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  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-

Whats the stuff to clean head lites?

  • Thread starter Thread starter willys1
  • Start date Start date Sep 2, 2006
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Roland69

Sergeant Tangnet
Sep 17, 2005
2,867
3
58
Port Elgin, Ontario
Sep 3, 2006
#21
  • Sep 3, 2006
  • #21
frankenstang do you do most of your own work......that's hot
 

FrankenStang

Now, give me a damn CT!
15 Year Member
Apr 16, 2005
4,461
70
129
Florence, Az
Sep 3, 2006
#22
  • Sep 3, 2006
  • #22
LOL I have more talent in body work than mechanics.
 

ill advised

Member
Apr 29, 2003
656
10
19
West L.A.
Sep 3, 2006
#23
  • Sep 3, 2006
  • #23
I bought the kit from 5.0Resto which appeared to be basically a wet-sand kit. Definitely not worth it money-wise. As far as how the lights turned out, they actually looked alot better. It still didn't look anywhere near as good as new and eventually they started to look dull again. Like you I figured it was worth a shot but I eventually bought new ones.
 

85_SS_302_Coupe

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end
15 Year Member
Nov 11, 2003
6,945
1,598
223
Northern KY
Sep 3, 2006
#24
  • Sep 3, 2006
  • #24
Meguires actually makes a plastic headlight polish...check Autozone.
 

just4bob50

Active Member
Apr 2, 2005
504
5
28
Pa.
Sep 4, 2006
#25
  • Sep 4, 2006
  • #25
sorry wrong post
 

Darkwriter77

Resident Ranting Negative Nancy
5 Year Member
Jul 1, 2005
314
281
134
Apache Junction, AZ
Sep 4, 2006
#26
  • Sep 4, 2006
  • #26
The above mentioned plastic polish is good, but it's pretty much about the same as Scratch-X or any liquid polishing compound.

I've always had good luck on all my plastic-lensed cars with just using any lightly abrasive polish - Turtle Wax Polishing Compound, Mother's Cleaner Wax, etc. - rubbing the snot out of it by hand, and then going over it with a long-lasting finish wax (I use F21, but to each their own) to keep it from yellowing out really fast.

They will ALWAYS turn yellow eventually, even after a total resurfacing. One of the reasons being that there's a bajillion little pores in the surface of the plastic from all the road crap that sandblasts it when you drive. Those little pits fill in with dust and grime and such, so in addition to the fact that clear plastic tends to turn yellow, anyhow, those little pits full of dirt only make things worse - adds to the whole cloudiness, makes it that much harder to pass light through 'em.

Polishing liquids and the like will help scrub out the dirt n' stuff, and if you buff hard/thoroughly enough (or if you go the multi-grit sandpaper or buffing wheel route), you can level off the surface so that those little pores aren't as deep and prone to fill with gunk ... although, eventually, you're still gonna have new pits forming on there, and the plastic, itself, is still going to turn yellow.

Happy buffing!
 

willys1

Active Member
Dec 2, 2003
1,004
1
36
New Jersey
Sep 7, 2006
#27
  • Sep 7, 2006
  • #27
Darkwriter77 said:
The above mentioned plastic polish is good, but it's pretty much about the same as Scratch-X or any liquid polishing compound.

I've always had good luck on all my plastic-lensed cars with just using any lightly abrasive polish - Turtle Wax Polishing Compound, Mother's Cleaner Wax, etc. - rubbing the snot out of it by hand, and then going over it with a long-lasting finish wax (I use F21, but to each their own) to keep it from yellowing out really fast.

They will ALWAYS turn yellow eventually, even after a total resurfacing. One of the reasons being that there's a bajillion little pores in the surface of the plastic from all the road crap that sandblasts it when you drive. Those little pits fill in with dust and grime and such, so in addition to the fact that clear plastic tends to turn yellow, anyhow, those little pits full of dirt only make things worse - adds to the whole cloudiness, makes it that much harder to pass light through 'em.

Polishing liquids and the like will help scrub out the dirt n' stuff, and if you buff hard/thoroughly enough (or if you go the multi-grit sandpaper or buffing wheel route), you can level off the surface so that those little pores aren't as deep and prone to fill with gunk ... although, eventually, you're still gonna have new pits forming on there, and the plastic, itself, is still going to turn yellow.

Happy buffing!
Click to expand...
Thanks for the tips dude!!

I actually used 04Sleepers advice.(Kevin) I bought some mothers aluminum/mag cleaner and WOW!!! What a job it did. It didnt take alot of buffing either. Im gonna try and get a pic up of them.
Once again Thanks Kevin!!
 

Busted07

I need my gorilla to be about an inch longer.
Nov 15, 2005
0
3
0
Sep 7, 2006
#28
  • Sep 7, 2006
  • #28
I dont know how bad yours is, but i was scared of using anything with any abrasive in it. I didnt want to scratch the plastic or sand it 100 times for that matter.. i talked to some people and they told me to get some liquid wax. any liquid wax... put some on a rag and rub it into the lights. wait till it starts hazing over (but before it dries completely) and get another rag and hand buff it off. I am not lying when i am saying i did 1 side at a time (about 10 coats on each headlight) and the difference was amazing. i did this to my eclipse too, and it worked great. I had to redo it about every 4-6 months, but to me, it was worth it to just use a wax to pull it off instead of scratching the lens to get it off... just my 2 pennies.
 

Strype

Cuthbert catcher
Founding Member
May 11, 1999
61
34
104
Huntsvegas, AL
Sep 7, 2006
#29
  • Sep 7, 2006
  • #29
~FrankenStang~ said:
LOL I have more talent in mechanic's bodies.
Click to expand...

 

willys1

Active Member
Dec 2, 2003
1,004
1
36
New Jersey
Sep 7, 2006
#30
  • Sep 7, 2006
  • #30
FarBeyondDriven said:
I dont know how bad yours is, but i was scared of using anything with any abrasive in it. I didnt want to scratch the plastic or sand it 100 times for that matter.. i talked to some people and they told me to get some liquid wax. any liquid wax... put some on a rag and rub it into the lights. wait till it starts hazing over (but before it dries completely) and get another rag and hand buff it off. I am not lying when i am saying i did 1 side at a time (about 10 coats on each headlight) and the difference was amazing. i did this to my eclipse too, and it worked great. I had to redo it about every 4-6 months, but to me, it was worth it to just use a wax to pull it off instead of scratching the lens to get it off... just my 2 pennies.
Click to expand...
nah theres no abrasion with this stuff. Didnt use alot of rubbin either.
 

willys1

Active Member
Dec 2, 2003
1,004
1
36
New Jersey
Sep 7, 2006
#31
  • Sep 7, 2006
  • #31
Strype said:
Click to expand...
 

68torinogt

Hey guys, guess what--I have a bi-pass!!!
Mar 21, 2006
0
0
53
Welcome my son, welcome to the machine
Sep 7, 2006
#32
  • Sep 7, 2006
  • #32
willys1 said:
Thanks for the tips dude!!

I actually used 04Sleepers advice.(Kevin) I bought some mothers aluminum/mag cleaner and WOW!!! What a job it did. It didnt take alot of buffing either. Im gonna try and get a pic up of them.
Once again Thanks Kevin!!
Click to expand...
 

willys1

Active Member
Dec 2, 2003
1,004
1
36
New Jersey
Sep 7, 2006
#33
  • Sep 7, 2006
  • #33
68torinogt said:
Click to expand...
whaa?
 

68torinogt

Hey guys, guess what--I have a bi-pass!!!
Mar 21, 2006
0
0
53
Welcome my son, welcome to the machine
Sep 7, 2006
#34
  • Sep 7, 2006
  • #34
you didnt read the highlighted part
 
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