wowitztai

iTrader: (1)

just got to a auto store and buy the kit.

GWELEX

It's hard to tell but in that one pic it appears you have condensation inside the light. If you do get condensation inside, (a common problem), that haze could be inside.

whazzzzuup

iTrader: (11)

Look at this thread I made a few years ago when I had a Maxima. It's grown to 176 posts. There is a lot of input within that thread that can help you. Good luck!

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=332187

pitmanr200

yea i wandered about the 1000 grit when I got it, but that was all they had.

pitmanr200

what kit. I have went to advanced auto and found no kind of kit..

macd7919

iTrader: (10)

Here, try this:
http://www.novuspolish.com/

You may have to order it but it works great. You want all three steps from the sound of it. I found a complete "kit" on ebay for about $25 shipped (which I just ordered) so it's not too bad price wise either.

Here is a link to the auction I ordered from, he had two complete sets left (Fyi-these sets have 3 8oz bottles, alot of the other sets only give you 3oz on the #3 cleaner).
http://cgi.ebay.com/NOVUS-Plastic-Po...QQcmdZViewItem

UDel

Your problem is you still have sanding scratches. Those cheap low speed buffers have no real polishing ability, trust me I have tried and can't remove sanding scratches. All they are good for is applying and taking off wax. What you did was induce a bunch of fine scratches because 1000grit is a little too aggressive for just cleaning plastic headlights, you would really only want to use it if they are scratched pretty bad. You should have done 1500 at the most and then maybe 2000grit. I just did my headlights a few days ago because they were a little hazy and one was scratched pretty bad from a piece of particle board that hit it. I used 1500 grit and no rinse car wash diluted in water to lube it and hit the scratch as best I could. There was noticeable scratches from the sandpaper that made the area look foggy or hazed. I then used a porter cable 7424 with a orange pad and Menzerna IP on all the lights and it did a very good job of cleaning them up, they looked very good after the buffing. I then put collinite 476 wax on them to help protect them, lights look very good now aside from the moisture that gets inside them.

All you really need to clean your hazy/yellow headlights is a good orbital buffer like a PC7424 and a decent mid polish like Menzerna IP and a orange pad. It works like a charm and may even be a little over kill for just cleaning but I was happy with the results. I would put a good wax or sealant on them after you polish them to help protect them from hazing up again. See if you can borrow a PC or just buy one because you still need to polish those sanding marks out and doing it by hand or with a cheap low speed orbital will not cut it. You may also want to wet sand with 1500 then 2000 to make the polishing a little easier.

pitmanr200

thanks for the info. what about using a electric drill with a foam pad and plastx or alum pollish. I have seen the wolf gang headlight restorer and it comes with the adapter for drill. I dont know anyone with a pc and really dont want to spend 200 dollars for something just to use on headlights if i dont have to.

pitmanr200

Ok i know what i did wrong now. So how do you all suggest I fix it. Should I wetsand with 1500 and then 2000 now. then get a better buffer or what. Should I use an rubbing compound to help pollish better and then use plastx?

UDel

Never used a power drill attachment but I am sure it can be done. A decent polish should be all that you need, Menzerna IP worked better then the PlastX I used but PlastX is still good stuff. You can get a PC for 99$ and I highly recommend it as you can properly polish your car with it and that makes a huge difference in the shine and look of your finish compared to just putting wax on it but after you get the backing plates, pads, polish then it will be closer to $200 but it will be one of the best car care investments you ever made.

Jewcano

iTrader: (4)

You saw my results, whats not to like? Whats there to think about? For me it was the cheapest route to take, and provided great results.

PHML

iTrader: (33)

Nothing beats hand-polishing.

eyezack87

iTrader: (4)

Haha, until it eventually falls off in this situation then nothing will

whazzzzuup

iTrader: (11)

I am doing a 2002 front end conversion on my cousin's (lusty2kmax) car. It is complete, except for the headlights. He found these OEM ones on eBay for around $100. They were cheap because they were hazy and scratched up pretty badly. I told him to just buy them, because they can be looking like new with very little work.

Materials I used: 600 grit, 1000 grit and 2000 grit sandpaper. A spray bottle with water to keep the headlight and sandpaper wet during the sanding. I used Meguiar's ScratchX to polish them after the 2000 grit sanding.

Here are the pictures of the process:

Driver (before)


Driver close-up (before)


Passenger (before)


Passenger close-up (before)


After the 1000 grit sanding


Wetsanding with 2000 grit


Driver (after)


Passenger (after)


Done!


Keep in mind that was 3 years ago. I did not have a machine polisher yet; this is with hand-polishing. A machine buffer will be much much better and faster. Enjoy the pictures!

pitmanr200

thanks looks great. im going to try to buff with rotary and see how it looks. if not good I am going to start over with 1500 then 2000 and buff with rubbing compound then plastx