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We are really excited about this new headlight restoration kit, and that excitement only grows each time we get a chance to use it. We had to do a photo shoot with the product for another project and just had to share some of that here on MOL.
Our vehicle in question is a 2005 Toyota Sienna minivan with noticeably yellowed and weathered headlights that are need of some definite TLC. This new Perfect Clarity Headlight Restoration Kit is so incredibly easy to use; in fact, it takes longer to mask off the area surrounding the headlights than it does to actually restore them.
The kit comes with a Scotch-Brite scuffing pad and an abrasive liquid to use with it. It can be applied by hand or with our DA Power System, which is a perfect match for this kit.
Here's what the lenses on the minivan looked like before we started:
Hand application is very straight forward: apply a roughly quarter sized amount of product onto the pad (not sure what size coins from other countries match up to a USA quarter, but a dollop of product about 3cm across should be plenty) and start rubbing it against the headlight lens in a straight line, back and forth motion. You don't need a lot of pressure as the liquid/pad combination does a fantastic job of cleaning the oxidation off the lens. Apply more product as needed, and wipe off the excess as you go. Check to make sure you're getting all areas of the lens in a uniform fashion. You know you've got it when the lens has a uniform, frosted look to it.
Using the DA Power System is similar to hand application, except the tool takes any elbow grease out of the equation and gets the job done faster. In the image below the left side of the lens has been cleaned by the hand process noted above. You can see that it's a nice, uniform frosted look following that process.
Once the lens is fully cleaned and appears uniformly frosted, it's time for the magic to happen. While the cleaning solution is body shop safe and therefore paintable, it's still a good idea to ensure a clean surface prior to spraying the UV protective spray. Do not use a quick detailer with any sort of silicone or polymer in it for this as it can cause adhesion problems for the spray. It's best to use a roughly 20% dilution of isopropyl alcohol for that final wipe (exact dilution ratio is not terribly critical, so don't sweat that). The UV coating sprays out in a fan pattern rather than a cone, so you get great coverage from a single pass. In the shot below we started spraying from the bottom of the lens and worked our way up.
Yes, that clarity you see at the bottom of the lens is just from the very initial application of the UV protective spray. "But hold up a second.... don't you need to buff out those sanding/scuff marks first?" you ask. No, you don't. And you shouldn't try to, either. The quality of the surface is such that it gives the UV spray a light texture to grab onto and stick, and the spray will conceal any of the sanding/scuff marks left behind. It's much the same as painting a car when you sand the primer and then shoot the color over it. You don't buff out the primer, yet you don't end up with sanding marks in the paint when you're done (assuming you did it right, but that's a story for another day!).
Here's where it gets fun! With that side done, and essentially the photoshoot done along with it, we obviously had to do the other headlight before returning the minivan to its owner. So just for the heck of it we wanted to see how long it would take to do this process on a single lens, using the DAPS system. So we started with this:
And finished with this:
Elapsed time?
4 minutes and 18 seconds.
Now, that does not include application of the masking tape, nor does it include the quick wipe down we did of the surrounding area with our 20% IPA solution and a microfiber towel to remove any light overspray we had. But come on - 4:18!!!!
Now, let's talk a bit about that overspray issue we just touched on. You are essentially spraying clear paint here so some overspray is going to be part of the process. Obviously it's a good idea to mask as effectively and efficiently as you can. If that means laying an old sheet over the fender and/or front bumper to prevent overspray, then so be it. But immediately after spraying this lens, we pulled the masking tape and went over the surrounding areas with that 20% IPA mix on a clean microfiber towel and the fresh overspray came right off. That process likely won't be as effective if you wait an hour to do it, so don't spend too much time admiring your work if you didn't mask things off thoroughly - do that IPA wipe down and then admire your work.
This kit retails at $19.99 and there's enough of both products in it to do probably 3 or 4 cars, depending on just how bad the lenses are. A bargain!!
Our vehicle in question is a 2005 Toyota Sienna minivan with noticeably yellowed and weathered headlights that are need of some definite TLC. This new Perfect Clarity Headlight Restoration Kit is so incredibly easy to use; in fact, it takes longer to mask off the area surrounding the headlights than it does to actually restore them.
The kit comes with a Scotch-Brite scuffing pad and an abrasive liquid to use with it. It can be applied by hand or with our DA Power System, which is a perfect match for this kit.
Here's what the lenses on the minivan looked like before we started:
Hand application is very straight forward: apply a roughly quarter sized amount of product onto the pad (not sure what size coins from other countries match up to a USA quarter, but a dollop of product about 3cm across should be plenty) and start rubbing it against the headlight lens in a straight line, back and forth motion. You don't need a lot of pressure as the liquid/pad combination does a fantastic job of cleaning the oxidation off the lens. Apply more product as needed, and wipe off the excess as you go. Check to make sure you're getting all areas of the lens in a uniform fashion. You know you've got it when the lens has a uniform, frosted look to it.
Using the DA Power System is similar to hand application, except the tool takes any elbow grease out of the equation and gets the job done faster. In the image below the left side of the lens has been cleaned by the hand process noted above. You can see that it's a nice, uniform frosted look following that process.
Once the lens is fully cleaned and appears uniformly frosted, it's time for the magic to happen. While the cleaning solution is body shop safe and therefore paintable, it's still a good idea to ensure a clean surface prior to spraying the UV protective spray. Do not use a quick detailer with any sort of silicone or polymer in it for this as it can cause adhesion problems for the spray. It's best to use a roughly 20% dilution of isopropyl alcohol for that final wipe (exact dilution ratio is not terribly critical, so don't sweat that). The UV coating sprays out in a fan pattern rather than a cone, so you get great coverage from a single pass. In the shot below we started spraying from the bottom of the lens and worked our way up.
Yes, that clarity you see at the bottom of the lens is just from the very initial application of the UV protective spray. "But hold up a second.... don't you need to buff out those sanding/scuff marks first?" you ask. No, you don't. And you shouldn't try to, either. The quality of the surface is such that it gives the UV spray a light texture to grab onto and stick, and the spray will conceal any of the sanding/scuff marks left behind. It's much the same as painting a car when you sand the primer and then shoot the color over it. You don't buff out the primer, yet you don't end up with sanding marks in the paint when you're done (assuming you did it right, but that's a story for another day!).
Here's where it gets fun! With that side done, and essentially the photoshoot done along with it, we obviously had to do the other headlight before returning the minivan to its owner. So just for the heck of it we wanted to see how long it would take to do this process on a single lens, using the DAPS system. So we started with this:
And finished with this:
Elapsed time?
4 minutes and 18 seconds.
Now, that does not include application of the masking tape, nor does it include the quick wipe down we did of the surrounding area with our 20% IPA solution and a microfiber towel to remove any light overspray we had. But come on - 4:18!!!!
Now, let's talk a bit about that overspray issue we just touched on. You are essentially spraying clear paint here so some overspray is going to be part of the process. Obviously it's a good idea to mask as effectively and efficiently as you can. If that means laying an old sheet over the fender and/or front bumper to prevent overspray, then so be it. But immediately after spraying this lens, we pulled the masking tape and went over the surrounding areas with that 20% IPA mix on a clean microfiber towel and the fresh overspray came right off. That process likely won't be as effective if you wait an hour to do it, so don't spend too much time admiring your work if you didn't mask things off thoroughly - do that IPA wipe down and then admire your work.
This kit retails at $19.99 and there's enough of both products in it to do probably 3 or 4 cars, depending on just how bad the lenses are. A bargain!!
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