HEADLIGHT RESTORATION Mother's Mag and Aluminum Polish vs. Wet Sanding
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Headlight Restoration Mother's Mag and Aluminum Polish vs. Wet Sanding. In this video I show how to restore headlights. I try two different methods of headlight restoration...Mother's Mag and Aluminum polish and wet sanding headlights. Which one works the best?
#polishheadlights #headlightrestoration #mag&aluminumpolish
Below are links to products I used. These are affiliate links and it helps me out when you click on them. Thanks for checking out the video! Let me know what headlight restoration method you used.
Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish
amzn.to/2ERxmwy
Buffing Pad Kit
amzn.to/2SLOAzq
Clear Coat
amzn.to/2UoXpAA
Wet/Dry Sand Paper
amzn.to/2NOe26d
amzn.to/2EExuhW
Automotive Tape
amzn.to/2EShavh
My Cordless Drill
amzn.to/2Hm7Ill
TechMax LED Headlights
amzn.to/2Uq5ncH
Drop a "W" in the comments if this method worked for you. Thanks for watching!
This is awesome dawg! Danke danke danke!!!
W
You just want to give other drivers a kodak moment at night!!! LOLOL
@@InTime-x3j 😂
This does work . I just did it and I spent all together 30 minutes. I used shop rags zip tied to my sanding disc on my drill. Then a clean rag zip tied to buff the finish just a little bit.🙃
@@InTime-x3j 👍
After that first headlight came out better than I couldn’t ever imagined, I had a bad feeling about him hitting that second one with sand paper...lol... I put myself in his shoes... I would of personally just gone ahead and hit that second one with mother’s as well, so they match perfectly....nothing worse than having a mismatched pair of headlights...I still give you an A for effort and another A for creativity instead of same video everyone else has already done. 👍🏼
Thank you!
Mothers Mag and Aluminum Polish is a godsend.
Done my factory 98 ram lights this morning! OMG mother's is the bomb! I can see my bulbs now!!!!
i rubbed the mag and aluminum polish on my headlights by hand and they are almost like brand new now. its a huge difference at night.
👍
I used Mother's Mag Polish and it was amazing and took me 20 minutes to do both headlights.
Kevin
It 9/29/19 Sunday! I am fixing to detail my mother n laws older wndstar van! First will be the headlights using mother's mag polish. She has stage 4 cancer and this is her birthday wish! I'm more excited about the lights than anything else! I plan to take before and after pics.
Randys Lawn Care
Randy, you are a great son-in-law. Best wishes to your MIL! CANCER SUCKS!
Five hours later it's a gem! Most time went to all of the door jambs! Headlights look awesome 👍.
@@randyprevette3903 Awesome!
The mothers does work but irecommend 800 1000 +1200 den buff get some soapy water or degreaser mix wit water den sand it works btr i do it for a livin so i kno
Thanks Kevin - The Mothers method is clearly the winner!
You're welcome! Good luck with your headlights.
I don’t remember which videos I watched to try this. It really works!!! Thanks! My neighbors say thanks too.
👍
I did the wet sanding on my 2003 Mustang GT and it came out OK. But, it took over an hour as I had to let the clear coat dry between applications. And, it would have to be done again in a year or two depending on driving conditions. I appreciate the effort you put into this video as it will save me a lot of time when I do this again with the right product. Double thumbs up.👍👍
I wish I’d seen this vid 2 weeks ago. I could have just used the mag polish I had lying around instead of spending $30 on a restoration kit. Great video! Thanks!
Thanks for the down to earth video. You had some problems and tried to work around it, that is what happens in real life. Usually videos in youtube goes "smoothly" till you try to do the same at home...
Okay, two steps 15 minutes tops Aluminum Mag Polish on each light, wipe down with Microfiber finish with WD-40 ON clean microfiber applied to headlight and Reapply WD as needed for that wet look
Your video was perfect, you did everything I'd planned to do. I did the sanding technique and I'm not happy with it. Dont like the clear coat either. I'll try the mothers next! Thanks for sharing different ways of doing this, it helped me a lot.
Thank you. I'm glad the video helped.
This is an excellent avenue to take. Initially, I thought my covers weren't terribly bad but afterwards, I would say they were worse than expected. The mothers did an excellent job but my advice is to take things slowly and give yourself at least an hour per side. There is a limit as to how effective a high grit polish can be. I also had a 20,000 grit polish handy to follow up with and it really brought out the shine.
However, as a coating, I chose to use a couple of applications Jescar Powerlock. It would be better to clean the covers once yearly (alcohol) without any abrasive going forward and then reapply the sealant.
But .. there is no doubt Mothers is the way to go if your headlight covers aren't in too bad shape. Of note, I don't think it works very well on old-style glass lenses .. but on polycarbonate, a $10 container of Mothers will clean at least a dozen sets or more. Oh .. one more note, cover up everything in the engine compartment (if the hood is up). This stuff will absolutely sling small spots everywhere. Cleaning my cleaning is not my choice of things to do on a Sunday afternoon.
Good technique with the Mother's & good video. Great that you bluntly showed what did not work too. I liked your direct method of recording without a lot of extra talk. Flitz Polish & their orange polishing ball also works. I am going to try Meguiar's" Keep Clear Headlight Coating" on my headlights after polishing. Its a spray on product that cost me under $8.
I tried it last night with the mothers on my maxima and im happy with the results im about to go outside and spend more time on it this morning thanks for the video man
I'm glad it worked for you. Thanks for supporting the channel.
Thanks for the video. I've been contemplating both of these methods. It was nice to see the comparison. It definitely looks like Mothers is the easier route.
You're welcome, I'm glad it helped. The Mothers method is definitely easier. Good luck with your headlights.
So it also work using smaller device, thanks man. I was afraid I need to buy a bigger drill when I watched other videos. Again, thank you very much.
Mother's mag polish works for me 👍
How long did it last?
so far so good
Thanks for the comparison test. I would forego the 2k lacquer and after sanding, use the polish to finish, which is what you did, I suppose. Glad it turned out well!
Hey man...thanks for your efforts...u spent a lot of your time helping others make a decision. You could have been done in 20 min with Mothers and in your chair watching the game. The sanding method is very good for heavily oxidized lights......I step up from 600....all the way to 7000....then compound.....then wax to buff......they turn out shiny as a pearl. I havent read the below comments yet but most will tell u to use that other expensive clear coat stuff....the Home Depot stuff is kind of a waste of time.....ya just have to touch up the lenses every so often with some compound and buff......maybe some 303
What specific 303 product?
Maguires is great for light hazing, however if you have worse than light damage get some 800-1000+ grit sandpaper and wet sand first. Going above 2000 grit is really rather pointless unless you just like doing it.
Used the Mother's W&M and 303 UV protection. Looks really good.👍🏾
I like the idea of 303 UV.
Steps for applying?
Hayden Coty Apply Mother's and use medium circular sponge attached to drill, then use fine grade sponge. Wipe off with soft towel, cleaning up any excess. Spray on 303 and lightly wipe off with soft towel. Done! Worked well for us.
I used this myself and lights looked great!
Awesome👍
At least you being real. Same thing happened to me. And I applied polish before the clear & it was horrible. I admit that's where I went wrong. Sand, compound, clear then polish in that order.
You should be able to polish before clear, as the polish will give you that ultra finish look. Problem is you have to know whats in your polish and be able to remove it before clear coating. I like 3M products.
$10.88 that is a great price for the 22pc drill pad kit, thanks for the video and link
You're welcome! Thanks for watching.
Mother's all the way!! Came out great! Thanks!!!!!
Awesome! Glad it worked for you.
Great Video!
@@frankiediamond65 👍
Worked great on minor yellowing headlights would not recommend to use on extremely yellowed headlights if your expectations are to get them to look brand new. Only way they will look new is if they are wetsanded and then polished. But this really works well though, didn’t think this method would actually work.
Did this today. Definitely works great. Took like 5 min per light.
Awesome 👍👍
I just finished trying this, and had fairly good results. I had tried one of the sandpaper kits a year ago, and had very disappointing results for the amount of effort i put into it. I tonight tried the Mothers Aluminum wheel polish with a dewalt 1/2" drill and a couple of foam pads from Harbor freight. I had a very good improvement, but still had some sandblasted areas on the lens. Drivers side was way worse, and took half a dozen applications, but the end results were very positive. I think the big problem was it had a clear coat of paint on them. So I am going to try a ceramic coating after another round of polish. No more clear coat.
Thx for the video. I won't be clear coating. The drill kit is the best way in my opinion. Hit it with some Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell for 6 months to maybe a year of clarity.
I think I'll get one of those buffing pad kits from Amazon. Thanks for the links and the video.
You know, I have that Maguires polish kit but I am inn the process of removing 500 grit sandpaper scratches. Otherwise the three cars I dud are perfect. Must clean with alcohol on two cars then remove scratches. I found my Turtle Wax Pastix which is my final job tomorrow. Nothing fancy
I would recommend 1. Wetsand the headlamps 2. polish with a polish plastic on a cutting pad 3. wipe the lamps with an isopropyl alcohol 4. clearcoat and ceramic coat the headlamps.
Good vid. After completing mother's method did you apply any polish to keep plastic from getting dual? If so, what did you use?
Thanks. Yes, I did you some wax after the polish. I had some Turtle Wax in the garage, so that's what I used.
I originally restored some headlights on my mother's 08 oddyssey but had had used the 3m kit with a drill then followed up with Spraymax Rapid Clear that was a 2K. Came out looking great, no orange peel. The small can was perfect for two headlights.
Great job really good finish thank you for risking your headlights going to do my vans next👍
Thanks! Good luck with your headlights.
Good methods but use Meguiar’s G17804 keep clear headlight coating instead of the clear coat you were using. It is much easier to get a perfect finish. The only thing is that it takes a day or so to cure completely, so apply it when you can leave the vehicle sit for 24 hrs or so.
I used the rustolem 2x clear as well and even with proper prep had terrible results. it didn't run, more like severe orange peel, like the materials were incompatible.... Ugh, then, like yourself I had to wet sand all the dried clear off, really annoying and a waste of time. I followed up the 2nd day after re wet sanding with duplicolor 1k clear. It went on easy and has held up decent for two years. All that said , with all the masking you have to do to protect the paint with hand sanding and spraying the clear with the headlight in place I think it would be much easier next time just to polish in place with the mothers or any aggressive polishing compound and either try a wipe on uv coating or just re polish in 6 months if left un-coated.
Much easier than sanding. If your lenses are more than dull, ie. Cracks and deeper scratches then you'll have to sand. I read somewhere Mothers is equivalent to 1200 grit paper. I use for last step before polish. I hand apply. I used the McGuire's clear coat after but only applied 1 thin coat so I was not happy with finish and ended up removing it with Mothers. I am happy with the results. Beats sanding. Just have to figure best way to seal.
You could put a ceramic coating on the lenses, although not a permanent solution.
Thank Kevin, I need to make that job in my truck.
Super easy to do👍
the reason that spray spiderwebbed ..if it below 50 degrees it is to cold to use that clear coat spray ..metal type spray paint will do the same thing
👍
I found the same thing spraying clear coat makes a mess. Use mother polish then wax em every few months
I don't have the talent or resources to properly spray them.
303 works awesome
Wally Waite How do you apply the 303 ? How many coats ?
@@josecenteno3273 After its clean and dry spray on 1 coat wipe dry and a second if you think it needs it or it looks uneven.
one coat should do it then reapply like you would after washing keeps bugs for sticking pretty good too.
Nice I might try that mothers on my trailblazer. It is a pain because a piece of the grill wraps around the headlights. I always liked the envoy headlights and grill .
Give it a try! Let us know how it worked for you.
After you polish the lens, just use some Aerospace 303 once a yr or so. and that works great on your plastic dash, etc too. Also, you can used it to preserve tires on trailers/cars/trucks so they won't rot and you get MORE mileage on them and it reduce Wear too., Serpentine Belts ( I got over 280,000 miles on my and it's still good) and other rubber and plastics. It's hard to use the clear spray without it running.
Great tips, thank you!
Where can you purchase Aerospace 303? I guess I can Google that question. 303 is essentially a wax?
Amazon
No use for lazy people None. How do you apply the 303 ? How many coats ? Thanks
This method was first posted by Sweet Project Cars TH-cam page about 6 or 7 years ago!
no need for sand paper, I used a microfiber towel and wiped clean and bingo.
Used Mother's & the headlights are a huge improvement. But due to 20 yrs neglect there still some cloudy patches on the headlights, another layer Mothers not much change. Should I sand instead ?
Sounds like sanding could help in that case👍
How long did this mothers mag and aluminum polish lasted on your headlights ?
Do you do it twice or once a year ?
I did it...It's Amazing.....
👊
When using plastic clear coats, one thing a lot of people don't realize is certain ones....even though they look great...will refract and distort the headlight beams. There is a video that someone made that demonstrates this. You really want to buy a ceramic clear coat that is made for this exact application. McGuire's has a good product made for this application. Just something to keep in mind.
Thanks for the info👍
@@KevinNadeau yes sir! Great video btw!
Please be sure your headlights are re-aimed after switching to LED. The reflectors in the light body were not designed for dispersing LED bulbs.
I have to agree with Cristian A, that clear coat is no good. I've used it a couple of times for restorations as well (plastics and headlights) and besides the fact that it turned yellowish in few months it reacted really badly to alcohol. I was cleaning the hood in preparation for a polish and I spilled a little bit on the headlights and trims; all the parts treated with that product fogged immediately and left a very stubborn thick white residue over the parts, now the only solution is to send everything down and repeat the process again (this time with ceramic coating).
I've used this clear coat a few times, different cans... No Bueno... It turns yellow very fast and it is a P.I.T.A to remove it later. I've heard that sealing it off with ceramic coating or a protective clear headlight plastic film is the way to go.
After buffing the headlights, I applied some Protect All. This product is inexpensive and can be found in the RV section at Walmart for $9.95. I hope this helped. 👍
J C that’s a UV protectant isn’t it? I always use 303, I’ll give the protect all a shot
I used baking soda and white vinegar on my headlights. It worked great and only took about 10 minutes.
Awesome!
Don't know if you have put in your LEDs in or not but usually you need to get different headlight housings so they work like they are supposed to. I changed the headlamps to LEDs in my '07 Focus and the LEDs were brighter but I couldn't hardly tell a difference when I put on the high beams.
Yes, I put my LEDs in already. The video is on my channel. I did not notice a significant change in beam pattern with the LEDs I used. And yes, definatley brighter.
you dont need different housings moron... i really hate people that spread this mis info i bet your the type of dude that says e85 eats your gas tank and its bad too right lol gtfo
@@truthtimetv4575 You're right. The LED bulbs I used were designed for reflector housings. There are other styles of LED bulbs on the market made for projector housings.
@@KevinNadeau im glad you know theres more then one way to skin a cat. There is so much mis information out there sorrounding HID and LED systems its unreal and its always a losing battle. Great video i appreciate the reply even though i wrote a rude message to the other guy lol.
@@truthtimetv4575 thanks for your support. I always like to do my research before making a video.
Great video
Thank you!
next time use de-waxer and surface prep on the surface before using the clearcoat...or painting, it will help with the orange pill and fish eye.
Perfect
Found out wet sanding 600 grit is as low as you want to go next up to 800 then finish wet sanding at 1200 or 1500 . Clean clean clean before and after each sanding . I would do the same for clear coat or Mother's MAP . Your cleaning cut is 600 grit or 800 grit . Looks really sharp . During wet sanding residue will turn milky white clean go up to next grit . For me Y2K or Mother's ???
Hey! That's my drill!
This works but sometimes the issue is on the inside of the headlight
That is true
Pro tip: When using any rattle can the ambient temp must be above 70•F with no breeze for ideal atomization and proper layup of the hotline. What we are observing here is the opposite resulting in headlight lasagna. Next caller please.
Can i use this on stop lights too?
Don't see why not.
Thank you sir. Great job. Continue to be blessed.
Thank you 👍
I have tried all these suggestions, nothing.
Bought McGuire Pastix today,worked a miracle.
👍 I haven't tried that yet, may give it a shot next time I need to do my headlights. Thanks.
I restore headlights with sandpaper, but you cannot just sandpaper headlights and then apply clear over them, you must buff them out with compound to take out all the fine swirl marks and make them clear, then you proceed to apply clear coat if you wish, although I never do and they come out brand new, and stay that way
No, not your talent error or environmental. I bought 5-6 cans of Rustoleum clear uv for plastic from 3 different stores in town. I was SERIOUSLY dissatisfied. I also tried a comparable Krylon with failure. My failure was cracks in the clear. As if it was a dry river bed, the cracked desert or perhaps an assembled jig saw puzzle. I tried it with 2 cars at the same time under various conditions. All failures. Only repeated condition was a sand with 400 and 600 grit wet paper, no soap in liquid. The neighbor kid had success with Krylon on his bmw but it must have been the German plastic or beginners luck. So, I bought 2 cans of Mcguiers headlight restoration spray and was 90% pleased with the result. I don’t like the annual maitenance with mothers but perhaps a better choice overall. I personally like the idea of a UV coating long term as opposed to them being raw. I’m conflicted.
Sometimes orange peel so bad, you have to use pumice stone coarse enough.
Thank you!!
Do yourself a favor and check light adjustment also
Good point 👍
Try 400 or 600 grit wet sand to remove the residual clear coat paint
You don't have to spray clear coat on the driver side headlight?
I would have if I was decent at spray painting 😂 You can see in the video I didn't have much luck and got some runs in the paint.
Pass on glass, total Fail on plastic lenses. First run on nieces glass headlights worked near percent with Mother's solo. 5 passes on my trucks' plastic headlight lenses. I'm friggin sore. Still dull. What am I doing wrong?
Depending on the condition of the headlights, you may need to start out with some wet sanding.
The “spider webs” you described on the one you sanded down are due to the alcohol you used. If it was 91% instead of 70% percent it will crack your headlights to a certain level. Speaking from experience 😂
👍
Best way less than 5 min each... Mothers and the pads and a drill
Hey. Any way you can send me a message. I have a a 04 envoy. 200k. I have have the same head light issue. Going to try your way. But I'm trying to get some information on I'm having no reverse light problem. I've checked the fuses I've checked the bulbs they all seem to be working fine still no reverse lights. Also I have that outer front differential seal leak.
Sounds like it might be a wiring issue. Try pulling the bulb and checking for power with a multi meter. That should give you an idea of where to go next.
@@KevinNadeau yeah no power on the meter.
salut petite question a tu sabler tes phares avant de faire le polissage et quel protection as tu mis pour la finition
Salut. Je n'ai pas sabler le phare gauche avant d'utiliser le polish. Je suggérerais un revêtement en céramique pour protéger le phare après polissage.
@@KevinNadeau ok merci
Would any other metal polisher work on headlights ?
I haven't tried any others, but don't see why not. Let me know if you end up trying something new 👍
Nice Corvette in your Garage, I just would Not put all that stuff on it! Just to avoid Scratches!!👍
Thanks!
Great vid, just curious to know how they've held up so far?
Thank you. So far, they are holding up well. I did put a coat of wax on the lenses that i didn't show in the video.
I was wondering what would be the outcome with both methods. Thank you.
You're welcome! Have you tried one or both methods yet?
@@KevinNadeau Yes. Shortly after watching your video I ran out and gave it a try. Didn't turn out as good as others. However, that may be due to the oxidation being inside the light housing. I'm thinking of trying a coarser sandpaper like 400 grit and working my way up to 3000? Thoughts?
@@doyen86 It's worth a shot. I might would start with 600 or 800 grit.
After the mothers don’t you still need to protect the light with uv paint ?
Yes that's a good idea, but you could use a wax, ceramic coating possibly, some uv film, or something like 303 protectant.
Kevin Nadeau basically what I’m saying is after the mother’s the final product will be how well you paint? I do use the Mothers polish already and I agree it awesome.
@@batcavecomics4499 i hear you. My painting skills just aren't that good.
Awesome video
What if you don’t have a drill?
You could use your hand, but that might take a while😀
I was under the impression that sanding up to 800 then clear coating with a 2K clear is the best way to restore headlights. It makes sense, you're essentially resurfacing them with brand new, crystal clear plastic. If it's done correctly it shouldn't peel or fade any faster than the clear coat on your car's paint.
Mother's Mag and aluminum Polish, It works.
👍
@@KevinNadeau You like me you're never satisfied I don't know how many different products I tried before I came to the conclusion that mother's Was all I needed. Have a good one
@@terryandrews7271 Thank you sir! 👊
This is an easy way to make a noticeable but not great improvement. They look good from 10 feet away but saying they look like new is just false. Check out Paint Society’s video on restoring headlights. That’s the only way to make them look like new.
You can’t use paint over polish it will just peel back off you will have to clean the polish back off getting every every bit if it
I did wipe it down with isopropyl alcohol. Perhaps I should've used a wax and grease remover. Still doesn't help my lack of painting talent 😀
Yeah that polish will cause a lot of orange peel. Also if you really really want to use clear coat you need to use a two step clear coat like used for automotive paint clear. You can buy it in gallons to use in a sprayer or you can get it in an aerosol can it will come with a pod like thing on the bottom of the can that you must pierce to inject it. It’s a hardener is what it is.
Kevin Nadeau here is a very good two part clear www.amazon.com/dp/B0082LJMC6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_J0B2DbV627WMN
I'm going to try that on my car, thanks 😎
Good luck. Let us know how it worked for you.
@@KevinNadeau they look like new again
Next up, Kevin tries his new pressure washer out on his neighbor’s gunky siding.
Hahaha!
That surf music sounds like the Blue Hawaiians...
Mothers is the bomb!
I even did the polishing by hand with a microfiber pad, and they look like new again!
Also put 303 UV protection on afterward and it took me about half hour all together.
Before doing this i went to a headlight restore company and they told me most of it was on the insight of the headlights and therefore they could not do much.
Then i went to my Toyota dealer and they said it could be done with wet sanding and a new clear coat, which would cost me about 65 Euro per headlight!
Now i spent 30 Euro all together for Mothers, microfiber pads and 303.
To keep them in good condition you must apply the 303 a few times a year.
How hard did you press on the drill with the polish method?
Not too hard, I let the drill do most of the work.
Temperature has alot to do with spray painting,
Humidity too. It looks cold there ' l figure about 56° f which is to cold. Just from my experience ! 😏
Great points👍
$5 for a Mother's polish? Good deal. But here, in Eastern Europe, I must pay $18 for a 5ounce box Mother's polish.. :-)
Wow!
And here in Canada (@crappytire), we pay $9.99 Canadian (ie: $ 7.00 US) but A drive away to Niagarafalls(NY), The Walmart will sell for under $4.00 US.( Well cant travel due to Covid)
Later today will give a try to Meg polish.
Today.
So yesterday tried to polish 2009 Corolla head lamp lens.( All with hand, pads n microfiber)
- 1st cleaner with Isopropyl ( 1st aid type)
- 2nd used Bakingsoda paste ( with H2o) n wash off w water.
[ That really gave some pretty clear shine]
-
- 3rd, As someone had mentioned Bakesoda n Vinegar; tried but stayed same.
*- 4th Then tried; Acetone( nailpolish)!!!
Guess what?.
Some top part of lens Turned Cloudy.
[ SO Don't Use it]
- 5th, Used Mag Mothers polish( as Kevin) but good old Elbow grease.
[ Some foggy part turned clear n so did The rest turn better]
-6th, I used Nu Finish- scratch remover n buffed it
- 7th n last, I used Mcguire Ceramic Car wax ( Blue bottle).
[ It really brought the shine out].
PS: Dont use Acetone!
In Taiwan ,pay $21 for 10 ounce. lol
If the headlight is foggy, just polish them.
If it has clear coat or if it has a film then you have no other choice but to sand it.
Also thank the Lord for mothers polish 🙌lol
Great points! 👍
Just started watching the video and I noticed your garage door is insulated. Does that help?
Yes it sure does. You can used some 1/2 inch blue board too. Its cheap but worth it, especially in the winter.
In theory, it shouldn’t. 1” of cheap foam is only a couple R-values. He’s probably feeling the placebo effect. If you live in Arizona or Florida, go for it. But if you live North of Sacramento, Texas or Alabama, don’t waste your time. You will need a minimum of R-13 and an air tight seal to make it worth your trouble when the temp is below 50 degrees. Are your garage walls insulated? If not, don’t bother. Can you see light around your door when it’s closed? If so, don’t bother. 1/2 of foam is even less effective.