Valvoline Headlight Restoration kit

[BlantonDetail]

My dad just gave me a Valvoline Headlight Restoration kit that he got from the Carbrite guys. Has anyone tried it? It seems to be simpler than the other kits, as in not as many different sandpaper grits and polish. All it has is 4 sheets of 400 grit sandpaper, 2 sheets of 1000 grit sandpaper, a cleaner, a protectant, some cleaning cloths and gloves.
I'm concerned the 1000 grit won't polish the 400 sanding marks down enough and the headlight with just be clouded up. The instructions state that it will probably be hazy, but apply 2 more coats of the protectant and it should clear it up. That doesn't make sense to me.
Does anyone have any experience with this stuff, or think that I'm going to be screwed when I don't have a finer polishing foam to polish out the 1000 grit "haze"? Maybe some PlastX and a microfiber applicator pad will be able to finish it out? I plan on getting the 3M kit to use regularly, but I don't have it (or a drill) yet.
I'll be trying this kit out tomorrow on a dealer car (where dad & I both work), which is why I'm concerned that the final product won't look good.
I will post up tomorrow how this all tuns out, if anyone is interested. I couldn't find any reviews at all online about this particular kit, and very few places to purchase it.

[BlantonDetail]

Ok, I guess nobody has any experience with this kind. I used it today on the headlights of a 2004 Cavalier. The headlights were seriously terrible.
I did this all by hand, which this kit was made for. There was more than enough 400 grit sandpaper for the job, definitely could use more than 2 sheets of 1000 grit in some cases, but it sufficed in this case. But my suspicions were correct, and there was definitely more polishing needed after using the 1000 grit sandpaper. I used a rubbing compound, then a polish, then PlastX for the final polishing with a terricloth rag and a microfiber applicator pad. That cleared up the haze & scratches pretty well. The included "UV seal" was sort of ok. I really didn't like how it went on. It streaked because the applicator cloth was dragging over some of the dried coating and would make it look horrible. Since I was able to do a good job on these headlights, the dealer will have me do more. I was given $20 today for doing both of them, which is fine because I was on the clock for my regular job as Service Writer.
I plan on just getting the sandpaper individually for the next ones I do by hand, or when I get my drill I'll get a 3M kit or something that has enough materials for multiple restorations. In the future, I plan to charge about $20 per headlight, unless they're extra large. Is $20 per headlight enough, or should it be more like $30 or $40? By my doing these headlights, I saved them from paying $60/each for new aftermarket headlight lenses.
I hope this helps someone who might come across the Valvoline kit and wonder if it's decent. It's not worth what you get. Go with something else.

[ray6]

Since the late 1980's, most automobile headlights have been made out of polycarbonate. Unfortunately, polycarbonate is also very porous and is easily damaged by ultraviolet exposure from the sun. To seal and protect the polycarbonate, headlights are coated with a protective outer coating during manufacture.

In order to meet U.S. safety standards, all headlights must pass a specific ANSI weathering test, sometimes called the 3 year Florida sun test. The headlight must not deteriorate significantly after 3 years of “Florida” sun. Our Factory Replacement Coating has passed this test.

There's no secret to headlight restoration. The damaged original coating must be removed, then replaced with a new one. Just stripping the old coating off without replacing it will leave the polycarbonate unprotected to ultraviolet and moisture and will quickly deteriorate again. This is why most products on the market don't last. Any product or process that does not replace the protective coating with a new one is a short term solution at best. Any material that can block ultraviolet rays and fill in micro cracks can serve as a protective coating. Even wax such as carnuba will work, if the coating is adequately maintained. Although wax protection is limited, if applied frequently, good headlight clarity can be maintained for a number of years. Unfortunately, one trip to the carwash and your protection is gone.

If you're going to do this as a business, do your research first. There are high quality products available, but they are neither cheap or easy to use. You get what you pay for. But the actual material cost of the protective coating is probably around .50 to a $1.00 per headlight.

I have been restoring headlights for 4 years now and make a few bucks at it. My success is due to referrals. Wow your customers and they will sell for you. Don't take any shortcuts. Do every job like it was your own car.

Hope this helps.