Restoring Headlights
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Joined: Apr 2006
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Restoring Headlights
Hey does anyone know any tricks to bring the headlights back on a neon other than buying new ones mine look like hell and I was thinking someone might know a trick thanks.
Joined: May 2006
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RE: Restoring Headlights
permatex makes headlight restoration kits. but all they contain is sandpaper and plastic polish. use a wet sandpaper starting with 1500, then 2000, then hit it up with plastic polish. Works great!!!
-Mattie
-Mattie
Legend
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 9,112
Likes: 1
From: Spring, TX
RE: Restoring Headlights
ORIGINAL: Texican
I don't know about the rest of the Mopar cars, but the Neon has plastic headlights. In time, they'll get hazy and yellow with age. It took me forever to figure out how to clean mine. All of the information I found online was partial and not very helpful. Using what I found out, I figured out a way to clear up my headlights.
What you need:
600, 800, 1000, 2000 grit sandpaper
3M rubbing compound for 1500+ grit scratches (the other rubbing compounds don't seem to work well)
soap and water (I used a few drops of dishsoap in a bowl of water)
A LOT of elbow grease
All of the info I found told me I needed sandpaper and to wetsand, but I had to figure out what sandpaper to use.
I started with 600 grit. If you look real close at your headlights, you'll see tiny cracks. Those are what make your headlights hazy and yellow. Sand all of those cracks and yellowing away. Sand until it feels smooth. Make sure you keep it wet, always. Just keep dipping your sandpaper in the water solution. Move on to the 800 grit and I sanded until I stopped getting tons of residue from the headlight. You'll always get residue, but once it stops caking and balling under your sandpaper, it's time to move up in grit. Same goes with the 1000 grit sandpaper. Keep sanding until either your arm falls off or the residue isn't all that much. Time to take a break. The last bit of sanding is going to either kill your arm, or bore you to death. Move up to the 2000 grit paper. Please remember to sand everything. Even around those little posts that stick out of your headlights. Believe me, they look like crap if you don't. While you're wetsanding, you'll notice that you can now see the inside of your headlights very clearly. Your arm should be twitching by now. Clean off the headlight with a papertowel and some water, then dry them. They turn hazy again when you dry them, don't worry about it. The 3M rubbing compound will take that away. If you're familiar with rubbing compounds, go to work, if not: rub. Keep rubbing until it dries. Rub off. Buff. I did my headlights in quarters. It made it easier on me to keep track of what I was doing.
WARNING: Do NOT use any kind of electric sander/buffer on your headlights!!!!!!
Take it from me, your headlights are plastic, and they WILL melt under the machine. Trust me on this. I spent another hour trying to get the burrs and melted spots out. Embarassed
By the way, you can remove your headlights if you wish. Take them out and bring them inside the house with you. Watch a movie or something. Just realize that if you're watching a movie with someone else, they may not like the sanding/scraping noises from you. I left my headlights in.
It took me about 2.5-3 hours per headlight.
I don't know about the rest of the Mopar cars, but the Neon has plastic headlights. In time, they'll get hazy and yellow with age. It took me forever to figure out how to clean mine. All of the information I found online was partial and not very helpful. Using what I found out, I figured out a way to clear up my headlights.
What you need:
600, 800, 1000, 2000 grit sandpaper
3M rubbing compound for 1500+ grit scratches (the other rubbing compounds don't seem to work well)
soap and water (I used a few drops of dishsoap in a bowl of water)
A LOT of elbow grease
All of the info I found told me I needed sandpaper and to wetsand, but I had to figure out what sandpaper to use.
I started with 600 grit. If you look real close at your headlights, you'll see tiny cracks. Those are what make your headlights hazy and yellow. Sand all of those cracks and yellowing away. Sand until it feels smooth. Make sure you keep it wet, always. Just keep dipping your sandpaper in the water solution. Move on to the 800 grit and I sanded until I stopped getting tons of residue from the headlight. You'll always get residue, but once it stops caking and balling under your sandpaper, it's time to move up in grit. Same goes with the 1000 grit sandpaper. Keep sanding until either your arm falls off or the residue isn't all that much. Time to take a break. The last bit of sanding is going to either kill your arm, or bore you to death. Move up to the 2000 grit paper. Please remember to sand everything. Even around those little posts that stick out of your headlights. Believe me, they look like crap if you don't. While you're wetsanding, you'll notice that you can now see the inside of your headlights very clearly. Your arm should be twitching by now. Clean off the headlight with a papertowel and some water, then dry them. They turn hazy again when you dry them, don't worry about it. The 3M rubbing compound will take that away. If you're familiar with rubbing compounds, go to work, if not: rub. Keep rubbing until it dries. Rub off. Buff. I did my headlights in quarters. It made it easier on me to keep track of what I was doing.
WARNING: Do NOT use any kind of electric sander/buffer on your headlights!!!!!!
Take it from me, your headlights are plastic, and they WILL melt under the machine. Trust me on this. I spent another hour trying to get the burrs and melted spots out. Embarassed
By the way, you can remove your headlights if you wish. Take them out and bring them inside the house with you. Watch a movie or something. Just realize that if you're watching a movie with someone else, they may not like the sanding/scraping noises from you. I left my headlights in.
It took me about 2.5-3 hours per headlight.
*Meguiar's PlastX and a soft cotton cloth
*chore boy and some comet
*Soft Scrub
*How-to
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From:
RE: Restoring Headlights
I ordered some of the Show Gloss Creme (from link below) and it did help clear up the headlight covers on my 1994 Lebaron convertible. Not perfect, but much better - but I only spent less than 1/2 hour working on them. I used it on the hood and trunk and it worked beautifully, too.
http://www.zingading.com/paintsealants.html
http://www.zingading.com/paintsealants.html
Professional
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 153
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RE: Restoring Headlights
was looking around in the garage one day i came acrossed a can of mothers polishing cream that i used on the chrome on my old charger and thought "why not?" about 20 mins each later they look great
Legend
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 9,284
Likes: 1
From: mendota, illinois
RE: Restoring Headlights
y spend 100 bucks on different ones and have to switch them over when you could spend less then 20 to get the ones you have lookin new???
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Legend
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 9,112
Likes: 1
From: Spring, TX
RE: Restoring Headlights
ORIGINAL: spudsterier
y spend 100 bucks on different ones and have to switch them over when you could spend less then 20 to get the ones you have lookin new???
y spend 100 bucks on different ones and have to switch them over when you could spend less then 20 to get the ones you have lookin new???
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,606
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From:
RE: Restoring Headlights
ORIGINAL: das2123
Because you will have to repeat that process about once a year.
ORIGINAL: spudsterier
y spend 100 bucks on different ones and have to switch them over when you could spend less then 20 to get the ones you have lookin new???
y spend 100 bucks on different ones and have to switch them over when you could spend less then 20 to get the ones you have lookin new???