Headlight Lens Restoration – How To Restore Your Headlights Using wd40, toothpaste, 3M kit, and clear coat.

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There are many methods for restoring headlights to increase the visibility at night. This includes quick temporary methods to long-term permanent methods.

We are going to show you the different methods we tested including wd40, toothpaste, 3M headlight kit, and the permanent fix of using a 2k clear coat.

Toothpaste and wd40

3M Kit
My boys and I made this video to determine how easy this kit is to use. We made this video years ago, but there is a much better video of 3M demonstration this method below. This method lasts much longer than the wd40 or toothpaste methods, but requires a little more work.

Product Information

Product Features

Easy, 3-step process requires as little as an hour to remove scratches and restore cloudy, dull lenses
Features 3M abrasive technology and a polishing compound to restore hazy and dull headlight lenses, as well as other plastic lens surfaces on your vehicle
System is intended to restore two headlight lenses
Utilizes the muscle power of a common household (1200-1600 rpm) drill to do all the necessary sanding and buffing

This headlight was not near as bad as some of them that we have restored. However, the key it to prevent them from getting that bad in the first place. If they are already completely hazed over, this is a safety hazard with limited vision at night.

Have you ever noticed how horrible hazy, foggy or cloudy plastic headlight lens can make your car look? You spend hours each years cleaning your car, but those dirty looking headlights never look clean. Not only does it look bad, it can also cause less light to pass through the lens resulting in poor vision at night. We have taught students in our automotive collision repair program how to restore the headlights to a brand new look. Now, thanks to 3M, you can get the same results yourself with a little time and effort. Customers are being charged anywhere from $50 -$100+ to have this done at a shop. Watch the video that my boys and myself made to learn how to do headlight restoration.

After trying the DIY kit we found it to be easy to use. It is easier when using the body shop supplies, DA sander and buffers, but for the DIY, this kit provides a system that anyone can go with a little time and effort.

RESOURCES

1. Drill – Electric or Air Will Work – You Can Find One At Walmart or Home Depot

2. Headlight Restoration Article – The Overlooked Opportunity

3. 3M Headlight Restoration Kit

4. Spray Bottle – Any Type Will Work Fine

5. Masking Tape To Mask Adjacent Areas To Prevent Sanding Marks

6. Detail Cloth

Watch 3M’s Video For Additional Instructions

CLICK HERE FOR PDF STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Headlight Restoration Using 2K Clear

We are working on the Nissan Titan project and we are going to restore the headlights. Actually, only one headlight was bad, but we restored both of them so they would both look the same.

In other videos, I have used 3M headlight restoration kit, toothpaste, and WD40. These methods worked, but eventually faded out again. The 3M kit lasted the longest and the WD40 the shortest. In this video we are going to use 2K clear coat, which will last for years is done correctly. If you are wanting the durability and chemical resistance properties, I believe a 2K clear coat needs to be used. I will provide some recourses below the video.

The Permanent Fix

Steps and Resources Below

How To Remove Grille https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6YEwdDsUc0

1. Remove headlights.
2. Wash with soap and water.
3. Mask edges.
4. Sand lens using 500 grit.
5. Sand lens using 800 grit.
6. Wash again with soap and water.
7. Clean lens using water plastic cleaner. (optional) http://amzn.to/2dOR9h6
8. Tack off. http://amzn.to/2dsefL2
9. Apply adhesion promoter. http://amzn.to/2do66eb
10. Apply clear coat…automotive 2k clear coat or 2k spray can. http://amzn.to/2dGnCKJ
11. Allow to dry and reinstall.