+1 for 20 minutes. I used polishing paper for lapping the ends of optical fibers (communication fiber optics) with spit for lubricant. I dunno the grit, but it worked VERY fast when wet. It would have been 10 minutes, but I spent the first 10 dry sanding which did nothing.

 

I use Scotch-Brite pads (wet with warm soapy water), followed by 1500 grit (again, wet), rubbing compound, Meguires plastic cleaner then Meguires plastic polish. Works well enough that people pay me to do it.

 

^^^^ yeahthat.gif 1.gif

 

you can also use rubbing compound and polishing compound, it takes longer than sandpaper but if you're scared about sanding that will also work. follow up with a plastic polish to make the lens clear.

 

I'll post pics of my latest project. Its a 1994 Dodge Viper, and the lights looked like crap. I took one home, sanded with 800 for a while, then hit it with 1000, then 2000 forever. I got them damn clear, just not crystal. Then I took that light, as well as the other one that I did NOT sand down, and paid a local bodyshop 100 bucks to use the 3M process on them.

The light I first sanded with automotive sand paper, came out CRYSTAL. The other light looks like it had a very well down "Kit" used on it. I pulled the internals out of the one I sanded before we took them in for the 3M job, and painted the bezels, pulled out the stock Halogen projector and installed a Bi-Xenon Projector into the housing with 6000K HIDs. Now when you hit the high beams, instead of the cheesy halogen high beam bulb coming on, the projector drops a little plate inside of it, and the HIDs go from low beams to high beams smile.gif Super nice stuff, but it would all look like hell if not for the good ol' elbow grease I put in sanding the crap out of em smile.gif

 

If it actually needs to be polished much, that will not work. I've tried it before on another car. My girlfriends 2000 VW Passat had really bad headlights and I tried working them with rubbing compound for an hour and it did nothing. I then tried steel wool, then rubbing compound.... Finally, I just went and bought the kit at Advanced Auto parts for $20 and it worked well in 20 minutes. There's even enough left in the kit to do about 10 more sets of headlamps. I'd say the kit is the best deal.


Another cool thing about the headlight restoration kit is that it works on iPhones, CDs, Monitors, TVs....... You name it... If it's a hard shiney piece of plastic, it can be restored with a headlamp restoration kit, regardless of the condition.

I recommend the kit highly. I don't recall the name, but you can ask the guy at the counter for a headlamp restoration kit.

 

Some I've done... this is a Chevy 1500 I did a while back:

Headlight before:



Headlight after:



Taillight before:



Taillight after:



Whole front end after (did the headlights, turn signals, corner lights and bug shield):