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Question About Car Maintenance

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Anyone ever tried to clean their headlights on an old car? I have tried the toothpaste and the vinegar and baking soda with minimal success. I used a pan scouring pad when I did it. I also tried CLR and car wax along with glass cleaner. I know there are some on shelf items you can use as well if anyone has tried them. I did enjoy this video tutorial....

 
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I assume you mean the oxidization/foggy condition
Basically you have to eradicate the layer causing the condition.. almost like sanding it off
There are 'kits' on the open market... they're abrasives with abrasive applicators to rip off the top layer of the headlight
Had success with one from Walmart and another from amazon

CLR/wax/glass cleaners are of no use
 
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NJ-Buckeye said:
I assume you mean the oxidization/foggy condition
Basically you have to eradicate the layer causing the condition.. almost like sanding it off
There are 'kits' on the open market... they're abrasives with abrasive applicators to rip off the top layer of the headlight
Had success with one from Walmart and another from amazon

CLR/wax/glass cleaners are of no use
Click to expand...
Yes, the oxidation/fogginess. Supposedly utilizing the baking soda/vinegar with the abrasive scrubber was supposed to do the trick.
 
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not nearly strong enuf... again, conceptually, you have to sand off that layer.. and it may not be as superficial as you'd imagine

I believe I did the process three times the first time...
and I may have used a drill attachment with the applicator
 
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buckeyebri said:
Yes, the oxidation/fogginess. Supposedly utilizing the baking soda/vinegar with the abrasive scrubber was supposed to do the trick.
Click to expand...

Nah, go to the autostore... 3M has some multiple step kits, so, rough sandpaper, fine sandpaper, maybe some other stuff and some sealant/polish for when you're done.
 
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AKAK said:
Nah, go to the autostore... 3M has some multiple step kits, so, rough sandpaper, fine sandpaper, maybe some other stuff and some sealant/polish for when you're done.
Click to expand...

Thinking about it more, there's one where the first step is a wet sand process, that's probably the way to go.
 
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upload_2016-10-12_14-5-32.png

I did my son's car and a friend's as well, and they came out great. They will not be "new" but damn near close.

First clean them well with any cleaner that removes oil, bugs and tar. Next sand off the oxidation and smooth out the surface. Start with the coarsest sand paper and work your way up, cleaning the surface well after each sanding. You may want to wet-sand with the finest grit. Once that is done clean the surface well. The last step is preference, you could use the clear coat to protect it but I found that Nu Finish works well and you don't have to mask off anything. It has been about 6 months and both cars still have clear headlights.
 
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buxfan4life said:
View attachment 13878

I did my son's car and a friend's as well, and they came out great. They will not be "new" but damn near close.

First clean them well with any cleaner that removes oil, bugs and tar. Next sand off the oxidation and smooth out the surface. Start with the coarsest sand paper and work your way up, cleaning the surface well after each sanding. You may want to wet-sand with the finest grit. Once that is done clean the surface well. The last step is preference, you could use the clear coat to protect it but I found that Nu Finish works well and you don't have to mask off anything. It has been about 6 months and both cars still have clear headlights.
Click to expand...

Oh fuck this... get one that mounts on a drill. :)
 
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