Use some auto polish. If that doesn't work get some 1000 or 2000 grit sandpaper and sand it smooth. You can then follow with polish and then wax or you can just go to the wax.
Get a Mother's PowerBall Mini and some plastic polish, or even some medium cut paint polish. Do you live near a NAPA? They carry actual polish. It's hard to find REAL polish at places like AutoZone, O'Reillys, etc. They mostly carry just waxes.
Use some auto polish. If that doesn't work get some 1000 or 2000 grit sandpaper and sand it smooth. You can then follow with polish and then wax or you can just go to the wax.
Good call, Humanoid. However, if you start with sandpaper, you will have to follow up with polish. The sandpaper will take you down past the pitted area, but it will also dull the finish, similar to what it does to paint.
We usually go with 1000 grit followed by polish on a wool pad on a rotary. Perfect every time.
Headlights (polycarbonate) and auto paint (acrylic urethane) are not that different. They are both more or less plastic and can be cared for the same way. Of course with headlights you have a LOT more material to work with than auto paint!!!
EDIT: Just noticed you're in Socal, yosh2000. If Lake Forest is not too far, come to the Fuddrucker's Car Show on a Tuesday night and we'll do them for free (your wife's car as well). PM me for details.
Last edited by PolishAndWax; 09-29-2007 at 10:45 PM.
Do not use sand paper, that will only make matters worse. Get the power ball as stated above and you want Meguiars PlastX, its specially formulated for plastics. You'll be completely satisfied. You can eve use it with out the power ball, but the ball will give you better results.
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To each his own...we use 1000 grit sandpaper on headlights all the time and it works great as long as you follow up with polish.
yosh2000: Bring the vehicle to Fudd's...we'll take care of it and shoot a video to add to my collection.
that is really cool of you to offer! i do have two lab class every tuesday from 4-10pm until mid december though. if there are still car shows then, i'll definitely come down. would love to see how you do it and gain the experience for myself!
again, thanks for the offer, its nice to know there are still people out there like you! hopefully see you in december!
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that is really cool of you to offer! i do have two lab class every tuesday from 4-10pm until mid december though. if there are still car shows then, i'll definitely come down. would love to see how you do it and gain the experience for myself!
again, thanks for the offer, its nice to know there are still people out there like you! hopefully see you in december!
Weather permitting, we'll still be there.
PM me if you want to come to the shop in Anaheim instead...maybe we can do it a heck of a lot sooner than December.
I did a 2000 grit wet sand on my headlights followed by a polish, but the lens is still foggy. However, I did just hand polish the lens, should I be using a buffer instead? Will that make a huge different? the lens simply isn't clear.....
I did a 2000 grit wet sand on my headlights followed by a polish, but the lens is still foggy. However, I did just hand polish the lens, should I be using a buffer instead? Will that make a huge different? the lens simply isn't clear.....
A headlight will be totally hazed up after 1000 or even 2000 grit wetsanding. This is normal. Paint looks similar after wetsanding (again, paint and plastic are not that much different).
Yes, you need to hit it with a rotary at about 1000 RPM with a wool pad. It will clear up quickly. If you don't have access to a rotary, you should be able to get a small wool pad that fits on a drill. It's a little awkward compared to a rotary, but it will get the job done.
What polish did you use? I'm not saying you HAVE to use SYSTEM ONE, but you need to use something equivalent (not a heavy compound). If you're willing to drop about $15 US, go to your local Sherman Williams paint store and give us a try (sorry I can't sell to Canada!). If they don't give you a money-back guarantee, PM me and I'll see what we can work out.
Last edited by PolishAndWax; 10-04-2007 at 10:34 PM.
I've been reading up online, and found people talking about something called PlastX, will that work?
Also, for the sanding, do I have to block sand or can I hand sand?
Finally, I don't have access to a rotary (no one in my family is handy, lol), but I do have access to a drill, what do the wools you mentioned look like, and how much does one cost?
Finally, what kind of wax should I follow it up with to keep it in good condition?
FYI, I have a 96 Camry with lens optics, the lens are actually still reasonably clear (compare to some lights I see on people's cars), but are starting to yellow, so I want to start taking care of it before it becomes worse.
I've been reading up online, and found people talking about something called PlastX, will that work?
Also, for the sanding, do I have to block sand or can I hand sand?
Finally, I don't have access to a rotary (no one in my family is handy, lol), but I do have access to a drill, what do the wools you mentioned look like, and how much does one cost?
Finally, what kind of wax should I follow it up with to keep it in good condition?
FYI, I have a 96 Camry with lens optics, the lens are actually still reasonably clear (compare to some lights I see on people's cars), but are starting to yellow, so I want to start taking care of it before it becomes worse.
Start with the least aggressive means first (this is good advice in most situations). If polishing by hand does the trick, you won't need to bother with sandpaper.
I sell a 3" pad kit that fits on a drill. I'm sure other companies do as well. But like I said, try polishing by hand first and you may not need it.
If you already have decent polish, don't bother with PlastX. "A polish especially made for plastics" is just good marketing. Polycarbonate lenses and most paints (acrylic-urethane) are very similar and can be polished with the same stuff.
If you do get to sanding, I would sand without a block.
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