Carrying on from the thread posted recently (http://www.911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=101562&highlight=headlight), I decided to try and fix my UV degraded headlights.
Ok so both my headlight lenses were crazed/micro cracked/yellowing from weathering, looks awful.
I started off with removing the headlight from the car, there was no way I could have managed to lean over the car and get the edges clean with then installed, plus it was raining then hailstones then sun in 30 min rotations.....
1. I removed the rubber seal round the unit as there was some dirt and grim trapped down there. It just pulls off, located with wee plastic tabs:
Gave it a good clean:
2. Started sanding the lens with 800grit wet and dry, I used lots of water. I took me an hour to get the lens smooth and free of the crazing leaving an even 'matt' finish:
3. Then some 1200grit/water for about 30 mins then to get to this stage:
4. Repeat with 2500grit/water:
5. I used some paint cutting paste from Halfords with a wool buffing pad attached to a battery gun:
Applied a £2 coin size of the cutting compound and smeared it with the buffing pad round the lens:
Within 60 seconds of buffing:
Continued for about 5 mins after that.
6. Still some scratches so stepped down to a less course cutting paste:
A 5 mins later:
7. Apply a UV protector....which didn't arrive in the mail, so I added some car wax in the meantime, I also refitted the seal:
8. Refit:
From certain angles you can still see some light swirl marks but can be easily buffed out.
Recap:
Ok so both my headlight lenses were crazed/micro cracked/yellowing from weathering, looks awful.
I started off with removing the headlight from the car, there was no way I could have managed to lean over the car and get the edges clean with then installed, plus it was raining then hailstones then sun in 30 min rotations.....
1. I removed the rubber seal round the unit as there was some dirt and grim trapped down there. It just pulls off, located with wee plastic tabs:
Gave it a good clean:
2. Started sanding the lens with 800grit wet and dry, I used lots of water. I took me an hour to get the lens smooth and free of the crazing leaving an even 'matt' finish:
3. Then some 1200grit/water for about 30 mins then to get to this stage:
4. Repeat with 2500grit/water:
5. I used some paint cutting paste from Halfords with a wool buffing pad attached to a battery gun:
Applied a £2 coin size of the cutting compound and smeared it with the buffing pad round the lens:
Within 60 seconds of buffing:
Continued for about 5 mins after that.
6. Still some scratches so stepped down to a less course cutting paste:
A 5 mins later:
7. Apply a UV protector....which didn't arrive in the mail, so I added some car wax in the meantime, I also refitted the seal:
8. Refit:
From certain angles you can still see some light swirl marks but can be easily buffed out.
Recap:
