Headlight resoration
04-07-2013, 01:31 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Headlight restoration
Spent a couple of hours today with one of the 3M Headlight Restoration kits. They cost around £20 from Amazon. The kit gives you a velcro type pad that fits to a handheld drill, and a number of different grades of sand paper, ending with a polishing pad. I'm pleased with the final result, a lot cheaper than replacing the lights!
Last edited by jasmart; 04-07-2013 at 04:34 PM.
04-07-2013, 02:02 PM
#2
Good job.
Does the 3M kit come with some kind of wax to protect the headlights from the sun? OEM lights come with coatings for sun protection and yours would have been removed by the sanding.
I wash and wax my car often and I always apply wax to the headlights. The wax, while not permanent, will protect your headlights against yellowing.
Does the 3M kit come with some kind of wax to protect the headlights from the sun? OEM lights come with coatings for sun protection and yours would have been removed by the sanding.
I wash and wax my car often and I always apply wax to the headlights. The wax, while not permanent, will protect your headlights against yellowing.
Last edited by mis3; 04-07-2013 at 02:13 PM.
04-07-2013, 02:51 PM
#3
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Thread Starter
I think the protective coat had long since degraded, hence their poor condition. There was nothing in the kit to add after the last polish. I am keen to put some kind of product on there, like a wax or polish to help put a bit of uv protection back. I'll be having a search around to see what's good. There's posts to say they are likely to fade again. Still, there's enough left in the kit to give them another going over in a years time if that does happen.
Last edited by jasmart; 04-07-2013 at 03:04 PM.
04-07-2013, 06:52 PM
#5
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'05 CLK500
I have used the 3M kit twice before and each time my headlights came out looking like new. Just yesterday, I was at Advanced Auto Parts looking to pick up another kit and there was a regular kit and also a kit that included a protectant with it.
04-09-2013, 08:03 AM
#7
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CLS550
Haha. I like a combination of both. I like the 3M sanding with the drill, but I like the Meguiars drill buffing pad and PlasX, and then the Meguiars protectant. The 3M sanding process is more aggressive and more effective in dealing with deeper scratches. The Meguiars finishing provides spectacular results. Just masking tape the paintwork real well because of all the drill work! It's a waste of another $25, but I do this just once in two years. 
