mountainwalker Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 Headlamp casings scuff over time from dust and debris hitting them at high speed over time. Because they seem to be made of a heavy duty acrylic, is it possible to polish them with compound, or is it easier and fairly cheap to replace them? I'm getting enough light, but would get even brighter light if I polished/replaced. I know that aquarium owners polish their acrylic aquariums, so thought that this might be possible with headlamp covers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 Try a search--there have been many, many writeups. Here is Legacy777's very thorough approach: http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?t=739&highlight=yellow+sand%2A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenleg88 Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 ive done it a few times. and i truly vouch for the 3m headlight restoration kit. no im not trying to sound like a commercial. but be patient and it really works! its about 22 dollars or so.. it was liek 18 i think when i bought it last year. but my friend bought it again a few months ago and thats the new price. theres two packages. i believe the older one does not included masking tape.. so its a tad cheaper. good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountainwalker Posted July 28, 2010 Author Share Posted July 28, 2010 Thanks, that is one long thread apparently with a lot of approaches. I'll have to read in depth later, but for now, in addition to sandpapers of several grits used with warm water and soap, 1) which rubbing compound would you recommend? 2) which clear coat or plastic shield or wax would you recommend? Also, about how much does a new set of headlamp covers cost, OEM and non-OEM? Curious if worth the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountainwalker Posted July 28, 2010 Author Share Posted July 28, 2010 greenleg88, does that 3M kit include EVERYTHING you need? If so sounds like a very good value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountainwalker Posted July 28, 2010 Author Share Posted July 28, 2010 Thanks greenleg88, found it on Amazon for $14 without the masking tape or water spray bottle. Mostly very good reviews. How long did it take you? Any special tips you can offer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 Sorry, can't answer your questions about rubbing compound and clear coat--I've never gone that far with the process. I use a plastic cleaner but the housings go dull again after a few months. Check some of the Subaru on-line parts places for new prices. But be prepared for a shock, I imagine they're very, very expensive! As far as aftermarket (non-OEM) I don't think I'd trust them to last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountainwalker Posted July 28, 2010 Author Share Posted July 28, 2010 I'm just going to polish them, especially since they are not in bad shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durania Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 I stand by this stuff: I have used it on my Outback, friends 03 Legacy, 02 WRX. It's good stuff, all you need is a power drill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountainwalker Posted July 28, 2010 Author Share Posted July 28, 2010 According to Amazon reviews it isn't as thorough as the 3M kit, providing a quick easy polish but not getting out heavier haze or deeper scratches - would you agree? Any tips for using it? It definitely seems easier and less work than the 3M, just not as thorough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 PlastX is great stuff for polishing the lens. I use it with a high speed buffer after wet sanding with 2000 grit to remove the fine scratches left by the sand paper. It also acts as a protective coating similar to wax that will prevent the lens from yellowing if used regularly. As far as the kits go. I've never used one personally, but I've seen the 3M kit used several times by others and the results vary. It all depends on your attention to detail whether it comes out good or not. If you take your time it usually comes out better. I think either one could be just as successful as the other. I did a writeup of my own with before and after pics. My method was to wet sand with various levels of sand paper then polish out with a buffer and finishing pad. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=102339&highlight=headlight+cleaning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 (edited) i bought the 3m kit with the drill attachment for 24$. i also bought a bottle of maguiers? polishing compound for about 8$. i used the compound in the 3m kit on the first day and did 2 cars, 4 lites. but since then i have done 2 other cars and still have polishing pads left for one more. so the kit is a pretty good deal. 5 cars for 32$. i didn't do any kind of clear coat. they say if you use some car wax on the lites every so often they will last longer. so that's my plan. Edited July 28, 2010 by johnceggleston Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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