help on sanding headlight

[yudalicious]

hey I have a 1996 240sx and the healights have jsut a tiny bit of yellow on them (plastic lights).... so after googling and I decided to sand my headlights:
here is what I did:
started w/ 600 grit then a 1500 then a 2000 grit sandpaper sanding the headlight by hand (for about ~5 min each grit paper) at the same time wetting the headlight w/ soapy water.
w/ 600 the headlight was very hazy and when I got done w/ the 2000, it was clear, transparent when it was wet. Then I used Turtlewax Rubbing compoound and followed w/ meguair`s #10 clear plastic polish... wow it was beautiful, the lense had no yellow, was clear, and looked almost new.

the problem:
then I rinsed the healdight w/ water, and it seems the polish washed off, and the headlight is VERY hazy, not clear and less transparent than before cleaning (other headlight).

What should I do? at it`s present state the headlight (although no yellow discoloring) is very hazy and doesn`t let much light out.
Thanks!

[Webcams]

Try a Good Metal Polish on the other headlight and see if that cleans it up, don`t know if it will work on the hazy light though. Plexus is a good product for cleaning & protecting plastic might be worth a try as well.

[bigron62]

i do the same process as you but after the 2000 grit i buff the lens with a small white buffing wheel mounted to my 3/8 air drill then buff with medium compound .. follow with polish and sealer ..

[yudalicious]

sealer? I was thinking about waxing the layer after i polish it to keep it water proof.

[bigron62]

thats what i meant polymer sealer/wax.. good luck

[yudalicious]

ugh.. I tihnk tomorrow I`m going to get some 3m rubbing compound, which I know is made to deal w/ 2000 grit paper....

but the thing is I know ther sohuldn`t be a need for wax for it to be clear/transparent... argh..

[andriver]

I have used Blue Coral metal polish on a mid 90s mustang with success. The headlights were yellowed and faded. I applied them it with a cotton towel. Cleaned them up rather well.

[dr_detail]

for all the time and effort in polising these out, have you thought about just going to an automotive recycler and purchasing a good set of used ones???

I have a couple of local yards I deal with, and could, if ya like get you a quote...
PM me if you`re interested

[yudalicious]

thanks for the offer, the trouble is used headlights are alll worse off than my! (liek I stated earlier, my are actually in pretty good condition for a car that hasn`t been garaged)... I was goingt o buy new ones and found some actually at a decent price, but thought this would be a last resort before shelling out $ for enw ones ;]

[Beemerboy]

For things like this I start with a high speed rotary with a 3 inch wool cutting pad, and light cut compound.
I then use Novus plastic cleaner and polsih to finish then top with sealant
I have yet to run into any lights that I have not been able to get the haze off.
What I find is your taking the haze layer off and getting down to the clean plastic layer

[Scott P]

Poorboy`s Pro Polish is great on plastic too. Plus, you can use it on the rest of your car when you`re done.

[SpoiledMan]

Second the Poorboy`s Pro Polish!!

[stainbuster]

Yuda,

What you need after the final sanding step but before the Plexus or Megs topper is to open the pores of the plastic (we like to use Superior Restoration`s Pre-treatment, followed by several light coats of Shine Restorer (UV protectant).

This will clear up any haze leftover after the final sanding step, THEN you can top with Plexus.

:showpics

Check out these before and after pics:

[stainbuster]

Here`s the after shot:

BTW, the link

http://www.superiorrestoration.com/p..._headlight.htm

Good Luck!

Regards,

Nike

[truzoom]

THat isn`t haze is it? Wouldn`t think a newer model mustang would have yellowed already..