Avenger Headlights
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Joined: Jun 2005
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From: Colorado Springs, CO
RE: Avenger Headlights
I had a write up of cleaning the rough stuff off the headlight lens in a thread or two, but I can't find it so I just got this from another one of my sites
This write up was done by Six97GST.
There are different variations of how to remove the yellowed, rock chipped, foggy, looking headlights. You use your judgement on which grit of sandpaper to start with. The issue with our headlights looking bad is found on the outside, on the lens itself, not on the inside...unless, water seeped in or it was really humid and got in, like a crack or something. The point is, the headlights..all of them..are sealed, but they do have an exhaust vent to let out excess pressure (heated air...). Yes, there is a chance that humidity can find it's way in there, but that's a slim chance..unless your lens is cracked or the seal is no good. Kind of like a empty soda bottle, you can suck air out, but it's pretty difficult to blow air in...unless you have a hole somewhere else on the bottle.
..or like BV34 stated, go to a junkyard and find a better one, lol. IMO, a new one will just do the same thing later, so why spend the money on a new one, just to have it happen again later. I'd rather it happen again later on the current headlight...in the end, I spent the time to redo and saved the money to go into something else. That's just me though.
I've seen it on plenty of 97-99 style headlights, and it's been bugging the hell out of me. It looks like dust and crap, but it's actually fine rock chips on the surface of the lense. After a couple tries I found a method that works for getting rid them..
You need grits 320,600,800, and 1500 of Wetordry sandpaper, Mother's metal polish, a rag, Plastic polish, and a buffing wheel (I used a plug-in Black&Decker 7" 2 speed, 3/4 HP buffer).
Start off by removing the entire headlight housing from the car. Begin wetsanding the surface with the 320 grit and KEEP IT WET. Take your time and make sure you sand equally over all of the lense. Keep at it with the 320 until the rockchips are gone. Next, move on to wetsanding with the 600 grit, then to 800, and 1500. I took at least 7-10 minutes with each grit for best results. Now, the lense should look really fogged up and way worse than when you started. This is normal!
Take a cotton rag and use it to rub metal polish across the lense. Begin buffing it by hand using the rag. Be generous with the metal polish and put some muscle into it. Take at least 10 minutes with this stage.
Now the lense should look clear, but no very glossy. Take another rag and use it to smooth plastic polish over the surface of the lense. Now use the powered buffing wheel to buff the lense until all the polish is gone and the lense is looking glossier. With an amazing 3/4 Horsepower-powered wheel, I had to secure the headlight housing between my feet. Do this 3 or 4 times.
If you completed all of the above the headlight lense should look as good as new. Stick the housing back in, switch on your lights, and be amazed.. It looks clean yo!
Here's a before/after comparison shot I took. The difference is day and night in person, and now I have no reason to burn $300 on projectors.
[IMG]local://upfiles/17025/919ED4AF0A834FF0ACBB048514D18E67.jpg[/IMG]
You need grits 320,600,800, and 1500 of Wetordry sandpaper, Mother's metal polish, a rag, Plastic polish, and a buffing wheel (I used a plug-in Black&Decker 7" 2 speed, 3/4 HP buffer).
Start off by removing the entire headlight housing from the car. Begin wetsanding the surface with the 320 grit and KEEP IT WET. Take your time and make sure you sand equally over all of the lense. Keep at it with the 320 until the rockchips are gone. Next, move on to wetsanding with the 600 grit, then to 800, and 1500. I took at least 7-10 minutes with each grit for best results. Now, the lense should look really fogged up and way worse than when you started. This is normal!
Take a cotton rag and use it to rub metal polish across the lense. Begin buffing it by hand using the rag. Be generous with the metal polish and put some muscle into it. Take at least 10 minutes with this stage.
Now the lense should look clear, but no very glossy. Take another rag and use it to smooth plastic polish over the surface of the lense. Now use the powered buffing wheel to buff the lense until all the polish is gone and the lense is looking glossier. With an amazing 3/4 Horsepower-powered wheel, I had to secure the headlight housing between my feet. Do this 3 or 4 times.
If you completed all of the above the headlight lense should look as good as new. Stick the housing back in, switch on your lights, and be amazed.. It looks clean yo!
Here's a before/after comparison shot I took. The difference is day and night in person, and now I have no reason to burn $300 on projectors.
[IMG]local://upfiles/17025/919ED4AF0A834FF0ACBB048514D18E67.jpg[/IMG]
There are different variations of how to remove the yellowed, rock chipped, foggy, looking headlights. You use your judgement on which grit of sandpaper to start with. The issue with our headlights looking bad is found on the outside, on the lens itself, not on the inside...unless, water seeped in or it was really humid and got in, like a crack or something. The point is, the headlights..all of them..are sealed, but they do have an exhaust vent to let out excess pressure (heated air...). Yes, there is a chance that humidity can find it's way in there, but that's a slim chance..unless your lens is cracked or the seal is no good. Kind of like a empty soda bottle, you can suck air out, but it's pretty difficult to blow air in...unless you have a hole somewhere else on the bottle.
..or like BV34 stated, go to a junkyard and find a better one, lol. IMO, a new one will just do the same thing later, so why spend the money on a new one, just to have it happen again later. I'd rather it happen again later on the current headlight...in the end, I spent the time to redo and saved the money to go into something else. That's just me though.
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RE: Avenger Headlights
I'm with ya man, looking to throw some elbow grease at the venge, not money.
I seen plenty of polishes and gimmicks at NAPA, but wanted to know if sandpaper was even possible.
I know I dont have any cracks or condensation in the lenses but man are mine shot from the outside.....its embarrassing.
I seen plenty of polishes and gimmicks at NAPA, but wanted to know if sandpaper was even possible.
I know I dont have any cracks or condensation in the lenses but man are mine shot from the outside.....its embarrassing.
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Joined: Dec 2006
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RE: Avenger Headlights
Meguiar's works wonderful, especially with the powerball.Start with the Clear Plastic Polish #10. Finish with the #17 Cleaner. I haven't used the Cleaner yet, but I absolutely love the fact that I cleaned 9 headlights to clear in less than one minute each. Just stick the powerball in your Milwaukee drill (cause the rest suck), put a line on your headlight with the Meguiar's, and you will soon believe. the stuff they were trying to push on you at Napa is the same good stuff, i would bet. my co-workers have used it on motorcycle windshields and their helmets as well as many cars and trucks. i'd swear by it, but i am also up for any excuse to break out my tools.
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RE: Avenger Headlights
Another easy way is to find someone with a buffer. My mechanic does side jobs such as waxes and acrylic coatings. He was just putting finishing touches on my car and making it all look nice for the holidays for me. He just took his sander and buffer and made a night and day change..It was great. I had tryed rubbing compounds before and didnt have any luck. it would work and then come back in a week or two. Now they are still clean.
Thanx.
Thanx.
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Joined: Jul 2006
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RE: Avenger Headlights
ORIGINAL: seanj2556
I recently fixed a problem w/my headlights. The outside of the lights looked like they had been sandblasted after 8 years of driving. Basically, get 1000, 1500, possibly 2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper, and rubbing compound. Wet sand the entire surface of the light starting w/the 1000 grit and going up. I cleaned the lights between each new paper. When you get done, use the rubbing compound as a final touch.
I recently fixed a problem w/my headlights. The outside of the lights looked like they had been sandblasted after 8 years of driving. Basically, get 1000, 1500, possibly 2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper, and rubbing compound. Wet sand the entire surface of the light starting w/the 1000 grit and going up. I cleaned the lights between each new paper. When you get done, use the rubbing compound as a final touch.
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Middletown, Ohio
RE: Avenger Headlights
hey pappi i just bought some from walmart i found it in the car section with the car touch up paints and stuff. i got 800, 1000,1500,2000 of the wetor dry sand paper i just did my mother-in-laws jeep and it was great i did mine also about a motnh or so ago and they look brand new. O and i also bought the 3m rubbing compound it was around the same ailse...
Joe
Joe
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RE: Avenger Headlights
Isanded the headlights too hard so now I got scrathes. Should I either A) get so new sand paper and resand down the scrathes like you would on the body B) Get sum headlights from the junkyard and try again or C) stop being cheap and just buy new ones?
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,305
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From: Colorado Springs, CO
RE: Avenger Headlights
You can try and sand it down again, but if they are horribly bad, get some "new" ones from a junkyard. If you're just really tired of sanding them, lol, get some new ones. It's all up to you though bro
New ones will just do it again down the road (no pun intended), but you will have a break from sanding for awhile, lol.
New ones will just do it again down the road (no pun intended), but you will have a break from sanding for awhile, lol.