Hi Guys: Ever had a plastic headlight lense go dull on you? Well rather than buying a new factory unit, I found a kit by Permatex ( sandpaper & polish) that does a great job of making those lenses clear again. At $16 a pop, much cheaper than buying a whole new lens. Now here's where I start feeling stupid. I tied some Blue Magic chrome polish on the other lens, & guess what? It came up just as bright & clear even without sanding. Just thought I'd pass this on to you guys.

 

I use Meguiars on mine and it only lasts about a month then back to yellow lights.

 

What you used has a fine rubbing compound in it. Toothpaste will also polish them out. If they are bad enough you can use 2000 wet paper (wet) and medium compound with a wool bonnet/buffer. Works well. Seal them after polishing with a good wax or clear coat to make them hold longer.

 

I have heard of the clear coat before but what does that mean? Go to wal-Mart and get clear paint or is there a product called Clear Coat?

Floyd

 

I think you should watch the clear coat, some products melt plastic. Actually on my truck, there was a thin film that pealed off then they truned yellow I had the truck for 4 years before I had probs, so some kind of clear coat is good.

 

Clear Coat is like a clear polyetheylene finish like lacquer to seal/protect the lense.

 

Right, I used the poly on mine. Nothing with laquer thinners in it. They will craze the plastic. All you need to do is remove the very top layer of plastic and repolish. Sealing it delays the same thing happening again.

 

Is this the same Clear Coat used over paint touch-ups, or are you talking about something else? Do you have a brand in mind?

 

I have not used anything yet on mine but this Colorbond Clear Coat works on plastic. I used the Colorbond paint on my dash replacement and it is very good paint. You could probably use any Clear Coat from automotive store (Kragens..etc) from the paint section:

http://www.lmctruck.com/ICATALOG/DE/full.aspx?Page=70

 

Meguiars makes a product called Plastix specifically for this. I polish them up every time I wash the truck. It only takes a few minutes.

 

Great! I'll have to try it.

 

Yep i have used plastix a few times and it works great. If your cheap like me I have also used GOJO hand cleaner. It has a grit in it and cleans them up rather well also.

 

if you get a metal polishing kit from eastwood,use the soft flapper/buffing wheel (Buff Wheel Ventilated ) and the white rouge compound on a high speed drill .....it will take it off asap and shine em up better than new!
itll take you 5 minutes and your hands wont hurt

 

OK, another tip I read about: cut the little alignment **** off w/Dremel tool and use a jitter bug sander or other sanding device. I haven't done it yet but the next time I will.

Floyd

 

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