HOW-TO: Restore Hazy Headlights

[sk8rjess]

i got sick of not being able to see too well at night, even with brights on. and if any of you have seen my headlight covers, you know i need new ones.

well aside of the clear gts covers i just bought (thanks iceman!) i need to be able to see at night until they come in.

i thought i seen this in a thread but i searched and couldnt find.

http://www.sanctifieddesigns.net/images/car/tuts/100_2088.JPGhttp://www.sanctifieddesigns.net/images/car/tuts/100_2091.JPG
http://www.sanctifieddesigns.net/images/car/tuts/100_2103.JPGhttp://www.sanctifieddesigns.net/images/car/tuts/100_2104.JPG

first two are before, last 2 are after.
(mods feel free to resize, since i dont know how)



How to restore your hazy looking headlights.


Things Needed:
1. 400 grit sandpaper
2. 600 grit sandpaper
3. 800 grit sandpaper
4. 1000 grit sandpaper
5. 1500 grit sandpaper
6. 2000 grit sandpaper
7. Some kind of rubbing compound.
8. Buffer (i used my dremel with the correct attachment)

Total Cost(minus dremel): Around $15



This is very straight forward.
First remove headlight covers from the headlight. I used a screw driver to pry mine open but then again i've had mine open before.

next, you can shave off the 3 little nubs on the front if you'd like. i did, it made things alot easier. i used my dremel.

next start with the 400 grit sandpaper and start sanding away. dont let it scare you that your headlight cover is scratched like crazy, all that will be fixed in the end.

after you've used the 400 grit, move up to the 600.

after the 600 move to the 800 and so on.

make sure you sanded your headlight down really good. i spent a good 30 minutes on each headlight making sure i got it all down nice and smooth.

when you've finished with the 2000 grit, apply the compound and rub it in.

finally, buffer it all.


now you should have a nice and clean cover. my projectors put out easily over 50% more light after this. heres what mine look like:

http://www.sanctifieddesigns.net/images/car/tuts/100_2107.JPG

http://www.sanctifieddesigns.net/images/car/tuts/100_2108.JPG

http://www.sanctifieddesigns.net/images/car/tuts/100_2118.JPG

http://www.sanctifieddesigns.net/images/car/tuts/100_2119.JPG

[Bouchie11982]

forget the haziness, put a How-To for the angel eyes :lol: j.k
that looks really good! and it would definately be handy for the pople with hazy headlights

[sk8rjess]

mine were pre wired with my projectors :)

[coupe]

I beat ya to it dude:
http://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=75080

[sk8rjess]

dang bro i looked for that thread lol. i knew i seen it on here somewhere. oh well. now they have two :D

[coupe]

Hate to be a downer but your headlights dont look much better in your afters. They are still hazy and uneven lookin.

[gtdado4]

^ X2

[sk8rjess]

ah really? i guess its just the pics. they look soooo much better then they did before. heh i can actually see at night and i can easily see my projector cut off, to where as before you couldnt tell they were projectors by lookin at the light output. hmm. maybe ill try to get better pics. i guess they are still very very little hazy, but its hard to tell if ya seen them. im about to get new covers in the mail prob sometime next week so i wont have to worry about it.

[Bouchie11982]

hey my dad has tha same quad! sorry...i jsut spotted that when i was doing a search for this How-To :blush:
also, do u have to keep buffing the headlights? or do they stay like that.

[sk8rjess]

ha really? no offense dude but its prob too small for your dad lol. its only a 250ex bored to 270-280. your dad prob has a 400ex?

well after about 2 weeks the haze came back. i thought maybe putting a layer of clear coat on it would stop it but i never tried. i got the new gts covers now so im not sure.

[Bouchie11982]

yea i believe it is the 400ex :runs out side: yup it is. but he looks big on it. it might just be me but yea. he goes mudding and stuff. so i suppose a little one is good compared to the giant heavy ass he used to have. he used to have two of them.
so you think spraying them with clear coat will help?? i have a couple pair of extra lens cuz the little tabs kept breaking off. and the duct tape isnt holding the rubber thing on anymore :lol:

[sk8rjess]

yea i just killed my 250 last week, stupid thing had an oil leak that i wasnt aware of. im wanting to buy a 400 ex now but an ecotec comes first lol.

i think it should, but im not for sure. i actually lost one of the rubber things on the high way so im going to have to buy a new one of those ha. i just used hot glue to hold them on

[tkd_guy89]

That is an awsome how to, but I am very ignorant when it comes to car maintence. Tell me on the sanding, do you sand the inside of the plastic or the outside?

[GatorGA]

That would be the outside. And don't sand/cut off the knobs. They are there for a reason.

[coupe]

Clear coating them wont help one bit, pretty stupid to even consider.
If you read my HOW-TO i mention that after wetsanding is where people get into trouble. You did not buff out all the sanding scratches.

[coupe]

Originally posted by tkd_guy89
That is an awsome how to, but I am very ignorant when it comes to car maintence. Tell me on the sanding, do you sand the inside of the plastic or the outside?


:lol:

You might wanna follow mine, he botched his up pretty bad:
http://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=75080

[tkd_guy89]

Thanks, question where did you get your sandpaper at?

[coupe]

My local autobody equipment and supply store. Every city has at least 1. Open your phone book and see where there is one close to you.

Napa and carquest can order it for you also if they dont have it on the shelf, same with O' Reileys if you have one.

Make sure to buy unigrit though. There is 3M trizact, megs unigrit, Abralon and Mirka.

[sk8rjess]

yea mines not the best.. this might be the most unsuccessful thing i've done so far for my car, sorry guys.

follow up on what coupe said.

as for where to buy it, wally world has a pretty big selection on sasnd paper and everything else.