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  1. #1
    Senior Member Musclefan21's Avatar
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    1997 Formula & 2003 cobra

    Foggy headlights? Don't waste your money on restoration kits

    Get a 2000 grit sand paper about 3 bucks at autozone, buy a cheap scratch remover, about 3-4 bucks at autozone.

    Wet sand the headlight real good and then apply some scratch off and you are done. Took me 10 minutes to get this headlight done on my fiancé's car. I wish I took before photos because it was way worse than the other one.

    Here are few pics:


    The one I cleaned was much worse than this.


    10 minutes later





  2. #2
    COTM July '09
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    BLK/BLK w/CGM Stripes
    2010 Camaro 2SS/M6

    Yeah did that to ours. Started with 600 then 1000 and then 2000 and then the polish and some wax to seal it.
    I like work. It fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.

    My Cardomain Site My Fquick site Custom Installs

  3. #3
    Senior Member 5.0THIS's Avatar
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    red
    95 Z28

    If you go through a multi-step process I guarantee it will come out better than only two steps with only one level of sanding. How many steps are needed is usually determined by how bad things are. A bad headlamp needs sanded down further than 2000 though to take out heavy imperfections. And there's a reason why you want to use rotary sanding discs and polishing pads as opposed to just back and forth by hand.

    And if you havent already done it, those headlamps now need to be permanently resealed, as all of the factory coating that protects the lense is now gone. If not it will haze back over pretty quick. I'd recommend opticoat or something similarly hard and permanent.

  4. #4
    Former Mopar Man 2002ssslp's Avatar
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    Silver & Blue
    02 Camaro SS, 04 GTO

    Saving money on LS1.com Oh yeah !
    My ride is a 2002 Camaro SS SLP #3296 with 30k, LTH, 3" Y, CME, Frost tune, K&N, ported TB, Blackwing lid, Bellows, MSD, Denso Iridium, and 85mm MAF, Bilsteins, Eibach springs, SLP strut brace, Adj. Panhard, TA Girdle, UMI, Pro 5.0, Nitto NT555
    My wife has a 2004 GTO with the rare SAP, 18" wheels, K&N Cold Air System, MSD, Ported TB, Frost tune, Denso Iridium, Flowmaster cat-back, 3200 Yank, 75k

  5. #5
    Junior Member Blakbird24's Avatar
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    2010 Tahoe Z71
    2012 Cadillac CTS-V

    I always use clearcoat. A good automotive acrylic clearcoat will make it so you only ever have to do this process ONCE.

  6. #6
    She Moderator KahanaReef's Avatar
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    Arctic White
    2000 Camaro Z28

    Looks much better

  7. #7
    Consumer of kraut SiggyZ's Avatar
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    Light Pewter Metallic
    y2k 8-cylinder catfish

    Looks very good. My Camaro headlights aren't fogged, but do have some pitting in them that I'd like to get out. Anyone else got the pits in theirs?

  8. #8
    I like turtles GTP231's Avatar
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    Gray/ White
    09Ram 1500 83 Thunderturd

    Quote Originally Posted by 5.0THIS View Post
    If you go through a multi-step process I guarantee it will come out better than only two steps with only one level of sanding. How many steps are needed is usually determined by how bad things are. A bad headlamp needs sanded down further than 2000 though to take out heavy imperfections. And there's a reason why you want to use rotary sanding discs and polishing pads as opposed to just back and forth by hand.

    And if you havent already done it, those headlamps now need to be permanently resealed, as all of the factory coating that protects the lense is now gone. If not it will haze back over pretty quick. I'd recommend opticoat or something similarly hard and permanent.
    I personally just sand everything innancircular motion by hand then buff. Never had a bad result even with how bad they were on my cruiser when I bought it.

  9. #9
    Senior Member 5.0THIS's Avatar
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    red
    95 Z28

    Quote Originally Posted by GTP231 View Post
    I personally just sand everything innancircular motion by hand then buff. Never had a bad result even with how bad they were on my cruiser when I bought it.
    Circular (drill) or random orbital is always better when it comes to sanding or buffing any surface. Nonetheless it can be done by hand, just isnt the preferred method

  10. #10
    I like turtles GTP231's Avatar
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    Gray/ White
    09Ram 1500 83 Thunderturd

    I usually machine buff either buffer or the drill buffer pads. The rain x kit is all hand stuff and looks decent but I think I've had so much better results with the meguiars products and drill pad this time around

  11. #11
    11 years of bangin gears cammed goat's Avatar
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    Phantom Black Metallic
    2004 GTO M6

    I have to redo my passenger headlight. Did a resto job at work but it was raining and I think the rain/humidity may have contaminated the clearcoat and made it flake off.

  12. #12
    I lika da Chevy's LETHALxLS1's Avatar
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    BLACK
    Z/28 LS1

    Quote Originally Posted by 5.0THIS View Post
    Circular (drill) or random orbital is always better when it comes to sanding or buffing any surface. Nonetheless it can be done by hand, just isnt the preferred method
    It is the preferred method if you like sanding by hand...........hahahahah

  13. #13
    Veteran Firebirdjones's Avatar
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    I used 1500, then 2000. Then hit it with the buffer and 3M buffing compound that I use on paint. Then changed the pad and went over that with Maguiars swirl remover.

    Comes out nice but alot of work, and to do a good job I prefer the headlight off the car as the buffer is large. Never could get the same results using a little drill and pad, too hard to control and didn't spin fast enough, and you always have to worry about ripping the rubber surround off of the 4th gen headlights, sort of a pain.

    Anymore I just prefer to buy a set of new headlights. Never was a fan of this plastic headlight stuff that all the manufactures went to.

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