Headlight lense restorer recomendation?

[phurst]

The headlight lenses on my daily are really terrible. I was thinking of using one of those DIY kits to clear them up. Anyone have any experience or recommendations for which kit? I've heard good reviews on the 3M and Sylvania kits, but didn't know if there was anything better.

[PopsRcr]

(07-12-2013 10:47 AM)phurst Wrote:  The headlight lenses on my daily are really terrible. I was thinking of using one of those DIY kits to clear them up. Anyone have any experience or recommendations for which kit? I've heard good reviews on the 3M and Sylvania kits, but didn't know if there was anything better.

I've used a couple different ones and they all worked for awhile. I think the last was a McGuires kit. I would expect (but have no experience) that the 3M type that uses sandpaper is the better way to go, I was just chicken to do it.

[kevin@pas]

I've never used a "kit" but rather just gotten 6 levels of sandpaper and done it the old fashioned way by taking my time and going by hand. Slowly work yourself finer and finer with wet sanding, then compound, polish, PlastiX, and something to seal it afterwards, which I used Lamin-x film.

My e39 headlights went from this to that:



With the lamin-x:



Being that I hate pretty much every single aftermarket headlight offered for BMWs, restoring the OEM ones was my only option and I was extremely pleased with how it turned out. I could actually see again at night...extremely well! 6 months after doing it they look absolutely the same as the picture above. And Lamin-x does make CLEAR film, fwiw.

[Kalogerus]

Looking good man. How does the film hold up to weathering and how difficult is it to apply? I know about the clear coat compound method, but film...? Shed some light please.

[phurst]

And suggestions for sandpaper grades please.

[kevin@pas]

I used, in this order...400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, and 2000 grits. Then a decent cutting compound, then PlastiX polish.

The film was holding up great. I've used it on several of my cars and at over 2years its just starting to color fade on my E30. At $30 for a kit or so its completely worth it. It's not hard to install at all, just like a vinyl decal and the majority of the kits are pre-cut and ready to go for your application.

http://www.lamin-x.com

[TnyTrbo]

(07-16-2013 12:29 PM)kevin@pas Wrote:  I used, in this order...400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, and 2000 grits. Then a decent cutting compound, then PlastiX polish.

http://www.lamin-x.com

This works very well, wet sanding all of these of course as mentioned, I recommend to customers the MeGuires kit or the 3M, Turtle wax, Rain X and others make a kit as well, but all are about the same most come with a drill bit attachment to make things easy, wet sand with finer grits and then the polish.

I've done 600, 1000, 1500 and then 2000 With PlasticX and had good results. its basically just exhaust gasses reacting with the plastic so you have to take the film off and then get it to where its going to polish.

[megh]

(07-15-2013 05:33 PM)kevin@pas Wrote:  I've never used a "kit" but rather just gotten 6 levels of sandpaper and done it the old fashioned way by taking my time and going by hand. Slowly work yourself finer and finer with wet sanding, then compound, polish, PlastiX, and something to seal it afterwards, which I used Lamin-x film.

My e39 headlights went from this to that:



With the lamin-x:



Being that I hate pretty much every single aftermarket headlight offered for BMWs, restoring the OEM ones was my only option and I was extremely pleased with how it turned out. I could actually see again at night...extremely well! 6 months after doing it they look absolutely the same as the picture above. And Lamin-x does make CLEAR film, fwiw.

Sooooooo cool!!!!!!!!!I liked it soo much.!!!!!!!!!!!!!