Hello everyone,

 

I picked up a fabia VRS about 6 weeks ago to soak up the miles to and from work, spec highlights include xenon headlights and cruise control:

 

 

It had a fresh cambelt earlier this week and I thought I'd continue the love today by restoring the headlights as they were looking pretty tired:

 

 

 

 

To do this I used:

1500 grit wet and dry paper

2500 grit wet and dry paper

Autofinesse polish kit with three different polishes on my dual action polisher.

 

To start of I used the 1500 grit paper to deal with the worst of the marks:

 

 

Then smoothed out the plastic with the 2500 grit. With that done I used the harshest polish/pad combo to refine the finish:

 

 

going all the way through the polishes to leave the headlight looking like almost new:

 

 

I repeated this process on the other side leaving the old girl looking much smarter:

 

 

 

 

It took about an about 2 hours to do and has made a huge difference!

 

 

Cool - I do a lot of this.  Got my time down to 1 hour, but can see with the stages you did and perhaps not going at my rate, two hours is more realistic.

Where did you guys get your wet dry papers from?

Roughly how much?. Great job btw s4dane

What are you guys putting on the lights to restore the UV protection after polishing them?

 

Mine were done just before I bought it but could ideally do with being done again (if I don’t sell it)

Great job, well done!

Pictures look fab as well, nice car that!

As for the wet and dry, Halfords sell it if your desperate, quite cheap as well.

B&Q and the rest should sell it as well, about 50p a sheet maybe?

What are you guys putting on the lights to restore the UV protection after polishing them?

 

Mine were done just before I bought it but could ideally do with being done again (if I don’t sell it)

 

I use Jetseal 109 on lights I do.  Slightly short term protection but keep topping it up and it should help stop the rot coming in again

 

There is a much more expensive longer term UV sealant from GTechniq (G2 I think?) but it's a LOT of cash for 30 / 40 ml of fluid

The price of a depo headlight then!

Thanks guys,

I've got the gtechniq stuff that I'll put on every 12 months or so.

Thats some really good work and skill set there

Well done

As said, a sealant will prevent it fading in the future

What are you guys putting on the lights to restore the UV protection after polishing them?

 

Mine were done just before I bought it but could ideally do with being done again (if I don’t sell it)

 

I use this stuff...

 

Ow much?

Ow much?

 

Round about a tenner. Lasts bloody ages though http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Meguiars-300ml-Headlight-Protectant-Between-Plastic-amp-Harmfull-Rays-/311350264083?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item487dec0113

Where did you guys get your wet dry papers from?

Roughly how much?. Great job btw s4dane

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wet-and-Dry-Sandpaper-60-12000-grit-STARCKE-Abrasive-Waterproof-Paper-Sheets-10-Sheets-Any-10-Sheets-/161334194814?nav=WATCHING_ACTIVE&skus=Pack%20Size:10%20Sheets|Grit:Any%2010%20Sheets%2060%20-3000g&varId=460361100776

Hello everyone,

 

I picked up a fabia VRS about 6 weeks ago to soak up the miles to and from work, spec highlights include xenon headlights and cruise control:

 

 

It had a fresh cambelt earlier this week and I thought I'd continue the love today by restoring the headlights as they were looking pretty tired:

 

 

 

 

To do this I used:

1500 grit wet and dry paper

2500 grit wet and dry paper

Autofinesse polish kit with three different polishes on my dual action polisher.

 

To start of I used the 1500 grit paper to deal with the worst of the marks:

 

 

Then smoothed out the plastic with the 2500 grit. With that done I used the harshest polish/pad combo to refine the finish:

 

 

going all the way through the polishes to leave the headlight looking like almost new:

 

 

I repeated this process on the other side leaving the old girl looking much smarter:

 

 

 

 

It took about an about 2 hours to do and has made a huge difference!

1200 wet and dry then 1500, G6 paint compound and a power polisher with a soft sponge mop head, just done two Audi A6 lamps in about forty minutes tops.

@chrisrs - thanks mate, it's super easy to do and makes a massive difference.

@firebalxl5 - Haha I wasn't trying to inspire a competion, just giving the average weekend warrior and idea of how long it took me to do it

I definitely reckon it's worth using at least two stages of polish it's always given me great results in the past.

Thanks....I did a Honda Civic last year, but it wasnt that bad

I definitely reckon it's worth using at least two stages of polish it's always given me great results in the past.

 

Absolutely.  Compound alone does the donkey work, but the finish is usually not A1 hence the need to refine.

@chrisrs - thanks mate, it's super easy to do and makes a massive difference.

@firebalxl5 - Haha I wasn't trying to inspire a competion, just giving the average weekend warrior and idea of how long it took me to do it

I definitely reckon it's worth using at least two stages of polish it's always given me great results in the past.

No completion intended lol, its just how I've been doing them for a number of years and as long as you use a ammonia free cutting compound like G6, G3 and finish off with a liquid glazing compound then you can achieve great results, but I find that G6 gets rid of your flatting marks really quickly, then add a little water to the compound to finish off.

All in all you've managed to get very good results from a kit, just out of interest doe's this kit say that the glazed finish can be retained for up to a year?

No completion intended lol, its just how I've been doing them for a number of years and as long as you use a ammonia free cutting compound like G6, G3 and finish off with a liquid glazing compound then you can achieve great results, but I find that G6 gets rid of your flatting marks really quickly, then add a little water to the compound to finish off.

All in all you've managed to get very good results from a kit, just out of interest doe's this kit say that the glazed finish can be retained for up to a year?

No worries

 

It wasn't a headlight restoration kit more I used the Autofinesse Revitalise polish kit on my DA for the final stages after using the wet and dry:

 

http://www.autofinesse.co.uk/revitalise-system/

 

And then treated them with GTechniq C4 to provide UV protection:

 

http://www.gtechniq.com/products/c4-permanent-trim-restorer

 

If I could be bothered I'd use some clear LaminX but that's a bit of a faff lol.

I took the easy way out had the headlights replaced...c/o E-Bay....I know, I know... I'm a lazy git..LOL

I took the easy way out had the headlights replaced...c/o E-Bay....I know, I know... I'm a lazy git..LOL

You had the standard lights or the HID version?

You had the standard lights or the HID version?

Standard head-lights, didn't want to pay £500 extra at the time of purchase 10 years ago for HID..(Also a tight git..)

Although now you can buy a HID pair of 'Angel Eyes' (minus bulbs, units etc) for a little over £300 c/o E-Bay..

 

Glad I stuck with normal head-lights costing around £70.00 mark, to replace both..