Re: Headlight restoration kits - opinions - Saab General Bulletin Board - Saabnet.com
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Re: Headlight restoration kits - opinions
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Posted by Justin VanAbrahams [Email] (#32) [Profile/Gallery] (more from Justin VanAbrahams) on Sun, 14 Dec 2014 13:36:57 Share Post by Email
In Reply to: Headlight restoration kits - opinions, dtechakacheaptech, Sun, 14 Dec 2014 10:54:58
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I have tried several of them on various cars. I've also done it by hand, using a progression of sandpaper.

90% of the job is in the application, being thorough, using a constant force, and keeping the work area damp (spray bottle works great).

The 3M one is the best, but quite frankly the el cheapo Harbor Freight one does pretty well too. The 3M kit is four stage - 500 grit, 800 grit, 3000 grit, and then a liquid polish on a foam pad. The 800 grit stage is a little scary - it mills off a LOT of plastic and leaves a scary haze on the lights. But, a few passes with the 3000 grit stuff and they come right back. Still, there's a brief panic near the middle of the process. :)

The Harbor Freight one is two stages - a sandpaper and a liquid polish. It never yields the same destruction the 3M kit does, which is sort of reassuring and disappointing at the same time.

I believe the crazy 3000 grit step on the 3M is what yields the great results. When I did it by hand I topped at at 2000 grit and got results like the Harbor Freight kit. Good, but not great.

Be aware that the 3M kit comes in two flavors - regular and with tape and protectant (wax like stuff). You'll want the tape for sure, but if you've got Frog Tape or equivalent already you don't need it.

Here is the 3M kit at work on my '02 Jetta:

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