was trying to restore it by using the sand -> 3m rubbing compound after to try and get rid of all the haze and cloudiness etc.

after i used the 280 grit, it just went down hill from there.
it basically looks how how it "should be" or atleast what it looks like
from the 3m tutorial on youtube.

only problem is, when i got to the 3m rubbing compound part, mine didn't
clear up like the crystal blue skies of the netherlands like in the video.
it is still cloudy (worse than before i started sanding)

is there any way to salvage the headlight?
perhaps try using the 3m kit again?
maybe i did something wrong?
or is it, once you sand something and you cant clear it up,
it's done for good?

thanks.

 

More sanding + buffing should fix it with the proper grit etc

 

280 grit is way to coarse. Should have just used crest pro health toothpastr. Maybe try some 2000 grit and see if they clear up any.

 

lol alright. so there is hope for my headlight just yet.
thanks guys, keep it coming. any information from prior knowledge or experience would be much obliged; and heavily appreciated. thanks.

-Wes

 

wet sand with 1500 - 2000 grit
plastic polish
then uv coat

 

^Agreed. 280 grit should only be used in extreme cases. Get yourself some 1000 grit, and follow up with preferably 2000 and 3000 grit. Make sure to soak the sandpaper for at least 20 minutes before using, and constantly keep the headlight wet while sanding. Using water and a little car soap in a spray bottle works well.

Follow this up with polish on a rotary or DA buffer, and also apply sealant. If you don't have a buffer, you should be able to buff out the 3000 grit by hand. Use a microfiber towel and some Meguiar's PlastX.

 

this. wetsand will work wonders lol keep the headlights/sand paper wet. Try starting with the 1500 grit and move up to even 2500 grit.

I did this on my old wrx headlights and messed up, fixed it up doing the above.

 

alright, so it would seem that i just need to use a higher grit sand paper,
while keeping it constantly saturated with water. hopefully I can still salvage this headlight.

thanks again guys, I appreciate the help

 

This. except use 3000 grit to finish before polishing.

Be sure to apply a UV protectant coat, otherwise it'll yellow/haze quick. If you trust your skills, you can also use a heat gun to clear the lens after 2000-3000 grit. This will smooth the lens to a factory finish, however, it still needs protectant.

 

Your headlight can be fixed. If you hit it with a 280 grit paper, you are going to have to work your way up through the grits, simply skipping straight to 1500 now will result in a highly polished surface with grooves in it.

Move on to 400gr, sanding in the opposite direction, in straight strokes. The key to knowing when you are ready to move on to the next grit level is to sand in a direction perpendicular to the previous grit; sand until the the previous strokes are gone. Then go to 600gr wet, and advance through 800gr, 1000gr, 1200/1500gr, 2000gr......all wet, then begin polishing. Remember to change directions after each grit.

 

And this is why I wax my headlights every time I wash my car. I replaced my headlights when I hit a deer in 2011 and since then I apply Griot's paint sealant twice a year and a coat of Griot's best of show wax every wash. The sealant protects from the elements for up to a year and the wax is good to protect from the suns uv rays.

They look out of the box brand new.

You can also use this procedure for you paint:

1. Wash
2. Clay
3. Polish (Griot's buffer with Machine Polish 3... also works great on headlights to buff them out)
3. Griot's paint sealant
4. Griots Best of show wax

You can thank me later.

 

Wet sanding made mine turn out awful too after polishing the kit came with.

Use Meguair's Ultimate Compound on a machine buffer it works wonders..

 

all depends one the grit...

 

I'll update you guys with pics after I have a go at them for my 2nd attempt.
If I am still not able to clear them up, hopefully the pics will let everybody here
that is trying to help better assess my situation.

Thanks again guys

 

Did my headlights using -

1000, 2000, then top off with 3000 grit
Meguirs PlastX polish
Then re-cleared with Miniwax Spar Urethane/Mineral spirits

End result? Like new headlights

 

You guys are telling him how to polish his head lights. Thats not the issue here, this guy used 280 GRIT sand paper! Which is far too coarse for any head light restoration job.


OP. Buy every grit from 280 on to 1000 and hope for the best. I dont think 280 grit is fixable but good luck.
Once you get to 1000 grit then you can follow these guys DIY's.


Why would you use 280 anyways?

 

Not 100%, but my god it's a major improvement from what it was.



From the ratchet 320 that destroyed my lights I went to 540, 800, 3000, then rubbed in compound. There is still some weird haze/pattern like spots, but it's definitely on the inside and I don't plan on baking anytime soon so I'll just leave it for now.

Just want to thank everyone that helped me

 

nice job

lesson learned

 

OP, if you decide to wetsand again in the future go with a 3000 or higher. To feather out those scratches.

Headlights came out good tho

 

Nice save.