Headlight Restoration-new UV sealant idea

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Great info.

1. Have you had any problems with the spar/OMS mixture degrading the plastic bottles? I recently used a red Solo brand cup for mixing, and a couple of hours later, when I went to throw the cup in the dumpster, I found that the mixture had eaten through and destroyed the cup.

2. Have you had any problems with premixing the spar and OMS? I'm wondering if the OMS will degrade the spar when premixed. Any idea on how long you can store the mixture before you need to throw it out and make a fresh batch?

1. I have not had any issues whatsoever with bottle deterioration. I Have reused the same bottles now for close to 3 months.

2. As of yet, I have seen no issues with the premix. I don't mix a lot at a time, it's really only like 4 bottles at 3oz each. To my knowledge the OMS will have no permanent affect on the Spar, it is simply thinning it until the OMS evaporates. If the mixture is unused for long enough and the bottle is...say, half empty, then yes the Spar will start to cure and you have to be aware of this. What I tend to do if I think it may be an issue is either clean it out before it starts to cure, or I simply mix another ounce and add it to the bottle. In a pinch, on the job, I have had it not self level, and I cleaned it off the lens, added just a tiny amount of OMS to the bottle, shook it up and started over. Worked out just fine.


My personal headlights have been done by me last August, and they still look perfect with the exception of a bug or two and maybe a rock chip. AZ has a lot of rocks. I have done no touch up since the initial application. The only thing that is done, is I use a Circle K car wash by my house. (I know....I said that on a DETAILERS forum) I always do the full wash with the Rain-X protectant. I do have customers that have been over a year and I have checked, their cars still look great. Not to mention others on here, so I don't think the Spar method is really only a 1 year coating. I do wish there was an easy to apply non-spray coating that cured in minutes that would absolutely last longer and be cheap enough. I haven't seen one though.

I saw on another post a recipe for stripping headlights using mean green and tire cleaner. Has anyone tried it?

Also, Impalas are becoming an item. Has anyone tried just removing the deteriorated part of the coating then recoating the entire headlight? If the original coating is as tough as it seems, the only problem would be if the coating you're using would stick to the original coating and not chemically interfere. Might be a great time saver.
ray6

From what I read that is the formula used by one of the proprietary companies. I can say it will get the "yellow" out but it won't strip the old UV coating as far as I could tell.

I haven't done an Impala yet, but I had 2 Buicks that sound like they were is big of a PITA as you are talking. That original coating was so hard it nearly killed me to strip it. I have tried partially stripping a headlight and leaving the original "in tact" coating on. What I found was that the Spar would stick just fine on both surfaces. What I didn't like was that you could see a distinct line where the spar only met up with the spar on the original coating. I then stripped the entire lens and have been doing so ever since.

That being said... If anyone does know of a coating that would allow me to only strip partially and re-coat, please let me know. Even if I have to just use it for these cars, it would be worth double my time in gold.

[Part-timer]

I've tried to do a partial restore one time also and found the exact same thing. A distinct line between the two coatings which was very noticable to me. I did what you did, re-stripped it all the way down and coated the whole thing.
As for the coatings lifetimes....I suppose that it really depends on who your customer is. Most of my work is from two small used car lots. They don't want to spend an arm and a leg for the service and they are very happy with my work. They often have other people stop by to try to offer them a better deal than me. My guys are loyal to me because I am always there for them when they need me and they like my work. I have followed this and other threads for 3 years now. I have seen the results of side by side tests with Opti-coat and other products. Most do not last as long as they claim. I would love to try many other products myself and compare them(I actually have tried some others).

I tried one that claimed you could do a set of lights in less than 15 minutes. They even sent me three bottles to try with a money back guarantee. I tried it several times in different ways...exactly how they said. They looked like crapola. Sent it back!

I'd love to try out some others but they cost $84 or more and have about 1/2 the quantity of product that I get in a $14 can of Spar. I've also seen posts saying that some of these other products are less forgiving than the spar, so you need to use compound for a finer finish before applying. I've heard that, since they dry so quickly, they are harder to apply without having streaks.

Its hard for me to see how learning and changing my technique will save me time and money. It would be great to know that the lifetime was extended some, just can't afford to keep trying things out.

[davidc11291]

I've tried to do a partial restore one time also and found the exact same thing. A distinct line between the two coatings which was very noticable to me. I did what you did, re-stripped it all the way down and coated the whole thing.

When you say you restripped it all the way down, do you mean you stripped off the spar that you had just applied, then you coated the whole lens with spar (not sanding off the OEM clear coat that was in good condition) or did you end up having to sand off the OEM clear coat that was in good condition too?

[Part-timer]

When you say you restripped it all the way down, do you mean you stripped off the spar that you had just applied, then you coated the whole lens with spar (not sanding off the OEM clear coat that was in good condition) or did you end up having to sand off the OEM clear coat that was in good condition too?

I decided to sand the entire lens and restore the whole thing. I don't think its possible to do a partial job and have it look right or last long.

[davidc11291]

That's the same conclusion I've come to as well.

[reggie1967]

I decided to sand the entire lens and restore the whole thing. I don't think its possible to do a partial job and have it look right or last long.

well i got a impala to do it mostly stained up front and the rest of the light is clear, i guess the best thing is to sand the whole light down and recoated some reply with ur answer thxs

[davidc11291]

This is so much easier in person....lol
Ok, a blue scott's towel measures approx.....10 1/2" X 11".
Fold the towel in half on the 11" side, giving you a towel that measures 10 1/2" X 5 1/2".
I just do this by looking....but to be precise....measure 2 1/2"..down the 10 1/2" side.
Now you have a strip that is 2 1/2" X 5 1/2".
Fold that in half so you then have 2 1/2" X about 2 1/2".
Then just dip the rounded part, that you just folded over, into the spar mixture and let it soak in the length of the fold to about an inch into the dry part of the towel. This should only take a second or two. Then start applying to the lens. (See picture) No re-dipping is needed. For larger lenses....I cut larger pieces than 2 1/2" wide, in order to swipe a wider path. Still no re-dipping needed. I have been doing this in Daytona Beach Florida for almost 3 years now, outside in the heat. I must admit that I schedule my jobs in advance to avoid working in the hottest part of the day, unless you have a canopy. I have learned to taylor my mixture ratios to the weather conditions though...but as of today am mostly using between 70/30 and 60/40. I also use a bigger sized cup, so that I'm not trying to shove a 3" towel in a 1" container of mix. I have tried using those foam applicators, but found that for me, they would run dry of mixture before coating the whole lens....unlike the scott's towels. I do use a different piece of scott towel for each lens.

I tried your application method out today, following your instructions exactly, and it worked PERFECTLY. It was the easiest spar application I've ever done, and it was perfect on the first attempt. The only thing I did differently was that I did not follow up with the horizontal wipes at the end. I made a circle around the outer part of the lens, then just made smaller and smaller circles to cover the middle part. I was able to get complete coverage without the spar flashing, and working in progressively smaller circles meant that while I would overlap just a little, I was never touching a section of spar that had been applied more than 5 or 10 seconds ago. Because of this, I was able to actually slow down and make sure I got perfect coverage. I spent probably 25 seconds applying it.

Thanks!

[Part-timer]

David....... Glad to hear that it worked for you. Thats what this forum is for. To get several ideas and methods to try, then experiment and use what method or partial method that works best for your situation.

[SameGuy]

For those doing this commercially and serving used car lots and dealerships -- why do you need to warrant the job any longer than the lot warrants the car to a buyer? I would imagine with floor plans, lots and dealerships are trying to turn over stock as quickly as possible, so why would you need to guarantee your work for two years, if the lot turns the car over in a matter of weeks and offers the buyer a 90-day or maybe a six-month warranty?

[ray6]

For those doing this commercially and serving used car lots and dealerships -- why do you need to warrant the job any longer than the lot warrants the car to a buyer? I would imagine with floor plans, lots and dealerships are trying to turn over stock as quickly as possible, so why would you need to guarantee your work for two years, if the lot turns the car over in a matter of weeks and offers the buyer a 90-day or maybe a six-month warranty?

Because most headlight restorers do more than used car lots. And some higher end lots (usually new car dealers) don't want an unsatisfied customer coming back in a few months.

There is also a potential liability issue.

Most restorers are always open to new customers such as taxi fleets, government vehicles, etc. Which require longer lifetime.

The bottom line is that the difference between an unwarrantable and warrantable coating is nothing in labor, and maybe a dollar in materials.
ray6