That is definitely your technique. I've been doing it for over 20 years, not trash talking the way you do it. Put starting off with The Dry sand it's perfect like you're doing anything finished off. The final finish weather is 1000 grit, 3000 grit. Is much better much smoother, no hairs, no static. My role of thumb is. He can clear code over 1000 no problem. Going up to 3000 never done. It would not try it. You want a better bond at 10:00 when the clear coat hits the lens, your video is awesome. It works for you. I have my technique. Everybody has their own technique. Starting out with dry final standing with wet. In my opinion is a lot smoother, you Get less static electricity from the dry electric Sander
Seriously, I have a surprise for you, honestly, get some mothers mag and aluminium polish. If you don't like it i will seriously post a video of me eating my sock, cutting it into tiny pieces and swallowing the whole thing, that i how confident i am you will come back and cheer me on. And thank me by sending me money saving you money and so much time, 30 seconds to a minute each light and your light will look new.
This is only good for a few months in most case, no more than a year depending on your weather, if you don’t remove the oxidation and clear paint you will need to do the polish every 6-8 months to keep crystal clear clarity@@palmtreeshenanigans
Just have a look at mothers mag and aluminium polish being used on headlights, you will look at this video and wonder why you even bothered watching and wonder why so many places are selling complicated kits on Amazon to clear headlights when it can be done in 30 seconds per light.
i gotta say the humility here man is so refreshing thanks for that and great vid!!!! really easy to follow and love the subtitles. great knowledge! thanks
This is pretty awesome. Will be trying this method for the first time on my MKV Golf R32 as the one side headlight is back ordered and hate looking at orange/yellowish lights. Worse case I mess up and buy a new light best case I learn something get a clean looking ride and will buy a new headlight anyway. 😂😂😂
The fact you can do this with a generic drill adapter and not an actual buffer is what amazes me the most. Proof professional’s can get the job done with any tool.
@@markaegyssus5192 I already tried and while it looked better than not doing anything, harder more sun damaged spots were still present and applying clear coat is a b*fh to get perfect.
My wife has an 09 Honda fit 5 SPD sport, I knew it was a fit ,which is why I. Clicked the vid actually, lol. I've done hers, I used 1500 grit to start, I went sanded them though, you sand, you squeegee it, you sand you squeegee, I buff them when I'm done. They come out perfect
I got an '09. Did my headlights 2 years ago but messed up the clear coat by overapplying and it got the orange peel texture. Going to do it right this time and use a good 2k clear coat
@@theheadlightrestorationpro If you want to be honest to your viewer you will ditch this, remove the video and do another video using mothers mag and aluminium polish, seriously dude, why the hell go through all these problems and effort? I believe if you try it on one headlight, you will apologise for not knowing about it.
Im having issues proving that this is the right and only way to restore lights. They say my prizes are to high so i end up telling people then go with some one that just gonna spit some shiny shit on ur lights and call it a day. I will be great at this thanks to u!! Love ur videos thank you for showing us how ITS REALLY DONE.
Props to the creator of this video, but this is NOT the best way to restore headlights. Definitely favoring this one over just polishing, as he does lay some form of UV protection, yet nothing beats 600/800 wet and then laying down 2K clear coat over them. 2K clear will last much much longer and offers much better protection.
@@EdnoAverche2k clear coat is not meant for headlights , it will crack on the headlights and form a spiderweb pattern , use a clear or sealant or something meant for headlights
Astonishing results!!! Like New!! Just wish you could give us a list of the products you used? As I live in the UK things like UV protection for headlights only!! And sanding disk seizing varys here in Europe? Thanks for sharing your expertise to us lesser mortals!! 👍🇬🇧
Hey thanks for watching all of my materials from drills and stools and sandpaper sizes or actual product are all in my bio if you go to my bio there's a direct link to Amazon where to purchase it tells you everything that I use and if you just click on what you're looking for whether it be UV coding or the disc that I use which are on the European scale should bring it right up the exact ones that I purchased from the exact place that I purchased them from... Thank you once again man.. I'm glad my reaches this far 😁💯
Cant find the comment but you said wet sanding is like fighting with one arm vs dry sanding mma fighting. Tried both methods and can say, you're absolutely right!
Watched all your videos on headlight restoration and just did my first 2 sets of lights. First was my 02 Maxima and then my 2010 Ford Expedition. Would love to show you some pics and ask a few questions. My black and decker drill died and had to finish using my griot's DA polisher which did work.
Awesome... I like to hear that I would love to see pictures as well.. not sure how to do that on this platform... I'm glad it worked out for you and thank you for watching my videos...
Questions are always welcomed... And I use a Black & Decker drill sometimes too I have two of them which I started with and they still work.. I used them now for my backups in case this one goes out in the middle of a job...
Hello. Love the videos. I have just started a detailing business and have invested a lot in tools. I've been watching the videos to see if you mention DA polishers and looked through the comments but haven't seen anything yet. Can I use a Rupes 3 inch DA polisher with your techniques and get good results. BTW, yes you are the go-to guy for headlight restoration. Thanks for sharing your knowledge
Does a good polisher but never use a DA for how they restoration you can achieve mediocre results but you're not going to achieve the excellent employer results because it's not the same kind of rotation as you know a dual action is two different motions.. what's your needing for this is horsepower and or RPM whether you're doing the sanding stage or the polishing stage it's just not enough either way you'll end up creating a headache for yourself with minimum results....
Thank you for the quick reply. Can I just use a Ryobi drill before I buy one of the AC Delco polishers you are using? Sorry for all the questions but you are the guy when it comes to restoring headlights. Definitely appreciate the videos and the reply. Not too many people actually reply to questions@@theheadlightrestorationpro
@hankbutler8256 Hay thanks for noticing...I try to respond to everyone, that's how I'm trying to have this channel run .. But to clear you in on the workings of tools or better yet the important sheet of the RPMs check out this video it'll clear you in a lot more.. th-cam.com/video/h-8BKUEVGRY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=y5PBpn2Z4ZQ9V5rF
Awesome. Great video on the breakdown of the headlight and the needed rpms. Thanks for the quick reply. Definitely going to link to your channel as soon as I am up and running.@@theheadlightrestorationpro
I've done several restoration with wet sanding with great results but I might try your method considering I screwed up on my last step and apply a matte clear not a gloss
I did your method on my @011 Silverado, I don't have the same experience as you do . But they look sooo much better, Almost like original. Thank you for these videos
great video, i notice right after you finish polishing you go straight to the meg's spray, is there no benefit to doing a glass cleaner/alcohol wipe right before the spray coat ?
Get this.... In any case a, and any method it is a negative & disbenefit to the process and headlights function , clarity, and HEALTH... SEE THIS.... th-cam.com/video/LC4ZBu02JZg/w-d-xo.htmlsi=OIEL3eHTALu6GBaN
I employ the Glasweld's wet sand system and coat with a proprietary uv hardcoat and cure to the lens with a high intensity uv cure lamp, my results for my clients are always beyond their expectations and increases their safety and visibility for low light conditions.
Yeah the hacks don't work at all not one of them..lol Best just to actually do the work and this is by far the best method and user friendly whether your professional or DIY...💯
You make this look easier than it probably is. If I am unable to feel comfortable doing this myself, what should I expect a pro like yourself to charge for a pair of average sized headlights? Thanks so much.
Depends on different things ...your general location... city... weather,... population..etc . Also depends on what your getting...a specialist, or someone who is is just buffing your headlights (which should never be done/waste of time and money) If you're paying somebody who has no verifiable experience or with a company they're obviously has verifiable experience such as reviews, pictures, video, word of mouth. Also depends on the vehicle many variabilities..
Jesus christ. Just say probably around 100 dollars or around 500 dollars. It doesn't have to be exact. Anytime someone is shady around pricing you know it's about to be high asf.
Basically.... I don't discuss that on this platform because I don't have to . This isn't the place to learn about pricing...this is a place to learn how to do it ..(the best way) What I charge is super irrelevant.... Highs and lows are different in every place in the world.... You have to put in your homework to find out these things in your own area... What I charge more than likely you can't charge because whatever area you live in isn't where I live in or vice versa... You also can charge when I charge because you're not me,. I can show a customer 5000 images of what I have done maybe more and about 500 videos.. I have ratings through the roof.... So you're not going to be able to charge what I charge.. And so many different aspects that you don't understand so by me telling you what just mess up your whole ideology.... Like I said it's irrelevant..
Of all the videos I've watched this morning, two of which demonstrated various "diy homemade polishing compounds" such as baking soda, tooth paste, vinegar and baking soda, wd 40 etc..shortcuts., or at least that's what they claim to be. No good I'm heading out to my garage and driveway now. Will let you know how it goes.
It should say in the videos.. particularly this video.. many many reasons but some key reasons.. appreciate you watching please subscribe and stay tuned for future content dropping soon..
Awesome video! I learned a lot from you, thank you a lot! 😊 I started doing car detailing as my side hustle and instead of uv light protection i put ceramic coating, is that ok or should I switch to the protection u used in this video?
You should definitely switch you're going to run into a lot of issues with ceramic coating on the headlight because it's not designed for headlights.. and the very few brands that are designed for headlights still are not correct because they are ceramic coating.. They are too thin... Which will cause damage in many different ways, also it falls under double coating for both (if you're thinking adding more than one coat to thicken it)... Which affects the functioning of your headlight you're losing dozens of yards of light output... Check these video. Also many other issues but the next top issue would be road debris and impacting because it's so thin you're going to develop a lot of damage on those headlights rather quickly permanent damage... th-cam.com/video/k8_ljUVQfvo/w-d-xo.htmlsi=4NoO2WBiutvoa3Ue th-cam.com/video/NgxNImOAoCY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=8pVVPvWTaaMtnEZ3
Thank you so much for your excellent information as I just had the driver side headlamp 4,000 replaced on my Jaguar XK and the passenger side needs some help.. I purchased the P-500 as I didn’t have that in my arsenal nor did I have the yellow Gimble for hand polishing.. I have McQuires Plastix polish will that be ok for the polishing portion?.. I also have the McQuires UV coating spray which actually works great on faded plastic trim!!!..
It should say... Also have links in the bio to everything I use.... Check this video out it'll definitely show you..th-cam.com/video/oxRxE5Lb44w/w-d-xo.html
Thanks. I’m a female and I like to do things that aren’t too hard myself. I see everyone wet sanding. I figured why not dry? I felt you’d get a much more clear result. Glad I learned. I plan on doing it manually. May I ask with manual sanding, would I still get good results? Second, are there such thing as headlight covers? I don’t want my m*ron neighbors touching it while the clear gloss is drying. Thanks!
No it's high speed... Just controlling the trigger... Certain spots you have to slow down at... Although I don't recommend somebody new to this starting at a high speed...
Thanks for the video. Can I ask, will you use the same method for fixing the roof of a Smart car (Polycarbonate roof)? Or what would you suggest. Thanks from UK 🇬🇧
No I probably wouldn't use the same method for a roof because the roof is not a headlight even if it's polycarbonate... A roof does not need headlights to shine through... April 15 times bigger than a headlight... They're two different things no matter if they're the same material..
@@theheadlightrestorationpro trust me the intention is not to shine a torchlight through it, wink wink. Let me put it this way, I am no restorer, but try! I am simply trying to establish what you’d do to restore the “see through Roof” on a SMART car. They are known to discolour and just wanted your thoughts on how to do so. Thanks in advance☺️
I love the great information... but honestly the constant graphic popups all through the process are very distracting. But you do you and keep up the good work.
Great Video. Couple of questions. Do you highly recommend the AC Delco polisher or will any brand work. Also could you use the polisher to sand as well or would it be too powerful? Thank you.
I actually do highly recommend the AC Delco polisher although it is similar to other polishers I have been using it for over a year and have had no issues with it solid piece of equipment.. it has two settings.. but the main reason that I purchased it because I have two other ones which are just as good but for some reason the manufacturer does not sell replacement batteries, that's the reason I have two..lol I went with the ACDelco primarily because they sell replacement batteries when doing a lot of headlights it sucks to run out of power when your miles away from home or don't have time to sit there and charge it for 40 minutes.. that's the primary reason I went with the AC Delco extra batteries... I have about five but I can just pop in the same device. Sanding with one of these is a no never sound with one of these this can wreak havoc on a headlight even if something is hard to come off the light you would never want to use this you can burn a holes in the headlight, divots, and pits.. even warp the headlight where it's wavy... Too much friction too much heat the low setting on this is too high it's about 0 to 2800 or so.. you should not exceed during sanding about 1700 RPM.. between 500 in 1500 RPM is optimal for sanding headlights... It also would destroy your disc because it's too much RPM. Thank you for the questions and thank you for watching my videos. 😁👍🏼
Thanks again. I ordered the AC Delco from Amazon and got 15% off. Another question. Can you also use car paint polish or just plastic polish for the final step and do you recommend a certain plastic polish?
I wouldn't recommend using anything else but plastic polish compound and even one up that if you can find one that says for headlights or for headlight restoration... Regular car polish on compound will do a little something but it is not formulated for that smooth see through polish effect.. They are formulated much different .. polishing plastic involves a lot more friction and heat, when buffing and polishing a cars paint it's a lot less heat and friction so it's designed alot different... Would recommend at all, have done it and it's totally not the same and will kill your clarity in your finished product.. Thanks for the question 👍🏼😁
Thanks for watching.. And the bio there's Amazon links to everything that I use... If you click the link it'll take you directly to the item on Amazon...
I've tried different techniques but the one that worked best for me is using Mothers Mag & Aluminum polish. Sounds crazy but it took less than 5 minutes per headlight to make them look like new. I think I spent $5 or $6 for a small container but it takes very little of the polish per headlight.
that's why he sprayed that thing at the end, that thing is known to protect from UV light, and your headlight will last shiny for about a year without discoloring. After a year you spry it again and you are good to go for another year.
Everything listed in the bio... I make the drill end piece...very cheap... there are much better ones on Amazon, more permanent ones...this is just my preference but not typically recommended.. If must have they come in a majority of diy kits that are for power tools... These are cheap and break...if you want to make one it is extremely expensive But yes everything is in the bio..
The 3M Lens & Hard Plastic Cleaner is out of stock. I already have some Meguiar's PlastX Clear Plastic Cleaner & Polish. Do you think that would be okay? I'm wondering if by adding polish into their cleaner, it might leave oils that affect the clear coat adhesion? Thanks.
McGuire's plastic X is one of the worst products on the market for headlight restoration out of a 1 through 10 scale it's about a three there's other options in the bios that are approved by me... Also if you're worried about the oils check this video out... th-cam.com/video/LC4ZBu02JZg/w-d-xo.htmlsi=c45U_5_Kz1MxGP_A
Fabulous results on 18 year old, Scion, virgin headlights. However, I still have pretty minor 3000 grit scratches. Can I proceed with 4000 or even 5000 grit pads to remove them?
@paulanderson3234 yes I used the Trizact pad 3000.... I don't use any of the others because it's unnecessary if you watch your pressures... th-cam.com/video/C12RHABN0ZI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=MmtMLkJcrt7HtkqJ
@@theheadlightrestorationpro Thank you, I didn't use Trizact P3000 though, just Trizact 3000. Should I go over them again with Trizact P3000 or just leave well enough alone.
Hi there! You did an amazing job ( as in all your videos ) . The only thing that i want to know is why you dont cut before you polish just like all detailers( at least this has been showed to their videos) and you polish right after the scratching pads. Thank you in advance Sir!
Will the p800 is per se not really a scratching pad it's a scratch fixing pad and with that being said the p3000 is definitely a scratch fixing pad then I polish with a plastic polish vehicle surfaces much different than headlight surface, I especially now this because not only am I a headlight restoration specialist but I am a detailing specialist and do detailing and also a restoration specialist and do other Restorations as well headlights is just my passion... A lot of people think the surface of plastic is like the surface of a clear coated car paint if you think about it and say it out of your mouth it doesn't roll off the tongue correctly because they're a thousand percent different.. Thanks for watching..👍🏼🤓
@@theheadlightrestorationpro Tell me please , from your experience, sanding by hand is a good idea? ( then cutting with a heavy coumpound and finishing them with polishing compound)
Beautiful result 👍 how would you explain the difference between your hand held drill and your polisher ? Does the polisher do a better job than the drill? Any info would be appreciated, cheers 👍
If you continue to watch the videos you'll get a lot of information on that on different ones.. But in the meantime the polisher differs from the drill because the polisher has low torque and high RPM.. over 7800 RPM Max.. with a drill only has a max of maybe 1750 RPM.. the polisher moves a lot faster makes a lot more heat the drill finds a lot better with more torque..
Is it possible to have the cloudyness on the inside of the headlight? How can you tell if it is on the inside. 2014 F150, 1 headlight is bad while the other one is good. I’m using your method w/ the same grit paper. Thanks, great videos!
99% of the time it's on the outside of the headlight.. a good rule of thumb... If it's on the inside you will see it during your headlight restoration..... But what's your vehicle being so new more than likely it's not the inside of the headlight...
@@theheadlightrestorationpro thank you for your quick response. I will continue to keep on sanding, it just seems like the cloudyness is not coming off. Again, great videos.
Thank you thank you very much.. just trying to keep it flowing.. haven't been filming due to injury.. so we'll be picking up on more videos very shortly..
Shouldn't have that issue if you use this method and follow these videos... That usually comes from mistakes.. Too much pressure, not enough polishing, not checking your work before you seal..👍🏼
Question, how do you feel about putting a final polish on after using the lens cleaner. I’ve recently adopted your method, but still have plenty. If polish that I used to use prior and I do like the added shine. Basically, I would like to continue that strip unless it’s going to counteract the process.
The lens cleaner is the final polish.. nothing needed after that because it's not only a cleaner it is a Polish as well... You don't want to interfere with that because the chemicals and the oil is designed to be left behind and saturate those pockets of the headlight, that is what you want to lock in not something else... Also it wouldn't get any clearer... If you want a more clear just do a longer polish with the substance...👍🏼
Yes...by far... especially if taken care of correctly... I'll buy vehicles on a couple of these videos and my headlights are going on 4 years old next month towards the end of March.. and they look perfect like the day I just did them.. they put that disclaimer on there because if you're the nastiest person that never parked his car in the shade never washed the car drove 3000 miles a week you would probably get 12 months out of it more than that.. only thing you would see is a little bit of minor decoration far as color tone... Still would be crystal clear.. in fact to get back to the way they were and most cases would take many many many years... It's just a disclaimer for people that don't know what they're doing.. for people who are slovenly with their vehicle.... If anybody ever came back to me and said hey my light is messed up at 11 months or 12 months I would probably just do it again.. it's never once happened... It lasts good they just put a disclaimer on there so nobody can sue them... Or have a problem..lol
It won't be perfection... But you can still do it... The lights won't function at top tier level and they won't be that perfect 10 and clarity but it could work with the polisher you'll be able to achieve a 10 without it maybe a seven..
do you use more than one setting on the dry sanding , what are those drill settings? I'd like to practice this three or four times before I do my Cadillac, did you practice on junk parts before you were ready to do it for others?
Yes I did a lot of practice before I did a car.. probably like 20 30 headlights before I even did my own car and then probably like a hundred before I even did somebody's car for money... I use all the settings on the drills and polishers..
Do you think my Ridgid 12 volt mini hand drill is adequate to create the heat necessary for that really clear headlight surface with the 3M polishing cream? I could buy the drill you use, just not sure how much I wouild use it, as I am 70 yo and not doing a lot of home projects. Thanks for your help! Your videos are amazing!
Unfortunately it probably will not match or better yet get with an ear shot of the RPMs needed and it probably also has too much torque.. on any given instrument you use on a light you want to make sure that it's less than 700lbs torque.. also you might want to check the specs because what I'm pushing out with this ACDelco is about 7500 RPM.. extremely fast.. like you said that will produce the heat and polishing momentum to create that clarity.. you can achieve a good product just by using the hand drill for the step as well it just won't be the next level but it will be passable for sure..👍🏽
I use cheap ones... They found everywhere and all the kids that have to do with drills.. There are far more better ones... I just like the cheap shit that's a personal preference it's not technically the best thing to use....
Typically no do not seal the lights from water getting in, the only close thing I do to that is the ceiling on the outside of the lens if there is a substantial cracks through and through of the headlight... Which is one of three ways water getting into the light can happen.. The first way water can get into a light and most common is the MASTER SEAL... The master seal goes all the way around the headlight and a sandwiched like a peanut butter sandwich on the edges of the lights where they connect to each other the back piece and the lens.. this piece use the wires down over time in some cases and a small crack let's moisture and dust be pulled in because it's a pressurized environment so it just sucks right in... You can seal this but it's almost nine times out of 10 not worth it because the moisture and dust is still in there and there's nothing you can do about that.. easily.. The other way is through the grommets that are part of the actual headlight LED or whatever.. from months and years of heating those get warped and cracked and water starts coming in.. this is the second most common... The other is direct cracking on the front of the lens small cracks or large that crack all the way through the light.. Less common... I don't really deal with any of them but the last one.. the master seal is damn near impossible to do that you would have to know what spot it's coming from more than likely you won't so you'd have to seal 360° around the light which requires taking it out and even then you'd be locking in all the drama that's inside so I do not deal with it leave that to the mechanics... When is concerning the LEDs or the light bulbs breach you can actually buy grommets or spare grommets to replace those and even some places just replace the light that comes with a new grommet whichever is cheaper.... So might touch bases on that on a video in the future... Thank you...
can i use wet polish starting with 600 then 800 then 2000 or donyou have any good combinations that i can use im starting a business and for i will try in multiple headlight mine first until i get the needed experience. i bought a good drill and the tools from 400 grit to 2000 . do you think i need to just buy 800 and 3000 or higher according to you experience
if i dont have a 7800 rpm polisher, will a 1200 rpm drill work too? how do i generate more heat that is required to give that "clarity" using the 1200 rpm drill?
Well you really don't... If you can't meet those RPM stats you're not going to develop the heat and friction that is needed to develop that Crystal clarity.. But you still will come out with a cool product it just won't be on this level without that... It is probably one of the most single important steps to achieve such clarities... This is why this method on my work looks a lot wetter and cleaner and clear that other people you've seen on the internet even though there's as good as well....💯💪🏽
I use a Ryobi drill/ also another but for these videos I used this drill and it has two speed settings most of the time of the video I'm using the high power speed setting which is about 1700 RPM although at times I do not apply full pressure to the trigger which is less than 1700.. on the first setting which is slower but has more torque is about 450 rpm.. As far as the 12 volt polisher No you cannot use that to do headlight restoration has two settings. Both settings are too fast for headlight restoration the slow setting is 0 to 2800 RPM which means you can control the speed by less pressure or more pressure to the trigger but still one mistake one gentle squeeze more run a high potential of burning a hole in the headlight or melting a spot, the other setting is 0 to 7800 RPM.. way way too fast too much friction too much heat besides burning the headlight or being hard to control your discs will burn out in seconds all the granules will just fall off.. Have tried All the above.. Thanks for the question. Hope hope this answers it.
If you're serious never use more than a 3 in you can only use less possibly but both are a waste of time but anything over 3 in just kind of dangerous 3 in like a perfect size.. if you look at some of my videos you can possibly use a 6-in on about 90% of the lights.. you can control it you couldn't feel enough of it a high possibility of damaging the vehicle especially the lights.... I highly wouldn't recommend it it's also not as focused the bigger you get the less focused it is... Think about trying to use a 12-in ..lol got to be too big at a certain point anything after 3 is that point.
I don't comment about business that and depth.. just about headlights and headlight restoration.. but that's very vague question that really can't be asked her many variables into what anyone should charge for headlights year make model, how bad it is, shape of the headlights, inventions, Hood access, all kind of variables etc ..etc.. It varies in every single City... Thanks for watching.th-cam.com/video/x1gp9ATZTI8/w-d-xo.html
Yes very possible... You just have to take it down far enough and have a gentle touch to not add to the situation.. you want to think more of a smoothness or smoothing instead of removing especially since you're probably removing more than recommended for any given headlight restoration.... I've seen some pretty deep gouges that have been taken out but it's only recommended for certain depths of gouging other than that there's other ways that can be done but that's for another video...
for you , what’s the difference between sanding and using Cerokote and it’s cleaning pads ? is it that your sanding off the oxidation and the clear coat ? i’ve done it both ways and it’s A LOT easier using cerokote cleaning pads
And your experience most things easy in life are what? Usually too good to be true or not good enough or not as good correct... Yes!!! For one there's no telling what that chemical abrasive is doing to the seal around your headlight or what happens when it drips on your paint... For two what it's doing is pretty much chemically bleaching the damaged fibers and cells of the polycarbonate if your headlight is completely stripped down to the polycarbonate this kit is good but it gets weird when you still have clear code on your headlight,,, I have a great saying I always say in my videos and in life if you don't remove it then where is it ????? The answer is still there where was in this case in terms of the yellowness in the headlight it's pretty much chemically bleached like I said and the fibers and cells are still damaged the reason why they discolor is because they're damaged by the Sun so the damage is still there making it easier to damage 10 times faster and easier affecting clarity even if they're clear... So the best thing is to remove it the best methods are to remove it because you start fresh with an undamaged polycarbonate surface... And seal in the clean freshly resurfaced surface... Also from experimenting with the kid and what you see in my videos it will never ever ever even be as clear as far as a parent and in function and performance... But for the everyday day to day person who doesn't want to fork out much more than 15 bucks for headlight restoration it's acceptable... When it comes to these things in life it's just a matter of choice you can choose to drive a beat up a 1982 Chevy Caprice and save some money.. are you can drive an Audi A5 2023 if money were no option lol One car is vastly vastly more equipped to do the job of driving better but yet they both will drive... Hopefully that shed some light on that situation for you.. I have a cerakote video up, I have a light test video up that shows you where the cerakote fares up at, and a bunch of others feel free to check them out...
Also believe it or not there's a lot of scams out there not saying this particular one is a scam but it has a lot of unnecessary backtracking techniques..lol the first step is to get the yellow out which is a cool magic trick but how useless is it when you sand it off anyways...🤣🤣🤣🤣 Food for thought.. they're basically making it so that the appearance of your sanding is easier one... At the same time making it so you're not removing enough damage..
I have a 2014 Kia Forte and the headlight covers are not yellow, but the plastic is raised and bumpy from too much sunlight. I don't know what it's called, I'm a 70 y/o grandma who is big on DIY projects. I tried the Moms Magnesium buffing concept but it didn't smooth out the plastic. My question is would your technique detailed in your video here work on my headlight covers? The whole plastic headlight covers are not affected, only the section closest to the hood. Thanks!
No....not a good idea...you want to use something with a high evaporation point Such as alcohol based/water base.. That why you have a sterling environment..
Is it very necessary to use a polisher? I understand what you said about the heat created being important. I have a drill and would like to try this on one pair of headlights for myself.
If you want an opportunity to have a finished product like this.. yes you have to.. you can cut corners and not do steps if you want but it's not going to come out the same but they can still probably come out good for metaphorical reference without the polisher you can achieve a five with the polisher you can achieve a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 . New video th-cam.com/video/L8_-Qavsc4s/w-d-xo.htmlsi=4CFnmJEGUoajK8TI
Thank you for replying. After watching another video, I understand the professionalism you're working with on the lights. Sounds like it's best to do what you do. Looks like a good tool to have too.
@mattyt531 100% yes is best to follow what I do it's mostly people out there don't know shit and are quite the opposite of this on top of their product being about 30% as good as mine...💯
@@theheadlightrestorationpro I want to ask how you deal with the little bumps on headlights that help in aim the lights or whatever the function is. They are on my truck's headlights from 2004. Do you just go around them?
You can ..but doesn't not work as well. The best application method is spraying..Hands down no comparison of any other application method.. With that being said ceramics don't come and spray as of at the moment.(haven't seen one yet).. also their design as a topper and paint sealant.. typically not photo transparent or designed to be photo transparent (light expenditure and clarity).. none of the ones that I have used have been satisfactory up to this point..
@@theheadlightrestorationpro awesome thanks you saved me from wasting my time trying that.spray sealant it is. how careful for over spray do you have to be.
Watch a couple of my videos at that point of the video and you'll see it's not that much overspray I overkill on the tape just to be safe with this product but note.. This product has a very directional tip not all products do whichever you go with which I recommend the McGuires what I use on these videos.. but whatever you go with to a test spot on piece of cardboard or something so you can see the fan spray...
Son episodes I do comment on this.. I use personally use the fast setting... You can get away with using the slow setting which I recommend to somebody new at doing this even if you have experience with headlights but not power tools.. there are certain inherited dangers are as damage.. but if you follow what I do exactly you should be fine but only advice I can give you is to slow down and work your way into going faster.
Individually based ..it all depends on how the person takes care of their vehicle... Generally I give a year just to guarantee my work ..as far as any crazy things happening, (Which never has) I give them after instructions.. the earliest I've come back to do a headlight was about 17 months, and the lights were perfectly fine Crystal clear, the guy I just had some brush marks on the side and he had pretty much a show car so he wanted that perfection...my vehicles ( both ) are going on 4 years in March .. But if someone does nothing bro there vehicle takes poor care of their vehicle doesn't wash it it's always outside poor maintenance it would last to minimum of about 13 months.. this is a rare occasion slavishly people.. Also wear and tear has to do with it as well.. if a person drives 500 miles a day cross country or something or 70,000 miles a year something crazy.. these different scenarios will do different things that's why I kind of say I'm an individual basis but a minimum of 12 months.. Check this video out. th-cam.com/video/OKgJajX1H-I/w-d-xo.html
all these videos show late model plastic lens with clearcoat; what is best method for GLASS HEADLIGHTS? I have a 1994 Buick Regal coupe. Also is same method good for glass parking light lenses too?
Most modern vehicles all the way back to the '90s to not have glass.. if you come across a vehicle that has glass it's very rare.. but there's a good thing about that if you could run into him because it would not need headlight restoration,, glass does not oxidize like plastic.. technically there should be nothing wrong with a Glass lens... Once again if you ever do run into a Glass lens which is like one in a thousand..... It won't need to headlight restoration...
Lights on that Buick regal should most definitely not be glass.. they have the old method refractory in it which is those ripples you probably see it's an old method to boost the light.. but they most definitely should not be Glass... Usually vehicles really old will have glass headlights.. like early 80s a few away earlier.
What are your thoughts on dry sanding the 500/800 grits by hand instead of using the drill for better feel, and alternating directions between grits? Also, some say the 1k coatings don't stick as well to completely polished surfaces and need a slightly rougher finish (p1500 maybe?) to adhere to?
Okay so alternating directions is pointless.. there's a guy on the internet on TH-cam who tells you to go this direction then go this direction he's pretty good but that part of his process is pointless.. you can do it but it's not going to make any difference with anything and in some cases my complicate things because it's easier to get rid of a line that I cross hatch... And they're absolutely right.. about the 1K clear or the 2K clear it doesn't adhere for shit.. with that being said it's never supposed to be used on headlights... Clears meant to be used on headlights are totally different things.. those clears of 1K and 2K clear are meant to be sprayed on payment surfaces or more rough surfaces like wood and Stone or tile or other things.. so better to rough up using that stuff.. always better to just use headlight products for an astronomical amount of reasons... A clear coat meant for headlights sticks like crazy I've never once had appealing issue not even two three years later with this product...
@@theheadlightrestorationpro You said "A clear coat meant for headlights sticks like crazy I've never once had appealing issue not even two three years later with this product... I said "What about issues four or more years?"
It's not appealing product it dissipates the way headlight coding is supposed to.. if one would ever to pay attention to how the coding naturally applied from the factory degrades you would notice that generally doesn't peel ever it just goes bad.. these are the characteristics of things that are supposed to be on the headlights... If it appeals it's no good it means a whole other bunch of things.. that I really can't get into in text... This product wouldn't peel in 10 years..💯
I tried doing mine today but the sandpaper I had wouldn’t touch my headlight(golf mk7) so I’ve ordered 3m abrasives now for another attempt. I have the meguires two step kit which gave a good finish but not perfect so I am going to re do it. I was wondering tho is the perfect clarity cleaning solution suitable for the polishing stage using the polisher? Thanks T
Not sure...I haven't used it before... they're always coming up with different stuff all the time...many things can work for this step but I haven't come across anything that comes close to the 3m hard lens plastic cleaner polish..
Thanks so much for getting back to me. I think I have found the uk equivalent of the 3m lens & hard plastic polish. It’s known as 3m rubbing compound here, it’s what comes in the 3m headlight refurb kit so I’d assume it’s the write/same stuff 🤞🏼🙂
Unfortunately it's not the right stuff is called rubbing compound they come the same tube different label I also use that as well not for headlights... sorry.😞
@@phdyoutubedegree1939 Thanks for the reply. The reason why i ask is because i dont think you need to smooth the surface of the light once you have gotten rid of the oxidation, I think the clear coat will do that without the extra sanding. However, because i have never done it, I wondered if anyone else has
Ever notice before doing a headlight, soaking it with bon ami style window cleaner literally takes the yellowing right off. Not sure if it makes it easier to keep the initial sanding discs cleaner or not.
No.. should make no difference and actually in all actuality it might make your job a little difficult because what's going on is the plastic is getting oxidized from the Sun means that the actual plastic is getting bleached at the same time as oils from within the plastic are getting pushed up mainly you're drawing up a little bit of that color... The problem with that is the sales are the plastic molecules are already damaged therefore they will be red damaged or better yet never have been fixed so you might be taking off some of the yellow what's left over but still leaving some behind and not knowing because you've turned it clear those molecules are already damaged so they will become yellow a hell of a lot faster than removing them 100%.. Hopefully that makes sense I don't want to get you scientifically with explanations I try to keep it normal talk without going X2 gigawatts and all that kind of weird talk..lol Good question I used to try to do methods like this and actually they have something like this method inside of the cerakote headlight restoration room kit they have a towelette that removes some of the yellowing it's interesting but can be problematic in the future.. Thanks for watching hopefully you subscribe..
Also I might actually advise against this because if you're doing a proper headlight restoration means to protect yourself and you're taping off the only liquids I use actual liquids are regular tap water and glass cleaner... Regular glass cleaner.. the reason for this is that water and glass cannot believe it or not are solvents even water they have the ability to break stuff down both in different ways both in the same ways.. most of the times water gets underneath the tape at some points and sitting there through a 30 minute 40 minute headlight restoration can be problematic to clear coats around the headlight especially when it comes to repainted bumpers, wraps and all that kind of stuff.. or even older vehicles with compromise clear coat.. this is actually happened to me before you might accidentally remove some clear coat and it might be aided to using too strong of a solvent.. I don't put any chemicals on it because clear coat and paint are really temperamental.. I don't even let the Windex or water set on the paint I wipe it off as a drips only wanted to set on the light... So it could be problematic and possibly dangerous because of something goes wrong because of it you'll probably have to pay for it the vehicle...
@@theheadlightrestorationpro oh wow..ok, just did 2014 honda fit lights and they are so big lol. They were yellowish and I started out by cleaning them not realizing they would give off all that yellow. My first thought was that it would make the job easier getting the yellow off first…but I guess thats a no lol. Thanks for sharing.
I've been looking for where you explain at what point to use the Chemical guys headlight and restore. Do you apply this before applying the UV coat? Just trying to get concise process of elimination when it comes to the steps.
@@theheadlightrestorationpro Yes sir I did now I'm on the "Professional Level Headlight Restoration Made Easy" Video from a year ago. Maybe I missed it idk
@@theheadlightrestorationpro And which brand of polish do you recommend? I see you have 5 of them listed and idk which one to use? And the 3m perfect it compound is that used on the 3000 grit step? I see you mostly use water but can that be used instead for a cleaner finish?
Everything should be done the way I do it in the video If you do something else that's on you.. there's about 70 80 videos up of mine and this is the way it's done to produce this quality..
I'm pretty handy and usually get good results but apparently sanding headlights is not one of my skills... Went through 2 kits, first turtle bay (wet sanded), and now 3m (dry sanded). I think the turtle bay actually looked better, but both had fine lines for finish result....
I done wet sand ,stops paper getting clogged up and smoother sanding process I just wipe with clean rag see how its sanding carry on ,exactly same process as painters do always wet sand but up to indervidual if want do go through loads clogged up paper and risk picking up debris scratch surface go ahead .
Yes always one coat no matter what ceiling you're using wipe on, spray whatever it is you should always focus on one master coat just like the factory does.. there's many huge reasons behind this... Even though some manufacturers of these products will tell you to double cult or multiple coat... They have the development behind it but not necessarily the research.. I have nothing but research and experience I guarantee you all of the scientists combined that make these products of every single product and have not done even a quarter headlight Restorations that I have done.. So yes always one heavy coat that's what the factory does.. check out this video...th-cam.com/video/NgxNImOAoCY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=A68PD6ccmlAjVqJS
There's over a hundred videos up on this page this is just one of them that happened to not have it... It is p800... All product supplies TH-cam video are listed the bio... You should check out some of the newer stuff as well..th-cam.com/video/2_q6E7lbBzE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=-UMlVNki6eMRp0a3
Hi I am restoring my headlights and I have some issues. I have 2 forum threads if you search on Google with this phrase "HELP! Headlight restoration swirls showing!" you can see my progress. I am currently stuck and would like some feedback. I removed all the previous headlight clear coat with 800 grit, so I am left with just plastic. However trying to get a mirror finish with the visbella kit compound and a wool pad is not working. I can still see sanding marks. Should I keep polishing until all marks are gone or should I apply the liquid and the marks will disappear?
th-cam.com/video/qMsYcwu8nxw/w-d-xo.html Can you please tell me if this is as good as it gets with my polishing? Is it possible to get a much better finish? your input is much appreciated!!
You should probably use the method that I use on all of these videos. I can really tell you what to do with whatever you're doing. But what I can do is show you how to do it with this method which is on every video on the channel. To do an evaluation I just follow what I say and really pay attention to it...
Does your ac Delco buffer suck the battery dry really fast? I have one that is only one speed and another with the variable speed. The variable speed runs a battery dead so quick
You have to learn how to work the trigger.... The harder you pound on it the more the battery drains if it's draining that fast you got to learn how to use the polisher properly better pretty much you get your needed effect and move on if you sit there and play with it you can sit there and polish one area for 15 minutes it's going to die really fast they typically last me about one to two vehicles... Entire vehicle headlight restoration... I used to have this problem until I got better at polishing...🫡💯
@theheadlightrestorationpro I get about a headlight and a 1/2 out of a battery. I'm thinking two of my batteries are going bad out of the four that I have. But I have noticed the trigger on the variable speed buffer is a lot different than my single speed buffer. And the mini polishers are definitely different from a regular size rotary polisher.
@ChristopherCologneASMR yeah they're a whole different world than the full size... I'm not the same thing my batteries aren't lasting as long but I've had them for over 2 years I just ordered another set always good to have extra...
@@theheadlightrestorationpro I'd like to get one of those 2000 watt power stations and hook a solar panel up to it. That way I can charge my batteries easier, I can use my corded polisher if I want to, and I can do other things if I decide to again. Between getting hit by a car and getting older now, me and doing full details just don't get along anymore.lol. have you ever looked into those electric portable power stations?
I prefer 3m products... general they are 2-5 times more expensive but last and function 2-5 better.. I would honestly stick to the top of the line brand when it comes to sanding especially.. I buy in bulk so it is cheaper.. Thank you for the question..👍🏼
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That is definitely your technique. I've been doing it for over 20 years, not trash talking the way you do it. Put starting off with The Dry sand it's perfect like you're doing anything finished off. The final finish weather is 1000 grit, 3000 grit. Is much better much smoother, no hairs, no static. My role of thumb is. He can clear code over 1000 no problem. Going up to 3000 never done. It would not try it. You want a better bond at 10:00 when the clear coat hits the lens, your video is awesome. It works for you. I have my technique. Everybody has their own technique. Starting out with dry final standing with wet. In my opinion is a lot smoother, you Get less static electricity from the dry electric Sander
Seriously, I have a surprise for you, honestly, get some mothers mag and aluminium polish. If you don't like it i will seriously post a video of me eating my sock, cutting it into tiny pieces and swallowing the whole thing, that i how confident i am you will come back and cheer me on. And thank me by sending me money saving you money and so much time, 30 seconds to a minute each light and your light will look new.
@@palmtreeshenanigans What about sealing the light with UV protector ?
@@palmtreeshenanigans Choke Choke Choke LOL
This is only good for a few months in most case, no more than a year depending on your weather, if you don’t remove the oxidation and clear paint you will need to do the polish every 6-8 months to keep crystal clear clarity@@palmtreeshenanigans
This is the No.1 best headlight restoration video I’ve seen.
Excellent step by step explanation.
Job well done!
Cheers from Down Under
🇦🇺🦘🇦🇺🐨🇦🇺🥂
Awesome man thank you appreciate it.. there's plenty more streaming ... couple dozen up on my channel... Plenty more to come..🤩
Just have a look at mothers mag and aluminium polish being used on headlights, you will look at this video and wonder why you even bothered watching and wonder why so many places are selling complicated kits on Amazon to clear headlights when it can be done in 30 seconds per light.
i gotta say the humility here man is so refreshing thanks for that and great vid!!!! really easy to follow and love the subtitles. great knowledge! thanks
Thank you very much for watching... Don't forget there's plenty of videos up on my channel and plenty to come soon...
This is pretty awesome. Will be trying this method for the first time on my MKV Golf R32 as the one side headlight is back ordered and hate looking at orange/yellowish lights. Worse case I mess up and buy a new light best case I learn something get a clean looking ride and will buy a new headlight anyway. 😂😂😂
Yes try this out you will like it... I bet headlights will come out awesome..👍🏽🤓
The fact you can do this with a generic drill adapter and not an actual buffer is what amazes me the most. Proof professional’s can get the job done with any tool.
don't get fooled with what he's doing 😅😅go at the Walmart buy 3M kit restoration for example ...and you can do it by yourself with no problem 😮😅😅😅
@@markaegyssus5192 I already tried and while it looked better than not doing anything, harder more sun damaged spots were still present and applying clear coat is a b*fh to get perfect.
I’ve sanded and polished lots of stuff, I learned a few things here. Good info.
My wife has an 09 Honda fit 5 SPD sport, I knew it was a fit ,which is why I. Clicked the vid actually, lol. I've done hers, I used 1500 grit to start, I went sanded them though, you sand, you squeegee it, you sand you squeegee, I buff them when I'm done. They come out perfect
Congrats...
I got an '09. Did my headlights 2 years ago but messed up the clear coat by overapplying and it got the orange peel texture. Going to do it right this time and use a good 2k clear coat
Best headlight restoration video
Hey man I appreciate it there's plenty more up and plenty more to come...
@@theheadlightrestorationpro If you want to be honest to your viewer you will ditch this, remove the video and do another video using mothers mag and aluminium polish, seriously dude, why the hell go through all these problems and effort? I believe if you try it on one headlight, you will apologise for not knowing about it.
Very Professional amazing results. Also you sound like Hank Shrader from Breaking Bad
Im having issues proving that this is the right and only way to restore lights. They say my prizes are to high so i end up telling people then go with some one that just gonna spit some shiny shit on ur lights and call it a day. I will be great at this thanks to u!! Love ur videos thank you for showing us how ITS REALLY DONE.
👍🏽
Props to the creator of this video, but this is NOT the best way to restore headlights. Definitely favoring this one over just polishing, as he does lay some form of UV protection, yet nothing beats 600/800 wet and then laying down 2K clear coat over them. 2K clear will last much much longer and offers much better protection.
@@EdnoAverche2k clear coat is not meant for headlights , it will crack on the headlights and form a spiderweb pattern , use a clear or sealant or something meant for headlights
Astonishing results!!! Like New!! Just wish you could give us a list of the products you used? As I live in the UK things like UV protection for headlights only!! And sanding disk seizing varys here in Europe? Thanks for sharing your expertise to us lesser mortals!! 👍🇬🇧
Hey thanks for watching all of my materials from drills and stools and sandpaper sizes or actual product are all in my bio if you go to my bio there's a direct link to Amazon where to purchase it tells you everything that I use and if you just click on what you're looking for whether it be UV coding or the disc that I use which are on the European scale should bring it right up the exact ones that I purchased from the exact place that I purchased them from...
Thank you once again man.. I'm glad my reaches this far 😁💯
Cant find the comment but you said wet sanding is like fighting with one arm vs dry sanding mma fighting.
Tried both methods and can say, you're absolutely right!
Watched all your videos on headlight restoration and just did my first 2 sets of lights. First was my 02 Maxima and then my 2010 Ford Expedition. Would love to show you some pics and ask a few questions. My black and decker drill died and had to finish using my griot's DA polisher which did work.
Awesome... I like to hear that I would love to see pictures as well.. not sure how to do that on this platform...
I'm glad it worked out for you and thank you for watching my videos...
Questions are always welcomed... And I use a Black & Decker drill sometimes too I have two of them which I started with and they still work.. I used them now for my backups in case this one goes out in the middle of a job...
@@theheadlightrestorationpro if you had a instagram page ?
@@bhaycraft on TikTok for both...
Hello. Love the videos. I have just started a detailing business and have invested a lot in tools. I've been watching the videos to see if you mention DA polishers and looked through the comments but haven't seen anything yet. Can I use a Rupes 3 inch DA polisher with your techniques and get good results. BTW, yes you are the go-to guy for headlight restoration. Thanks for sharing your knowledge
Does a good polisher but never use a DA for how they restoration you can achieve mediocre results but you're not going to achieve the excellent employer results because it's not the same kind of rotation as you know a dual action is two different motions.. what's your needing for this is horsepower and or RPM whether you're doing the sanding stage or the polishing stage it's just not enough either way you'll end up creating a headache for yourself with minimum results....
Thank you for the quick reply. Can I just use a Ryobi drill before I buy one of the AC Delco polishers you are using? Sorry for all the questions but you are the guy when it comes to restoring headlights. Definitely appreciate the videos and the reply. Not too many people actually reply to questions@@theheadlightrestorationpro
@hankbutler8256
Hay thanks for noticing...I try to respond to everyone, that's how I'm trying to have this channel run ..
But to clear you in on the workings of tools or better yet the important sheet of the RPMs check out this video it'll clear you in a lot more..
th-cam.com/video/h-8BKUEVGRY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=y5PBpn2Z4ZQ9V5rF
Awesome. Great video on the breakdown of the headlight and the needed rpms. Thanks for the quick reply. Definitely going to link to your channel as soon as I am up and running.@@theheadlightrestorationpro
@hankbutler8256 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
I've done several restoration with wet sanding with great results but I might try your method considering I screwed up on my last step and apply a matte clear not a gloss
I did your method on my @011 Silverado, I don't have the same experience as you do . But they look sooo much better, Almost like original. Thank you for these videos
Awesome man I always love to hear this .
👍🏽💯💯💯
great video, i notice right after you finish polishing you go straight to the meg's spray, is there no benefit to doing a glass cleaner/alcohol wipe right before the spray coat ?
Get this.... In any case a, and any method it is a negative & disbenefit to the process and headlights function , clarity, and HEALTH...
SEE THIS....
th-cam.com/video/LC4ZBu02JZg/w-d-xo.htmlsi=OIEL3eHTALu6GBaN
Thank you I just learned something going to try on my o4 titan
I employ the Glasweld's wet sand system and coat with a proprietary uv hardcoat and cure to the lens with a high intensity uv cure lamp, my results for my clients are always beyond their expectations and increases their safety and visibility for low light conditions.
Do you have a list of all the equipment you used to start out?
Everything is listed in the bio for viewing and or purchasing through Amazon. Same place I get all my supplies from..
Thanks for the DIY lesson on headlight restoration. I just completed my 4th headlight cleaning hack. All failed.. Thanks
Yeah the hacks don't work at all not one of them..lol
Best just to actually do the work and this is by far the best method and user friendly whether your professional or DIY...💯
Excellent as always :)
Thank you I appreciate it.. appreciate your viewing as well.
Good video !
Always....👍🏽
You make this look easier than it probably is. If I am unable to feel comfortable doing this myself, what should I expect a pro like yourself to charge for a pair of average sized headlights? Thanks so much.
Depends on different things ...your general location... city... weather,... population..etc .
Also depends on what your getting...a specialist, or someone who is is just buffing your headlights (which should never be done/waste of time and money)
If you're paying somebody who has no verifiable experience or with a company they're obviously has verifiable experience such as reviews, pictures, video, word of mouth.
Also depends on the vehicle many variabilities..
@@theheadlightrestorationpro William said average, so that would be between low end and high end.
Jesus christ. Just say probably around 100 dollars or around 500 dollars. It doesn't have to be exact. Anytime someone is shady around pricing you know it's about to be high asf.
Basically.... I don't discuss that on this platform because I don't have to . This isn't the place to learn about pricing...this is a place to learn how to do it ..(the best way)
What I charge is super irrelevant....
Highs and lows are different in every place in the world....
You have to put in your homework to find out these things in your own area...
What I charge more than likely you can't charge because whatever area you live in isn't where I live in or vice versa...
You also can charge when I charge because you're not me,. I can show a customer 5000 images of what I have done maybe more and about 500 videos..
I have ratings through the roof.... So you're not going to be able to charge what I charge..
And so many different aspects that you don't understand so by me telling you what just mess up your whole ideology.... Like I said it's irrelevant..
Of all the videos I've watched this morning, two of which demonstrated various "diy homemade polishing compounds" such as baking soda, tooth paste, vinegar and baking soda, wd 40 etc..shortcuts., or at least that's what they claim to be. No good I'm heading out to my garage and driveway now. Will let you know how it goes.
Why is dry sanding better than wet sanding? I’m really curious because I love your results better than all other videos I watched.
It should say in the videos.. particularly this video.. many many reasons but some key reasons.. appreciate you watching please subscribe and stay tuned for future content dropping soon..
@@theheadlightrestorationpro I’m already subscribed and a big fan of your work.
@@rmeighan3761 awesome 👍🏼😎
Really appreciate it..
Awesome video!
I learned a lot from you, thank you a lot! 😊
I started doing car detailing as my side hustle and instead of uv light protection i put ceramic coating, is that ok or should I switch to the protection u used in this video?
You should definitely switch you're going to run into a lot of issues with ceramic coating on the headlight because it's not designed for headlights.. and the very few brands that are designed for headlights still are not correct because they are ceramic coating..
They are too thin... Which will cause damage in many different ways, also it falls under double coating for both (if you're thinking adding more than one coat to thicken it)... Which affects the functioning of your headlight you're losing dozens of yards of light output...
Check these video.
Also many other issues but the next top issue would be road debris and impacting because it's so thin you're going to develop a lot of damage on those headlights rather quickly permanent damage...
th-cam.com/video/k8_ljUVQfvo/w-d-xo.htmlsi=4NoO2WBiutvoa3Ue
th-cam.com/video/NgxNImOAoCY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=8pVVPvWTaaMtnEZ3
@@theheadlightrestorationpro Oooh ok, I used SONAX Ceramic coating for headlights, but I will try to find uv protection instead. Thank you a lot ❤️
@itzstryker1 👍🏽💪🏽😁
Thank you so much for your excellent information as I just had the driver side headlamp 4,000 replaced on my Jaguar XK and the passenger side needs some help.. I purchased the P-500 as I didn’t have that in my arsenal nor did I have the yellow Gimble for hand polishing.. I have McQuires Plastix polish will that be ok for the polishing portion?.. I also have the McQuires UV coating spray which actually works great on faded plastic trim!!!..
Wow that is amazing great job best video and headlight restoration 👍
not exactly a headlight, but im trying to smooth and shine out a unpainted pinball playfield, i believe this is the route ill be going.
Awesome.. aspects about this method can definitely be used on different things than headlights..👍🏽
Great video,well explained & fab helpful tips 👍
Thank you for watching... Stay tuned there's so many aspects that I can't fit all in one video..
Thank You, you're a Pro!
Thank you 🙏🏽
Great video ! Hey what you use after the 800 grit ?
It should say... Also have links in the bio to everything I use....
Check this video out it'll definitely show you..th-cam.com/video/oxRxE5Lb44w/w-d-xo.html
Thanks. I’m a female and I like to do things that aren’t too hard myself. I see everyone wet sanding. I figured why not dry? I felt you’d get a much more clear result. Glad I learned.
I plan on doing it manually. May I ask with manual sanding, would I still get good results? Second, are there such thing as headlight covers? I don’t want my m*ron neighbors touching it while the clear gloss is drying. Thanks!
Looks like your initial two sandings are done with the drills slower speed?? Thanks
No it's high speed... Just controlling the trigger... Certain spots you have to slow down at... Although I don't recommend somebody new to this starting at a high speed...
Gotcha thanks 😊
@cmongimme 👍🏽
Thanks for the video. Can I ask, will you use the same method for fixing the roof of a Smart car (Polycarbonate roof)? Or what would you suggest. Thanks from UK 🇬🇧
No I probably wouldn't use the same method for a roof because the roof is not a headlight even if it's polycarbonate... A roof does not need headlights to shine through...
April 15 times bigger than a headlight... They're two different things no matter if they're the same material..
@@theheadlightrestorationpro trust me the intention is not to shine a torchlight through it, wink wink. Let me put it this way, I am no restorer, but try! I am simply trying to establish what you’d do to restore the “see through Roof” on a SMART car. They are known to discolour and just wanted your thoughts on how to do so. Thanks in advance☺️
@y0057 I would take it to an auto body shop.... That's what I would do..
I love the great information... but honestly the constant graphic popups all through the process are very distracting. But you do you and keep up the good work.
Great Video. Couple of questions. Do you highly recommend the AC Delco polisher or will any brand work. Also could you use the polisher to sand as well or would it be too powerful? Thank you.
I actually do highly recommend the AC Delco polisher although it is similar to other polishers I have been using it for over a year and have had no issues with it solid piece of equipment.. it has two settings.. but the main reason that I purchased it because I have two other ones which are just as good but for some reason the manufacturer does not sell replacement batteries, that's the reason I have two..lol I went with the ACDelco primarily because they sell replacement batteries when doing a lot of headlights it sucks to run out of power when your miles away from home or don't have time to sit there and charge it for 40 minutes.. that's the primary reason I went with the AC Delco extra batteries... I have about five but I can just pop in the same device.
Sanding with one of these is a no never sound with one of these this can wreak havoc on a headlight even if something is hard to come off the light you would never want to use this you can burn a holes in the headlight, divots, and pits.. even warp the headlight where it's wavy... Too much friction too much heat the low setting on this is too high it's about 0 to 2800 or so.. you should not exceed during sanding about 1700 RPM.. between 500 in 1500 RPM is optimal for sanding headlights... It also would destroy your disc because it's too much RPM.
Thank you for the questions and thank you for watching my videos. 😁👍🏼
@@theheadlightrestorationpro Thank you so much for all the useful information. Going to get me an AC Delco and stick with my drill for sanding.
Amazon is what I use quick and easy and good return policies that you can also get a extended warranty more than likely...
Thanks again. I ordered the AC Delco from Amazon and got 15% off. Another question. Can you also use car paint polish or just plastic polish for the final step and do you recommend a certain plastic polish?
I wouldn't recommend using anything else but plastic polish compound and even one up that if you can find one that says for headlights or for headlight restoration... Regular car polish on compound will do a little something but it is not formulated for that smooth see through polish effect..
They are formulated much different .. polishing plastic involves a lot more friction and heat, when buffing and polishing a cars paint it's a lot less heat and friction so it's designed alot different...
Would recommend at all, have done it and it's totally not the same and will kill your clarity in your finished product..
Thanks for the question 👍🏼😁
Hello your videos are excellent ......where do you shop to get the big cans of headlight uv protection ????
Thanks for watching..
And the bio there's Amazon links to everything that I use...
If you click the link it'll take you directly to the item on Amazon...
I've tried different techniques but the one that worked best for me is using Mothers Mag & Aluminum polish. Sounds crazy but it took less than 5 minutes per headlight to make them look like new. I think I spent $5 or $6 for a small container but it takes very little of the polish per headlight.
i’ve heard sanding down a headlight will remove a protective seal so in six months, it comes out worse is that true?
that's why he sprayed that thing at the end, that thing is known to protect from UV light, and your headlight will last shiny for about a year without discoloring. After a year you spry it again and you are good to go for another year.
Good job. I can't complaint.
Awesome...
New video th-cam.com/video/Zax2AKIPMe0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=j9JXh7rZnxgGd0zP
Looking great! Not trying to be a dick...the paint without masking tape is driving me crazy!! Probably the professional touch I guess. Awesome video
The masking tape is green. The green u see is masking tape.
Can you please tell me where do you get the drill bits with the sandpaper adapter? Thank you great video
Everything listed in the bio...
I make the drill end piece...very cheap... there are much better ones on Amazon, more permanent ones...this is just my preference but not typically recommended..
If must have they come in a majority of diy kits that are for power tools...
These are cheap and break...if you want to make one it is extremely expensive
But yes everything is in the bio..
@@theheadlightrestorationpro thank y
👍🏽
The 3M Lens & Hard Plastic Cleaner is out of stock. I already have some Meguiar's PlastX Clear Plastic Cleaner & Polish. Do you think that would be okay? I'm wondering if by adding polish into their cleaner, it might leave oils that affect the clear coat adhesion? Thanks.
McGuire's plastic X is one of the worst products on the market for headlight restoration out of a 1 through 10 scale it's about a three there's other options in the bios that are approved by me...
Also if you're worried about the oils check this video out...
th-cam.com/video/LC4ZBu02JZg/w-d-xo.htmlsi=c45U_5_Kz1MxGP_A
Impressive work .
I just want to know the brand name of the clear coat sealant you use .thanks .
It is mentioned in video ..
I would like to see a list of some of the other sprays that you use?
Only list what I use on the videos...
If/when I use another on a video it will be listed.
Which is better, going clockwise or counter clockwise when using the p500?
Fabulous results on 18 year old, Scion, virgin headlights. However, I still have pretty minor 3000 grit scratches. Can I proceed with 4000 or even 5000 grit pads to remove them?
I don't use 3000 grit or any of those grits... If you watch the video you'll see I don't use any of those grits..
Trizact 3000? Is that wrong? I'll double check.
@paulanderson3234 yes I used the Trizact pad 3000.... I don't use any of the others because it's unnecessary if you watch your pressures...
th-cam.com/video/C12RHABN0ZI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=MmtMLkJcrt7HtkqJ
@@theheadlightrestorationpro Thank you, I didn't use Trizact P3000 though, just Trizact 3000. Should I go over them again with Trizact P3000 or just leave well enough alone.
@paulanderson3234 I really don't understand anything you're talking about... I suggest you do what is done in the videos..👍🏽
Hi there! You did an amazing job ( as in all your videos ) . The only thing that i want to know is why you dont cut before you polish just like all detailers( at least this has been showed to their videos) and you polish right after the scratching pads. Thank you in advance Sir!
Will the p800 is per se not really a scratching pad it's a scratch fixing pad and with that being said the p3000 is definitely a scratch fixing pad then I polish with a plastic polish vehicle surfaces much different than headlight surface, I especially now this because not only am I a headlight restoration specialist but I am a detailing specialist and do detailing and also a restoration specialist and do other Restorations as well headlights is just my passion... A lot of people think the surface of plastic is like the surface of a clear coated car paint if you think about it and say it out of your mouth it doesn't roll off the tongue correctly because they're a thousand percent different..
Thanks for watching..👍🏼🤓
@@theheadlightrestorationpro Tell me please , from your experience, sanding by hand is a good idea? ( then cutting with a heavy coumpound and finishing them with polishing compound)
Everything I believe is good is in my videos..👍🏼
Beautiful result 👍 how would you explain the difference between your hand held drill and your polisher ? Does the polisher do a better job than the drill? Any info would be appreciated, cheers 👍
If you continue to watch the videos you'll get a lot of information on that on different ones..
But in the meantime the polisher differs from the drill because the polisher has low torque and high RPM.. over 7800 RPM Max.. with a drill only has a max of maybe 1750 RPM.. the polisher moves a lot faster makes a lot more heat the drill finds a lot better with more torque..
@@theheadlightrestorationpro OK, makes sense 👍many thanks 🙏
Thank you for watching really appreciate it plenty more to come and plenty more up streaming..
Is it possible to have the cloudyness on the inside of the headlight? How can you tell if it is on the inside. 2014 F150, 1 headlight is bad while the other one is good. I’m using your method w/ the same grit paper. Thanks, great videos!
99% of the time it's on the outside of the headlight.. a good rule of thumb...
If it's on the inside you will see it during your headlight restoration..... But what's your vehicle being so new more than likely it's not the inside of the headlight...
@@theheadlightrestorationpro thank you for your quick response. I will continue to keep on sanding, it just seems like the cloudyness is not coming off. Again, great videos.
Good stuff 👏
Thank you thank you very much.. just trying to keep it flowing.. haven't been filming due to injury.. so we'll be picking up on more videos very shortly..
So how do they look at night? I did mine and they look great in the daytime. At night, all sorts of scratches show up.
Shouldn't have that issue if you use this method and follow these videos... That usually comes from mistakes..
Too much pressure, not enough polishing, not checking your work before you seal..👍🏼
Question, how do you feel about putting a final polish on after using the lens cleaner. I’ve recently adopted your method, but still have plenty. If polish that I used to use prior and I do like the added shine. Basically, I would like to continue that strip unless it’s going to counteract the process.
The lens cleaner is the final polish.. nothing needed after that because it's not only a cleaner it is a Polish as well... You don't want to interfere with that because the chemicals and the oil is designed to be left behind and saturate those pockets of the headlight, that is what you want to lock in not something else... Also it wouldn't get any clearer... If you want a more clear just do a longer polish with the substance...👍🏼
I saw on the meguiars can that it’s good for up to a year. Are you seeing it lasts longer than that?
Yes...by far... especially if taken care of correctly... I'll buy vehicles on a couple of these videos and my headlights are going on 4 years old next month towards the end of March.. and they look perfect like the day I just did them.. they put that disclaimer on there because if you're the nastiest person that never parked his car in the shade never washed the car drove 3000 miles a week you would probably get 12 months out of it more than that.. only thing you would see is a little bit of minor decoration far as color tone... Still would be crystal clear.. in fact to get back to the way they were and most cases would take many many many years...
It's just a disclaimer for people that don't know what they're doing.. for people who are slovenly with their vehicle....
If anybody ever came back to me and said hey my light is messed up at 11 months or 12 months I would probably just do it again.. it's never once happened... It lasts good they just put a disclaimer on there so nobody can sue them... Or have a problem..lol
was just looking in a motor factor chain here in UK, maguires was the one i was looking at. thanks
😤🙏🏾💯‼️ great werk sir press on…
👍🏽💪🏽
Will a drill still yield good results if I can’t get a proper polishing drill?
It won't be perfection... But you can still do it... The lights won't function at top tier level and they won't be that perfect 10 and clarity but it could work with the polisher you'll be able to achieve a 10 without it maybe a seven..
@@theheadlightrestorationpro Alright lovely thanks for the response.
@jigzaw047 no problem thank you for watching there's over 130 videos on this channel feel free to check them out..👍🏽😎
do you use more than one setting on the dry sanding , what are those drill settings?
I'd like to practice this three or four times before I do my Cadillac,
did you practice on junk parts before you were ready to do it for others?
Yes I did a lot of practice before I did a car.. probably like 20 30 headlights before I even did my own car and then probably like a hundred before I even did somebody's car for money... I use all the settings on the drills and polishers..
good job
So any sandpaper do work then? It doesn't have to be wet grit correct?
No it doesn't have to be wet grit certain sandpapers like these three M's that I use which are the top of the line can be used wet or dried....
Do you think my Ridgid 12 volt mini hand drill is adequate to create the heat necessary for that really clear headlight surface with the 3M polishing cream? I could buy the drill you use, just not sure how much I wouild use it, as I am 70 yo and not doing a lot of home projects. Thanks for your help! Your videos are amazing!
Unfortunately it probably will not match or better yet get with an ear shot of the RPMs needed and it probably also has too much torque.. on any given instrument you use on a light you want to make sure that it's less than 700lbs torque.. also you might want to check the specs because what I'm pushing out with this ACDelco is about 7500 RPM.. extremely fast.. like you said that will produce the heat and polishing momentum to create that clarity.. you can achieve a good product just by using the hand drill for the step as well it just won't be the next level but it will be passable for sure..👍🏽
Thank you ، i follow you from iraq
Awesome far away... Headlights everywhere.. appreciate your support...👍🏼🤓💯
Which is the polishing compound you use...?
In the Bio
The only thing I don't see in your list is the attachments to your drill. What do you use to hold the pads?
I use cheap ones...
They found everywhere and all the kids that have to do with drills..
There are far more better ones...
I just like the cheap shit that's a personal preference it's not technically the best thing to use....
Do you seal headlights from water getting in? If so. Can you make a video on it please????
Typically no do not seal the lights from water getting in, the only close thing I do to that is the ceiling on the outside of the lens if there is a substantial cracks through and through of the headlight... Which is one of three ways water getting into the light can happen..
The first way water can get into a light and most common is the MASTER SEAL... The master seal goes all the way around the headlight and a sandwiched like a peanut butter sandwich on the edges of the lights where they connect to each other the back piece and the lens.. this piece use the wires down over time in some cases and a small crack let's moisture and dust be pulled in because it's a pressurized environment so it just sucks right in... You can seal this but it's almost nine times out of 10 not worth it because the moisture and dust is still in there and there's nothing you can do about that.. easily..
The other way is through the grommets that are part of the actual headlight LED or whatever.. from months and years of heating those get warped and cracked and water starts coming in.. this is the second most common... The other is direct cracking on the front of the lens small cracks or large that crack all the way through the light..
Less common...
I don't really deal with any of them but the last one.. the master seal is damn near impossible to do that you would have to know what spot it's coming from more than likely you won't so you'd have to seal 360° around the light which requires taking it out and even then you'd be locking in all the drama that's inside so I do not deal with it leave that to the mechanics... When is concerning the LEDs or the light bulbs breach you can actually buy grommets or spare grommets to replace those and even some places just replace the light that comes with a new grommet whichever is cheaper....
So might touch bases on that on a video in the future...
Thank you...
can i use wet polish starting with 600 then 800 then 2000 or donyou have any good combinations that i can use im starting a business and for i will try in multiple headlight mine first until i get the needed experience. i bought a good drill and the tools from 400 grit to 2000 . do you think i need to just buy 800 and 3000 or higher according to you experience
if i dont have a 7800 rpm polisher, will a 1200 rpm drill work too? how do i generate more heat that is required to give that "clarity" using the 1200 rpm drill?
Well you really don't... If you can't meet those RPM stats you're not going to develop the heat and friction that is needed to develop that Crystal clarity..
But you still will come out with a cool product it just won't be on this level without that... It is probably one of the most single important steps to achieve such clarities... This is why this method on my work looks a lot wetter and cleaner and clear that other people you've seen on the internet even though there's as good as well....💯💪🏽
Thoughts on Safe Tclear?
None....
What is the speed of the drill and can I use the car polishing machine
I use a Ryobi drill/ also another but for these videos I used this drill and it has two speed settings most of the time of the video I'm using the high power speed setting which is about 1700 RPM although at times I do not apply full pressure to the trigger which is less than 1700.. on the first setting which is slower but has more torque is about 450 rpm..
As far as the 12 volt polisher No you cannot use that to do headlight restoration has two settings. Both settings are too fast for headlight restoration the slow setting is 0 to 2800 RPM which means you can control the speed by less pressure or more pressure to the trigger but still one mistake one gentle squeeze more run a high potential of burning a hole in the headlight or melting a spot, the other setting is 0 to 7800 RPM.. way way too fast too much friction too much heat besides burning the headlight or being hard to control your discs will burn out in seconds all the granules will just fall off..
Have tried All the above..
Thanks for the question. Hope hope this answers it.
@ headlight restoration pro, do you clean the spray cap after each use?
Clean spray crap?
for the P500 and P800 does it have to be a 3 inch or a 6 inch work also ??
If you're serious never use more than a 3 in you can only use less possibly but both are a waste of time but anything over 3 in just kind of dangerous 3 in like a perfect size.. if you look at some of my videos you can possibly use a 6-in on about 90% of the lights.. you can control it you couldn't feel enough of it a high possibility of damaging the vehicle especially the lights.... I highly wouldn't recommend it it's also not as focused the bigger you get the less focused it is... Think about trying to use a 12-in
..lol got to be too big at a certain point anything after 3 is that point.
How much do you charge per car?
I don't comment about business that and depth.. just about headlights and headlight restoration.. but that's very vague question that really can't be asked her many variables into what anyone should charge for headlights year make model, how bad it is, shape of the headlights, inventions, Hood access, all kind of variables etc ..etc..
It varies in every single City...
Thanks for watching.th-cam.com/video/x1gp9ATZTI8/w-d-xo.html
Is it possible to restore headlights that have been damaged by sanding before?
Yes very possible... You just have to take it down far enough and have a gentle touch to not add to the situation.. you want to think more of a smoothness or smoothing instead of removing especially since you're probably removing more than recommended for any given headlight restoration....
I've seen some pretty deep gouges that have been taken out but it's only recommended for certain depths of gouging other than that there's other ways that can be done but that's for another video...
for you , what’s the difference between sanding and using Cerokote and it’s cleaning pads ? is it that your sanding off the oxidation and the clear coat ? i’ve done it both ways and it’s A LOT easier using cerokote cleaning pads
And your experience most things easy in life are what? Usually too good to be true or not good enough or not as good correct... Yes!!! For one there's no telling what that chemical abrasive is doing to the seal around your headlight or what happens when it drips on your paint... For two what it's doing is pretty much chemically bleaching the damaged fibers and cells of the polycarbonate if your headlight is completely stripped down to the polycarbonate this kit is good but it gets weird when you still have clear code on your headlight,,, I have a great saying I always say in my videos and in life if you don't remove it then where is it ?????
The answer is still there where was in this case in terms of the yellowness in the headlight it's pretty much chemically bleached like I said and the fibers and cells are still damaged the reason why they discolor is because they're damaged by the Sun so the damage is still there making it easier to damage 10 times faster and easier affecting clarity even if they're clear... So the best thing is to remove it the best methods are to remove it because you start fresh with an undamaged polycarbonate surface... And seal in the clean freshly resurfaced surface... Also from experimenting with the kid and what you see in my videos it will never ever ever even be as clear as far as a parent and in function and performance... But for the everyday day to day person who doesn't want to fork out much more than 15 bucks for headlight restoration it's acceptable... When it comes to these things in life it's just a matter of choice you can choose to drive a beat up a 1982 Chevy Caprice and save some money.. are you can drive an Audi A5 2023 if money were no option lol
One car is vastly vastly more equipped to do the job of driving better but yet they both will drive... Hopefully that shed some light on that situation for you..
I have a cerakote video up, I have a light test video up that shows you where the cerakote fares up at, and a bunch of others feel free to check them out...
Also believe it or not there's a lot of scams out there not saying this particular one is a scam but it has a lot of unnecessary backtracking techniques..lol the first step is to get the yellow out which is a cool magic trick but how useless is it when you sand it off anyways...🤣🤣🤣🤣 Food for thought.. they're basically making it so that the appearance of your sanding is easier one... At the same time making it so you're not removing enough damage..
@@theheadlightrestorationpro thank you for the info it really helps me a lot
👍🏽😎
I have a 2014 Kia Forte and the headlight covers are not yellow, but the plastic is raised and bumpy from too much sunlight. I don't know what it's called, I'm a 70 y/o grandma who is big on DIY projects. I tried the Moms Magnesium buffing concept but it didn't smooth out the plastic. My question is would your technique detailed in your video here work on my headlight covers? The whole plastic headlight covers are not affected, only the section closest to the hood. Thanks!
Can't get 3m hard plastic lens polish- any thoughts for alternative?
How long it stay same please reply
Can you use soapy water instead of windex ?
No....not a good idea...you want to use something with a high evaporation point
Such as alcohol based/water base..
That why you have a sterling environment..
@@theheadlightrestorationpro thank you
Is it very necessary to use a polisher? I understand what you said about the heat created being important. I have a drill and would like to try this on one pair of headlights for myself.
If you want an opportunity to have a finished product like this.. yes you have to.. you can cut corners and not do steps if you want but it's not going to come out the same but they can still probably come out good for metaphorical reference without the polisher you can achieve a five with the polisher you can achieve a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 .
New video th-cam.com/video/L8_-Qavsc4s/w-d-xo.htmlsi=4CFnmJEGUoajK8TI
Thank you for replying. After watching another video, I understand the professionalism you're working with on the lights. Sounds like it's best to do what you do. Looks like a good tool to have too.
@mattyt531 100% yes is best to follow what I do it's mostly people out there don't know shit and are quite the opposite of this on top of their product being about 30% as good as mine...💯
@@theheadlightrestorationpro I want to ask how you deal with the little bumps on headlights that help in aim the lights or whatever the function is. They are on my truck's headlights from 2004. Do you just go around them?
@mattyt531
No.... wouldn't be the same...check this out.... th-cam.com/video/h-8BKUEVGRY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=DiFMpeAwdPAGOsA3
What about ceramic coating the headlight when your done polishing instead of spray sealant
You can ..but doesn't not work as well.
The best application method is spraying..Hands down no comparison of any other application method..
With that being said ceramics don't come and spray as of at the moment.(haven't seen one yet).. also their design as a topper and paint sealant.. typically not photo transparent or designed to be photo transparent (light expenditure and clarity).. none of the ones that I have used have been satisfactory up to this point..
@@theheadlightrestorationpro awesome thanks you saved me from wasting my time trying that.spray sealant it is. how careful for over spray do you have to be.
Watch a couple of my videos at that point of the video and you'll see it's not that much overspray I overkill on the tape just to be safe with this product but note..
This product has a very directional tip not all products do whichever you go with which I recommend the McGuires what I use on these videos.. but whatever you go with to a test spot on piece of cardboard or something so you can see the fan spray...
what speed did you sand with?
Son episodes I do comment on this.. I use personally use the fast setting... You can get away with using the slow setting which I recommend to somebody new at doing this even if you have experience with headlights but not power tools.. there are certain inherited dangers are as damage.. but if you follow what I do exactly you should be fine but only advice I can give you is to slow down and work your way into going faster.
What guarantee does this job have, how long do the headlights last?
Individually based ..it all depends on how the person takes care of their vehicle...
Generally I give a year just to guarantee my work ..as far as any crazy things happening, (Which never has) I give them after instructions.. the earliest I've come back to do a headlight was about 17 months, and the lights were perfectly fine Crystal clear, the guy I just had some brush marks on the side and he had pretty much a show car so he wanted that perfection...my vehicles ( both ) are going on 4 years in March ..
But if someone does nothing bro there vehicle takes poor care of their vehicle doesn't wash it it's always outside poor maintenance it would last to minimum of about 13 months.. this is a rare occasion slavishly people..
Also wear and tear has to do with it as well.. if a person drives 500 miles a day cross country or something or 70,000 miles a year something crazy.. these different scenarios will do different things that's why I kind of say I'm an individual basis but a minimum of 12 months..
Check this video out.
th-cam.com/video/OKgJajX1H-I/w-d-xo.html
all these videos show late model plastic lens with clearcoat; what is best method for GLASS HEADLIGHTS? I have a 1994 Buick Regal coupe. Also is same method good for glass parking light lenses too?
Most modern vehicles all the way back to the '90s to not have glass.. if you come across a vehicle that has glass it's very rare.. but there's a good thing about that if you could run into him because it would not need headlight restoration,, glass does not oxidize like plastic.. technically there should be nothing wrong with a Glass lens... Once again if you ever do run into a Glass lens which is like one in a thousand..... It won't need to headlight restoration...
Lights on that Buick regal should most definitely not be glass.. they have the old method refractory in it which is those ripples you probably see it's an old method to boost the light.. but they most definitely should not be Glass... Usually vehicles really old will have glass headlights.. like early 80s a few away earlier.
Will this method work on headlights with spiderwebbing as my lights have lots of what looks like cracks but I don't think they are.
What are your thoughts on dry sanding the 500/800 grits by hand instead of using the drill for better feel, and alternating directions between grits? Also, some say the 1k coatings don't stick as well to completely polished surfaces and need a slightly rougher finish (p1500 maybe?) to adhere to?
Okay so alternating directions is pointless.. there's a guy on the internet on TH-cam who tells you to go this direction then go this direction he's pretty good but that part of his process is pointless.. you can do it but it's not going to make any difference with anything and in some cases my complicate things because it's easier to get rid of a line that I cross hatch... And they're absolutely right.. about the 1K clear or the 2K clear it doesn't adhere for shit.. with that being said it's never supposed to be used on headlights... Clears meant to be used on headlights are totally different things.. those clears of 1K and 2K clear are meant to be sprayed on payment surfaces or more rough surfaces like wood and Stone or tile or other things.. so better to rough up using that stuff.. always better to just use headlight products for an astronomical amount of reasons... A clear coat meant for headlights sticks like crazy I've never once had appealing issue not even two three years later with this product...
@@theheadlightrestorationpro What about issues four or more years?
Don't understand the question
@@theheadlightrestorationpro You said "A clear coat meant for headlights sticks like crazy I've never once had appealing issue not even two three years later with this product...
I said "What about issues four or more years?"
It's not appealing product it dissipates the way headlight coding is supposed to.. if one would ever to pay attention to how the coding naturally applied from the factory degrades you would notice that generally doesn't peel ever it just goes bad.. these are the characteristics of things that are supposed to be on the headlights... If it appeals it's no good it means a whole other bunch of things.. that I really can't get into in text... This product wouldn't peel in 10 years..💯
I tried doing mine today but the sandpaper I had wouldn’t touch my headlight(golf mk7) so I’ve ordered 3m abrasives now for another attempt.
I have the meguires two step kit which gave a good finish but not perfect so I am going to re do it. I was wondering tho is the perfect clarity cleaning solution suitable for the polishing stage using the polisher?
Thanks T
Not sure...I haven't used it before... they're always coming up with different stuff all the time...many things can work for this step but I haven't come across anything that comes close to the 3m hard lens plastic cleaner polish..
Thanks so much for getting back to me. I think I have found the uk equivalent of the 3m lens & hard plastic polish. It’s known as 3m rubbing compound here, it’s what comes in the 3m headlight refurb kit so I’d assume it’s the write/same stuff 🤞🏼🙂
Unfortunately it's not the right stuff is called rubbing compound they come the same tube different label I also use that as well not for headlights... sorry.😞
Think that’s about as near as I can get hear. Just can’t seem to get the stuff your using 😢 hopefully it will get me a half decent result 🤞🏼
I managed to get the proper lens cleaner all the way from California. Will be retrying my light soon 🙂👍🏼
What would happen if you did the first sand and then straight up sprayed clear coat on it? Would it be clear?
You can always test by just apply water. It will give you an idea of what it would look like if you did.
@@phdyoutubedegree1939 Thanks for the reply. The reason why i ask is because i dont think you need to smooth the surface of the light once you have gotten rid of the oxidation, I think the clear coat will do that without the extra sanding. However, because i have never done it, I wondered if anyone else has
@@alonzocastro728 I think the same looking to be more efficient.
Ever notice before doing a headlight, soaking it with bon ami style window cleaner literally takes the yellowing right off. Not sure if it makes it easier to keep the initial sanding discs cleaner or not.
No.. should make no difference and actually in all actuality it might make your job a little difficult because what's going on is the plastic is getting oxidized from the Sun means that the actual plastic is getting bleached at the same time as oils from within the plastic are getting pushed up mainly you're drawing up a little bit of that color... The problem with that is the sales are the plastic molecules are already damaged therefore they will be red damaged or better yet never have been fixed so you might be taking off some of the yellow what's left over but still leaving some behind and not knowing because you've turned it clear those molecules are already damaged so they will become yellow a hell of a lot faster than removing them 100%..
Hopefully that makes sense I don't want to get you scientifically with explanations I try to keep it normal talk without going X2 gigawatts and all that kind of weird talk..lol
Good question I used to try to do methods like this and actually they have something like this method inside of the cerakote headlight restoration room kit they have a towelette that removes some of the yellowing it's interesting but can be problematic in the future..
Thanks for watching hopefully you subscribe..
Also I might actually advise against this because if you're doing a proper headlight restoration means to protect yourself and you're taping off the only liquids I use actual liquids are regular tap water and glass cleaner... Regular glass cleaner.. the reason for this is that water and glass cannot believe it or not are solvents even water they have the ability to break stuff down both in different ways both in the same ways.. most of the times water gets underneath the tape at some points and sitting there through a 30 minute 40 minute headlight restoration can be problematic to clear coats around the headlight especially when it comes to repainted bumpers, wraps and all that kind of stuff.. or even older vehicles with compromise clear coat.. this is actually happened to me before you might accidentally remove some clear coat and it might be aided to using too strong of a solvent.. I don't put any chemicals on it because clear coat and paint are really temperamental.. I don't even let the Windex or water set on the paint I wipe it off as a drips only wanted to set on the light...
So it could be problematic and possibly dangerous because of something goes wrong because of it you'll probably have to pay for it the vehicle...
@@theheadlightrestorationpro oh wow..ok, just did 2014 honda fit lights and they are so big lol. They were yellowish and I started out by cleaning them not realizing they would give off all that yellow. My first thought was that it would make the job easier getting the yellow off first…but I guess thats a no lol. Thanks for sharing.
@@theheadlightrestorationpro makes sense, glass cleaner should probably be kept to glass lol.
@@underscr0e yeah one of my most liked by myself saying is if you did not remove it..... Then where is it at?
Where do I buy the sand paper?
Amazon is one of my biggest purchasing platform.. but Google is even bigger..
But you can also go to an hardware store..
Thanks for the question..👍🏼🤓
I've been looking for where you explain at what point to use the Chemical guys headlight and restore. Do you apply this before applying the UV coat? Just trying to get concise process of elimination when it comes to the steps.
Did you actually watch the video
@@theheadlightrestorationpro Yes sir I did now I'm on the "Professional Level Headlight Restoration Made Easy" Video from a year ago. Maybe I missed it idk
@@theheadlightrestorationpro And which brand of polish do you recommend? I see you have 5 of them listed and idk which one to use? And the 3m perfect it compound is that used on the 3000 grit step? I see you mostly use water but can that be used instead for a cleaner finish?
Everything should be done the way I do it in the video If you do something else that's on you.. there's about 70 80 videos up of mine and this is the way it's done to produce this quality..
I'm pretty handy and usually get good results but apparently sanding headlights is not one of my skills... Went through 2 kits, first turtle bay (wet sanded), and now 3m (dry sanded). I think the turtle bay actually looked better, but both had fine lines for finish result....
I done wet sand ,stops paper getting clogged up and smoother sanding process I just wipe with clean rag see how its sanding carry on ,exactly same process as painters do always wet sand but up to indervidual if want do go through loads clogged up paper and risk picking up debris scratch surface go ahead .
Did you spray all that sealent in one coat?
Yes always one coat no matter what ceiling you're using wipe on, spray whatever it is you should always focus on one master coat just like the factory does.. there's many huge reasons behind this... Even though some manufacturers of these products will tell you to double cult or multiple coat... They have the development behind it but not necessarily the research.. I have nothing but research and experience I guarantee you all of the scientists combined that make these products of every single product and have not done even a quarter headlight Restorations that I have done..
So yes always one heavy coat that's what the factory does.. check out this video...th-cam.com/video/NgxNImOAoCY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=A68PD6ccmlAjVqJS
What is the second grit pad
There's over a hundred videos up on this page this is just one of them that happened to not have it... It is p800...
All product supplies TH-cam video are listed the bio...
You should check out some of the newer stuff as well..th-cam.com/video/2_q6E7lbBzE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=-UMlVNki6eMRp0a3
Can I start with 600 grit instead of 500?
Hi I am restoring my headlights and I have some issues. I have 2 forum threads if you search on Google with this phrase "HELP! Headlight restoration swirls showing!" you can see my progress. I am currently stuck and would like some feedback. I removed all the previous headlight clear coat with 800 grit, so I am left with just plastic. However trying to get a mirror finish with the visbella kit compound and a wool pad is not working. I can still see sanding marks. Should I keep polishing until all marks are gone or should I apply the liquid and the marks will disappear?
th-cam.com/video/qMsYcwu8nxw/w-d-xo.html
Can you please tell me if this is as good as it gets with my polishing? Is it possible to get a much better finish? your input is much appreciated!!
You should probably use the method that I use on all of these videos. I can really tell you what to do with whatever you're doing. But what I can do is show you how to do it with this method which is on every video on the channel.
To do an evaluation I just follow what I say and really pay attention to it...
I get swirls with drill and using 2000 and 3000 grit what do you recommend
You pressing too hard... Or you clogging your pad and getting pigtails... If you starting off rather sand by hand using one direction
Does your ac Delco buffer suck the battery dry really fast? I have one that is only one speed and another with the variable speed. The variable speed runs a battery dead so quick
You have to learn how to work the trigger.... The harder you pound on it the more the battery drains if it's draining that fast you got to learn how to use the polisher properly better pretty much you get your needed effect and move on if you sit there and play with it you can sit there and polish one area for 15 minutes it's going to die really fast they typically last me about one to two vehicles... Entire vehicle headlight restoration...
I used to have this problem until I got better at polishing...🫡💯
@theheadlightrestorationpro I get about a headlight and a 1/2 out of a battery. I'm thinking two of my batteries are going bad out of the four that I have. But I have noticed the trigger on the variable speed buffer is a lot different than my single speed buffer. And the mini polishers are definitely different from a regular size rotary polisher.
@ChristopherCologneASMR yeah they're a whole different world than the full size...
I'm not the same thing my batteries aren't lasting as long but I've had them for over 2 years I just ordered another set always good to have extra...
@@theheadlightrestorationpro I'd like to get one of those 2000 watt power stations and hook a solar panel up to it. That way I can charge my batteries easier, I can use my corded polisher if I want to, and I can do other things if I decide to again. Between getting hit by a car and getting older now, me and doing full details just don't get along anymore.lol. have you ever looked into those electric portable power stations?
@ChristopherCologneASMR yeah I have one in the garage a caterpillar/cat one..
I bring it every once in a while..
hi mate in this video what make wet/dry paper do you use .. as you know how the saying go's if you buy cheap you buy twice 🤦🏻♂️
I prefer 3m products... general they are 2-5 times more expensive but last and function 2-5 better..
I would honestly stick to the top of the line brand when it comes to sanding especially..
I buy in bulk so it is cheaper..
Thank you for the question..👍🏼
Soon hopefully next month will do a break down of my most common used things and must haves that I use...
Stay tuned..