Headlight lens badly faded

Jworks · June 29, 2023

I've seen videos online of people wetsanding their faded headlight plastic lens back to near normal and coating with clear UV spray by RustOleum. Has anyone had real world experience with this or similar repair ?

CamGTP · June 29, 2023

Buy the 3M headlight repair kit from just about any autoparts store. I've used them many times already, they work pretty good at bringing the lights back. You just need a drill and some time. For the $20-25, it's a cheap fix that should last a while.

MaverickZ71 · June 30, 2023

What works best on the relatively soft 'crystal' clear plastic headlight covers on the GMT-900s (2007-13 1500s)? Our 09's have really gotten scratched up and yellowed suddenly (automatic car washes?) over the last 3 years or so.

CamGTP · June 30, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/3M-39008-Headlight-Restoration-System/dp/B001AIZ5HY

Used this one on a few ponitacs, dodges, chevy's and others over the years.

BB68 · June 30, 2023

16 hours ago, Jworks said:

I've seen videos online of people wetsanding their faded headlight plastic lens back to near normal and coating with clear UV spray by RustOleum. Has anyone had real world experience with this or similar repair ?

Yes I have. I've done every way mentioned in this thread. Headlight resto kits are only temporary. Clearcoat out of a spray can will yellow.

If you want a permanent fix - sand headlights until all yellow is gone. I start with 400 and go to 6 or 800. Then I spray them with very good 2 part automotive clear coat. There are many different grades of clear with O'Reilly selling the lowest rung, which is still 10x better than spray can clear. I just buy a quart can and it will come with activator and I always have reducer around you will need that too to mix and for clean up. I just use a cheap ebay touch up paint gun. I've done over 10 sets on a quart of clear.

One of the oldest sets I've cleared is 10 years old, handed the car down to one of our kids, they still look brand new.

You could also sand them down (that's the most important step. If you see any scratches you will see them 10 fold after clearing. It needs to be very consistent surface), take them to a body shop and see if they would clear them the next time they shoot a car. If all the work is done usually they'll do it pretty cheap as the product is paid for and will be waste anyway. You might have to find a smaller mom and pop shop tho. Mind you after the sanding is its only 5 minutes of work after that if the clear is mixed up

Jworks · June 30, 2023

1 hour ago, BB68 said:

Yes I have. I've done every way mentioned in this thread. Headlight resto kits are only temporary. Clearcoat out of a spray can will yellow.

If you want a permanent fix - sand headlights until all yellow is gone. I start with 400 and go to 6 or 800. Then I spray them with very good 2 part automotive clear coat. There are many different grades of clear with O'Reilly selling the lowest rung, which is still 10x better than spray can clear. I just buy a quart can and it will come with activator and I always have reducer around you will need that too to mix and for clean up. I just use a cheap ebay touch up paint gun. I've done over 10 sets on a quart of clear.

One of the oldest sets I've cleared is 10 years old, handed the car down to one of our kids, they still look brand new.

You could also sand them down (that's the most important step. If you see any scratches you will see them 10 fold after clearing. It needs to be very consistent surface), take them to a body shop and see if they would clear them the next time they shoot a car. If all the work is done usually they'll do it pretty cheap as the product is paid for and will be waste anyway. You might have to find a smaller mom and pop shop tho. Mind you after the sanding is its only 5 minutes of work after that if the clear is mixed up

BB68, the mom and pop shop is a good idea. I have one near me and they are really good. I'll ask about that next time I drive by them. If I understand you correctly, you're saying sand it down myself and THEN just have the body shop clear coat them.....right? If...and thats IF...I have to end up doing it myself you are recommending just go with the O'Reilly's kit ? How long will that last? I don't mind having to do it again if I have to; if its like a year or so. I don't have a spray paint gun.

BB68 · June 30, 2023

1 hour ago, Jworks said:

BB68, the mom and pop shop is a good idea. I have one near me and they are really good. I'll ask about that next time I drive by them. If I understand you correctly, you're saying sand it down myself and THEN just have the body shop clear coat them.....right? If...and thats IF...I have to end up doing it myself you are recommending just go with the O'Reilly's kit ? How long will that last? I don't mind having to do it again if I have to; if its like a year or so. I don't have a spray paint gun.

I recommend the body shop route with sanding them down yourself. That's 80% of the cost of fixing them, then taking to the body shop to have sprayed. Doing it this way should only be slightly higher than any auto store resto kit and you will never have to worry about yellow headlights again

Edited June 30, 2023 by BB68

diyer2 · June 30, 2023

DA polisher and turtle wax rubbing compound. Works for me.

Edited June 30, 2023 by diyer2

Jworks · June 30, 2023

2 hours ago, BB68 said:

I recommend the body shop route and sanding them down yourself. That's 80% of the cost of fixing them, then taking to the body shop to have sprayed. Doing it this way should only be slightly higher than any auto store resto kit and you will never have to worry about yellow headlights again

Well I went by the body shop. They said they don't spray them. They offered to do the sanding work for free; and they said they used car wax to finish it off. So.... ( 1 ) I can take them up on the free offer and see how that works out , or ( 2 ) let them do the free offer and then I spray the clear on myself (if I can get a good one) . Or, (3) just do it myself with something like the 3M Restoration Kit. 3Ms Ultra Kit comes with a clear coat and their 3M Headlight Lens Restoration System, 39008 doesn't. Decisions

BB68 · June 30, 2023

47 minutes ago, Jworks said:

Well I went by the body shop. They said they don't spray them. They offered to do the sanding work for free; and they said they used car wax to finish it off. So.... ( 1 ) I can take them up on the free offer and see how that works out , or ( 2 ) let them do the free offer and then I spray the clear on myself (if I can get a good one) . Or, (3) just do it myself with something like the 3M Restoration Kit. 3Ms Ultra Kit comes with a clear coat and their 3M Headlight Lens Restoration System, 39008 doesn't. Decisions

What in the world??? They'll sand them but not hang during another repair and spray???

I've also done the bodyshop quicky with a buffer and HD 3M buffing compound. 30 seconds and they look new again but the UV protective coating is now gone(the yellow you just removed) and now made this a maintenance item.. depending on how much sun they see.. This is pretty much how any of the parts store resto kits do..

Jworks · June 30, 2023

48 minutes ago, BB68 said:

What in the world??? They'll sand them but not hang during another repair and spray???

I've also done the bodyshop quicky with a buffer and HD 3M buffing compound. 30 seconds and they look new again but the UV protective coating is now gone(the yellow you just removed) and now made this a maintenance item.. depending on how much sun they see.. This is pretty much how any of the parts store resto kits do..

BB68, Yeah, I know what you mean. I just don't know. I'm an older guy, not a shade tree mechanic but do most of my own simple stuff. They said the "clear would need something to cling to. For example, glass smoothness wouldn't let the clear stick real good and it would peel off". But, the 3M Ultra kit does come with a clear final step. Not sure if its a "2 part automotive coat" like you recommended....probably not, but I think they're a wipe, the video didn't show doing that. I'm wondering if a company like 3M offered a clear in one of their products they wouldn't do so if they thought it would peel off. I don't know. The cans of clear I saw are twice the cost of these kits -- since I'm just a consumer I don't see how I can put that much into just the clear. As for "how much sun they see", my truck stays in a garage probably 90-95% of the time. Retired, and only go out for stuff in it and a few times a year will be in the sun all day while I'm fishing.

Edited June 30, 2023 by Jworks

BB68 · June 30, 2023

6 hours ago, Jworks said:

BB68, Yeah, I know what you mean. I just don't know. I'm an older guy, not a shade tree mechanic but do most of my own simple stuff. They said the "clear would need something to cling to. For example, glass smoothness wouldn't let the clear stick real good and it would peel off". But, the 3M Ultra kit does come with a clear final step. Not sure if its a "2 part automotive coat" like you recommended....probably not, but I think they're a wipe, the video didn't show doing that. I'm wondering if a company like 3M offered a clear in one of their products they wouldn't do so if they thought it would peel off. I don't know. The cans of clear I saw are twice the cost of these kits -- since I'm just a consumer I don't see how I can put that much into just the clear. As for "how much sun they see", my truck stays in a garage probably 90-95% of the time. Retired, and only go out for stuff in it and a few times a year will be in the sun all day while I'm fishing.

Tell him you aren't asking for warranty and you'll give $xx in cash no receipt just for your and his amusement and to see just how long it will last....

Just for any future viewings of this thread and your fyi, I just received a photo of the 10 year old lens i was speaking of albeit this car is now a work car, covered in bugs, and just got hit by someone backing up. But if you look closely thru all the dead bugs you can see the crystal clear headlight. Before I sanded all the old yellowed UV protection it was about as bad as they get.

Now that body guy stating the glass is too smooth ...its plastic not glass... Just how many plastic bumpers does he paint? How many plastic bumpers do you see with paint just falling off??

Some people can be lead to the water, shown the results and still.... ugh...(referring to the bodyshop you're trying to work with)

With all this being said.. If your pickup will be in the garage as much as you say the store 3M kit will likely last for years.

Edited July 1, 2023 by BB68

Jworks · June 30, 2023

38 minutes ago, BB68 said:

Tell him you aren't asking for warranty and you'll give $xx in cash no receipt just for your and his amusement and to see just how long it will last....

Just for any future viewings of this thread and your fyi, I just received a photo of the 10 year old lens i was speaking of albeit this car is now a work car, covered in bugs, and just got hit by someone backing up. But if you look closely thru all the dead bugs you can see the crystal clear headlight. Before I sanded all the old yellowed UV protection it was about as bad as they get.

Now that body guy stating the glass is too smooth ...its plastic not glass... Just how many plastic bumpers does he paint? How many plastic bumpers do you see with paint just falling off??

Some people can be lead to the water, shown the results and still.... ugh...

With all this being said.. If your pickup will be in the garage as much as you say the store 3M kit will likely last for years.

BB68, yeah the truck gets out of the garage less than 1 hr / week, other than the fishing days I mentioned. Your point on the plastic bumpers makes sense to me. I'm just a consumer, not a bonafide body man or mechanic. As much as I'd prefer to do the 2 part clear you mentioned I'll likely just give in and buy the 3M kit. Mainly because of limited sun exposure, how much longer I'll keep this truck, and costs. CamGTP recommended the 3M and he always has some good advice. I'll think on it and get the #39008 or the Ultra Kit with the clear coat in it. Thanks for everyone's input.

Jworks · June 30, 2023

18 hours ago, MaverickZ71 said:

What works best on the relatively soft 'crystal' clear plastic headlight covers on the GMT-900s (2007-13 1500s)? Our 09's have really gotten scratched up and yellowed suddenly (automatic car washes?) over the last 3 years or so.

MaverickZ71, see the other replies on this thread. Although, I think BB68's idea of using a body shop clear coat is probably the best long term I will likely be going with the 3M Ultra Headlight Restoration kit. Only reason I'll get the Ultra instead of the 3M #39008 is for the UV clear coat in that kit. 1. It'll likely last as long as I'll be keeping this truck, which is uncertain. 2. My truck is garaged 90% of the time; not sitting in the sun all day.

I haven't yet bought anything as of yet; I've just been getting info input from people. I'll be buying in the next few days.

Jworks · July 4, 2023

Well after much deliberation I went with the 3M Ultra (with the clear wipes as the final step. Worked out good IMO. Its garaged parked so I'm hoping it will last. It has a 2 yr claim. Even if I get a year out of it its only about an hour job for both headlights. We'll see. Thanks for all the suggestions. They helped.