Headlight Restoration

[DynoJetta]

I thought I would share with everyone my luck with refinishing my headlights.

Here is the before picture of my washed driver's side headlight (definitely the worse of the 2). This is after 105,000 miles on the road.


Here is the after picture. This is after an hour's worth of sanding and polishing.


Below is the kit I used. For the $20 I spent at Napa I'm very pleased with the results.


The kit consists of 4 pieces of sandpaper (1,000 grit, 1,500 grit, 2,000 grit, and 2,500 grit). Also, there's a bottle of plastic polishing compound and a pair of gloves for those who don't want to get their hands dirty. If anyone is interested in looking at the instructions, I can scan them and post them also.

My brother works at Ressler and tells me they have a polishing compound they usually use for headlights. I asked him to look into it because I figured with a buffer I could work a few more of the finer sanding lines out.

[DynoJetta]

I think the next step is to do what Joe did for his glass R32 lights and protect them with a film. No sense in having to do this every 80,000 miles.

I found this link to a film for headlight protection http://www.clearmask.com/lightgard.php

[Mikewire]

Nice - is that $20 kit enough for 1 HL or the pair? For protection talk to Aeron - he cut me a set of covers for the Jetta. He uses Xpel film and it's nice and heavy duty but won't obscure the light.

http://www.xpel.com/products/headlight.asp

I was bad and never put mine on, so now I have to do what you did and polish the crap out of them. I'm going to ask him if he can cut a set for my Audi too.

[DynoJetta]

It's for both headlights. Here are the instructions (a little small, but I didn't want to make them too big). I cut each piece of sandpaper in half so I would have one for each headlight and I only soaked one piece at a time. I had a bucket of water with a rag and I would keep the rag wet and squeeze water over the headlight as needed.



Thanks for the protection info

[Rennwagen1]

Oh man, Mike, you never put those on?! Slacker, what are you doing, running a webiste and a family?! Anyway, yes, I can cut them, in clear, smoke, blue and yellow. Computer precut and ready for installation. Mike, you might as well wait until you get the Audi chipped, and I will do the lights at the same time......

[Mikewire]

Yup slacked totally on that. Since Matt put down coin to get GLI lights on his wagon I decided he needed them more than I did. So I'll still install them but just not on my car. When the time is right, we should talk about price on the PFF for the front of the Audi too.

[Rennwagen1]

I was thinking the same thing.

Now back OT, you threadjacker!!

[DynoJetta]

So 19K miles go by without getting the headlights covered, and guess what? Yup, all fogged up again!!!
I swear they're worse than before I polished the last time.

Bought another polishing kit thinking I'd polish them again. Nahh, change of plans!

Bought these (screaming deal on the whoretex):

GLX Headlights w/ Fogs



Headlight switch with Fog


They show up Friday!
Going to make sure they're crystal clear, going to order some pre-cut xpel film covers from Aeron. Oh yeah, going to also do a Joey Mod on them too.