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Headlight Restoration

Posted: Feb Tue 10, 2009 8:34 am
by 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). :puke: This is after 105,000 miles on the road.
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Here is the after picture. :eek: This is after an hour's worth of sanding and polishing.
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Below is the kit I used. For the $20 I spent at Napa I'm very pleased with the results.
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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.

Re: Headlight Restoration

Posted: Feb Tue 10, 2009 8:44 am
by 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

Re: Headlight Restoration

Posted: Feb Tue 10, 2009 9:28 am
by 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.

Re: Headlight Restoration

Posted: Feb Tue 10, 2009 10:22 am
by 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.

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Thanks for the protection info :thumbsup:

Re: Headlight Restoration

Posted: Feb Tue 10, 2009 11:53 am
by 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...... :banghead:

Re: Headlight Restoration

Posted: Feb Tue 10, 2009 12:04 pm
by Mikewire
:laughing:

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.

Re: Headlight Restoration

Posted: Feb Tue 10, 2009 2:17 pm
by Rennwagen1
I was thinking the same thing.

Now back OT, you threadjacker!!

Re: Headlight Restoration

Posted: Oct Tue 26, 2010 10:01 pm
by DynoJetta
So 19K miles go by without getting the headlights covered, and guess what? Yup, all fogged up again!!! :banghead:
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
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Headlight switch with Fog
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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. :D