Need some headlight restoration help | FerrariChat

Need some headlight restoration help

Discussion in 'Detailing & Showroom' started by flat_plane_eddie, Aug 27, 2018.

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  1. flat_plane_eddie

    flat_plane_eddie F1 Rookie
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Mar 30, 2013
    3,143
    NE FL
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    Eddie
    #1 flat_plane_eddie, Aug 27, 2018
    OK so I'm trying to restore the headlights on my Aston Martin and for some reason it's just not working out. I got the 3M Headlight Restoration Kit and used it on my dd first for practice. They came out perfect. Then tried it on the Aston Martin and although I polished off most of the scratches, the end result is not what I expect.

    This weekend I tried again on my neighbor's car and the result was great. Did it on the Aston Martin again and still not good.

    What's throwing me off is that after I'm done sanding, the headlights don't develop an even sanded look. Instead, they are spotty. Am I doing something wrong or is there something else wrong with the headlights (inside, different plastic, etc.)?


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  2. Nuvolari

    Nuvolari F1 Veteran
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    Sep 3, 2002
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    Rob C.
    #2 Nuvolari, Aug 27, 2018
    The issue is that during the sanding you need to keep going until the factory UV coating is fully removed. In your images you can see how the coating is only partially removed in some areas. More sanding will get this out. The 3M kit is great but does not give you a new UV coating to replace the OEM coating. Without it the polish job will not last long. Research this and you will find that there are coatings you can buy that perfectly restore the factory coating but they are not cheap. Look into opti-coat. A tiny amount is about 80 bucks but is perfect for your job.
     
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  3. flat_plane_eddie

    flat_plane_eddie F1 Rookie
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    Mar 30, 2013
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    Eddie
    #3 flat_plane_eddie, Aug 28, 2018
    OK thanks for the help. So I need to polish it more I guess. I was thinking maybe these headlights have a thicker coating than the 2 other cars I attempted. However, I was afraid of doing some damage so I decided to post this thread first.

    I did look into sealants but didn't hear about opti-coat. I'll check it out.
     

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