# Using the 3M Headlamp Refurbishing Kit



## happychappy (Feb 9, 2015)

My headlights were looking rather sad with stone chips, scratches and a weird crazing pretty much all over both lenses, so I purchased a 3M headlight refurbishment kit and tucked it away to use in the future, the future came today!

At first I was VERY apprehensive as I looked at the kit and then at the headlights and then in turn viewed the 3M video on you tube:-






However I needed to "seize the day" and crack on, so I did....

To make the renovation process easier I decided to remove the headlights (two visible torx screws on top of slam panel - completely remove, two hidden torx screws at front and rear of headlight - loosen about three to four turns DO NOT REMOVE - use the long screwdriver torx blade from the tool kit in the boot to do this, once screws are removed/loosened slide the headlamp towards you and remove the electrical connector to release)

Initially I started by using the coarsest pad (gold) in the 3M kit, what a waste of time! It didn't touch the protection clear coat, all that happened was that the pad blocked up more or less instantly and hardly made an impression on the lens, not a good start, a rethink was needed.

As I was in for a penny & in for a pound it was time to bring out the big guns so I went to the garage and grabbed some wet n dry paper to see if I could make any progress. I grabbed a few sheets of 400 grit and 1200 grit, a bowl of clean water and tentatively I sprayed the headlight with clean water, dipped a 1/4 of a sheet of 400 grit into my bowl of water and proceeded to wet sand the headlight.

When doing this make sure that the lens is always kept wet by dipping the paper in the water and spraying water onto the lens continually to lubricate the paper and thus stop creating more scratches. Eventually I could feel the chips and scratches being reduced by the way the paper was starting to glide over the lens and so I wiped the lens over with a clean microfibre cloth to check my progress.

It was not good, although the lens was very smooth there were only a couple of places where I had managed to remove the lens protection (clear coat lacquer) and so it was back to the wet sanding, I continued for about an hour, periodically stopping, checking and renewing the paper until the lens was a uniform grey colour all over (please see picture below) no glossy patches should be left, these are the remains of the protection coat.










After stage 1 with the 400 grit I continued onto the 1200 paper and once again, keeping a wet edge to proceedings until the lens was a uniform grey finish all over, this second stage took around 15 minutes, upon cleaning and drying the results looked horrific! Although totally smooth (only a couple of deep chips that are too deep to remove remained) I honestly thought that I was going to have to replace the headlights as I never dreamed I would be able to get them to a serviceable standard, to say I was worried was an understatement.










I thoroughly dried the headlamp and moved onto the 3m kit (first two sanding stages are performed dry) now that all the protective coat on the lens was gone and worked my way through the two grades of sanding paper in the kit taking my time and moving the drill steadily and smoothly across the lens. After finishing using the gold disc I saw a big reduction in the micro scratches and an improvement in the opaqueness of the lens and after completing the white sanding discs stage it was now possible to see the inside of the headlight!

Moving onto the final two stages is where it really starts to happen, the first sponge pad (Trizact P300) is used wet and is the start of the process where you actually feel you are getting somewhere! Lots of water to lubricate and lots and lots of smooth even passes are needed, I spent about 20 mins on this stage.

The final stage incorporates the big sponge and the rubbing compound in the black sachet, I used a mist of water to lubricate after applying the rubbing compound to the pad and then touching the lens all over with the pad on the drill to spread the compound onto the lens before spinning the pad around. This polishing stage took about 15 mins and was the most satisfying.

I finished off by applying some Autoglym SRP polish to the pad and going once again for a final polish, this took about 5 mins.

I am yet to apply a coat of UV resistant clear coat to protect the headlamps from the onslaught of the weather, once this has been completed its job done.

So to recap:-

1 - Wet hand sand with 400 grit and then 1200 grit wet n dry paper to remove all traces of the protective clear coat on the lens, this is quite thick and will take some elbow grease to remove, if you have any crazing it seems to be the clear coat protection breaking down that's the cause of this, it will disappear once the clear coat protection has been sanded down.

2 - Move over to the 3M kit and work through the various stages using lots of water for the Trizact stage.

3 - After the final stage using the big sponge and rubbing compound I repeated again with some Autoglym SRP polish on the pad to finish the renovation of the headlamps off.

4 - Take your time over each stage, don't rush! Set aside a couple of hours at least for each headlamp, the first wet hand sand and final polishing are where most of the time goes, your hands will ache, but I think its worthwhile,


----------



## TTsdsgomg (Mar 19, 2013)

The first 2 pics freaked me out  thats scary. Glad it had a 'happychappy' ending 
Really good write up and explanation, looks like KB material. [smiley=book2.gif]


----------



## happychappy (Feb 9, 2015)

Not for the faint hearted!

But such satisfaction when completed!

I very nearly purchased new headlights, so glad I gave this a whirl


----------



## LVS (Feb 25, 2020)

Very nicely done. Results are amazing


----------



## Iceblue (Jul 20, 2018)

Excellent guide and gives me some confidence that this could be done. Can you comment on whether all the crazing has gone. Also can you confirm how you secured the lens whilst operating polisher and whether you then have to spray a clear coat on the lens or is it OK to leave without. Cheers


----------



## happychappy (Feb 9, 2015)

Yes, all the crazing has gone.

I will be honest and say that I actually felt tummy sick/worried wet sanding for so long, but using such fine papers takes only microns off each pass, just keep wiping down and inspecting to make sure all the glossy/shiny patches have gone. As I said in the notes it took me about an hour for the first wet sanding stage to achieve a totally uniform grey colour all over, after a few minutes I soon started to relax as I could see the progress. Don't waste your time using the kit before wet sanding, you will be throwing away good money in my opinion.

I used a Black and Decker workmate to achieve a comfortable working height, I placed the headlamp on two wooden blocks (12"x4'x2") with a towel over them to raise the headlamp and protect the little drain underneath whilst my wife held the headlamp. It's a safe process as her hands were never near the front of the headlamp, plenty to push down on at the rear, headlamp, not wife.  :lol: :lol:

If you don't have a handy extra pair of hands to help I guess you could use cable ties to secure the headlamp to the bench, but as the whole renovating process takes quite a while it's nice to have someone to talk to and a second pair of eyes too.

I haven't ordered the clear coat yet, but as my car is a garage Queen I am not in a rush, but if the car was outside 24/7 I would complete this task ASAP to protect the plastic from UV light as that's most probably what caused the breakdown of the clear coat in the first place.


----------



## TTsdsgomg (Mar 19, 2013)

'happychappy' we are in dark times  but this comment cheered up my day 

" It's a safe process as her hands were never near the front of the headlamp, plenty to push down on at the rear, headlamp, not wife.  :lol: :lol: "

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


----------



## Iceblue (Jul 20, 2018)

Cheers and clear coat could be an exercise in itself so would be great if you could record that as well. Look forward to the update and I am now looking to replace the wife with one of yours. Whats the part number :lol:


----------



## happychappy (Feb 9, 2015)

Will do, but as paint shop is closed it may be a while.

Regards part number it's:-

8JO 40DD


----------



## TTsdsgomg (Mar 19, 2013)

Iceblue said:


> Cheers and clear coat could be an exercise in itself so would be great if you could record that as well. Look forward to the update and I am now looking to replace the wife with one of yours. Whats the part number :lol:


Its gets even better :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

** obviously the word 'wife' could be substituted for 'husband' or any other willing relative or significant other.


----------



## TTsdsgomg (Mar 19, 2013)

happychappy said:


> Will do, but as paint shop is closed it may be a while.
> 
> Regards part number it's:-
> 
> 8JO 40DD


Hi, I may also be interested in this part, Is there a separate part number for left and right hand drive, also is the 40DD a sizing reference 
My internet search of 8JO has also thrown up some unexpected results :roll:


----------



## happychappy (Feb 9, 2015)

The part number is firm

This is the correct sizing confirmed after much investigation and hands on research.

I have further researched the left and right hand sided versions and although there is a very slight imbalance between the two they are both up to standard.

I will keep you abreast of any updates....


----------



## Iceblue (Jul 20, 2018)

Is there an upgraded version with more plastic parts and can the soundactor be dialled down :lol:


----------



## happychappy (Feb 9, 2015)

No upgraded plastic filled option is currently available.

However please handle carefully as once the sound actuator is deployed it results in a loud high pitched screech that difficult, if not impossible to control.


----------



## Hacksawcats (Jan 16, 2020)

Looking for some advice: I've just used the 3m headlight restorer, but my lights are still scratched to bits! I used the 500 grade first using wet/dry, then I used the 800 grade but it doesn't seem to remove the scratches that the 500 grade has caused! I didn't go in heavy with the 500 grade I made sure I used light to medium pressure, but as I say the lights are scratched to bits! How long did it take you to get the scratches out? I was going to buy some more 800 grade pads (as than ones' that came with the kit seem to be worn out/useless. 
Any advice would be gratefully appreciated.


----------



## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hacksawcats said:


> Looking for some advice: I've just used the 3m headlight restorer, but my lights are still scratched to bits! I used the 500 grade first using wet/dry, then I used the 800 grade but it doesn't seem to remove the scratches that the 500 grade has caused! I didn't go in heavy with the 500 grade I made sure I used light to medium pressure, but as I say the lights are scratched to bits! How long did it take you to get the scratches out? I was going to buy some more 800 grade pads (as than ones' that came with the kit seem to be worn out/useless.
> Any advice would be gratefully appreciated.


Hi, You will have to go finer 1200 grit minimum. It will take longer but keep it wet & don't rush it.
Hoggy.


----------



## happychappy (Feb 9, 2015)

As I mentioned earlier I used a 400 then 1200 paper whilst wet sanding, this got me to a uniform finish, I then switched to the 3M system and spent a while and many passes removing all the scratches.

I was outside and used the sunshine to view the lens in between sanding stages, but I have read a torch is good too.

Did you get a uniform grey/haze all over the lens before continuing to next stage? If any scratches are visible go back a stage and take your time, it's not a race

I used the wet sanding as a good base to start from and just took my time, the Trizact stage is probably the most important one as it's this pad that really starts the ball rolling in the right direction.

The final foam pad is the icing on the cake, take your time and keep the pad moving, make sure the speed of the drill is about 1600 rpm, just take your time, lots of passes are needed.


----------



## Hacksawcats (Jan 16, 2020)

Hi, Thanks for the friendly advice.In response I did get a sort of uniform grey haze all over the lens before contining to the next stage, with exception of a few spots, which I couldn't tell was remaining clear coat or not, but it seem to matter how long I sanded the spots, it didnt shift them. As the kit only starts at 500 grade, are saying that I should get 400 grade (potienlty making the scratched worse?) or shoul I just go straight to 1200 grade now and see what happens? I did take my time, i think I spent in total over a few days about 4 hrs total.! I think I may have gone wrong with the drill speed setting, as I set it to it's slowest speed, because I thought that would be the least intrusive (less damaging)? With regard to using the trizact stage, I guess I will need to buy a new restore kit, as I guess the pad will be to worn to reuse?

Thanks again for any help/advice guys

PS: Anyone know about Halogen Projectors, I've tried to remove one of mine and its fell to bits! can they be removed or do I have split the headlight?


----------



## ab54666 (Nov 18, 2019)

I'd straight to 1200 grade or finer, easier to later go harsher if required,


----------



## Hacksawcats (Jan 16, 2020)

Thanks for taking the time and the advice


----------



## ZephyR2 (Feb 20, 2013)

TTsdsgomg said:


> 'happychappy' we are in dark times  but this comment cheered up my day
> 
> " It's a safe process as her hands were never near the front of the headlamp, plenty to push down on at the rear, headlamp, not wife.  :lol: :lol: "
> 
> :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


Me too. Best laugh of the week. :lol:


----------



## happychappy (Feb 9, 2015)

ab54666 said:


> I'd straight to 1200 grade or finer, easier to later go harsher if required,


In my experience 1200 wont touch the lacquer, it's a tough old beastie!

A wet sand is definitely the way to go, perhaps use 600/1200/1600 wet and then miss out the sanding stages of the 3M kit and go onto the Trizact stage followed by the sponge mop.


----------



## happychappy (Feb 9, 2015)

Hacksawcats said:


> Hi, Thanks for the friendly advice.In response I did get a sort of uniform grey haze all over the lens before contining to the next stage, with exception of a few spots, which I couldn't tell was remaining clear coat or not, but it seem to matter how long I sanded the spots, it didnt shift them. As the kit only starts at 500 grade, are saying that I should get 400 grade (potienlty making the scratched worse?) or shoul I just go straight to 1200 grade now and see what happens? I did take my time, i think I spent in total over a few days about 4 hrs total.! I think I may have gone wrong with the drill speed setting, as I set it to it's slowest speed, because I thought that would be the least intrusive (less damaging)? With regard to using the trizact stage, I guess I will need to buy a new restore kit, as I guess the pad will be to worn to reuse?
> 
> Thanks again for any help/advice guys
> 
> PS: Anyone know about Halogen Projectors, I've tried to remove one of mine and its fell to bits! can they be removed or do I have split the headlight?


If it was me and I was not happy with the finish I would start again, this time with a wet sand to achieve a totally blank canvas to build upon.

Maybe use a final stage 1600 paper wet by hand and then move onto the trizact stage finishing off with the sponge mop, this is where the final polishing takes place. I didn't mention it earlier, but I used some Meguiars Cleaner Wax after the rubbing compound stage, finished off with the AG SRP all applied via the sponge mop.










I am afraid I have no idea about projector lights, might be worth starting a new thread?


----------



## Hacksawcats (Jan 16, 2020)

Hi All, Just a quick update, yesterday I used 1200 grade paper and sanded by hand, took a lot of time put finally got all of the the drill scuffs out and crazed old clear coat. Phew what a relief,thought the lamps were for destined for the bin. so with renewed confidence, I'm off to halfords for 2000 grade and just ordered some 3000 grade trizac discs of ebay. Just the projector sort out now! Oh well I guess it's all character building!

Many thanks for the advice and for holding my hand (so to speak).

I'll let you know how I get on after todays session!


----------



## happychappy (Feb 9, 2015)

Well done, perseverance pays...

And water - lots of it, is your new best friend!


----------



## Hacksawcats (Jan 16, 2020)

Just a quick update, Well the 2000 grade worked and when I went to the trizac on the drill, that's when I could see the results of my hard labor! Only done one far but it's come back thank goodness! I'll post some photo's later. 
Not sure if this the right post to ask but: I tried to take one of the projectors out and made a right mess of it! So I've had to split the headlight to refit some parts that fell out! One was a little red/orange spacer which I've managed to refit correctly but one of the the parts that came of was a plastic half ring "thingyme bob". The problem is that when I was/we were trying to refit it, my son managed to break it in half! I think i've fitted both broken halves back correctly but not sure what affect this broken refitted part will have on the the lights functionality or adjustment? Any one any idea's??
Also whilst I'm on: LED bulb replacements: Are they worth while??

Many thanks for any help and advice


----------



## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

I haven't gone to this extreme just yet, but have gotten decent results with Meguiar's PlastX clear plastic cleaner and polish. It does a nice job on the headlights and tail lights. This might be a nice "final" polish for your headlight project.

I've also used it on the brite trim around the grill, and to completely remove the anti-glare coating from my RNS-E display. I even used it when I cleaned up my key fobs a few weeks ago.

Very handy for all sorts of projects where you just need a very fine abrasive for cleaning and polishing.


----------



## Hacksawcats (Jan 16, 2020)

Good to know thanks


----------



## happychappy (Feb 9, 2015)

Hacksawcats said:


> Just a quick update, Well the 2000 grade worked and when I went to the trizac on the drill, that's when I could see the results of my hard labor! Only done one far but it's come back thank goodness! I'll post some photo's later.
> Not sure if this the right post to ask but: I tried to take one of the projectors out and made a right mess of it! So I've had to split the headlight to refit some parts that fell out! One was a little red/orange spacer which I've managed to refit correctly but one of the the parts that came of was a plastic half ring "thingyme bob". The problem is that when I was/we were trying to refit it, my son managed to break it in half! I think i've fitted both broken halves back correctly but not sure what affect this broken refitted part will have on the the lights functionality or adjustment? Any one any idea's??
> Also whilst I'm on: LED bulb replacements: Are they worth while??
> 
> Many thanks for any help and advice


May I ask how you managed to split the headlight?

I am assuming you mean the lens from the body?

I tried but wussed out.....

I took the little clips off used a heat gun and plastic trim levers on the joins but I got no movement at all.


----------



## Hacksawcats (Jan 16, 2020)

Of course you can: To be honest I was scarred stiff (big expensive if it went wrong). As you say remove the clips and then just find a section where the a reasonable wide gap (near the one of the connection arms? worked for me). I used a hairdryer (many people say a heat gun is to harsh, and I was a bit skeptical about putting my light in the oven! especially when I've seen advice ranging from a minimum heat setting to 170 degrees!). Once you got a small section parted I used a couple of ordernary knifes and used one to keep the lens separated and one just to start opening the next part. I took my time (about 30 mins each) just to check that there were''t any hidden clips etc. and bit by bit they started to come apart. (no hidden nastys BTW). To be honest I'm a novice at all this malarkey but I found it very easy!

Just need to to do some research on how to reseal them, but I've read that the gunk on them also reseals them but that you just have to add some added pressure (a couple of straps of some kind just to keep the pressure on, a couple bungy straps work apparently, but when it comes to resealing them I'll let you know how I get on with them

Feel free to ask me anything further, happy to contribute


----------



## Hacksawcats (Jan 16, 2020)

Just to add: wear some rubber gloves, the gunk is very sticky and gets everywhere. To handle the lights, I used a bucket to rest them in while I worked on them, not sure if this the correct way to do it, but it worked for me.


----------



## Hacksawcats (Jan 16, 2020)

SwissJetPilot said:


> I haven't gone to this extreme just yet, but have gotten decent results with Meguiar's PlastX clear plastic cleaner and polish. It does a nice job on the headlights and tail lights. This might be a nice "final" polish for your headlight project.
> 
> I've also used it on the brite trim around the grill, and to completely remove the anti-glare coating from my RNS-E display. I even used it when I cleaned up my key fobs a few weeks ago.
> 
> Very handy for all sorts of projects where you just need a very fine abrasive for cleaning and polishing.


Just ordered some, thanks.


----------



## happychappy (Feb 9, 2015)

Thanks Hacksawcats

I think I bunked out too early, but I might try again as I have an idea!

Pop a pair of steel rulers in the groove to protect the plastic and use a screwdriver in between these to lever the lens from the body.

Regards the "gunk", it's called "headlight sealant". I purchased some from eBay for the hooks on the door pulls as they attach to the lever to stop any rattles, it looks like a huge roll of liquorice! 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/352909820378


----------



## Hacksawcats (Jan 16, 2020)

Sounds like a plan, I didn't have any steal rulers! I'd be careful with the screw driver, make sure its nice and thin. One other thing to mention is be careful (when splitting the lens) to identify which part belongs to the insert ( I didn't realize that the insert comes out of the lens! I know you would have thought the clue was in the name). but eh oh, nothing ventured... If your not careful you may melt the edge of the insert! but I got away with it. To be fair, splitting them I think is going to to be the easy part, putting them back together may prove to be a bit trickier. As I say I'll let you know when I've put them back together.
If I was to do the whole things again, I wouldn't use the the refurb kit apart from the trizac (3000 grade) and the polisher. I found it far easier to control the amount of pressure I was using by hand. I would use 400/600/800/1200/2000/3000 grade wet & dry. I've attached some photos of the lens so far. I'm still not quite happy with the finish (anal I l know) but I think the trizac has worn out, so waiting on some 3000 pads to arrive and then [email protected] see if I can get an even better finish.
Thanks for the re-assurance by the way, I really did think I'd completely ruined them!
While I've split them I was thinking of changing the indicitor lenses to white, jus to update the car a little what do you think? To chavy? But on the other hand I'm trying to keep the car as standard/original as possible.


----------



## IPG3.6 (Sep 5, 2015)

OK this is a great thread as i've been frustrated as to why my Mk1 headlight didn't turn out so well! LOL

i stopped at 1200grit wet/dry but looks like i need to keep going with finer grits. 

Thanks for the info guys!


----------



## happychappy (Feb 9, 2015)

Hacksawcats said:


> While I've split them I was thinking of changing the indicitor lenses to white, jus to update the car a little what do you think? To chavy? But on the other hand I'm trying to keep the car as standard/original as possible.


Sound like a plan, doesn't sound Chavy at all, of course pics will be needed.


----------



## happychappy (Feb 9, 2015)

ianpgonzaga said:


> OK this is a great thread as i've been frustrated as to why my Mk1 headlight didn't turn out so well! LOL
> 
> i stopped at 1200grit wet/dry but looks like i need to keep going with finer grits.
> 
> Thanks for the info guys!


It's a weird process, one minute you are thinking you have royally screwed it up, the next you are on top of the world as you see the lens getting clearer and then it's back down the chute when you notice more swirls and scratches that MUST be removed! :lol:


----------



## Hacksawcats (Jan 16, 2020)

Just a few photo's of the headlight being split. Note: "Special" tools required!! I did have quite ranting post, but when I pressed "Save" it seems to have disappeared! I'll re-do it in the morning now. Cheers Folks.


----------



## MT-V6 (Jan 11, 2015)

This week's Wheeler Dealers shows the refurbishment of an E55 headlight. Thought I'd post as it useful to see a demonstration rather than just reading about it


----------



## Hacksawcats (Jan 16, 2020)

What channel was it on please?


----------



## MT-V6 (Jan 11, 2015)

Hacksawcats said:


> What channel was it on please?


Discovery


----------



## Wolvez (Jun 22, 2018)

Just use a 90 degree o-ring pick tool to give you leverage and work your way around. Slowly but surely.


----------



## Hacksawcats (Jan 16, 2020)

Wow, Your's look a lot neater than mine


----------



## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

A follow up on this discussion from *Daniel Stern* who is an automotive headlight and lighting expert. During an exchange of emails regarding headlight marking codes (click *here*) he was kind enough to share his comments on the effects of degraded lenses and how best to deal with the problem of opacification (haze) and the associated risks and benefits of polishing them.

*SwissJetPilot* -
With regards to halogen bulbs, one of the issues that comes up quite often is the complaint about the poor lighting quality of halogen lights for the Mk2 TT.

*Daniel Stern - *
That's a legitimate complaint. The lamps are small, which limits the amount of light they can collect and the degree to which they can amplify it. 

Moreover, they're subject to several kinds of degradation. Plastic lens opacification is the obvious one. Most of the "headlamp restoration" kits on the market are a waste of money and time. Polishing the headlamps strips off the anti-UV/anti-scratch hard-coat applied and crosslink-cured under clean-room conditions when the lamps were manufactured. With this coating gone, the surface degradation will come back faster and worse than before, and the polycarbonate itself will progressively break down. 

Some kits contain what's claimed to be a new coating, but most of these don't get the job done—there is just no quickly wipe-on-and-go solution that's worth messing with, so if you need to buy some time and try to renew plastic lenses that aren't severely hazed, be picky about how you go about it. Two relatively good ways are the techniques discussed *here*, or using the *KBS Coatings 50040 Headlight Restore Kit**. *However I don't know if this product is sold outside North America.

Even without haze, really look closely at the lenses. Cracks and holes are obvious enough, but the pitting/sandblasting that accumulates over the years worsens headlight performance much more than might seem obvious.

And lenses aren't the only part of the headlamp that degrades with age. The reflectors are shiny by dint of a very thin layer of vapour-deposited aluminium with a very thin protective clear topcoat. The topcoat eventually breaks down and allows the aluminium to begin oxidizing. Optical degradation of the reflector is severely advanced well before you could possibly see it with the naked eye; by the time the reflector has visibly degraded enough to be described as just a little imperfect, the lamp is past dead. 

To calibrate your mind on this point: even the most costly, beautiful chrome plating that makes bumpers look 6 metres deep on a show car, is only about 67 per cent reflective. That's not nearly good enough for optical purposes; an as-new headlamp reflector is over 96 per cent reflective, and there is no bulb that can compensate.

An apposite note about the (hidden) reflectors in projector-type lamps:when the reflectors cook to death, the result is a correctly-shaped beam pattern but without much light in it."


----------



## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

In the event the link in Daniel's comments gets broken, I have copied it here for reference - 

This is a method that I got from someone from another car related forum. Supposedly the UV protector is the same as what companies are selling for alot of money, but you can run down to home depot/hardware store to pick up everything you need for about $20-$25. This process is basically already well known:

• Wetsand-400, 800, 1000, 1500 and 2000
• Buff-System one polish or equivalent with a high speed drill with small wool pad attachment

But here is the "new" part......
• UV Sealer-Helmsman Spar Urethane(Indoor/Outdoor) Clear Gloss mixed with Mineral Spirits (1-part urethane to 1-part mineral spirits).

After you buff the lights out with your polisher, you wipe down the headlight with denatured alcohol or isopropyl alcohol (to eliminate any compound residue.
Mix the urethane and mineral spirits in a plastic disposable cup. Remember the dilution ration: 1 to 1.
Take a blue 'scott' shop rag and fold it up into a 1 inch x 1 inch square. Then dip the rag into the mixture and wipe it on the headlight. Don't use too much or it might run, but start at the top of the light and work side to side. It took me a few times to get my method down, so if you mess up with application, wipe it off with mineral spirits and start over.

This UV sealant dries in 10-20 mins usually and is far superior to any average detail product; (paint sealant, wax etc.) Its like a clear cote, but you don't spray it, not as messy.

Longevity-The original "creator" of this method told me that he did a headlight restoration with this method about 2-years ago for a customer, and he said it still looks good.

*Materials Needed: *








*Before - *








*After - *


----------



## TT'sRevenge (Feb 28, 2021)

Wow never heard of using "household" urethane to do something like headlights, but looks like that stuff is waterproof and UV resistant (designed for outdoor use). However even being designed for outdoor is a different story on a vehicle that is not only outdoor but also driven at speeds in excess of 100km/h...

Interesting "off-label" use though. Minwax products (including this very one) are widely and easily available at hardware stores like Home Depot, etc. over here...not sure about in Europe.

With regards to the removal of material and UV coating with restoration kits as mentioned by Daniel--I've been telling people that exact same thing a long time. There's really no point in doing a "sand down" restoration if there is no true UV coat (like a clear-coat not just a polish/wax product) applied afterwards. All that will happen is a year or so later they'll be back to cloudy again, plus you will have removed material from the lens making it weaker. So repeated applications are just going to get you closer to cracking and having to replace the entire light.

The Sylvania kit (which cannot be found in Canada, only in US, not sure about Europe?) is shown to be one of the best as per Project Farm's video where he uses a microscope to inspect the lenses after product application. That does include a clear coat to protect the lens thereafter. 

However my recommendation is to go one step further and apply a headlight film like Lamin-X, 3M, Xpel, etc. after any restoration (preferably from when the car is new if you could have, to avoid having to do any restorations). You can get pre-cut film kits (like Lamin-X) for pretty affordable prices and for just a headlight it's really not that difficult to apply and get right.

I've not heard of the KBS stuff before but looks interesting. I'm thinking if the lights have gone hazy and are pitted already though, a sanding would probably still be best first and then follow with the KBS product...and then follow with a film once that has fully cured after a couple weeks or so heh.


----------

