Polish your yellowed headlights.

[Jethro]

Not only are they ugly, they block a surprising amount of light.

I bought the 3M Headlight Restoration Kit from Napa (On sale for like $17?)
Best price I've ever seen on it. 3M #39008

It's basic. You need a drill and some time. Start off with 500 Grit, then 800, then some weird 3000 Grit pad, it's not just sand paper... Then the rubbing compound.

The same results could be had with just following the steps above w/o the kit. But honestly, it's worth its weight in gold! Car went from looking like and old beat up POS to a decent looking vehicle.


This is just the pass side completed.


Both sides complete.

It took me about 1.5 hours. About a third of that was removing the headlights, which you do not have to do.
I'm crazy and like taking things apart, so I did.

Anywho, for Less than $20 and 2 hours, this is a GREAT product!

[pgfpro]

I did this on my Wifes car and it worked awesome!!!

Nice Write Up!!!

[mcrews]

absolutely one of the best deal in the $$$/time/result column.
I did this several years ago and the results were just as amazing.

I would HIGHly recommend.

[Ryland]

cheaper then new headlights.

[natefish]

Has anyone had experience with other kits? I'm getting ready to do this on both our cars and just wondered if one kit is better than another? Can you do more than one car with a single kit?

Thanks!

[pgfpro]

I manage a PPG, Dupont, BASF refinish paint store. We sell a few different headlight restore kits. IMHPO I think the 3M part#39008 kit is the best bang for the buck. It will only do two headlights that are extremely oxidized.
The 3M kit uses there 3M Trizact sanding paper that's a plus.

The main advantage the 3M has over other headlight restore kits is that you sand the old bad plastic off, then using the Trizact paper you take it to a final 3000 grit before you finish with their compound.

You can add a great final touch that will extend the life of your repair by using UPOL aerosol clear over the finished sanded compound product. It has UV screener in it to keep the headlights from yellowing later on in life.

[bgd73]

assuming those are plastic....


I spilled some clear uretahne overspray on some tail lense of the 23 year old scoob. very fogged tail lenses, (salt etc, original), I noticed the spot looked brand new. so I taped the car off away from the tail lights, (an unusual chore for painting a car...it is typically the other way around) sanded lightly, then let it have it.

lights are brand new. I stepped up the mix to two parts to 1, it acts faster, but is harder like the lights. Following the sand lightly routine as above, then let it have the urethane. Its probably what they are made of anyway...

[Frank Lee]

HA!!!

No yellow lights for my car!



Wish they'd just go back to sealed beams across the board; none of their "promise" came true i.e. more aero front ends, cheaper replacement costs, increased performance, etc.

[CoastRider]

I used megiures plastix 7 bucks for the bottle. I have done 4 sets of lights, haven't used half a bottle, did them by hand with a rag. big improvement, but not brand new looking.



I just don't know what to say about that tempo....

[Frank Lee]

Speechless? Yeah, I know. Awesomeness does that a lot.