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To Restore or Replace: Headlights

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Old 05-04-22, 04:05 PM
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Careover
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Smile To Restore or Replace: Headlights

Hello Toyota Windom/ES owners, I would want to ask you opinion on if I should restore or replace. For the longest I wanted to upgrade the current state of my headlights. Currently they're OEM and its nice, but they're foggy/oxidized and not sure what I should do with them. I really like the style of OEM Black housing headlights like this:
1. Ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/40188046715...3ABFBMtP_olJJg and was wondering if anyone is running them now. Amazon has them too (Black housing) but looking at the reviews it seems like people aren't having the best of luck.
2. Amazon link:
Amazon Amazon

Thanks
Old 05-04-22, 04:18 PM
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LeX2K
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Those Ebay/Amazon lamps won't be anywhere near OEM quality so if you can restore your originals I would do it. If you restore the clarity you must seal with this product otherwise they will oxidize quickly and all your hard work will be for nothing.

Amazon Amazon
Old 05-04-22, 06:48 PM
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Careover
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Originally Posted by LeX2K
Those Ebay/Amazon lamps won't be anywhere near OEM quality so if you can restore your originals I would do it. If you restore the clarity you must seal with this product otherwise they will oxidize quickly and all your hard work will be for nothing.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0043B7UQY/
Ah I see the clear coat link any headlight resto kit you recommend? I heard of Meguiar's but thats really it.
Old 05-04-22, 07:06 PM
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LeX2K
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Originally Posted by Careover
Ah I see the clear coat link any headlight resto kit you recommend?
Depends, if you don't have any polishes/compounds then sure they do the job. This is my fave compound it works on almost any application, exception can be new-ish cars with soft paint.
Amazon Amazon
The above is great because as you polish the grit breaks down into a finer and finer polish gives you a flawless result with one product. Of course you may have to wet sand first Menzerna medium cut will get out 1500-2000 scratches.

If you use the SprayMax clear don't clean with anything that has petroleum you'll get fish eyes, can also happen with glass cleaner use 70% IPA then wait a few hours to make sure the surface is perfectly dry.

Without a dual action polisher restoring is much harder and time consuming I don't recommend it.
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