i know i can polish them and make them clear… i want them to stay clear and i dont want to wear the plastic down… i was wondering what kinda of clear coat can i spray on them to make them stay clear for awhile and i have read that some people have done this and messed up…i have seen one that turned out good. i was in advance auto parts the other day and they had a can of uv protecting clear coat… would this stuff work or what? let me know if you have done this and what to do and what not to do. thanks.
Well, i just did my headlights the other day. I used the sanding method, started with 600 grit and worked my way all the way up to 2000 grit, then used rubbing compound for about 5 min and then polishing compound for 5 min, now i havent re-installed them so im not sure how they will last under the sun, but they look damn near brand new, and i mean real close. It also takes any small nicks and sratches out and makes them look really nice. Before i tried this i used some duplicolor clear coat and it yellowed in a week, thats when i broke out the elbow grease and did it the right way, now i just gotta get my car back from paint.
what kind of duplicolor clear was it? was it just the automotive paint or for like plastic? i have seen some acrylic clear coat, that has uv protectant in it and i have seen some paints for plastic and its a clear coat… i was wondering if anyone has used something out of a can… and what has worked ,so what type did you use?
it was the automotive paint, not sure if it had the uv protection in it, i was at a buddies house and he just had it layin around, i’ll check with him and let ya know. i would check out the teg tips for how to renew your one pieces, it works, its a long process but the outcome is well worth it.
im sure the teg tip works it just like i said… i dont want to keep wearing the plastic down when i was clear head lights. my car constantly is sitting in the sun… it took like like a week or so for the roof to go from looking alittle hazy to completely pealing… its just if i polish them out i feel like i would be doing it alot.
just go with teg tips. it probably wont yellow. the clear is probably for protection against chips. i wouldn’t use any spray on crap. you’ll be sorry you did
yea, you will, i used the uv protection clear and yea, it yellowed all the time, same with that plastic x shit, i was using it twice sometimes three times a week, i’ll let you know how mine hold up when i get my car back from paint and reinstall them. Hate to see you go through all that work polishing and waisting money on clearcoat for nothing.
anyone else have anything to say? i may have them spray professionally… like i think member va massive did. i wonder how his are holding up…
if you have it done that way, i dont see why they would yellow, may be a bit pricey and i would sugest doin the teg tips way first, then have them sprayed.
Best bet is to have them professionally cleared. That’s how the JDM ones come.
After that just use Plastix or polishing wax every few weeks. I’ve been just cleaning them w/ Invisible Glass cleaner & Mequiar’s Quick Detailer every other week. Been working fine for 3yrs now.
(The date is wrong. Pic taken 03/09)
:getsome::manual:
Figure that out!
h93da6: your headlights look good. i think i will have a friend of mine do them he paints cars all the time and he does a good job. hes smoked his headlights and tail lights out using clear and a little black in it. and they have held up nicely. im just gonna have him do them… im not gonna be able to do them now because i need to fix other things before i do this.
Thank you for the kind words.
I’ll be getting her re-sprayed around Feb.- Mar. of next year. Charcoal Gray! When that happens I’ll get the headlights re-cleared & have the tails done in Candy Red w/ the reverse lights exposed. Then she’ll be stylin! Along w/ some secret goodies for the exterior!
Hopefully I can get her all gussied up & together before the proposed National Meet in the Summer. New rims, all new window moldings, new undecoating, some interior work, etc. Oh well, now I’m ranting!
:getsome::manual:
Figure that out!
well mine have been done the way it said in the teg tips for about three weeks now and i haven’t had to do a thing to them other than keep em clean, no yellowing at all, they look almost brand new.
Do some searching around for something called Xpel headlight protection film.
Its removable and 10,000X more difficult to screw up than a clearcoat.
I put the stuff on a newer car. Too soon to see long term results but I remain hopeful. No scratches so far. I’m still worried about UV breakdown, only time will tell.