Best plastic headlight lens cleaner?

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I've used some kits that have progressively finer grain wet sandpaper and a final finishing compound and sealer that worked great on headlight lenses that were in bad shape, but these lenses only look a tiny bit clouded when parked in the sunshine and next to another car with "new" looking lenses. If it was just a daily driver I wouldn't care, but it's the new to me Mustang Cobra so I want it standing tall.

I don't need to do a heavy duty refinish on these lenses.

Recommendations?
 
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I like the 3M system. Just make sure you tape the edges because you can mess up the paint with the sandpaper.
 
I don't remember which one I used but it seems like it was a 5 step deal with several different sanding pads, buffer pad and polishing pads. I think I paid around $30 for it from NAPA.
 
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I've been using fine polish (Mequiers Scratch remover??), it turns out nice, but they begin to get hazy again in a few months.
 
MurphyLong said:
Also, have you confirmed the haze is on the outside? Lick your finger and touch the lens, if it gets clearer when you touch it, it's on the outside. ;)
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Best I can tell it is. The Cobra lenses are also gray "smoked", or whatever that's called.

Learning experience here... I took some Turtle Wax polishing compound, and while that seems to have kicked them up a notch, you quickly discover all the tiny pits from sand and tiny pebbles that hit the lenses on the road after the white compound dries. The compound leaves a faint white residue in the little tiny pits that a wet rag helps remove after compounding. This is why doing all the stages of refinishing the lenses would do a better job.

What does the DEET do? About the only thing I have is a can of Deep Woods Off in the truck.
 
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MurphyLong said:
I use Off with DEET. My old 89 Foxbody had horribly faded housings, I just used a green scrubby pad to knock it down a little, then sprayed them with Off (high DEET concentration is important) and wiped them dry and rinsed it a minute later. They looked a LOT better, but the inside was hazy too, so I put a little water in, sprayed Off in there, tossed in a wet rag, shook it for a minute and rinsed. Looked brand spankin' new.


I will post pics in here when I get home if you want.
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We did the same on my wifes Acura. This does work. +1
 
I have some concern about the DEET and paint. A while back a pair of my Costa sunglasses had the finish "textured" from either 2 cycle gas or DEET. It got them on the inside of the arms, where they touch your temples. Its the only 2 things I can imagine would have done this. The finish was glossy (painted im assuming) and you can see the damage....not a big deal in this situation but something to keep in mind.
 

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BowWow said:
I have some concern about the DEET and paint. A while back a pair of my Costa sunglasses had the finish "textured" from either 2 cycle gas or DEET. It got them on the inside of the arms, where they touch your temples. Its the only 2 things I can imagine would have done this. The finish was glossy (painted im assuming) and you can see the damage....not a big deal in this situation but something to keep in mind.
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I wet a small area on a rag with OFF and wiped it onto the lenses, then buffed it, then used a wet rag to wipe them off. When I turned the headlights on right after buffing out the polishing compound (before applying Off) you could see all the tiny sand marks on the lenses. The Off reduced that pretty well.
 
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What's interesting is my 2009 Ranger with twice the mileage has headlight lenses that look brand spanking new. I've only had it two years and it's been in the garage all day everyday, but this 2004 Cobra has a top that looks brand new and I am pretty sure is original, so I expect it spent it's 29,000 mile life in a garage, too. Not sure why it's lenses are starting to cloud before the Ranger that I am sure has been outside more.
 
I used Meguiar's® but got tired of the cataracts on my 99 Taurus and Sable, ordered pair of replacement headlights on Amazon.
It's like driving a new car at night, they come with new bulbs and are made in Taiwan.
 
If you have pits you should grind it down smooth then buff with polish until clear.
Do you ever come to CLT?
Do you have a 3" DA sander?
The problem I see with headlight restoration is that the oem lights have a clear coat with UV protection in it. Once that fails the uv degredation of the lens begins. You can polish the outer layer off but if you don't apply some form of uv protection the cycle will repeat.
Deet isn't going to be a long term fix and you're still going to get bugs on the lights.
 
@fieldgrade

I saw a YouTube video of a guy that used Mothers mag polish! He taped one headlight down the middle and only did one half so you could see the difference....Oh man was it night and day.....The BEST "cleaner" I've ever saw. I'll try to find the video for you....

DS

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
 
MurphyLong said:
That's why you take them off the car first...
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I'm probably too lazy for that. If it takes me more than 5 minutes to remove them, I'm replacing them.

The Mothers Mag polish makes sense, it's probably a little more aggressive than a polish meant for paint, but still fine enough.
 
MurphyLong said:
Also, have you confirmed the haze is on the outside? Lick the lens, if it gets clearer when you lick it, it's on the outside. ;)
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I like it this way better Murphy. It's seems like it would be more interesting
 
DirtySCREW said:


@fieldgrade


DS

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
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Saw this. Went out and did it to my 12 year old truck. Didn't really have the proper buffer, but made do. NIGHT AND DAY! Couldn't believe it. I am going to get the compounding pad he uses and do it again, but if it doesn't get any better (but I bet it will) it is 100% better than it was. THANKS.
 
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