Headlight Coatings

[Route246]

I have Opti-Lens Headlight Coating from a previous purchase and never used it until today. I also just received Dr. Beasley's Headlight Coating Kit last week, which I assume is the same class and function as the Optimum product. I bought the Dr. Beasley's to augment the Opti-lens because I do headlight restoration and coatings for friends' cars, too. I don't charge for this, I usually do it with their help and participation in the process and occasionally get comp'ed a lunch or dinner in the process. Restoring foggy headlights is life-changing for some people who think they need to get a new car or something. One friend was ready to trade in his car because he couldn't see well at night and got tired of it. I told him I could fix it and he is so happy today.

The Opti-Lens goes on very easy after I stripped the surface using denatured alcohol.

Two questions.

I use OCW and Fast Wax as a drying agent. Are these spray waxes going to compromise the headlight coating?

How long can I expect these products to last, in other words, how often should I think about re-doing the coating?

[jkrig]

Shouldn't be an issue at all for the OCW...I would think the OCW should/would help due to the UV inhibitors, restoring usually diminishes if not completely removes the factory UV protection and UV exposure is what's going yellow them again, any product that can slow that process down would be helpful I would think....

[Setec Astronomy]

I use OCW and Fast Wax as a drying agent. Are these spray waxes going to compromise the headlight coating?

I'm not understanding...are you talking about before or after you put the coating on? If before, you definitely need to get down to a clean surface before applying a coating. After the coating has cured, those products will have no effect.


How long can I expect these products to last, in other words, how often should I think about re-doing the coating?

IME, for a car that's outside 24/7, if you have had to sand off the factory coating as part of the prep, Opti-Lens won't last more than a year before the headlights are noticeably yellowing.

[DaveT435]

As mentioned the coating needs to be put on a clean lens. The Opti-lens should last at least a couple years, except in Toyotas. I don't know what Toyota uses in the lens that make it different, but in my experience the coating lasts about 6-8 months. If you do a Toyota you might want to try the Dr Beasley's on it.

[Route246]

Shouldn't be an issue at all for the OCW...I would think the OCW should/would help due to the UV inhibitors, restoring usually diminishes if not completely removes the factory UV protection and UV exposure is what's going yellow them again, any product that can slow that process down would be helpful I would think....

These two I did today were not restored. Both were in new condition and still very clear. I used alcohol to clean LSP off.


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[WillSports3]

Unless it's pure carnauba wax, alcohol won't strip it off. The best thing to do to ensure the coating sticks is to polish it lightly and then apply the coating.

[jkrig]

If OEM UV clear coat protection is still holding strong then the Opti-Lens IMHO is a waste..If I'm not mistaken its designed to bond to lenses that have been heavily polished/sanded. I would go with a product designed to bond to the existing surface....like Gloss-Coat or DLux.....or you could just do regular maintenance with the OCW to keep the OEM clear from deteriorating.