Headlight polishing - any old clearcoat?

[TessierAshpool]

I've polished my plastic headlight lenses about 3 months ago, and they're starting to dull again. There's various kits out there to do this, consisting of abrasives followed by some sort of seal/spray.


Are the sprays just lacquer? I've got lots of abrasives and rattle can lacquer lying around that I could use, or is there something special about these products? 

Ta.

[droopsnoot]

I have seen people doing them with 2k lacquer and it looks really nice. I can't say how long it last though, I don't recall seeing anyone come back after a year and show how it's lasting.

As I understand it, the reason they go yellow in the first place is because lacquer goes that way, which is why you need to get all the original off before doing anything else. Once that's done, if you just compound it, the plastic dulls quite quickly. I bought an aerosol of 2k lacquer a couple of years ago with the intention of doing mine, but so far I just give them a quick compound when I wash the car.

[autojumbled]

This came up in my feed just t'other day!

He used different methods a couple years - I remember as I watched it when he released it.
Long story short, the best looking after 3yrs is the 2k clear coated head lamp....

[TessierAshpool]

Thanks all, will get some 2K then. Might work out handily, as I've got a small repair to do on a moped fuel tank that I could clearcoat with the leftovers, hopefully more fuel-proof than 1K.

[Littlepixel]

Great wee thread - I need to do this (I miss glass headlamps!) and was just wondering about at the best clear/lacquer to use. Bit pricey isn't it though?

[nickwheeler]

Never found any need to clear coat them. I flat them with 1000 and 1500 grit paper to get the grot off, and buff them by hand with G3 and G10 compounds. Then polish with whatever I use on the car. That's good for about four years, by which time they get another go with G10. All done on the car because it not only saves time, but is easier

[autojumbled]

Oct 29, 2020 11:14:32 GMT nickwheeler said:

Never found any need to clear coat them. I flat them with 1000 and 1500 grit paper to get the grot off, and buff them by hand with G3 and G10 compounds. Then polish with whatever I use on the car. That's good for about four years, by which time they get another go with G10. All done on the car because it not only saves time, but is easier

Good point. My dent and scratch guy did the same on my Type R's headlights. I asked about clear coating them and he said don't bother - just clean and wax/polish them every now and again (when you wash the car) and it'll stay great.

[TessierAshpool]

I think the problem might be that my cars tend to get waxed and polished twice - once when I buy them, and once when I'm selling them!

[autojumbled]

Oct 29, 2020 19:11:08 GMT TessierAshpool said:

I think the problem might be that my cars tend to get waxed and polished twice - once when I buy them, and once when I'm selling them!

Exactly why I lacquered the headlights on my current car - no way I'm polishing twice a year, let alone every month!