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04/03/11, 03:37 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 42
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headlights
anyone know a homemade solution to take film off car headlights? 
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04/03/11, 03:59 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Corpus Christi, Texas
Posts: 4,285
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On one of the auto shows I watch the guys used toothpaste.Takes a little elbow grease but it works. Also regular car POLISH, not wax, will do the job.
Pretty much anything with a really fine grit will work, just don't get carried away.
Or you can buy a lens restoration kit from Harbor Freight for $9.99.
http://www.harborfreight.com/catalog...dlamp+lens+kit
.
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Last edited by ninny; 04/03/11 at 04:06 PM.
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04/03/11, 04:57 PM
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Fair to adequate Mod
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Between Crosslake and Emily Minnesota
Posts: 13,678
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I don't think it's a film at all. I believe the cloudiness is etched into the once crystal clear plastic from abrasive road grime and such.
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04/03/11, 07:49 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,069
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I did a few of them, and it appears to be an actual degrading of the surface of the plastic. I suspect it's a result of UV damage. It's not a film that gets polished off, you are actually removing a light layer of the surface. I don't have much experience with just polishing the problem away. It's more of a wet sanding effort, using progressively fine grits, then compounding. 3M makes a good kit for use with a battery drill.
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04/03/11, 09:05 PM
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keeper of the bees
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Michigan
Posts: 5,307
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Saw this on Saturday PBS Auto Week . they used a cord less drill there though.
http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/detail/MEG+G1900
$25.00 doesn't seem to bad a price considering the cost of a head lite assembly.
 Al
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04/03/11, 09:13 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Southern Maryland
Posts: 4,275
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I used the 3M kit - worked really well and didn't take long at all.
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04/03/11, 10:58 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 325
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Spray can clear coat will fill in the imperfections in the plastic an make it clear again. Its sort of a cheep rig short term fix but if you cant get them buffed out its worth trying.
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04/04/11, 08:59 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: East TN
Posts: 6,977
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Nothing home made that I know of. I've wet sanded, polished, and buffed on them and it's almost a waste of time. They never get totally clear again. In many cases you can buy replacement headlamps from ebay cheap enough.
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04/04/11, 09:11 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: FL
Posts: 467
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I've heard braso will work, I bought a bottle, but have yet to try it. From what I recall you are basically taking off an oxidized layer of crap 
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04/04/11, 05:51 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Eastern-Central Ohio. Good ol' Tuscarawas County!
Posts: 392
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-On my '94 Tempo I just use my drill/driver with a wet cotton buffing wheel and a little bit of regular polishing compound. Not rubbing compound. I run over the lenses lightly changing from horizontal to vertical directions. After that, I wipe them off with an old terrycloth towel and that's it. I usually have to do it a couple times a year. I was thinking of trying the kit from Harbor Freight, but I haven't run out of polishing compound yet. Maybe once I use it all up.
L8R,
Matt
Last edited by MattyD; 04/04/11 at 05:52 PM.
Reason: Stinking Typos!
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04/05/11, 06:55 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,693
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It does depend, for there are about three types of failures.
First is the matter of the lenses being glass or plastic.
If they are glass, it's usually grime and wear, just like on your windshield. Clean and polish like you would the windshield. Works quite well.
If they are plastic, look closely at them. Do you see fine cracking and deep yellowing and hazing. If so, polishing and such will not do much to help. By all means, try it, but don't be surprised if it doesn't do much. A white paste toothpaste will work, as will bon-ami, paint polish, and just about any other known mild abrasive.
Beware that plastic lenses have a UV inhibiting coating on them. You remove that coating by polishing the lens. Then it degrades again in the sun quite rapidly, and you get to repeat the polishing.
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04/08/11, 07:13 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 625
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I have tried a couple of kits on the market . If you follow the instructions well, it turns out pretty good. BUT, for my cars, it lasted less than 6-12 months before it needed it again.
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04/09/11, 05:37 PM
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Rockin In The Free World
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,058
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Yup, so whatever you buy, be sure to get something where you have enough polish/paste for many applications.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Esteban29304
I have tried a couple of kits on the market . If you follow the instructions well, it turns out pretty good. BUT, for my cars, it lasted less than 6-12 months before it needed it again.
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04/10/11, 04:06 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MO
Posts: 935
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what everyone else said, wet sand with up to 1500 grit wet and dry sandpaper using water then buff with buffing compound & Buffing pad on wheel, very fine, like fine jewelers rouge, keeping it plenty wet or you can burn the acrylic. this, if done well will make them clear for some time but they will dull again over time and need this over again and again due to wind wear and ultra violet spectrum degrading the plastic. I'm sure there is a product that would hold up but that would not produce revenue, therefor this is what we get. most buy a new lens for high $$, best wishes, ray
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