Restored My Headlights

[1999grandamse]

My headlights were beginning to look pretty raggedy (it is a 99), so I decided to remove my headlights, sand off the nasty stuff, and buff them to a nice shine. Here is a picture of the worse of the 2 headlights BEFORE I started. The haze and fogging made the headlight put out less light than the other one. It was also unbefitting of an otherwise attractive vehicle;)

[coupe]

Check this out.

http://autopia.org/forum/showthread.php?t=73597&highlight=headlight+restore

Im gonna do this to my stock headlights and sell them, they are collecting dust anyways.

[1999grandamse]

And here is what the same headlight looks like now. It was definitely worth all the work. I disassembled each headlight by cutting the seal and peeling the case from the lens. I then sanded the lens with 3 different sandpapers until it was smooth and cloudy. I then buffed each lens for around a half hour each until they shined and became crystal clear. Then I reassembled the lights using a clear silicone sealant meant for rugged outdoor use and let it cure for ~24 hours.

The lights are back on and I am going to reaim them tonight after dark.

If anyone thinks it is a good idea, I took over 100 photos throughout the process and could post a How To so that other members have something to follow (other than the Acura Forum How To :) )


The other headlight in the picture is shiney also. It's just so sunny today that the glare makes it look white.

[1999grandamse]

Forgot the picture :doh:

[dcblackbird]

can you get a closer pic?

i had the same problem i thought it was on the inside of my light it almost looked like dew or condensation. it was so bad i started driving with my brights on but now that i saw this i might just do something similar.

[2K SE]

That headlight looks awesome. Thought I would need to buy new but now I want to clear up mine too.

[1999grandamse]

This one is closer. After a couple of days of driving, I'll sand the lights one more time with 2000 grit sandpaper and buff them again and they will look even better. My headlights have tiny chips and stuff from the previous owner, so they will never be perfect.

[Tommy00GT1]

They do indeed look a little bit better; good job. Another round or two and they will be getting better and better.

[XoticGA]

Looks good, though.. It won't stay that way :(

Save your pennies and buy those aftermarket ones :D

[Autowar]

Great tips dude, thanks, mine are just as horrible as yours were. And I always thought that stuff was in the inside of the lens so I never bothered...

[Brad M]

Meguires (sp?) makes some headlight cleaner polish that runs 99 cents at Autozone also...

[sudden_impulse]

Doesn't have to stay that way permanently, he can always add redoing the headlight twice a year or something to his list of maintenance. I tried just buffing my hazed headlights with race glaze and a d/a buffer. It made a bit of a difference, but didn't do the job completely, so if you only have slight hazing and don't want to remove the headlight, just tape up the bumper and buff away.

[mattcow]

I decided to tackle my headlights last night with the same procedure. I removed the headlights from the car and started off sanding with 600 grit then 1000, 1500, 2000, and finally a hand polish with McGuires plastic polish. The headlights look fantastic.

I don’t see why it won’t last though – all of the oxidation damage has been sanded off.

[TurboSupra12]

Did you guys leave the nubby things on the headlights or sand thme off too?

[mattcow]

I left mine on but I was thinking about cutting them off then sanding. They did not get in the way that much when I was sanding and I figured that I may not get the same surface finish where the nubb was if I did cut them off.

[TA^Guy]

Originally posted by TurboSupra12
Did you guys leave the nubby things on the headlights or sand thme off too?
If you remove the nipples you won't be able to properly align your headlights. Also you might fail inspection if a inspector trys to check your light adjustments and can't get the mirrors to line up.

['96GAGT]

Congrats on the new look! Keeping them that way is the hard part.

[HighwayProwlerz]

Definitely post a how-to. During my detailing days I had difficulty getting the headlights as clear as you made those. I could always make a little difference with the Mequiars but not like that.

[SEdrvr919]

Yeah dude, ur lights look awesome, must make a how to page and post the link!