2001 Toyota Camry Headlights

[mhphoto]

This was a headlight restoration for a 2001 Camry with severely oxidized headlights that also had what looked to be stress cracks on the inside and outside. Products used: 3M sandpaper and sandpaper discs, 3M 3'' buffing waffle pad, Megs ScratchX, Megs Headlight Protectant, elbow grease.

These were some tough headlights. The 500 grit discs barely made an impact so I had to go down to wet sanding with 320. And there was a slight haze on the inside of the lens, and coupled with the little micro-cracks I couldn't get rid of I was pretty disappointed in my own work. Oh well, it was done for free as a favor and they're definitely going to be safer when driving at night.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/randy25rhoads/IMG_8194-Version2.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/randy25rhoads/IMG_8171-Version2.jpg

The cracks…

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/randy25rhoads/IMG_8175-Version2.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/randy25rhoads/IMG_8183-Version2.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/randy25rhoads/IMG_8189-Version2.jpg

The process:

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/randy25rhoads/IMG_8197-Version2.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/randy25rhoads/IMG_8198-Version2.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/randy25rhoads/IMG_8199-Version2.jpg

The result:

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/randy25rhoads/IMG_8201-Version2.jpg

The transformation:

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/randy25rhoads/e4734338c160b9e20f22ac08453926a8.gif

[02accordSE]

Awesome job. Did you seal them with anything besides the headlight protectant? Hopefully the rest of the car looks better than the lights and the little scuff on the bumper.

[mhphoto]

Awesome job. Did you seal them with anything besides the headlight protectant? Hopefully the rest of the car looks better than the lights and the little scuff on the bumper.

Thanks! I didn't seal them with anything else, but I'm going to order some Opti-Coat 2.0 to coat headlights with. I'll probably go back and seal them with the OC2.0. The rest of the car is in decent shape, other than some bumper oxidation.

[kmsdetailing]

V ery nice!!!!

[pointillistic_practitioner]

Good work!!

[Rsurfer]

Nice job..when you say elbow grease, did you do the buffing by hand?

[mhphoto]

Nice job..when you say elbow grease, did you do the buffing by hand?

Thanks! Wet sanded with 320 by hand until the majority of the yellowing was in a puddle on the concrete, then dry rotary sanded with 500, 800, and then a 3M Trizact 3000 grit wet sand. Then polished with Megs UC mixed with ScratchX, then finished off with just ScratchX.