Headlights sand and polish

kiklop123

Member
Had sand and polish headlights today. They were in pretty bad condition. Very happy with results. What do you think?
I used; watersand 400, 600, 800, 1200, 1500, compound, polish, and wax for protection.
 

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Had sand and polish headlights today. They were in pretty bad condition. Very happy with results. What do you think?
I used; watersand 400, 600, 800, 1200, 1500, compound, polish, and wax for protection.
Afternoon,

A great result there, they look fabulous. An A2 with poor headlights never looks its best. The end result speaks for itself here, they match the beautifully polished coachwork just right.

Great work and thanks for sharing, I'm sure many will follow not the evenings are darker and have the headlights switched on more ofter.

Kind regards,

Tom
 
Save yourself a lot of time and mess by using....
View attachment 100976

Do NOT lacquer the headlights after refinishing, just treat with quality wax every few months.
I had the headlights lacquered once. The clear coat was very soft. I got a lot of scratches and by the time they became foggy/matte. It took me a lot of time to get the clear coat off. Since than, i only use wax.
Will try out suggested polish next time. Hope it really saves time. Thanx for the tip.
Cheers
Andrej
 
Afternoon,

A great result there, they look fabulous. An A2 with poor headlights never looks its best. The end result speaks for itself here, they match the beautifully polished coachwork just right.

Great work and thanks for sharing, I'm sure many will follow not the evenings are darker and have the headlights switched on more ofter.

Kind regards,

Tom
Hello Tom,
You are so right saying good headlights are essential for A2 to look good. I was postponing this job since spring and now its finally done. Next is the interior. As you said, nights are getting longer....
Cheers, Andrej
 
Great job ! Ideally use a ceramic coating as opposed to wax as any proper ceramic coating will have uv inhibitors and last a lot longer than a wax.
 
Great job ! Ideally use a ceramic coating as opposed to wax as any proper ceramic coating will have uv inhibitors and last a lot longer than a wax.
Good advice Neilf. This might last much longer than regular wax. Good tip. Thanks. A
 
Had sand and polish headlights today. They were in pretty bad condition. Very happy with results. What do you think?
I used; watersand 400, 600, 800, 1200, 1500, compound, polish, and wax for protection.
Looks lovely & its jet black :) I also use MOTHERS polish as per @audifan after wet & dry sanding with electric polisher, works really well.
 
Nice finish.

However, even if it is slightly more difficult to apply initially, I would suggest the correct lacquer is rather more long lasting, the correct stuff probably outlasting our little beasts from this point.
Some of the headlamp refinishing kits come with it for low cost.
 
The only time i have had to sand the headlights was when someone had applied lacquer. The factory applied lacquer will come off with the Mothers alone. Rule of thumb it takes around 3 passes to get all the blemishes off. Although you will see where more is needed it is usually towards the corners.
 
The only time i have had to sand the headlights was when someone had applied lacquer. The factory applied lacquer will come off with the Mothers alone. Rule of thumb it takes around 3 passes to get all the blemishes off. Although you will see where more is needed it is usually towards the corners.
What do you apply the mothers with @audifan , I see you always recommend it . I've actually bought some now you've advocated it so hard on here 😆
 
I use a waffle pad in my polisher and have a medium coat all over the headlight before I start the polishing. It is safe to apply it with your bare hands but I dab and smear it on by applying it to the pad. A cordless or even chorded drill can also be used but do not get the surface too hot.

I have done this both with the headlights still on the car and also with them removed. If on the car then use a couple of black bags and tape them on the bumper, wing and bonnet so only the headlight is exposed. Off the car there is no real need to cover up but then you have to hold the light in something like a Black and Decker work bench.
 
Off the car there is no real need to cover up but then you have to hold the light in something like a Black and Decker work bench.
I have removed the headlights, mostly because of wet sanding. I would suggest this to anyone who is about to take the same steps. This way you will send your headlight evenly, also around the corners, without worrying to make any damage on paint (bonnet, bumper etc...)
To make things easier, I simply put the headlight on the corner of XPS plate (blue plate) and attached it with the (inner - longer) screw with which the headlight is usually attached. I pressed the headlight down with my left hand and got a satisfactory grip. Right hand was sanding and sanding and sanding....
 
Great job ! Ideally use a ceramic coating as opposed to wax as any proper ceramic coating will have uv inhibitors and last a lot longer than a wax.
I follow Neilf's advice and protect the headlights with ceramic coating. The seller said it will last for years. Hope so.
I used K2 lamp protect product.
For anyone interested in doing your headlights, watch this video first.
 
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