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Looking for headlight restoration tips

629 Views 12 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  nicklulu
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I am no detailer, but looking to learn. My RS had some wrapped brows on the leadlight that i didn't care for. I like the accents of the daytime running lights.



I decided to take off the wrap and probably found why the past owner put it on in the first place. Maybe a bad restoration coverup? but it's pretty scratched up some kind of deep too.



Looking to see if maybe someone had luck with just a compound to buff on it for something this bad or if it's too bad, what kind of sanding and buffing process would you think work best to bring back to perfect clear. TIA!
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Those are pretty badman (the rest of your RS looks great!). The ones on my ST that sat outside for 7 years were in much better shape, and I replaced them with some foreign knock offs from ebay. Of course they weren't HIDs or LEDs, either, and were much cheaper to replace.

If I were you; I'd consult with a body shop or professional detailer for advice. Good luck! (y)
Those are pretty bad9MaN! The rest of your RS looks great!). The ones on my ST that sat outside for 7 years were in much better shape, and I replaced them with some foreign knock offs from ebay. Of course they weren't HIDs or LEDs, either, and were much cheaper to replace.

If I were you; I'd consult with a body shop or professional detailer for advice. Good luck! (y)
Thanks for the input! I was looking around for other headlights just in case. I'm running into a problem were the auto head lights on the passenger side go all wonky and turns off in auto mode. For now though hoping to stay as budget friendly as possible with these head lights and will put in the work to get them looking decent at least lol
I can't find the one I have with a drill attachment, but these things actually work if you don't have cracks. I've run just thebuffing compound with my drill a few times for some minor scuffs and it came out looking brand new. Worth a $22 investment to try before you give up.
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I can't find the one I have with a drill attachment, but these things actually work if you don't have cracks. I've run just thebuffing compound with my drill a few times for some minor scuffs and it came out looking brand new. Worth a $22 investment to try before you give up.
Luckily no cracks, just dont know how they were scratched up before I got into this RS. That amazon product on sale too, Im going to give it a shot thanks!
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Wow. That looks like a a case of some really bad crazing. Hopefully you can get them sparkling again.
I've this Sylvania kit 4 times now to restore some crazed yellowed headlights on my old cars with shockingly good success.

Sylvania kit

Not sure how deep the scratches/cracks on your are. May need more elbow grease, but this kit might get you there.
I can't find the one I have with a drill attachment, but these things actually work if you don't have cracks. I've run just thebuffing compound with my drill a few times for some minor scuffs and it came out looking brand new. Worth a $22 investment to try before you give up.
My headlights are hurtin, going to give this a shot, thanks!
I'd recommend checking out a few. The one I had included a drill attachment which made it much easier. This is the only one I could find with a drill attachment (from a quick look).

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Thanks all for the responses! I had a friend who gave me a couple of buffing compounds he wasn't using. The compounds where from Chemical Guys called V36 and V34. I had to make a ton of passes with a orbital polisher until I felt satisfied starting with the heavier compound easing down to the medium, then putting a sealant on the finished headlight. I probably could have saved time if I started with sanding, but I stuck with the buffer and compound, anyhoo I still got it! Not perfect, but way better than before.

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Looks perfect to me, great job!
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Looks perfect to me, great job!
Appreciate it!
Now either ceramic coat that thing or PPF to preserve your investment.
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