Headlight Restoration Using DP All-In-One

[FrankS]

It was time to do some headlight restoration on my mother's 2000 Toyota Camry. The headlights weren't too bad but you could tell that it was time for another round.

I did it about a year ago using a headlight restoration kit from Meguiars which required two steps of sanding and then a polish and then a protectant.

This time I chose to go with Detailer’s All In One Headlight Restoring Polish.

Much quicker this time around and fewer steps:
1) Applied the DP AIO to the wool pad and polished with the drill. I used the #2 setting on the drill
2) Buffed with a MF towel
3) Applied the protectant using a foam pad
4) Buffed with a MF towel

Tools used: Dewalt 18V Drill
LC 3 Inch Drill Backing Plate
LC 3-1/4 Inch Thin Foamed Wool Padhttp://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/uploads/58715/800_014.JPG


50/50 shot of the passenger side: LT side = before, RT side = afterhttp://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/uploads/58715/800_013.JPG

Proctectant Used: Meguiars Headlight Protectant applied with foam padhttp://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/uploads/58715/800_017.JPG

Passenger Side Completed
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/uploads/58715/800_018.JPG

Driver Side Completed
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/uploads/58715/800_019.JPG

[HateSwirls]

Really made this look easy:)
Came out great!

[FrankS]

Really made this look easy:)
Came out great!

Thanks, it really is much easier using this combination. I've done some headlights that were much worse using the same procedure and they came out looking great.

[SpeedFreak81]

If you don't apply a new UV coating it's not a fix, just a bandaid. They will oxidize again in no time.

[FrankS]

If you don't apply a new UV coating it's not a fix, just a bandaid. They will oxidize again in no time.

Is there a coating you would recommend?

[theblob640]

Opti-Lens would be a more permanent solution and your best bet for your headlights after restoration.

[FrankS]

Opti-Lens would be a more permanent solution and your best bet for your headlights after restoration.

Thanks for the feedback, looks like good stuff.

[AC in OC]

Opti-Lens would be a more permanent solution and your best bet for your headlights after restoration.

^^This is probably the best/longest lasting protection you'll get.

I have the kit and it so easy to do. I thought it would take longer or be more difficult, but nope - it was fast and easy. Check out my pics in post #34 here: http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/new-car-care-products/72019-more-dp-headlight-restoration-before-after-photos-4.html

If you have the kit that comes with the "Headlight Protectant Spray" then all that is needed is to spray it on and wipe off. Apply a coat every couple months for maximum protection. I personally didn't use it on my car, because I had some DP Paint Coating. I used that for added protection and longevity.

But, I'm sure that using the Protectant Spray every other month wouldn't be too much of a hassle to maintain. It's such a small area to work with and the bottle is 8 oz. so it'll last a long time.

[FrankS]

Thanks for the advice AC. I don't have the Protectant Spray but I do have the DP Paint Coating.

[mr.fusion]

Have to chime in my .02 since the Optilens was asked about. I've used a lot of OL and also jumped to try the DP kit. :xyxthumbs:

I have a couple issues to mention or ask about that do relate to this. The DP polish does work very well. I don't think I've ever seen a polish do what this stuff can do. But I would add a couple things that I haven't seen discussed yet, based on my observations. I'm not going to buzz kill the stuff, because I think the results are impressive overall. But I have a couple concerns, or limitations to mention. It's just my opinion, so take with a grain of salt.

1. It can't do EVERY job without sanding. First thing I did was find out what it can and can't do. On some I was shocked how well it worked, but on others it doesn't work, sorry. Plus, on some that CAN be done without sanding.... it's still faster and easier to add a sanding step first. For the experienced HLR guys especially, this should be pretty basic. Maybe for a DIY, it's a good deal that more time and effort can continue to improve the results when using this polish. It's impressive, and may be the best one-step HL polish, but it's still not really a "no-sand" HLR system... no such thing unfortunately.

2. Some of the magic seems to be from fillers... which is see as sort of smoke and mirrors. I've polished out a couple cars until they looked perfect, then wiped down with alcohol... to prep for a coating. After the alcohol, some damage reappeared. I may be totally wrong, but that's what it looked like to me. It seemed obvious enough anyway. So I'm guessing it's not a good idea to coat with something like optilens, without a thorough prepping with a wipe down and/or a coating-safe polish. Then you really see what you are working with. I would love to be wrong, so hopefully others will see different results. It's possible that I could have continued to polish those lights until they remained clear after wipe-down, IDK. But at some point, that defeats the purpose of a one-step no-polish repair. Also, it has me a little concerned what the lights will look like after a few months.

IMO, it's a great product to have in the arsenal for HLR, but not quite the miracle in a bottle that it seemed at first, lol. :buffing:

[mr.fusion]

Oh, one more thing... wondering what others have experienced with the foamed wool pad? It works great, but the adhesive doesn't stand up at all to the heat created with HLR. Even being careful, they are coming apart on me after a couple cars. So I've had to use other pads... wool and foam. Good news is that the polish works ok with those pads too, but I do really like the foamed one. I will be re-gluing them with a high-temp adhesive eventually. Hope that does the trick.

[The Guz]

Nice job on cleaning them up. The meguiar's protectant works good. It's only downfall is longevity. I believe it states to reapply every 6-8 weeks.

[FrankS]

From the feedbacks I've received and after doing some research, it appears that Opti-Lens is the way to go for the longest protection and a product worth having but for now it will go to my wish list due to the cost and my budget.

I do have DP Paint Coating that I could use. I suppose that a thorough wipe down is needed before I apply the coating to remove the Meguiars Proctectant and any polish residue. Is DP Coating Prep Polish sufficient or would I need to use some IPA?

[Old Tiger]

Is there a coating you would recommend?

Optimum Opti Lens or CarPro DLUX

[FrankS]

Optimum Opti Lens or CarPro DLUX

I do have CarPro DLUX, never thought about using it for headlights.:idea: