F150 headlight question

[Capt Steve]

Well I finally got to the auto parts store and the clerk recommended the McGuiars one Step headlight Restoration Kit. Squirt a little of the polish onto a buffing pad that fits a drill. Buff and polish out with the enclosed cloth. After about twenty minutes a light and half a bottle of polish this is what I got. Not perfect but a damned sight better than it was all for about $21. Thanks again to one and all for your help. Time for brew.

Before:

After:

 

[shovelwrench]

I BET THEY ARE A LOT BRIGHTER TOO!!!!

Nice job,
Any self respecting body guy has done this before, they sell kits and all kinds of products.

But as you found out, some polishing compound and a buffer does a pretty good job.

Also, if your lights are real bad and rock chipped you can do them just like polishing stainless, progressivly lighter grits, till all the imperfections are gone and buff.

 

[Stubborn Dutchman]

Originally posted by Mike W.:
I work in a body shop and we do that quite often. A buffing wheel will melt the plastic in no time, so don't go that route. An electric or air powered hand buffer works the best.

For plastic, all you really need is buffing compound and a foam pad. It'll take that oxidation right off. If there are a lot of scratches, 1000 to 1500 wet sanding followed by buffing with compound should do it.

If you don't own a buffer or know someone with one, buying new lights might be best.

That's how I did it on the headlights on my '96 Explorer. I spent about a half hour on each one with the 1000 and 1500 grit. I followed up with some hand polishing and they looked like new. They still do a year and a half later. Keep soaking the paper so you have a nice slurry going.

 

[caseydog]

Good Job! I knew you could do it

Sometimes I take an old daily driver and make it shine like a new nickel spending hours polishing the paint and all the owner can talk about is how good the lights look, maybe I should just wash and wax the paint and polish the heck out of the lights

PS: if you need more polish and the buff pad is still good , Walmart has Meguires PlastX for about $5 a bottle.

Ray

 

[billhud]

McGuires clear plastic polish. Between $5-$10 a bottle and about 1/2 hour of elbow grease.

 

[n4zov]

Here you go:

http://classic-motoring.stores.yahoo.net/plcapr.html

http://www.topoftheline.com/he...-plastic-polish.html