Experimental headlight restoration

[btvollmuth]

When my brother banged up my car a couple winters ago, the corner light shattered. I bought another set of corner lights and head lights to put in instead of just one brand new corner, which would look out of place. So I've had the original head lights sitting on the shelf since then. They weren't hazy at all, but rather very pitted. When the headlights are illuminated, it looks like there is a lot of dust on the inside of the lens, due to the pits. I'm a perfectionist, so that bothered me.
I looked into a few different methods and write-ups, and devised my own. I think it turned out rather well, especially being a clear lens, and not an opaque style one which would hide a lot of the sanding marks and blemishes.
Process took about three hours for each lens.


Materials and tools used:

- electric sander
- sanding blocks/pads
- 180 grit dry
- 220 grit dry
- 400 grit dry/wet
- 600 grit dry/wet
- 1000 grit dry/wet
- 1500 grit dry/wet
- 2000 grit/dry wet
- lots of soapy water (for wet sanding)
- shop towels
- microfibers
- 3M Perfect-it rubbing compound #1 (06085)
- 3M Perfect-it ultra-fine machine polish #3 (06068)
- 3M Perfect-it compound pad (05737)
- 3M Perfect-it ultra-fine polish pad (05733)
- any polisher will work, with a velcro backing pad


One of the best write-ups I saw used the Menzera Ultimate Polish kit, which has a compound and 3 finishing polishes, but it goes for $150, and I was just using materials that I had around the shop.

http://www.detailersdomain.com/The-Ultimate-Menzerna-KIt_p_148.html


Here are the lights on the car, beforehand.
http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz311/btvollmuth/IMG_1505.jpg

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz311/btvollmuth/IMG_1507.jpg

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz311/btvollmuth/IMG_1506.jpg

[btvollmuth]

It'd probably be easiest to setup everything on a table beforehand.

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz311/btvollmuth/IMG_1498.jpg

First, I cleaned up the lens with some soapy water.
Next, I went at it with the 180 grit, dry, by hand (horizontal and vertical strokes), to get down to a fresh layer of lens. I went all the way through the protective/UV layer from the factory, as you can see here.

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz311/btvollmuth/IMG_1499.jpg

Here it is with the UV layer completely gone. Fresh lens, no pits.

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz311/btvollmuth/IMG_1500.jpg

Next is the same thing with 220 grit, dry, by hand, to even out the deep marks from the 180.

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz311/btvollmuth/IMG_1501.jpg

Next, I slapped a square of 400 on the sander and hit it dry, back and forth, up and down, and not using a lot of pressure.
Then wet, again with the sander.
Then wet again, by hand, to even everything out.

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz311/btvollmuth/IMG_1502.jpg

Next, same thing, but with 600, and skipping the dry sand part.

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz311/btvollmuth/IMG_1503.jpg

Next, 1000 wet, by hand.
You can never take too long on these following steps. The more you wet sand, the more of the heavier sanding marks you will take out from earlier, which is key, because these lenses are clear and you don't want any imperfections.

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz311/btvollmuth/IMG_1504.jpg

Next, 1500 wet, by hand.

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz311/btvollmuth/IMG_1510.jpg

And finally, 2000 wet, by hand.

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz311/btvollmuth/IMG_1511.jpg

[btvollmuth]

Now on to the compound. Always use ample amounts of compound and polish. Don't let the product dry while you're using it; this means you're using too little. Start with medium pressure, then light. I compounded the lens 3 times to ensure complete removal of the sanding marks.

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz311/btvollmuth/IMG_1512.jpg

Next is the polish. Again, 3 times to remove the fine swirls from the compound. Medium pressure, then lighten up to ensure no holograms in the lens.

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz311/btvollmuth/IMG_1518.jpg

And that's the finished product. Crystal clear, no pits. No sanding marks either.

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz311/btvollmuth/IMG_1516.jpg

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz311/btvollmuth/IMG_1517.jpg

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz311/btvollmuth/IMG_1520.jpg



MOST IMPORTANT PART!!! is keeping this beauty protected once you're finished. Due to the fact that the UV layer is gone, they will haze and yellow very shortly if just put on the car without any protection.
I have two 8x16 inch sheets of 12mil Lamin-X coming in the mail to put over these to insure no more future damage. The two sheets came to just under $50 shipped with a protectant spray.

Another option I considered was stopping at after the 2000 grit and then spraying them 8-10 coats of a UV resistant clear coat and polishing that out. Not sure how the clear might bond to the lens, or how durable it might be. If it stuck well, might consider putting an 8 mil Lamin-X sheet over that. You're choice. This is just how I did mine.


******UPDATE******
After reading the replies so far, using a UV clear coat after the 2000 seems like the best option. I personally would then put an 8 or 12 mil sheet of Lamin-X (or preferred brand) over the clear to ensure the clear doesn't get pitted either.

[sailsmen]

Try U-Pol an automotive clear Polyurethane UV resistant paint.
Been 5 weeks and they still look like the day I painted them.

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=82582

[Shaijack]

Nice write up. Billy if you want to try it out on my MM, I have a few you could try it on. HA

[Murked03']

Beautiful write-up now I know who to take my car to when I get the haze issue!!!

[Curless]

Those things look awesome! Nicely done!

[ctrlraven]

NICE! Let me know how the Lamin-X works out, I was thinking about doing that as well but over top of the UV spray I got to do mine.

[Mike M]

We use UV clear coat at my shop for the final process, holds up very well. I grantee it to my customers for 1 year.

[Vortech347]

Bitchen. Mine are about 10 times worse in condition than your before's

[breeze]

I NEED this

[STEPS]

Very Impressive

[cat in the hat]

Great job ! - but what a PITA.

I wish they'd just go back to making the damn things out of glass - with all the expensive, useless, goofy crap in the aftermarket, you'd think somebody would be offering something actually useful like that.

[IwantmyMMnow!]

Checking mapquest to see how far Barrington, IL is from me.... ;)




When the headlights are illuminated, it looks like there is a lot of dust on the inside of the lens, due to the pits. I'm a perfectionist, so that bothered me.

Soooo, THAT'S why it looks like I have dust in mine!!! I'm not a perfectionist, but it still bothers the crap out of me.

Dude, those headlights look A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!! :awe: :bows: (TWHS)

I don't have all that stuff you used; I imagine buying all that stuff will be almost as much as a new set.

Great write-up! Definitely STICKY material....

[guspech750]

Looks fantastic!! Holy crap!!


Sent from my iPhone 4S

DTR + 4.10's + Eaton swap = Wreeeeeeeeeeeeeeedom

[stryker]

:confused: Looks awesome but is too much work for the person that has no time in their life I better buy a new pair at Ebay.

[tbone]

Those do look pretty GD good. Nice!

[sailsmen]

:confused: Looks awesome but is too much work for the person that has no time in their life I better buy a new pair at Ebay.

The OEM quality ones run $200 each. Took me 2 hours to restore mine, that's $200 per hour after tax.

[J-MAN]

When I first started reading your process I winced at the use of 180 grit, but those results are absolutely fantastic! Thanks for posting.

[btvollmuth]

Thanks for all the comments.
The "oem style" replacement headlights are not very good. Depo, Autotrust Gold, etc. I have a Depo corner light on the MM, and it's just not comparable to OEM. The fitment is terrible, the weather stripping is loose, and the lens color is slightly off compared to the OEM one. It's not that Depo is a bad brand, I just put Depo headlights into a friend's BMW E36 328 and they're great. It's because the aftermarket for that vehicle is huge and the demand for those parts is huge. There's no aftermarket for the MM, and replacement parts just aren't going to be up to par.
I'm super anal ocd, so even the tiniest things will bother me, and I will go to great lengths to make sure they're right. To this day I'm still looking for a corner light. But that's just me.

[EMAS]

The OEM quality ones run $200 each. Took me 2 hours to restore mine, that's $200 per hour after tax.

OEM ones are only $141 from Tasca, with a $214 MSRP.

[boatmangc]

Very nice write up.
I usually do it with 1000, 1500. then 3000. Then just polish it up.
I did my Mark 8's on the car, just taped off the car.

I am getting ready to tackle the MMs. Mine aren't cloudy but have definitely got some road rash.

I am going to seal it with Optimum Opti Cote v2.0 when I am done.
http://www.autogeek.net/optimum-opti-coat.html

I bought it for the new F150 and I am sure I will have plenty left over.

[btvollmuth]

Very nice write up.
I usually do it with 1000, 1500. then 3000. Then just polish it up.
I did my Mark 8's on the car, just taped off the car.

I am getting ready to tackle the MMs. Mine aren't cloudy but have definitely got some road rash.

I am going to seal it with Optimum Opti Cote v2.0 when I am done.
http://www.autogeek.net/optimum-opti-coat.html

I bought it for the new F150 and I am sure I will have plenty left over.

Thank you. I went all out though because I have a lot of highway miles and needed to cut pretty deep to get the pits out. One of the write-ups I saw (hidplanet.com) used the Opti-coat to finish off the lights. Next time I'd use either that, or clear, but I would still to put a film over it. I figure the vinyl will be more resistant to particulates on the road than just the bare lens. I recommend it. If you've worked with vinyl before, it'll be a breeze. And even to the trained eye, from 5 feet away it still looks like there's nothing on there.

p.s. happy holidays, and I'm glad you could sort out the problem with those damn birds. I would've cried if that happened to me.

[Baconbit]

Thank you. I went all out though because I have a lot of highway miles and needed to cut pretty deep to get the pits out. One of the write-ups I saw (hidplanet.com) used the Opti-coat to finish off the lights. Next time I'd use either that, or clear, but I would still to put a film over it. I figure the vinyl will be more resistant to particulates on the road than just the bare lens. I recommend it. If you've worked with vinyl before, it'll be a breeze. And even to the trained eye, from 5 feet away it still looks like there's nothing on there.

p.s. happy holidays, and I'm glad you could sort out the problem with those damn birds. I would've cried if that happened to me.



Hey BT, how are the headlights holding up? I just got me a set of used factory headlights and corner lights that need redone and was wondering how yours are?

[btvollmuth]

They look just like the day I finished them. The laminx came with a vinyl cleaning solution, which I use every time I wash the car. It's parked outside most of the time, and it's traveled nearly 1000 highway miles with zero issues.

[Baconbit]

Good Deal...gonna have me a winter project to clean mine up

[TAKEDOWN]

WoW... That looks brand new! Glad you're not too far, might have to bother you someday.

[Sactown]

Very helpful writeup, thanks

[CBT]

Look awesome! :beer:

[Marauder85]

Wow nice job on those lenses btvollmuth (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/member.php?u=11627), Ill have to try that myself, mine at close look, look like crap so thanks for the info, Ive thought about the clear coat application but didn't know if that would work, like I said really nice job and thanks for the info and updates

[Blk04MM]

Now on to the compound. Always use ample amounts of compound and polish. Don't let the product dry while you're using it; this means you're using too little. Start with medium pressure, then light. I compounded the lens 3 times to ensure complete removal of the sanding marks.

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz311/btvollmuth/IMG_1512.jpg

Next is the polish. Again, 3 times to remove the fine swirls from the compound. Medium pressure, then lighten up to ensure no holograms in the lens.

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz311/btvollmuth/IMG_1518.jpg

And that's the finished product. Crystal clear, no pits. No sanding marks either.

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz311/btvollmuth/IMG_1516.jpg

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz311/btvollmuth/IMG_1517.jpg

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz311/btvollmuth/IMG_1520.jpg



MOST IMPORTANT PART!!! is keeping this beauty protected once you're finished. Due to the fact that the UV layer is gone, they will haze and yellow very shortly if just put on the car without any protection.
I have two 8x16 inch sheets of 12mil Lamin-X coming in the mail to put over these to insure no more future damage. The two sheets came to just under $50 shipped with a protectant spray.

Another option I considered was stopping at after the 2000 grit and then spraying them 8-10 coats of a UV resistant clear coat and polishing that out. Not sure how the clear might bond to the lens, or how durable it might be. If it stuck well, might consider putting an 8 mil Lamin-X sheet over that. You're choice. This is just how I did mine.


******UPDATE******
After reading the replies so far, using a UV clear coat after the 2000 seems like the best option. I personally would then put an 8 or 12 mil sheet of Lamin-X (or preferred brand) over the clear to ensure the clear doesn't get pitted either.

Kind of old but. How are these headlights holding up. I plan on starting this project tomorrow

[bigmerc'03]

x-pel is awesome beyond awesome with a 5 year warrenty mine still look new after 3 years of georgia heat

[Blk04MM]

x-pel is awesome beyond awesome with a 5 year warrenty mine still look new after 3 years of georgia heat

What's x-pel

[btvollmuth]

Headlights look just as good as the day I did them. No yellow. And they've been in the sun, every day, since.

[fastblackmerc]

What's x-pel

http://www.xpel.com/