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Thread: Headlight rejuvenation/correction and Windscreen treating.

  1. Default Headlight rejuvenation/correction and Windscreen treating.

    Just wondering, from the professional body of detailers here, what products are best at rejuvenating headlights?

    Also, what products are best at treating a windscreen before it needs to be replaced (mild sandblasting etc).

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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
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    Default Headlight rejuvenation/correction and Windscreen treating.

    @walllbangers

  5. #5
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    @MRglossmaster.........

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr.Harry View Post
    @walllbangers
    Yep that actually has tagged somebody hlol

  7. #7

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    I used toothpaste on my (mildly) ghosted headlights, it worked a treat AND minty fresh

  8. #8
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    pimpama
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    Try this I watched it this morning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D05v...e_gdata_player

    Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

  9. Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Byrd View Post
    I used toothpaste on my (mildly) ghosted headlights, it worked a treat AND minty fresh
    I thought about this after watching my fiancee clean up her engagement ring with toothpaste (of which I told her she's scrubbing away all the $$$ I spent on it). Same logic, extremely mild abrasive. Might use it but probably won't work on some of the deeper scratches (never trust people near your car...).
    3 MPS - Rolling on Pirelli PZero Neros, sitting on Bilstein B12's, stock internals... still makes me smile with the Zoom Zoom.

  10. #10

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    I wouldn't use toothpaste on jewellry, that's for sure - get her a small ultrasonic cleaner, they work a treat on rings. But for headlights and a dry lint-free towel, toothpaste works well.

  11. #11

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    yeah, the top of my 2004 sp23 headlights are crazing. It has been getting worse over the years and am trying to decide which direction to move forward with? Toothpaste (I think the crazing is a little too advanced already), get a "headlight polishing kit" (concerned about the abrasiveness of the 2000/3000 sand paper, however that would actually remove the crazing), using "plastx" but i don't think that would be sufficient for what I have or take to detailer and get the pros opinion???

    Also need to think of a solution for the tail lights as they are showing signs of some mild scratches...
    Last edited by M3Matt; 04-07-2013 at 04:58 PM.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by auscer View Post
    Try this I watched it this morning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D05v...e_gdata_player

    Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
    Something like this really only works on whatever is sitting on the surface of the glass. In the same way that a claybar will only work on what's sitting on the surface (yes you can clay glass also).

    Glass pitting (what Owen is describing), is below the surface of the glass. As such, only abrasive machine polishing will stand a chance of removing it/levelling it out. The aggressiveness of the polish and tools used is dependent on how badly the windscreen is pitted.

    Glass is also pretty tough. As such you'll have limited success with hand polishing, even with the most aggressive polishing compounds and polishing pads.

    Normally when I'm polishing glass to remove light water etching and very light pitting, I will use a rotary machine polisher, an aggressive microfibre pad, and a medium to aggressive polish, depending on the type of damage.

    For even more cut I will sometimes move to a very specific cerium oxide-based glass polish. This is a very expensive product as cerium oxide is a rare earth material, however it is capable of removing quite bad marring on glass (including scratching from windscreen wipers etc). Glass polishing is extremely time consuming though. To polish medium level defects out of a windscreen can take several hours by machine. Heat management in the glass has to be taken into account also. It is not something to be attempted by the faint of heart and, depending on the cost of the screen, may work out even more expensive than just replacing the screen itself.


    With regard to headlights, again it is dependent on the level of damage. Oxidation (fading) is caused by the UV coating on the headlight being eroded away either by time or by too aggressive polishing. Toothpaste can work in some light cases as it is a gentle abrasive, however the oxidation will return within a few months unless the UV coating is restored.

    I machine polish headlights that are in this sort of condition to restore clarity. With regard to restoring the UV coating, Optimum have just released a polycarbonate version of Opticoat, called Opti-Lens, which is specifically designed to resist this fading

    https://www.zas.com.au/product/665/contact.php

    Beware, this is a permanent product and should only be used if you have a clean, well corrected headlight and you're 100% confident you know what you're doing.


    EDIT: Beware of headlight restoration kits that include sandpapers. It is normally VERY hard (read pretty much impossible) to adequately remove sanding marks from surfaces by hand. Even using 3000 grit paper.

    Most of these kits do not provide adequate means of being able to "finish down" your headlights properly once sanded. This is why I only ever machine polish headlights. Machine polishing is really the only way to finish down sanding marks, whether on polycarbonate, clear coat paint, or glass.
    Last edited by Caffeine Fiend; 04-07-2013 at 05:15 PM.
    Caff Mobile Mk1 - 2010 Aluminum Gen II | 2XS SRI | H&R Lowered Springs | cpe 75 Duro Engine Mount | Whiteline Rear Swaybar | Moog "Problem Solver" Rear Endlinks | 3M Carbon Black Tint | Lakin Custom Plates | Opti-Coat Paint Protection | Paint Correction by Me - SOLD

    Caff Mobile Mk2 - 2008 BMW Z4M Coupe - Sapphire Black Metallic | Stock....for now

  13. #13

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    Yup.
    Book me in @Caffeine Fiend

    Need to do the headlights when we re-do the rear bar

  14. #14
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    Are your headlights faded already? That's unusual for a car only four or so years old?

    Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta

  15. #15

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    Nah very light swirling and mark due to the frustrations of working under the bonnet

    After you correct them, they'll need to be UV protected again?


    Peter "SLIXX"

  16. #16
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    Ahh fair enough.

    Depends on the aggressiveness of the correction required. For very light correction on a headlight already in good condition you can normally get away without needing to apply a UV coating. Would be something I'd need to see to determine

    Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta

  17. #17

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    I'm seriously interested in this subject. Will "try" to post up some of my concerns tomorrow.

  18. #18

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    I have used autosol aluminium polish on headlights with good results.

  19. #19

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    Might have to give these a go on my old car, tried normal Autosol didnt do much seems like it is on the inside of the light, looks really shit. I have the aluminium one so ill give that a go.

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    Hmm, it seems that the best bet for me is to use toothpaste only... until I can afford a new set of headlights.

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