What You'll Learn
Aussie Conditions
Look, we've all seen it, that ugly yellow haze on a modern car's headlights. It's a massive pain in the backside, especially with our Aussie sun absolutely cooking the plastic. This guide is for anyone who's tired of poor visibility or getting a defect notice from the cops. I'm going to walk you through the proper way to restore them using the same techniques I use in my shop every day.
Why Your Headlights Look Like Crap
What You'll Need in Your Kit
What You'll Need
While you're here...
Getting the Car Ready
Wash the front end
Give the headlights and the surrounding panels a proper wash. You don't want any grit or red dust getting caught in your sandpaper and leaving deep gouges.
Dry it thoroughly
Tape won't stick to wet paint or rubber. Make sure every nook and cranny is bone dry.
Tape it up like a pro
This is where most blokes get lazy. Double-tape the paintwork around the headlight. I learned this the hard way on a black Commodore, one slip of the sandpaper and you've just cost yourself a respray. Put down two layers of tape for safety.
The Step-by-Step Restoration
The First Cut (800 Grit)
Soak your 800-grit paper in your soapy water for 5 minutes. Spray the headlight liberally. Start sanding in horizontal motions. You'll see a gross, milky yellow slurry coming off. That's the dead UV coating. Keep going until the entire lens looks uniformly cloudy and the yellow is gone.
Rinse and Inspect
Wipe it down and see if you missed any spots. If there are still clear 'islands' of old coating, keep at it with the 800. It's scary because the light looks ruined, but trust the process.
Refining with 1500 Grit
Now switch to 1500-grit. This time, sand vertically. By changing direction, you can see when you've sanded out the scratches from the previous 800-grit stage. Keep it wet!
Moving to 2000 Grit
Back to horizontal motions. You'll notice the plastic starting to feel much smoother now. Spend a good 5-10 minutes on this. It's all about the prep (your partner will thank you when they can actually see the road tonight).
Final Sand (2500 Grit)
Vertical again. This is the last sanding stage. By the end of this, the lens should look like a soft, white frost, not a rough mess.
Compounding
Wipe the lens dry. Apply a few dots of compound to your microfibre or DA polisher pad. Work it in well. This is where the magic happens and the clarity returns. If you're doing it by hand, use plenty of 'elbow grease'.
Polishing
Use a finer polish if you have one to really bring out that crystal-clear finish. If it looks good enough to see your reflection in, you're ready for the most critical step.
The Deep Clean
Wipe the lens down with Isopropyl Alcohol. You need to remove every trace of oils or polishing oils. If you don't, your sealant won't stick, and you'll be doing this all over again in three months.
Sealing the Deal
Apply your UV coating or ceramic coating. Follow the instructions on the bottle. Usually, it's a wipe-on, wait-a-minute, wipe-off affair. Do this in the shade, never in direct Aussie sun or the product will flash off too fast.
Watch Out
Keep it Lubricated
Maintaining the Clarity
Watch Out
Common Questions
Can I just use a cordless drill with a buffing pad?
How long will this last?
What if the fogginess is on the inside?
Does the brand of sandpaper matter?
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