# Headlight restoration made easy :)!!!



## Jesse74 (Jul 19, 2008)

So I recently posted on our Facebook page a couple pictures of some headlights I restored recently and since then I've had quite a few people ask me for a more in-depth explanation, so I thought I'd share it with all of you .

A lot of people spend hours and hours sanding, and in several stages, headlights then polishing them out, waxing them, etc. Which I also used to do, so I know it takes a lot of time. Not only does it take a lot of time, it's also not the easiest thing to accomplish with a good finish because of polishing those tight spots so close to the paint. Even if you remove the headlights, it's quite a pain to polish them unless you've got a really clever way of securing them so they don't move when you're polishing, and most of all, so that you don't accidentally break something in the process. Here's a MUCH easier, MUCH faster and MUCH more effective way to restore headlights :thumb:

The headlight: A BMW 5 series and these headlights are trashed!

First: Tape off the area to be sanded
Second: Wet sand with 800 grit sand paper










When wet sanding, the important thing is to remove the old protective layer on the headlights (around 8-10 microns) entirely. If you see dark spots on the headlights like the one I've highlighted here, keep sanding, because it will show in the final product! Don't worry, you can be brave when sanding plexi/lexan headlights, as they're very thick 










Once sanded down, clean the lamp with PrepSol to remove any silicons, etc. Spray the lamp with 2K (2 component, pre-mixed in a spray can works great!), let it dry for 10-15 minutes and spray another coat. NO YOU DO NOT NEED TO SAND AGAIN WITH A LESS AGGRESSIVE PAPER!! The lacquer will fill all the sanding scratches ! But you can if you really want to get technical 










If you want to take it a step further, you can also polish the lamps after they've fully dried and get a true glass finish! Usually 2 steps, aggressive compound then finishing compound, is plenty enough!










Once you're finished, you can use our nano coating Bodyguard to seal the deal! This is a much more effective way to restore headlights because instead of just taking off the old layer and polishing it, you're adding a new layer of protection which should last for years instead of months!



















Lacquer still settling




























To make things easier, you can use The Mask to help you "mask" things off... this is one of the reasons we created this product ! Simply wash it off when you're finished!










I would say on average, this takes me around 20-40 minutes for both headlights, as compared to hours of sanding and polishing!! Again, the biggest advantage to this is that you're putting back a layer of protection that was previously damaged and removed, instead of just polishing it out and adding an LSP.

There's a ton of people out there that need their headlights restored, so believe me this is a pretty lucrative gig  I hope I've been able to share something new/informative with you all and please don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions 

Jesse


----------



## organisys (Jan 3, 2012)

How well/long will the new lacquer hold up for ? I guess if it's 2k pretty well?


----------



## gatecrasher3 (Jul 21, 2006)

So just use a normal 2K aerosol lacquer? Something like 2k Clear Lacquer Aerosol Spray Can Pro 2k Ultimate Clear 2 pack 200ml: Amazon.co.uk: Car & Motorbike


----------



## litcan91 (Mar 16, 2013)

Looks great, very simple, cant see how no-one else thought of doing this up until now.... Wonder how it affects the beam pattern though - wouldn't want to fail M.O.T


----------



## Drewie (Apr 13, 2013)

litcan91 said:


> Looks great, very simple, cant see how no-one else thought of doing this up until now.... Wonder how it affects the beam pattern though - wouldn't want to fail M.O.T


Beam pattern will only improve by doing this 

When the lights are all hazy like that, the beam pattern is all blurry and not very defined. Once restored, they're like new.


----------



## litcan91 (Mar 16, 2013)

Drewie said:


> Beam pattern will only improve by doing this
> 
> When the lights are all hazy like that, the beam pattern is all blurry and not very defined. Once restored, they're like new.


Well obviously in extreme circumstances it would be blurry, but if for example we say the headlamps are 'clear' but not perfect... (odd scratch here & there + minor hazing). After all it's not all about the light output, its also assessed on direction/pattern.

Would be great if its not affected in a negative way :thumb:


----------



## Wolfstein (Jan 18, 2011)

This has been thought up way back ages ago. Sure there's less work but including the drying time for the lacquer it's pretty much the same or even lengthier timewise to clearcoat the plastic than just wetsand and polish. Plus alot more work to either remove the headlights or cover the surroundings well enough not to get overspray anywhere. With rattle cans you'd need to cover up atleast to the bottom of the windshield, preferrabely to the top of the windshield.

The protection is second to none though, the UV protection is the best and it'll give a way thicker layer against everything than any coating or wax.


----------



## StreetShotz (May 23, 2014)

This is the best way to restore a lens and requires less matinence than other methods. 

I currently have a set of lenses on my Supra that are yellowed and ugly that I have polished many times. 
The next set I get will be sanded and lacquered right out of the box.


----------



## scratcher (Jul 20, 2010)

litcan91 said:


> Well obviously in extreme circumstances it would be blurry, but if for example we say the headlamps are 'clear' but not perfect... (odd scratch here & there + minor hazing). After all it's not all about the light output, its also assessed on direction/pattern.
> 
> Would be great if its not affected in a negative way :thumb:


The beam pattern comes from the reflective area etc. behind the lens. This wouldn't affect it


----------



## Jesse74 (Jul 19, 2008)

organisys said:


> How well/long will the new lacquer hold up for ? I guess if it's 2k pretty well?


Yes it should hold up for years, as the bond is very strong and the 2K clear gets pretty hard :thumb:



gatecrasher3 said:


> So just use a normal 2K aerosol lacquer? Something like 2k Clear Lacquer Aerosol Spray Can Pro 2k Ultimate Clear 2 pack 200ml: Amazon.co.uk: Car & Motorbike


Yep that should work just fine! It's about 4x the price of what I'm paying for a can, so you may want to check an auto paint shop!



litcan91 said:


> Looks great, very simple, cant see how no-one else thought of doing this up until now.... Wonder how it affects the beam pattern though - wouldn't want to fail M.O.T


Beam pattern is more or less perfect :thumb:



Drewie said:


> Beam pattern will only improve by doing this
> 
> When the lights are all hazy like that, the beam pattern is all blurry and not very defined. Once restored, they're like new.


Precisely 



Wolfstein said:


> This has been thought up way back ages ago. Sure there's less work but including the drying time for the lacquer it's pretty much the same or even lengthier timewise to clearcoat the plastic than just wetsand and polish. Plus alot more work to either remove the headlights or cover the surroundings well enough not to get overspray anywhere. With rattle cans you'd need to cover up atleast to the bottom of the windshield, preferrabely to the top of the windshield.
> 
> The protection is second to none though, the UV protection is the best and it'll give a way thicker layer against everything than any coating or wax.


Yep I'm sure I'm not the first one to do it ! Yes taping up everything can be a bit time consuming, but if you use The Mask "masking off" everything takes about 3 minutes . The clear I'm using dries in about 10-15 minutes and can put outside with no ill effects in around 30 minutes or so 



StreetShotz said:


> This is the best way to restore a lens and requires less matinence than other methods.
> 
> I currently have a set of lenses on my Supra that are yellowed and ugly that I have polished many times.
> The next set I get will be sanded and lacquered right out of the box.


Hello fellow Supra owner  :wave: You must have the aftermarket lights, eh? I've still got the old-school glass ones on mine !


----------



## Tiggs (Feb 28, 2007)

Thanks for the tip on this, I done it yesterday and works fantastic.


----------



## zachtdi (Jan 11, 2009)

What lacquer are you using? 

Is it proper 2k with full air fed breathing apparatus? 

Have seen some "2k" cans on eBay and the don't have the separate activator button or anything and after research it's apparently just 1k stuff

Thanks


----------



## Dan (Feb 22, 2007)

Might have to give this a go. I usually just sand and polish.

Anyone know if this 2k is good enough? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2K-Aeroso..._Body_Shop_Supplies_Paint&hash=item53e9156cb7


----------



## Tiggs (Feb 28, 2007)

Dan said:


> Might have to give this a go. I usually just sand and polish.
> 
> Anyone know if this 2k is good enough? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2K-Aeroso..._Body_Shop_Supplies_Paint&hash=item53e9156cb7


Dan, that stuff is ****e. I have tried it and i don't believe for a second its 2k.


----------



## Tiggs (Feb 28, 2007)

zachtdi said:


> What lacquer are you using?
> 
> Is it proper 2k with full air fed breathing apparatus?
> 
> ...


The 2k is used was Mipa CS85, painted at work with full mask etc.


----------



## zachtdi (Jan 11, 2009)

Dan said:


> Might have to give this a go. I usually just sand and polish.
> 
> Anyone know if this 2k is good enough? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2K-Aeroso..._Body_Shop_Supplies_Paint&hash=item53e9156cb7


Funnily enough that is the stuff I researched and it's not 2k. Just 1k stuff that takes ages to go off. There's a post on the tigwelding forum or something


----------

