Wet sanding headlights- results with pictures, anyone know of a clearcoat?

[grnchevyz]

Okay this is what I was told. You can use any catalized clear coat, which means two parts, usually the clear coat and the hardner. This beening said, you can usually get it in quarts, but if oyu hit up a body shop they might work with you, if they have some left over. I actully had some dupont from a previous car project that im going to use. Air car clear coat will not work, beacuse its mostly laquar clear, and has very little UV protection.

Hope that helps

The "spray-can" variety, they just don't flow as well because of air pressure and give the "orange peel" look because of it. If you want clear that won't yellow too much, the only one I found to not "sun-fade" as much is the DuPont 72500S. Kinda expensive, but I use it everyday on custom paint jobs and its night and day compared to Nason or other lower quality clearcoats.

Remember, every clear coat will sun-fade/yellow eventually, its just a matter of how quickly.

 

[azdave]

Aftermarket headlights are a lot less likely to fog up due to the different material used

Not true at all.

Aftermarket lenses are much more likely to have the hard coat fail in only a few years becuase they are manufactured to be as cheap as possible. Mine failed in under 9 months when I did my HID retrofit on some brand new aftermarket lights.

The factory hardcoat over the lenses can never be duplicated by anything you spray or wipe on. Once it begins to peel the exposed softer plastic underneath is scratched easily and get yellow without the UV protection from the old hardcoat.

That is what drove me to find the Ventureshield film and I will never use anything but that. My headlights don't show any of the normal tiny little headlight impacts from sand and grit. They look as good today as over two years ago when I installed the film. It also provides the UV protection for the lens so it does not yellow.

Polish them carefully to perfection and then apply Venturshield before you drive it a single mile. I've done at least 10 sets of these in the last few years and they all still look great.

 

[BoostedinSoFla]

Not true at all.

Aftermarket lenses are much more likely to have the hard coat fail in only a few years becuase they are manufactured to be as cheap as possible.

I was just gonna say the same shit...Just ask Velocitapaola, his shit got hazed up real fast and they were aftermarket lenses with stock housings.

 

[poontang]

Has anyone tried Krylon UV resistant clear coat afterwards?

They claim it doesn't yellow, and it seals the surface from oxidation and UV.
sprays on any material pretty much.
Comes in Matte and gloss finish.

it's pretty cheap. Anyone wanna be a guinea pig?

Krylon: Products: UV-Resistant Clear

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[Bubbs Malone]

I have read somewhere wax helps some, I do believe this to be true. I have wet sanded and used a product called blue magic on my headlight three times. On the last application I waxed immediately afterwards, the lenses have stay'd clear longer. they are still looking good after a few months.

 

[azdave]

Has anyone tried Krylon UV resistant clear coat afterwards?

They claim it doesn't yellow, and it seals the surface from oxidation and UV.
sprays on any material pretty much.
Comes in Matte and gloss finish.

it's pretty cheap. Anyone wanna be a guinea pig?

Krylon: Products: UV-Resistant Clear

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That spray coating may look good for a month or two but it is soft and will scratch and haze badly after a few months of road use. There is NO spray coating that can be applied (outside of a controlled manufacturing facility) that is going to last anywhere as long as the OEM hardcoat.

After you clean up the lenses with the proper wet sanding and a full buffing you should try to get a clear paint protection film applied, as suggested above. Otherwise, you might as well just use a quality plastic polish every month or so and keep a good coat of wax on them.

 

[hubz91talontsi]

Toothpaste works better than wet sanding.

 

[azdave]

Toothpaste works better then wet sanding.

Toothpaste is only good at the final polishing steps towards the end of the job. Wet sanding is for removing the major damage, old coating and yellowed plastic.

For really badly hazed or scratched lenses I start wet sanding with 320 grit, then 400, 600, 800, 1000. I then switch to a three-step buff with compounding products like are used to polish automotive paint.

 

[talon_swift7834]

I also use a process like azdave and have found it to render the best results. After the sanding and minor buffing are done i follow with 3M plastic cleaner and then apply 3M plastic polish. I have not found a clearcoat out of an aerosol can that works and would not recommend using a clear. Your headlights should be treated just like the paint on your car....they should be cleaned and maintained regularly. I re-polish about every three months.

 

[dannyd97gst]

The six how-tos in the FAQ weren't enough?

If you can find a clearcoat that won't yellow, let us know.

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I've tried anything and everything over the past 13 years, seriously. This is the only way. It comes with an easy to use brush on clearcoat that , believe it or not, goes on without streaks and is garunteed for 3 years I think. You might be able to buy the kit online at Welcome to BG Products, Inc.. There is enough product in the kit to do 3 sets of dsm headlights too.

 

[aaronhawk60]

the only thing is not to put wax on them or really clean them good because the silicone will make the clear coat separate and not adhere

 

[dannyd97gst]

The kit pictured above comes with everthing you need, prep, cleaner, clear coat, paper towels, sand paper in stages, and a paint brush. It is simple to use and everone with plastic headlight lenses can benefit from this kit. Trust me it takes alot to get me excited and this product from BG is the bomb for restoring headlights.

I'll try to get some after pics up soon, I did not take any before pics but anyone with a 2g knows what the look like.

 

[SeaveeDSM]

That is what drove me to find the Ventureshield film and I will never use anything but that. My headlights don't show any of the normal tiny little headlight impacts from sand and grit. They look as good today as over two years ago when I installed the film. It also provides the UV protection for the lens so it does not yellow.

Polish them carefully to perfection and then apply Venturshield before you drive it a single mile. I've done at least 10 sets of these in the last few years and they all still look great.

Can you give any VS installation tips?

For example did you make/buy a template for the lens and use that to cut the VS then apply or make a rough oversize cut of the VS, apply to lens and then trim to fit? How hard (or not) to get the VS to conform to the curves and in particular bubble shape at the end of the lens. Did that involve using a heat gun? Do you spray on soapy water to lens and/or the VS during the install and the squeegee it in place?, etc, etc etc.

I'm thinking of doing this myself but have no real experience applying this kind of film or even window tint. Have an idea but am apprehensive trying this myself and repeatedly screwing it up since the VS is not really cheap.

 

[sergio187]

i just finished wetsanding and clearing my headlights for my 1gb i used regular automotive clear i think it was matrix i wetsanded with 1000 gritt wet towel dry towel and a tack rag came out looking like new

 

[RSdriver98]

I'm a paint technician and I strongly recommend PPG clear coat. Mix it with a tiny bit of hardener and spray it on. It will last along time.

 

[InfiniteGSX]

I repair headlights all the time. and I honestly suggest not using clear. It will turn out bad once again. I say wetsand with 1500-2000grit sand paper... And then go over with Plastic Polish. Carry the polish and a rag with you and do it after every car wash... just the polish stuff... I took a set of headlights I have, that one, had the yellowing crap. The other had chipped clear coat... I got them both looking new. I used clear coat, and it still looked nice, not as nice. But then clear coat started to haze just like it did from the factory. Without it, I have no issues. I use the plastic polish on my headlights once a week, after every car wash actually.

 

[cody900rr]

i took a 3M class for this and head lights have a plastic layer over the lens for protection thats what fades and somtimes cracks. i work in a body shop and do atleast 3 sets a month. in order to keep them from getting dull again you have to sand the lens with 600 grit to start with and take off the one layer. you can see it wen its commin off. then start sanding with finer paper.wet 1000 then 1500,2000 and i use 3000 b4 i buff just couse it buffs nice. but if you dont have 2000 or 3000 you can buff 1500 it just takes a lil bit longer. i have a demo light ill try to get some pics of so you guys can see. it shows the layer you needd to take off. 3M also sells a kit to do this with