smitty5150 said:The abridged version:
Using a rotary polisher, you need to hit the lights with a semi-aggressive cutting compound. I use Meguiars m105. Not cheap, but It does a fantastic job.
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colej23 said:smitty5150, what is the total estimated price of your method?
JosueLT said:.
The guys on my Mazda forum got all hard over this....a few of them even paid me to do their headlights! haha
smitty5150 said:The abridged version:
Wetsand the headlights *completely* with each of the following grit papers.
800- removes the hazing and light rock chips. Leaves marring and scratching
1000- the next step, it will reduce the marring and leave finer scratches
1500- reduces the marring and scratching further. You should notice the haze getting less noticeable.
2000- you're almost there. Surface should be smooth and free of noticeable scratches at this point. Haze still present.
3000- the final sanding step. This is as smooth and defect free as you will get the surface before the polishing process.
Polishing:
Using a rotary polisher, you need to hit the lights with a semi-aggressive cutting compound. I use Meguiars m105. Not cheap, but It does a fantastic job. You can do this by hand, but it takes longer and obviously requires more effort. After this, the surface should be very smooth and almost perfectly clear. Next is the polishing compound. I use Meguiars m205. Again you can do it by hand, and you can use whatever brands you like. I use Meguiars with a machine because that is how I get the best results. Finally, you want to apply a sealer/glaze wax. I use Meguiars(obviously) show car glaze. This will protect the lights for a longer period of time.
Remember, when you sand you are removing the uv potectant. You will have to periodically polish the lights to maintain the best shine. Another option is, once all the above steps are followed, to strip the wax with degreaser and prep/paint with clear coat.
Hope this helps.
STLtrailbSS said:lol isn't a big reason for a forum to exchange methods so you can learn yourself.![]()
colej23 said:Holy cow, if you lived in big rapids, Michigan, I would probably pay you too! Im going to try my best to get hers to look like that but we will see how it turns out. Do you do a clear coat at the end or no?
smitty5150 said:The abridged version:
Wetsand the headlights *completely* with each of the following grit papers.
800- removes the hazing and light rock chips. Leaves marring and scratching
1000- the next step, it will reduce the marring and leave finer scratches
1500- reduces the marring and scratching further. You should notice the haze getting less noticeable.
2000- you're almost there. Surface should be smooth and free of noticeable scratches at this point. Haze still present.
3000- the final sanding step. This is as smooth and defect free as you will get the surface before the polishing process.
Polishing:
Using a rotary polisher, you need to hit the lights with a semi-aggressive cutting compound. I use Meguiars m105. Not cheap, but It does a fantastic job. You can do this by hand, but it takes longer and obviously requires more effort. After this, the surface should be very smooth and almost perfectly clear. Next is the polishing compound. I use Meguiars m205. Again you can do it by hand, and you can use whatever brands you like. I use Meguiars with a machine because that is how I get the best results. Finally, you want to apply a sealer/glaze wax. I use Meguiars(obviously) show car glaze. This will protect the lights for a longer period of time.
Remember, when you sand you are removing the uv potectant. You will have to periodically polish the lights to maintain the best shine. Another option is, once all the above steps are followed, to strip the wax with degreaser and prep/paint with clear coat.
Hope this helps.
Mark20 said:I need to do my Envoy's but their not too bad yet. What would you recommend for a clear coat?