I have everything I need to refinish my headlights (sandpaper, polish, tools) except the UV sealant that is supposed to preserve the surface. I have looked online but all I find are the kits that include all the stuff I already have. Or else there are "one-step" cleaners/polish type stuff.
Anyone know what is in that stuff? It smells like a solvent. Acetone?
I don't really know chemistry. So explain it in simple terms.
You have not seen my car. Maybe I have fabricated a custom front facia with plastic headlamps.
But since I am sure I will be posting a picture some day I might as well be honest. This is not for my Fiero. Just seemed like the most tech traffic in this forum.
You have not seen my car. Maybe I have fabricated a custom front facia with plastic headlamps.
But since I am sure I will be posting a picture some day I might as well be honest. This is not for my Fiero. Just seemed like the most tech traffic in this forum.
Mods can delete if necessary.
that would have been good information to include from the start. I'm sure there were a number of confused people.
At least you're honest. As far as plastic restore goes, almost every kit is exactly the same. The only way I've restored headlights and this was without a kit.....I wetsand the lenses with 450grit, 800, 1000, and finally 2000. Then I spray an automotive clearcoat on the headlight and buff it out to be like glass.The automotive grade clearcoat is UV resistant and keeps the plastic from clouding. If you're in a pinch, you can get Spraymax clear but you HAVE to wear a respirator as it is very dangerous to inhale since it is a true automotive 2 part spray. https://www.amazon.com/Spra...id=1700854723&sr=8-4
Originally posted by BingB: You have not seen my car. Maybe I have fabricated a custom front facia with plastic headlamps.
But since I am sure I will be posting a picture some day I might as well be honest. This is not for my Fiero. Just seemed like the most tech traffic in this forum.
Mods can delete if necessary.
Just wrong section. Most times for other vehicles people ask in Totally O/T.
Even w/ right stuff to fix yellow or fogy old HL... Often only work for a short time if they work @ all. Worse if done before. Plastic HL have very little plastic to remove before can get very weak & have problems requiring replacement that often Cost a lot.
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
Thank you for all the information. Sorry about wrong forum.
I don't post much, but I read a lot. I know there are a lot of guys here who know a lot about repairing/restoring/preserving old cars, and the knowledge goes way beyond just Fieros. From now on I will post questions like this in O/T, just didn't know if all the tech guys traffic that forum.
At least you're honest. As far as plastic restore goes, almost every kit is exactly the same. The only way I've restored headlights and this was without a kit.....I wetsand the lenses with 450grit, 800, 1000, and finally 2000. Then I spray an automotive clearcoat on the headlight and buff it out to be like glass.The automotive grade clearcoat is UV resistant and keeps the plastic from clouding. If you're in a pinch, you can get Spraymax clear but you HAVE to wear a respirator as it is very dangerous to inhale since it is a true automotive 2 part spray. https://www.amazon.com/Spra...id=1700854723&sr=8-4
Do you buff/polish after the 2000 and before the clearcoat?
How many coats of the clearcoat? Let's say Spraymax (since I am usually in a pinch).
Originally posted by BingB: Do you buff/polish after the 2000 and before the clearcoat?
How many coats of the clearcoat? Let's say Spraymax (since I am usually in a pinch).
I don't buff after the 2000 because at that point, the scratches are so fine that the clearcoat fills in the voids and comes out clear. You can tell what the final product will look like by simply using water. If the lens looks nice with a film of water on it then it will look great with clearcoat.
Usually 2-3 coats of clear. If you're good with painting, it will come out like glass since the Spraymax is a true urethane paint. You have to spray a light coat, let it tack up, then a semi-wet coat, let it tack, and then a wet coat. Have you ever used Spraymax paints?
You have not seen my car. Maybe I have fabricated a custom front facia with plastic headlamps.
But since I am sure I will be posting a picture some day I might as well be honest. This is not for my Fiero. Just seemed like the most tech traffic in this forum.
Mods can delete if necessary.
I mean, it's not my message board, and I don't mind either way. But there have been some scam accounts that have joined lately that ask totally irrelevant questions, and then try to sell parts to people in the for sale section, but never actually send anything after cashing the money. I would have just started with "Hey guys, I have a set of headlights on this car that are plastic, how can I refinish them?"
For the headlights, I restore Swiss / German / French / whatever watches in my spare time... ones that came from the 60s / 70s, all of which use acrylic "crystals" for the glass face of the watch. The way you repair those is the same as you would a plastic headlight. You basically start with course grain sandpaper to sand down the face of the (in this case) headlight. I usually start with something like a 500 grit to get rid of any scratches or bug-etched acid holes. Then when I've completely destroyed the headlight (or so it seems), I then go to 1000 grit, then 2000 grit, and then 3000 grit. You can even go 5000 grit if you want, but probably not worth the effort. At this point, the headlight will actually start to look halfway decent, but just a little cloudy. You then finish it off with a polishing compound. For watches I use a special acrylic polish... but for a car, you'll be better off using something that's a bit cheaper since you'll be using a lot more of it. You do not want to get a normal "polish" that's used for paint or some such, because that simply doesn't have the grit necessary to actually polish the plastic... so get something that is MEANT for plastic, like this: https://www.amazon.com/Megu...olish/dp/B0000AY3SR/
Use that with a power drill attachment, or an orbital buffing wheel if you have one.
After that, I'm not sure if you really need to bother sealing it... because it's usually going to yellow, or... it's going to make it much harder to polish after the fact. You can then just go polish your headlight once every 6 months or so... and it'll look like brand new.
