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Damp, and keep it wet... But I am stumped, I have spider cracks  all across the lens. Will I have to use a rough grit and sand all the way down till they are gone?
1992 Ford Escort LX-E
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-GT Grille
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Originally posted by Cris'pus:
Damp, and keep it wet...
But I am stumped, I have spider cracks all across the lens. Will I have to use a rough grit and sand all the way down till they are gone?
Actually, with wet/dry paper, you should let the paper soak in water for 15 minutes or so. That way it will be completely saturated. It is also a good idea to put some dish washing liquid or car wash in the water. Not so much to make it foamy, but for lubrication.
As for what grits to use... If you start with a larger grit, like say a 400, you should then work your way down to the finest grit you can get. Ex. 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500(if you can find it, check some auto body supply stores). If you jump from 600 to 1500, you will not be happy with the end result. It will take a lot of elbow grease for 1500 to safely remove all the scratchs left behind from the 600. You will grow impatient, curse me and just move on to the next step. Not only will you hate me and everyone else that said doing this was a good idea, but worset of all, you will hate your headlights.
Either way, sanding your headlights properly will require a lot of work if they are real bad. I have done a pair that was real bad and when I was finished, two hours later, I was tired. But the lights looked 100 times better and since I took my time and did it right, it was totally worth it. Even though it was not my car.
Phillip Jackson
`98 Mystique LS
262K+ and counting...
ATX rebuilt @ 151K
"This storm has broken me, my only friend!" RIP Dime
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Thanks for tips on the sandpaper. What brand polishing compound are you folks using ? I saw some Turtle Wax stuff in autozone but the guy said it wouldn't be suitable for what I was doing.
Bless our servicemen & women overseas.
L.Cpl Ian Malone, 1st Battalion Irish Guards, R.I.P.
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Originally posted by MarkO:
Thanks for tips on the sandpaper. What brand polishing compound are you folks using ? I saw some Turtle Wax stuff in autozone but the guy said it wouldn't be suitable for what I was doing.
I use and recommend Meguiars Clear Plastic Products cleaner and polish, seperately.
I have heard from several people that used the PlastiX with good results, but I am not too fond of combined cleaners and polishes. I have had the same bottles of Cleaner and Polish for almost 6 months and have done I don't know how many headlights besides my own.
I have used the PlastiX to detail my lights and I liked it. It was one of those sample packs you can pick up at Autozone for like a buck. Anyway, since I still had plenty of the other stuff, I gave it to someone that needed it more than me. But like I said, it was ok on mine, but I was not too impressed with it when I used it on a lens that had not been sanded. It got the bug dung off, but that was about it. Nothing some soap and water couldn't do. I did the other lens with the cleaner followed by the polish and I could tell a clear difference in the two.
Just my two cents.
3M also makes clear plastic products, so you might could price match the two and decide from there where you want to go.
Phillip Jackson
`98 Mystique LS
262K+ and counting...
ATX rebuilt @ 151K
"This storm has broken me, my only friend!" RIP Dime
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heres what i did i j ust got the finest grit sandpaper i could find ,600 grit , and sanded the light as good as i can and sprayed some glossy clear coat that is uv resistant. it works great. now i see more light when driving and the lights look like new now. but usuing some brake fluid is a good idea before sanding to get rid of the old faded coating. i found out about this method from my friend the guy that painted his car used the same method and his lights look real good now.
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I used a 6" hand buff and some Turtle Wax Rubbing and Polishing compounds, then Turtle Wax hard shell wax. Glossy, invisible, and long lasting. I have heard nothing but bad things about sanding headlights.
There's a difference between a Euro and a Ricer...
Don't cross the line...
Anything-Goes C.C.
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What an unbeleiveable PITA. I think I am just going to buy new ones. Does someone know where I can get good prices on new headlights? How much are they from the dealership? Thanx guys.
I spent MUCH time on one of them and it ended up pretty good, a lot better than new, but this is one of those jobs that I'd just rather get new ones and save the hours of wet sanding and making a mess. The end result was pretty good, but in my book not worth the time spent.
Where can I get headlights and for how much?
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Originally posted by WA2FAST:
What an unbeleiveable PITA. I think I am just going to buy new ones. Does someone know where I can get good prices on new headlights? How much are they from the dealership? Thanx guys.
I spent MUCH time on one of them and it ended up pretty good, a lot better than new, but this is one of those jobs that I'd just rather get new ones and save the hours of wet sanding and making a mess. The end result was pretty good, but in my book not worth the time spent.
Where can I get headlights and for how much?
I don't think you'll be so hasty to call it a PITA after you see how much new OEM headlights are...
Btw, I thought it was pretty easy and was extremely satisfied with the results. About 45 minutes per headlight and 90% of the scratches and hazing was gone 
1999 Blk/Tan CSVT #654 - SOLD
2003 Suzuki SV650s
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But that's just it Path914... just HOW much are they? It just took a lot of time and seemed kind of like a waist of time. Like I said, I did a nice job... especially on one of them, but I just feel like it's going to go to hell again fast since those protective layers are now gone. I just want to know how much they really are, thats all.
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Phillip Jackson
`98 Mystique LS
262K+ and counting...
ATX rebuilt @ 151K
"This storm has broken me, my only friend!" RIP Dime
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