Make personal sticky

eric02SpecV · 2008-07-01 18:16:58

Here's a great How To. This took a headlight I got from the junkyard that was extremely yellowed and oxidized, to brand new. Can't even tell the difference from my other headlight.

Materials:
sand paper, grits 400/800/1200/1800 (the 1800 is optional, but I believe it gives it that last bit of smoothness)
spray bottle (filled with water)
brasso (it's a metal polish)
Meguiars plastX polish
applicator pads (one for the brasso and one for the PlastX)
Meguiars (Power Ball) <<<key to getting them looking brand new.

Start with the 400 grit paper if you have really bad yellowing.
Never let the headlight go dry, keep water on it at all times or you can scratch the lense pretty badly.
Move to the 800 grit paper and do same as before.
Proceed with the 1200 and the 1800, same as before.

Now wash off with warm water. I think the hot/warm water softens up the plastic lense and makes the next step work better, and thus become smoother and produce a clearer lense.

Using the Mothers Power Ball, hook it up to your power drill and buff away using the brasso first. The brasso has a little bit more grit to it than the PlastX does so use it before the PlastX. Don't let the brasso start to dry up, because same as the wetsanding, it'll scratch and reverse all the work you've done.

Was off all the brasso with hot/warm water.

Clean off your power ball and now hit it using the PlastX. Same procedure as the brasso.

You may have to do the brasso and plastx steps more than once depending on how clear you want to go.

I did 2 times with brasso and 3 times with the PlastX. It finally came clear and looks good.

This gets messy once you start using the power ball, so do it away from other cars.

Good luck! And be patient.

6speedspecv03 · 2008-07-01 18:35:49

^^ great write up ima gunna try it but can i just use plastic polish cuz my headlights aint junkyard messed up jus have a little bit of cloudyness i guess on them and i dont have a powerball lol so ima do it by incredibly hard rubbing with a clean towel lol

eric02SpecV · 2008-07-01 18:39:32

It would take you 5 hours to do what the powerball can do in maybe a half hour.

You could try, and if it doesn't work out, then go buy a powerball. I use my powerball for all kinds of things. You can clean wheels, speed wax your car (i don't, but i know people who do (can get really messy)) polish ect....

Let me know how it works out

6speedspecv03 · 2008-07-01 18:45:45

^^ thanx im try it ina few and use a very fine sand paper for a first tryout then polish lol

eric02SpecV · 2008-07-01 19:39:37

You would think that 400 is too course, but once you repeat with the finer grits then polish the hell out of it, it works out smooth as a babys ass lol

03SPEC_V805 · 2008-07-01 19:41:49

pics? before and after?

eric02SpecV · 2008-07-01 19:52:27

I never took a pic of the before, but if you look at my sig you can see that my driverside (junkyard) looks just as good as my passenger side (original headlight)

It works, and the power ball was the key for sure

I tried it without and it was kind of hazy

The power ball took it from hazy to clear.

eric02SpecV · 2008-07-01 19:54:03

It was terrible when I first bought it. I only paid 15 at one of the local yards for it, cause the owner said i'd never be able to clean it up. You literally couldn't see through the lense to look at the bulb lol. It was bad. So if it worked this well for me, it'll work at least as good for you.

6speedspecv03 · 2008-07-01 20:46:40

You would think that 400 is too course, but once you repeat with the finer grits then polish the hell out of it, it works out smooth as a babys ass lol

nsogiba · 2008-07-01 22:48:07

i've had really good experience with PlastX. highly recommended.

eric02SpecV · 2008-07-02 12:23:38

it's good for a final polish, but if you really need to get something back to clear you'll need the brasso

araujomark · 2008-08-16 20:39:09

I just finished up doing my headlights... Crappy tire here in Canada has everything you need. Used 400, 800,1000 and 2000 grit sand paper then back and forth with the brasso and plastx 3 times. Here's some before and after:

Last edited by araujomark (2008-08-18 22:00:53)

eric02SpecV · 2008-08-18 21:56:33

or do you mean after and before lol.

araujomark · 2008-08-18 22:03:53

All fixed - I sware the headlights didn't get worse! Thanks to your write up I saved 150 bucks.

Last edited by araujomark (2008-08-18 22:04:22)

eric02SpecV · 2008-08-18 22:05:35

Glad I could help you. I've fixed so many peoples shitty headlights. I should start charging lol.

evoeight04 · 2008-10-10 14:55:23

How do you take the lenses off from the backing to clean them? I cant figure it out.
I have like moisture/cloudyness inside my left one (looking from the front) and really want it out.

eric02SpecV · 2008-10-14 12:21:03

Here's a surefire way to get the condensation out of the headlight.

1. Unplug your 2 bulbs from the headlight.
2. Take the headlight off of your car.
3. Either get a hairdryer and blow hot air into the bulb holes for at least 5 to 10 mins. OR Let it sit outside in the sun, on a hot sunny day.
4. Put headlight back on car.
5. Bulbs back in.
6. Enjoiii

If it comes back, then you have a bad seal around the headlight and need to either take the headlight apart (which consists of baking the headlight in the oven for 10 mins, to loosen the sealant)
or buy new headlights (much eaiser/less messy/more expensive)

MadCitySpecv · 2008-10-20 21:33:45

ok, this may be a NOOB question, but this is to take off the "foggy"scratches and oxidation on the exterior of the headlight? IE: you sand/powerball the exterior of the headlight. i got confused by evoeight04's post

eric02SpecV · 2008-10-21 01:17:56

my original post is to take care of the exterior lense

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How To: Clean up Yellowed / Oxydized Headlight Lenses

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