grit straight to 3000 grit isnt going to work. 3000 grit wont clean up the scratches left by 400 grit.

My process:
WET SAND:
Start out with 1000 GRIT, sanding horizontally, and then wipe clean.
Move to 2000 GRIT, sanding vertically, and wipe clean.
Finally 3000 GRIT, sanding horizontally again, and wipe clean.

CLEAN LENS before buffing/polishing. I just used Windex but they recommend alcohol.

BUFFING:
Attach buffing pad to drill. I used a battery powered Dewalt drill with variable speeds. Helps to have a couple batteries ready to go.
Apply polish to pad. I used 3-4 small dabs on the pad. Spread around the polish on the pad with your finger or dab the pad on the lens a few times to help spread it out.
Set the buffing pad against the lens before turning it on (helps to avoid any polish spraying around)
Start on a low and slow setting to distribute the polish across the lens.
Once evenly distributed, turn up the speed and work your way slowly across the lens in nice even paths back and forth.
Once you get all areas, wipe clean and inspect. If you notice swirls or imperfections, give another pass with the buffer.

PROFIT.

[DC2Iggy]

Headlights turned out great! I'll have to do this same process to mine one of these days.

Just some added information. If you are clearing the headlights I don't think you need to go past 2000 grit. I'm not 100 % sure but I think i even stopped at 1500 grit when I did the taillights on my STI prior to paint/clear. The clear will fill in the micro scratches. Wet sanding the clear afterwards and then polishing will give you a super smooth and clear finish.

[RTW DC2R]

Thanks. And yes I did hear that as well. And if the lens is a little rougher it might help the clear adhere to the lens better. I might not clear mine right now and just try the UV protectant since my car doesnt see much sunlight. The more sun the more UV and oxidation it will be exposed to so I might be able to get away with it for a while. We'll see how lazy I end up being. Clearing them will definitely require sanding with higher grit sandpaper and polish afterwards for optimal results.

[DC2Iggy]

If you're garaging the car often you'll probably be able to get a good amount of time before they start oxidizing again. I've done my mom's car a number of times before and the lights haze over within two months of sitting outside in the sun. One might be able keep applying the product that came with kit to keep that shine.

I noticed a can of the Painter's Touch 2X clear on your work bench. That's exactly what I used on my STI taillights and had no issues with the transparent red fading even after sitting out in the sun for 10+ hours a day.

[RTW DC2R]

Yep thats the stuff I saw recommended a few times around the web.

[boostjunkie33]

Looks good! After polishing I always follow up with a good quality wax and reapply every time I wax the car usually 2-3 times a year. It's been a couple of years now and they still look mint.

[aw614]

Great guide, I used the same kit and just applied it to a spare set of headlights I was able to find locally in average shape. While not perfect, they look good from 5 ft away or so. My headlights look to have some deep scratches that probably won't come off without a lense change.

I also applied them on the headlight levelers as they were cloudy too

I've been waiting on a LaminX order to apply on the low and high beams. Hopefully they won't fog up after that application. I have xpel clear headlight covers on my GTI since 2011 when I bought it new and they still look clear (though its a garaged car)

[aklackner]

Anyone using a clear coat?
I'm thinking I'm going to try, it may help limit how frequently they need to be resealed or the sealants\coatings yellowing.
Since I'm already using it for other parts I figured I'd try the Spray Max 2k clear, as I saw some info that reccomended it for the purpose.

The main detractors around clear coating that I saw was that headlights should be removed from the car to spray them well, but that's less of an issue for those of us in rebuild projects with them off the car already.

[RTW DC2R]

I ended up trying the sealant that came with the kit, but it started to come off when using a bug and tar remover. So I will likely use an actual clear coat eventually. For now I just removed the sealant.

[I am the Liquor]

Clear coat really wont hold up for long, you'll likely be doing this whole process in 6m-1year with anything but a film protectant. If you want your headlight clarity to last use a clear film and wax regularly. Oem's use film to protect headlights and it usually lasts for years.