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Today's a good day in Los Angeles to wash my car. With 0% chance of precipitation from sunrise onward, I decided to wet sand my headlights at seven in the morning before I wash my car in the afternoon. I've been following 97 Supra's headlight restoration guide each step of the way and I will post a more complete documentation of my progress and experience later tonight. But in the meantime, I have some questions I'd like to throw out there to those who might be able to assist. Because the result I got in the last hour isn't entirely what I wanted.
This is NOT a guide... not yet.
Tools I Used:
- Meguiar's Unigrit Finishing Paper (I had one 1200, 2000, 2500, and 3000 grit)
- Painter's Tape
- 5 Gallon Bucket w/Grit Guard
- Stool
- Hose (set on mist)
- Meguiar's Headlight Restoration Kit (specifically, the mini bottle of PlastX, Drill Operated Buff Pad)
- Corded Drill + Extension Cord
- Microfiber Towels (at least five; more is better, of course)
One of my headlights is newer than the other. The one I'm working on has been on the car since inception, and it's clearly yellower and more oxidized than the other. The look of the newer headlight is the goal I've set for myself. I've gathered my tools and laid painter's tape around the headlight in case the sandpaper slips (and believe me, it does).
Here's where I start getting a little anxious: from the start of wet sanding on 1200 grit, there is this milky cloud haziness that dominates the upper right quadrant of the headlight I'm working on. It's visually more apparent than the rest of the haze that comes from wet sanding. I just kinda shrugged it aside and continued on, but I started to worry when it remained there as I kept switching to higher grit. Below, you can still kind of notice it in the last picture (I forgot to take a picture after finishing with 2000 grit).
Unfortunately, my extension cord wasn't long enough to reach outside the garage, so I drove the car halfway in and proceeded to use PlastX and the drill operated buff pad. I can say that after using PlastX, the headlight looked better, but there are still isolated pockets of oxidation all over it. Not even after 3 or 4 go's with the drill removed them. Here's where I felt, "Okay, I think I did something wrong. I better ask about this on MOL."
And like 97 Supra, I also went through the process of applying "a generous amount of PlastX on your hand and working it in real good". I had my doubts about this step, because I thought, "what good will my hand do that the drill hasn't already done?" But I did it anyway. I don't think it made a difference. The pictures below don't seem to say so either. But I will concede that, running my PlastX-covered hand all over the headlight showed me how gritty it still was (or was it the abrasives in the PlastX that I was feeling?).
Am I satisfied with the results? To put it in one word: mostly. It's a vast improvement. I'd say I got about 80% of the clarity I was looking for. But even after an hour or so of carefulness, it's still a little bit fuzzy-looking, it's still a little bit yellower than the other, newer headlight (if you look at the last two pictures and squint, you'll know what I'm on about). I think that, by replacing 97 Supra's flannel cloth step with the drill operated buff pad, I gave it the best possible chance of attaining the highest outcome, but I'm still not happy with the result.
But at the same time, I also think part of the problem was user error. I don't feel like I did the sandpaper step -- probably the most important step of this process -- as aggressively as I should've. I treated it more like claying your car, actually. That milky-white haze that was brighter than the rest probably could've been sanded out if I had just pushed harder. I feel like I want to give it another go before I wash my car this afternoon. But this time, I want to do it right, if not better.
So, these are my questions:
1) How aggressive should I be with the sandpaper? Is it a gentle brushing like clay barring or should I really push down and work it in there?
2) I already wet sanded the headlight once. Is it safe to do it again this afternoon?
3) The haze that develops on the headlight should look consistant all throughout, correct? I should have rubbed into that milky-white haze until it was gone, yes?
4) Can I expect to restore a headlight to flawless (or near-flawless) out-of-the-factory condition with these techniques? I mean, there are worse oxidized headlights than mine...
5) Can I let my drill operated buff pad covered with PlastX sit until the afternoon (about 6-7 hours from the time of this post) or should I wash it now?
6) Should I re-use the sandpaper I started with this morning? (Probably not.)
In advance, thank you for your replies and your time.
This is NOT a guide... not yet.
Tools I Used:
- Meguiar's Unigrit Finishing Paper (I had one 1200, 2000, 2500, and 3000 grit)
- Painter's Tape
- 5 Gallon Bucket w/Grit Guard
- Stool
- Hose (set on mist)
- Meguiar's Headlight Restoration Kit (specifically, the mini bottle of PlastX, Drill Operated Buff Pad)
- Corded Drill + Extension Cord
- Microfiber Towels (at least five; more is better, of course)
One of my headlights is newer than the other. The one I'm working on has been on the car since inception, and it's clearly yellower and more oxidized than the other. The look of the newer headlight is the goal I've set for myself. I've gathered my tools and laid painter's tape around the headlight in case the sandpaper slips (and believe me, it does).
Here's where I start getting a little anxious: from the start of wet sanding on 1200 grit, there is this milky cloud haziness that dominates the upper right quadrant of the headlight I'm working on. It's visually more apparent than the rest of the haze that comes from wet sanding. I just kinda shrugged it aside and continued on, but I started to worry when it remained there as I kept switching to higher grit. Below, you can still kind of notice it in the last picture (I forgot to take a picture after finishing with 2000 grit).
Unfortunately, my extension cord wasn't long enough to reach outside the garage, so I drove the car halfway in and proceeded to use PlastX and the drill operated buff pad. I can say that after using PlastX, the headlight looked better, but there are still isolated pockets of oxidation all over it. Not even after 3 or 4 go's with the drill removed them. Here's where I felt, "Okay, I think I did something wrong. I better ask about this on MOL."
And like 97 Supra, I also went through the process of applying "a generous amount of PlastX on your hand and working it in real good". I had my doubts about this step, because I thought, "what good will my hand do that the drill hasn't already done?" But I did it anyway. I don't think it made a difference. The pictures below don't seem to say so either. But I will concede that, running my PlastX-covered hand all over the headlight showed me how gritty it still was (or was it the abrasives in the PlastX that I was feeling?).
Am I satisfied with the results? To put it in one word: mostly. It's a vast improvement. I'd say I got about 80% of the clarity I was looking for. But even after an hour or so of carefulness, it's still a little bit fuzzy-looking, it's still a little bit yellower than the other, newer headlight (if you look at the last two pictures and squint, you'll know what I'm on about). I think that, by replacing 97 Supra's flannel cloth step with the drill operated buff pad, I gave it the best possible chance of attaining the highest outcome, but I'm still not happy with the result.
But at the same time, I also think part of the problem was user error. I don't feel like I did the sandpaper step -- probably the most important step of this process -- as aggressively as I should've. I treated it more like claying your car, actually. That milky-white haze that was brighter than the rest probably could've been sanded out if I had just pushed harder. I feel like I want to give it another go before I wash my car this afternoon. But this time, I want to do it right, if not better.
So, these are my questions:
1) How aggressive should I be with the sandpaper? Is it a gentle brushing like clay barring or should I really push down and work it in there?
2) I already wet sanded the headlight once. Is it safe to do it again this afternoon?
3) The haze that develops on the headlight should look consistant all throughout, correct? I should have rubbed into that milky-white haze until it was gone, yes?
4) Can I expect to restore a headlight to flawless (or near-flawless) out-of-the-factory condition with these techniques? I mean, there are worse oxidized headlights than mine...
5) Can I let my drill operated buff pad covered with PlastX sit until the afternoon (about 6-7 hours from the time of this post) or should I wash it now?
6) Should I re-use the sandpaper I started with this morning? (Probably not.)
In advance, thank you for your replies and your time.
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