anyone use those those headlight lens restorer kits? need opinions!

hey fellas, i was wondering if any of you guys have used those headlight lens restoring kits? if so, what are your opinions on them. do they work? which is the best brand?

i dont need it for my sport trac (crystal clear lens on mine!) but i just bought a 97 subaru legacy that will be our commuter car/grocery getter, and the lens on it are pretty damn cloudy.

opinions, thoughts and info like always, is greatly appreciated!

thanks.

 

[colintrax]

I used the meguirs kit. Works okay but you really need a high grit sand paper to do it right
Do some searching, lots of ways to help prevent it from yellowing again

 

[BigRondo]

I would have to recommend the 3M Kit. I have used it with impressive results.

My story and some good discussion on the subject can be found here: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums//showthread.php?t=286804

Good luck. :biggthump

 

[LONO100]

wow, rondo, that's impressive. i will have to tackle this next weekend when i get a chance to play around with our new subie.

i took your advice on the silverstar ultras, and got a set, but i have yet to put them on my sport trac. i ride the train to work these days, so i havent done much driving. i was going to do it last weekend, but i had to do a bunch of maint on the jeep and didnt get to it.

so i guess ill be taking your advice on the 3m! how much is the kit?

 

[BigRondo]

I got the kit at Autozone for $20. I was absolutely amazed at the results.

Autozone has a $5 rebate on the kit right now.

Good luck!

 

[Anime]

You can use just about any of the kits. The 3M kit works good if they are really foggy and you want to sand them down. The Sylvania kit works good if you want to do it by hand and want the deal with the lifetime warranty. You can also use either Meguiars kit or just buy their Plast-X and Lens Protectant seperately if you just need to remove some light haze.

Best thing to do is only what the lens needs, don't go to town on it and sand down the whole thing if it just needs some polish. Don't waste time trying to polish if it's super cloudy and needs sanding to remove that cloudy UV layer.

 

[LONO100]

Ok, I will take some pics of the lights and post them tonight, maybe you guys can give me some input on which kit to use.

 

[01STrunner]

I used the meguires kit and it did an ok job but there is still a fair amount of haze still there. I'd much rather use a kit that you can put on a drill so your arm doesn't feel like jello after the first light.

 

[sportblack99]

Just go buy some 800 and 2000 grit sandpaper. Sand out the haze with the 800. Smooth with the 2000. Get a rattle can of clear. Clear. 2000. Clear. 2000. Clear. Don't sand now. Buff to a clear shine. I've done alot of cars this way. Cheaper than a kit too. Haze will never come back

 

[FROADER]

I used the Mothers kit. - http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=353650

They are fogged up again already and have been for about a month. It lasted all of 6 months, but I also didn't wax them afterwards.

 

[jsotomar]

another suggestion might be using a drywall sand-machine with drywall sandpaper. Thats what I did and the results were AMAZING!

(This is only a joke, but i did actually use it though. The headlight went from a little bit cloudy to complete fog lol...who knew)

 

[2TimingTom]

I'll second (or third?) the 3M kit. I've used it on the glass of my Explorer lights as well as the plastic on a '95 Saturn SL2. Both turned out great.

You could piece the kit together but the 3M kit comes with a drill attachment for the sandpaper- which is nice.

 

[willindsay]

I've used the Turtle Wax kit with very good results.
But like Froader said they will fog back up if you don't wax them. So make sure you keep them waxed unless you just enjoy cleaning them.

 

[2TimingTom]

I'm approaching 2 years on my Explorer after 3Ming it. Haven't waxed them. And I don't think they are foggy. But to be fair, it's parked in a dark garage way more than it isn't.

And I sold the Saturn. But they were still looking good after 6ish months of no waxing.

 

[1996BLKBauer]

The reason they yellow, and fade is because the UV coating has broken down. you are just better off buying new lights, any experience I have had personally with head light restore kit has made them look OK, but within a few months they went back to looking the same.

 

[BigGreenV10]

I got they kit from Walmart and worked awesome.

 

[arco777]

Another vote for the 3M kit. Used it on several headlights and indicator lights, and it also works great on taillights. When I had my 99 Firebird I did the entire rear full width taillights including the center section. Being able to use a drill makes it a lot easier and faster than doing it by hand. It does make a mess though so do it outside, and removing the item from the vehicle first is best.

 

[corkey]

i used some 2000 wet paper that i got at Napa, it cost about $6 , and than used wax i already had, ,
and it was as good as any kit, and way cheaper,,

 

[AndysRig0429]

You can get an acrylic polish kit for an aquarium and it will work. It has about 5 different grits od sandpaper in it and will get out deep scratches. Otherwise the mcguires stuff works great

 

[swshawaii]

HD rubbing compound followed with plastic polish worked well for me.