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Pages: 1

Making the HID headlights clear again

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Posted by: seanklsc

My 10 year old housings are showing their age, I didn't even realize it until I saw this pic. Anything I could do or is it just a fact of life? Mine aren't "yellow" at all they're more like... cloudy and hazed-over. I want them to be crystal clear like these.

Posted by: JMiles_T

A bottle of 3M Rubbing Compound, and a cotton cloth will help. I do not know if you will be able to get them looking as pristine as that pic but it should make a significant difference.

Posted by: 04SSHD

I started to do mine today, I wet sanded with 1000 grit then polished with blue magic. I am going to hit it again with more 1000 then go down to 1500 and polish again when I have more time and they will look just as good as the ones you posted except a little better because mine is a gen 2. haha

Posted by: MonsterMark

I'm hitting the meet in Detroit tomorrow where I'll unveil the 'secret solution' to our headlight woes.

Stay tuned for Monday pics of before and after and hopefully some complimentary testimonials form some of the guys.

How much should I charge for the headlight cleaning. LOL. I think at least $100.00

I've been down the rusty road of sanding, etc. This I think is the holy grail. We'll find out what the troops think tomorrow.

Posted by: torquemonkey

I await with bated breath

Posted by: 4.6powa

Quote:

Originally Posted by seanklsc

My 10 year old housings are showing their age, I didn't even realize it until I saw this pic. Anything I could do or is it just a fact of life? Mine aren't "yellow" at all they're more like... cloudy and hazed-over. I want them to be crystal clear like these.

where did you find that pic? somone must make aftermarket lights, because they arent stock lights. i have a set of new lights straight from ford, and they dont look like that. stock lights have that textured inside.. those are completely clear... unless the hid lenses are different....

Posted by: chickenviii

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonsterMark

I'm hitting the meet in Detroit tomorrow where I'll unveil the 'secret solution' to our headlight woes.

Stay tuned for Monday pics of before and after and hopefully some complimentary testimonials form some of the guys.

How much should I charge for the headlight cleaning. LOL. I think at least $100.00

I've been down the rusty road of sanding, etc. This I think is the holy grail. We'll find out what the troops think tomorrow.

Anxiously awaiting!!! how bout half price as i only need to do one side lol

Posted by: JC1994

I used Flitz metal polish on my Taurus' lenses with fantastic results. give it a try.

Posted by: Dominus

You have to polish your lenses using a plastic polishing compound, and a buffer wheel.

People spend way too much time looking for a "secret" that has been available for classic car restorers for years. I have like 12 different compounds specifically designed for the polishing of plastic lenses, and obviously it works well. It will make the scorched lense off of a 40 year old car look like new.

Posted by: Calabrio

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4.6powa

The halogen bulbs look very different. The HID lenses are clear.

Posted by: seanklsc

I tried wetsanding and polishing by hand last summer but it didn't work at all. I learned this trick from my Mark VII which had the yellowest headlights ever and it worked very well, see pics here: http://www.lincolnsonline.com/tech/00019.html. I sent the guy pics of my car before/after and he put them on the site. I guess it only works for yellowed plastic and not cloudy plastic...

4.6powa, as far as i know there is no aftermarket solution for us so those are in fact OEM housings. i found the pic on this site but i can't find the thread, maybe the owner of the car will identify himself.

Posted by: 4.6powa

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calabrio

The halogen bulbs look very different. The HID lenses are clear.

ahh. ok.

Posted by: 04SSHD

I went from this

to this-

This was just one shot with some 1000 grit wet sand and a quick hand polish with blue magic. I am going to hit it again with some 1500 grit wet and do a machine polish next and it should be good as new.

Posted by: torquemonkey

where did you get the license plate?

Posted by: 04SSHD

I got it at the Pomona Swapmeet out here in So. Cal.

Posted by: torquemonkey

Very nice!

Posted by: aggiestckl

Quote:

Originally Posted by 04SSHD

I went from this

to this-

The lights went from looking really

ty to just a little

ty... not worth the effort.. deff starting to think the marks are not worth the hastle... time to get "the ultimate driving machine"

Posted by: 04SSHD

Quote:

Originally Posted by aggiestckl

The lights went from looking really

ty to just a little

ty... not worth the effort.. deff starting to think the marks are not worth the hastle... time to get "the ultimate driving machine"

not worth the time? it only took me 5 minutes to do that. If I spend another 10 on them with some finer wet sanding and a power buffer they will be good as new. I have owned ultimate driving machines before, and I like my lincoln alot better than my 7 series.

Posted by: turborich

I have tried all of the miracle products out there. The best way is to use a high speed polishing wheel with the correct polishing compounds. This will cut all of the crap off and will bring a lusture to it.

Lowes home improvent has a very good selection of polishing compounds.

Posted by: poniesviii

dummies.

wetsand 1000 1500 then 2000 then buff them just like paint on a car. Will be 10 on a ten scale.. will be as good as new.. will be PERFECT again.

You can't just sand them. You can't just rub them with rubbing compound. Take them OUT OF THE CAR and buff the hell out of them after 1000 1500 and 2000. Keep your paper SOAKED while you wetsand.

If you don't have a buffer a body shop will do it.

If you don't want to do that then clear coat them. Make sure 2000 is the last grit you use and get out ALL the 1000 and 1500 grit scratches before buff or clearcoat.

I've done this MANY times.

Posted by: MonsterMark

Didn't get a chance to do a MarkVIII this weekend

but I did work a little bit on RRocket's Twin-Turbo Supra headlights.

Flitz is about the best stuff to use that you can get from the store. That's what I would recommend for convenience. You also HAVE TO USE a foam pad witha buffer. In addition, a right angle polisher like a Makita or Milwaukee doesn't turn fast enough. A right angle high speed air tool is the ticket if you want to do it right.

Sorry I didn't get a chance to do a before and after like I promised. None of the guys at the meet had crappy headlights.

Or they didn't trust me with a wheel after a couple dozen beers.

It was one or the other.

I'm doing my Dad's Crown Vic tomorrow which are really crappy. I'll use that car for the proof in the pudding.

Posted by: turborich

Quote:

Originally Posted by poniesviii

dummies.

I've done this MANY times.

The correct compounds / polishes with a high speed polisher will get them as clean as they will get. If you have the proper compounds there is no need to wet sand them. The key is to have the correct stuff.

Posted by: poniesviii

But that would literally take you a year and give you a grooved surface opposed to two hours and an even surface, because of rock/sand chips. You have to cut through alot of plastic to get to the bottom of those ya know.

Posted by: Dominus

I've gone through 38 years of crap in a minutes on the buffer wheel with the right stuff. Came out like new.

Posted by: 94m5

Quote:

Originally Posted by turborich

Not entirely true. It CAN be done with progressive steps from rough cut, to fine cut compounds, but the EASIEST way to do it, is knock the crap off by wetsanding it then buff.

Mike

Posted by: 04SSHD

I just finished doing my lights, check em out.

When I bought it-

I just tried to polish them and got nowhere-

This is after the first wet sand and polish-

and after a 1000 wet sand followed by a 1500 wet sand and a blue magic polish-

Posted by: 04SSHD

now the process-

this pic was taken after the first time I did a quick 1000 wet sand-

another 1000 wet sand followed by 1500-

Polish-

Let the polish do its magic-

And DONE!-

Nice and bright, just the way it should be-

Posted by: 04SSHD

Posted by: 4.6powa

looks good to me..

Posted by: seanklsc

Wetsanded and polished by hand? Came out pretty good. I'm gonna give it a better try this time.

Posted by: 04SSHD

Quote:

Originally Posted by seanklsc

Wetsanded and polished by hand? Came out pretty good. I'm gonna give it a better try this time.

yep, all by hand!

Posted by: poniesviii

I think this is somthing that's easy to get impatient on cause you want to see the results..... if you don't spend the time it takes to get to the bottom of the pits and to buff out all the fine, fine, scratches from the wetsand then you won't come out quite as nice as you would if you took your time.

It gets old sanding on one headlight for awhile but if you spend plenty of time on each step they will look brand new, you won't be able to tell they're used at all.

Posted by: turn_on68

Quote:

Originally Posted by turborich

Has anyone tried NOVUS Plastic Lens cleaning polishing compounds? This works great on airplanes plastic glass and can be gotten on eBay for I think around $14. Do an eBay search for NOVUS scratch remover.
I am going to use it myself.

Posted by: 04SSHD

let me change the links, my old file server went down... give me a minute.

Posted by: 04SSHD

Before-

Sanding-

polishing-

and clear!

from dull to nice, bright, and clear!