Headlight Restoration: 2004 Grand Prix

[Addicted To Boost]

I've been dying to do this for quite some time... The headlights on the 04 GP were very hazed over and really put a damper on the cars looks, so I thought I'd fix them up. Here's what I did:

 

Here are the before pics. As you can see, they were very hazed over.

 

I started off by pulling the headlights out of the car and removing the rubber surround gaskets around the headlights and wetsanding the lenses with 400 grit.

 

Then 800 grit:

 

1000 grit:

 

2000 grit:

 

After hitting it with some rubbing compound:

 

Then the final product after rubbing compound, scratch remover, glaze, wax, and buffing:

 

Definitely makes a huge difference in person

[ScoobyDoo82]

One TRILLION times better.

 

What kind of polish did you use? I use Plastic-X and it seems to really work.

[Addicted To Boost]

I used Meguires medium rubbing compound, Mother's Scratch Remover, 3M Perfect-It Glaze, and Meguires NXT 2.0 Tech Wax

[White93z34]

Looking good. On a side note I did NOT see all 10,000 lakes in Minnesota, maybe like 15 tops.

[Addicted To Boost]

Can someone edit the title please? I made a typo

[ScoobyDoo82]

You might want to look into clearing them. Since you sanded (or rather mother nature) all the UV protection, once the wax burns off they'll just fade again. But the wax is good for temporary protection.

[Addicted To Boost]

Looking good. On a side note I did NOT see all 10,000 lakes in Minnesota, maybe like 15 tops.

You didn't look hard enough then! Seriously though, if you leave the Twin Cities, you literally can't drive more than a couple miles without hitting a lake anywhere in the state. They are EVERYWHERE.

[Addicted To Boost]

You might want to look into clearing them. Since you sanded (or rather mother nature) all the UV protection, once the wax burns off they'll just fade again. But the wax is good for temporary protection.

I polished them clear before putting the products on there, so it should be okay. But yes, I would like to put some kind of clear on there eventually. For the time being, it'll just motivate me to wax it more frequently. It needs a detailing pretty badly right now... I'll probably do that this weekend here.

[White93z34]

You didn't look hard enough then! Seriously though, if you leave the Twin Cities, you literally can't drive more than a couple miles without hitting a lake anywhere in the state. They are EVERYWHERE.

 

I did! I drove all the way to North Dakota!

[RobertISaar]

learn from others mistakes: test shoot the clear on something pure white before shooting on the lenses themselves and potentially having to do a lot over again from not-quite-clear clear.

 

otherwise, looks good.

[Night Fury]

HOT! Makes a big difference!!

[94 olds vert]

Looks really good!

[Addicted To Boost]

Thanks guys!

[Ramblin Garage]

that looks great! those headlights always tend to look like crap for some reason after some time..

 

I'm sure they look much better in person!

 

Well done!

[Mel87]

I can't stand oxidized headlights on a car. Changes the whole tone of the car. Looks nice

[carkhz316]

Looks good Nick. This is near exactly how I've done them. I never clear them and they've lasted years this way. It's mostly the sandblasting that starts to make them look bad over time. I actually was able to remove a 1/16' gouge/ scratch across the width of the headlight of my brother's '06 Galant this way. Although I started block sanding it with 80 grit in that case. It turned out perfect afterwards, with the scratch completely gone

[Addicted To Boost]

Thanks guys. And that's good to hear! It'd be nice to have the results from that time consuming process last a long time. I just came in from giving the car a full detail, so it's all nice and waxy now.

[mikedunbar]

I just did my daughter's Taurus with a six dollar kit from Advance auto. What a difference, and very easy! Looks great on your car.

[Night Fury]

I thin it's safe to say plastic headlight lenses don't work. I wish they'd fucking go back to glass already.