Quote:
Originally Posted by Ralph III
Hello Xidamaaa,
I managed a detail business for 14 years, so I can help you out. Just so you understand what is going on. Headlights, just as paint, have a protective UV layer applied to them. Upon aging, this clear coat will begin to fade/yellow/crack. Otherwise, yours appears to be suffering from a type sandblasting which can occur to BMW windshields also, given they are soft.
So, depending on how bad the headlights are you can do one of the following.
1) For light fading/cracking: Wet sand the headlights with 1500 and then 2000 grit sandpaper. The automotive stores sell a sanding block with those grits on each side, btw. Expect to spend 3 minutes or so sanding with 1500 and then the 2000 grit. I typically spend a little more time with the finer grit sandpaper in order to reduce/minimize the larger sanding marks. Your headlights should look quite a bit better at this point. However, go ahead and buff them out with a light to medium cut compound. Be sure to use the buffer at a lower rpm, which is all that is necessary. Don't run the buffer at a high rpm and a heavy cut compound (unless you know what you are doing) because you can burn the plastic.
In this instance, you're taking a non aggressive approach by only sanding down the upper surface of the clear coat. If you have plenty of clear left on it, you should be good for several more years. The next time it fades/yellows/cracks though, you'll need to use step 2.
2) If your headlight lenses are in really poor shape, then wet sand them with 200, 400 and then 600 grit sandpaper. Once [...]
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Ralph, thank you so so much! This a fantastic piece of info. Do you think this is something doable without a drill? Or it’s just going to take a long time without the drill?