# Headlight Restoration



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## -tom-

fantastic work what did you use to get them looking like new??


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## Dan Clark

Great work.

Is that gaffer tape on the bumper of the 5series? That stuff marks like crazy.


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## skazpunct

Thank you.I used sandpaper 1000-1500-2000-2500 grit then polish with 3M(FCP, Extrafina,Ultrafina).


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## martyp

Wow wow wow, now that's a great way to save a tonne of cash on a new set!! :thumb:


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## ets2k9

That's impressive - good work!


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## skazpunct

Thank you.I was impressed by your praise.


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## GlynRS2

Very impressive :thumb:


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## eurodub

Excellent work....:thumb:


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## skazpunct

Thank you


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## garytc78

I'll tell you another good way of getting plastic headlights looking new just get some scratch x 2.0 on them and it brings them up a treat


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## skazpunct

Go only headlights not very affected.For a serious restoration only wet sandpaper.


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## ahaydock

Very nice work - much better :thumb:


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## cfherd

Any one know what the first one is? I think a C Class Merc? The rest are obviously BMWs.


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## john2garden

Astra?


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## skazpunct

Opel Astra


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## magpieV6

very impressive


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## nethers66

Great result, thanks


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## skazpunct

Thank you very much


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## skazpunct

*Headlight Restoration Renault Laguna*

I used wetsanding 600-800-1200-1500-2000 grit, and then polish with 3M fast cut plus and Menzerna 106 fa.

*INAINTE*


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## GlynRS2

That last one is the most impressive of all - great work :thumb:


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## skazpunct

Thank you.


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## skazpunct

*Espero headlight restoration*


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## Warwickshire Detailer

Great work on the restorations. Makes such a difference to the exterior :thumb:


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## MasterAuron

Wow that's truely impressive!


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## Gazza

Great turn around!!!


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## T25DOC

cracking work......


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## hmi1750

Superb, probably improves and sharpens light output too now.


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## Stuart1441

Great results guys, need to do this myself after i fit the angel eyes to my e46


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## RandomlySet

very nice!

seems to be a few headlight restoration threads recently!

Top work :thumb:


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## skazpunct

Thank you


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## skazpunct

*Opel Astra headlight restoration*

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*Oz*

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## MHTexPete

fantastic work. maybe even see where you're going at night too!


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## Porta

Great job! I love headlight restorations, it´s a good sell up.


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## R7KY D

Superb 

I wish I had kahunas big enough to try and do this


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## Guest

Forgive my noob ingnorance but Im guessing these are all plastic lenses ??


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## skazpunct

*Oz*

Of course only plastic lenses.
Thank you all for your appreciation!


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## skazpunct

thank you


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## jonmac73

excellent work


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## skazpunct

*Volkswagen Passat headlight restoration*

* Volkswagen passat.*










































































































































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## skazpunct

*BMW headlight Restoration*

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## tzotzo

great job man.
I see you do a a lot of headlights.Is that lucrative?


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## skazpunct

*Oz*

Thank you.
Headlights restorations can be highly profitable.It's no secret, just a little technique and experience.


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## skazpunct

*Volkswagen headlight restoration*

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## Edstrung

Firstly great work, great results...

Secondly, do you seal the headlight in any way? Or is it just polish and smile?


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## floppy_dave

SO i thought I would share some pics of my headlight detail, over the years they have built up a cloudy glaze and looked awful although the photos dont really show the full extent.










I wasnt feeling brave enough to attack them with the wet and dry and regardless the local Jawel was closed as it was a sunday, so it was down to the Kestral Rotary and a variety of compound pads and polishes.










I did two passes with the correction pad and Menzerna Intensive Polish then onto the medium detailing pad and two passes again with intensive polish. This had removed the majority of the clouding but left quite a few imperfections that would only come out with a wet sand. Then it hit it with 2 passes with Final Finish II and a coat of Blackfire Carnuba Wax to seal them.










I was really pleased with the results, its a shame I only ever take these jobs on when I am prepping for sale, did the rears and fogs aswell but nothing much to show.:wave:


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## skazpunct

*oz*



Edstrung said:


> Firstly great work, great results...
> 
> Secondly, do you seal the headlight in any way? Or is it just polish and smile?


Thank you.I used Meguiars Polymer sealant and smile


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## AliBailey88

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## skazpunct

*Volkswagen Bora headlight restoration*










































































































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*Doctor Lens*


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## c16rkc

Those results are amazing!!

Defintely something I'd like to try, thanks for an excellent post!


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## skazpunct

*Renault Laguna headlight restoration*

*RECONDITIONARE FARURI RENAULT LAGUNA*


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## spawn again

Awesome!

I really need to do this to my car... But I haven't got the guts.


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## skazpunct

*Oz*

Is not very complicated.Only little attention,


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## PIT

Nice turnarounds


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## Biggy

really nice work, how long does it take you to complete them?


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## skazpunct

*Oz*

That depends.Approx. one hour and a half.
Thank you.


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## skazpunct

*oz*

*Headlight Restoration Volkswagen Passat*









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## tamandlee

unbelieveable turnaround!!


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## skazpunct

*Audi Restoration*


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## angajatul

Nice one again Cosmin!


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## skazpunct

*Bmw e60 new headlights *













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## CJS-086

Very good stuff there. Will have to try this on my Ute, as when I got it, the lights were a bit buggered.
Silly Question, but what is your process for doing it? I see wet and dry paper, but how hard to you press? Never done something like that yet.

Thanks for the pics .


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## skazpunct

*oz*

I used wetsanding 1000-1500-2000 grit, and then polish with 3M fast cut plus and Menzerna 106 fa.Do not press very hard.


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## AustCy

impressive, i wish mine were saveable - i fear new ones may be required... really badly faded.


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## Pro3mark

Thats awesome, need to give that a try!


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## skazpunct

*Oz*

Opel Astra Headlights Restoration










































































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*Bmw headlights*









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## Braz11

Massive turnaround ! 
Good work


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## matt_mph

I got my other halfs headlights to do on her megane coupe (2001) but i don't know if i dare being plastic lenses .


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## Simpson.

Excellent work. I would do this to mine...But they are glass


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## Simpson.

matt_mph said:


> I got my other halfs headlights to do on her megane coupe (2001) but i don't know if i dare being plastic lenses .


Dude...All the ones this guy has just done are plastic....Do it!


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## Andy101

I am looking to do this to my clio, but wouldn't know were to start?


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## recarouk

Andy101 said:


> I am looking to do this to my clio, but wouldn't know were to start?


snap. i are the same boat, have an 03 clio and the lights are wrecked, but no idea where i should start.


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## skazpunct

*Oz*

I explained, in this topic,the entire procedure for reconditioning,have more courage, nothing will happen.


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## ercapoccia

Can i archive a good finish if i polish with DA/Hand after wet sand?

This would be my way:
1500 -> 2000 -> 2500 -> 3000 wet sand by hand
LC CCS Orange spot pad and Menz 3.02 by DA and refinished by hand
LC CCS white spot pad and Menz 106FA by DA and refinished by hand


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## skazpunct

*Oz*

You can have a good finish if you polish with DA and follow the procedures written by you.

_" 1500 -> 2000 -> 2500 -> 3000 wet sand by hand
LC CCS Orange spot pad and Menz 3.02 by DA and refinished by hand
LC CCS white spot pad and Menz 106FA by DA and refinished by hand "_


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## skazpunct

*Headlight Restoration Skoda Octavia*


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*Headlight Restoration Daewoo Matiz*



*50:50*


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## skazpunct

*Headlight Restoration Mercedes c200*

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*Headlight Restoration Saab*


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## sargent

amazing. must try mine sometime.

don't you have to be careful in case it warms up or something?


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## priceworth

Hi guys, is there any way to do this to glass one's as i have got many stone chips on them?


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## spursfan

Grea work on the Lights, are they all plastic lenses or are some glass??

Kev


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## Leemack

Nice work :thumb:


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## jenks

Got to try this on the wifes car, got an advisory on the MOT yesterday!

Where can I get 2000 ,2500 and 3000 grit from. Will Menz 203s polish them up ok?

How long does each set take to do?


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## skazpunct

Thank you guys.
I restore only plastic headlights.


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## skazpunct

*Headlight Restoration Volkswagen Polo*

Headlight Restoration Volkswagen Polo.













I like macro photos 

















Thank you.


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## skazpunct

*Reconditionare si polish faruri Volkswagen Passat.*

















Macro photos

















thank you.


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## zedf

Hi my headlights are similar to the ones in the pics but i dont have a machine polisher i was wondering has anyone tried doing it by hand and is it possible or do you need a machine to do it???

Thanx


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## skazpunct

*Oz*

You need a machine to polish the headlights, by hand is impossible to get a perfect result.


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## zedf

skazpunct said:


> You need a machine to polish the headlights, by hand is impossible to get a perfect result.


Ahhh thanx for the info my headlights are not the best but i dont see myself buying a machine polisher as i wouldnt really use it so would be a waste of money for me.


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## SuperB

skazpunct said:


>


Nice work on Skoda SuperB headlights , i must do the same on my SuperB
but i never do that before.... please say which wax/polish paste you use for this and please upload photo of paste... thank you mate


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## skazpunct

*oz*

Thank you.

@SuperB I used 3M FCP and 3M Ultrafina. Polish brand is not important , you can use any cutting and finishing polish paste.The secret for headlights restoration is the "sanding procedures".

There are many kinds of plastic used.

Par example 

_Plastic used to manufacture the Mercedes C200 Headlights(see below) has a strong consistency.Is hardly workable._



_Plastic used to manufacture the Volkswagen Passat has a medium consistency(on a scale of hardness of plastic)_



_Plastic used on Skoda SuperB headlights has a lsoft consistency.This type of plastic is very workable._



A very important step in headlight correction is the choice of sandpaper grit(knowing consistency of headlight).If you work on hard plastic must start with an very abrasive sandpaper, must use a sandpaper bloc(for uniform surface pressure), sandpaper must be changed(wears out quickly). Greater working time for 1000 grit and 2000 grit(for a finish without micro-scratch).

For polish you can use a cutting and finishing polish(3m FCP and 3mUltrafina or Menzerna 106 fa).

The headlight polish secret is the speed.You can use a higher speed with moderate pressure.The heat supported by plastic is very high.

*Choose a professional detailer to restore the headlights.*

Thank you.


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## mattjonescardiff

Interesting read.


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## skazpunct

*Oz*

Thank you.


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## skazpunct

*Headlight Restoration Volkswagen Passat*

Headlight Restoration Volkswagen Passat


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## mrhclarke

My 3 series is going to get the same treatment now!


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## mrhclarke

Did you do the front fogs?


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## skazpunct

mrhclarke said:


> Did you do the front fogs?


Nope.


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## Posambique

As someone already asked, is it possible to restore glass headlights?

Anybody?


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## skazpunct

*polish faruri*

*Headlight Restoration Opel Astra*l









































































Headlight Restoration Opel Astra


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## martyjer

Did this myself couple of months ago, didn't use a rotary on them to finish them but might do soon. They were gone so bad the beam was seriously affected! Even the HID wouldn't shine through!

1 - Headlight before, especially bad around the centre and at the right hand side of the unit. 









2 - Close up of the right hand side









3 - Products used: 1500 grit wet and dry sandpaper, 'Carplan' rubbing compound, Megs 'Plast-RX'.









4 - After application of wet and dry, and left hand side has been compounded.









5 - Unit after compounding.









6 - Completed unit after polishing.









7 - Close up of right hand side of unit, where the really bad bit was.









8 - Comparision of before and after with pre-treatment image in upper right corner.









9 - Comparision of before and after of close up of right hand side with pre-treatment image in upper right hand corner.


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## skazpunct

*polish faruri*

Headlight Restoration Volkswagen Passat

*Reconditionare si polish faruri Craiova*


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## skazpunct

*Headlight Restoration Skoda Octavia*

*Skoda Octavia*


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## Phill_S

Fantastic results! :doublesho


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## skazpunct

*Headlight Restoration Daewoo Leganza*


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## skazpunct

*Opel restoration*

Opel Headlight restorations.

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reconditionare faruri Craiova


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## FlawlessDetailing

Very impressed altogether. 

Qn; Is there anyway to find out what makes of car have what thickness on lense ??

Thanks for sharing your methods skazpunct :thumb:

Padraic


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## Andrewh10

What pads do you guys use to get the finished shown here?

Is this achievable with Manzerna Orange, White and Yellow pads with Menzerna PO 85 RD 3.02 and Menzerna PO 85 RE 5 do you think?

Thanks


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## kenc543

hi just wondering if u have done a skoda octavia vrs 2006 model and what you used thanks alot


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## 330i sport

this is amazing stuff! my car had a bump a few months ago and the drivers side headlight was replaced. because of the this the off side headlight looks dull and old!

can someone advise me how to carry out this kind of restoration? is it something a newbie can do? what would i need? 

many thanks

Umar 

by the way the car is a bmw 330i sport.


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## klitoni

*help*

hey.You are doing a awesome job on those headlights.you are great.i have a question for you if you can tell me.i have a passat 2002 and my conditions of my headlights are almost the same(mines are a lil better) like the passat at the page 11 of the post .can you tell me what kinds of wetsanding papers have you used for the restoration?and the polish please.speed of the drill?i appreciate the answer you will help me a lot


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## mrwall

Is it possible to do this by hand? I do not have a machine polisher.

The car I want to do this to is a 98 Honda Accord

Thanks, Leon


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## Razzzle

It'll be very hard to do it by hand IMO, ideally, you need a machine to polish out the sanding marks.

Daz.


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## Rick Draper

Going to do my Astra lights tomorrow. Could i use poorboys SSR-1 to polish them back up with? Also what sort of speeds are you using on the rotary when polishing them? Is the last stage adding a wax or a sealer?


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## skazpunct

*ozd*

_ Execution time- approx. *3h*_

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## mrwall

I got one of these from Fleebay for a fiver








used t-cut coulour restorer (all i had)








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## skazpunct

*polish faruri*


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## skazpunct

*VW Passat headlight restoration*


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## scortec

your doing amazing work on them lights, 1 question,are u sanding by hand r by machine (sander or drill) thanks, :thumb:


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## tony08

*sandpaper by hand or da*

When one uses sandpaper is this too on a da or always by hand and only polishing by da or drill ?

thks 
Tony


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## krs

Impressive work skazpunct!!! :argie: Congratulations!!!:thumb:

Just 2 quick questions:
Do you use rotary or DA?
Do you sand by hand or tool?

Many thanks for this thread!


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