Most polycarbonate headlights use some type of protective coating on them. Spray in a steady back-and-forth motion. Our Headlight Visualizer Tool will let you see just how clear your headlights can be by using Wipe New Headlight Restore. $29.99 $ 29 99 Prime. Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for mechanics and DIY enthusiast owners of cars, trucks, and motorcycles. The type of plastic can dictate if or how you clear coat the plastic. $67.00. However, when I went to clean it with IPA prior to adding another coat, the strangest thing happened - when wiping the IPA across the surface with my microfiber towel the towel started sticking, with the fibers leaving an impression! rev 2021.1.26.38404, The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange works best with JavaScript enabled, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site, Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, Learn more about hiring developers or posting ads with us. Rust Oleum Stops Rust Protective Enamels … I did a headlight restoration on this, the headlights were pretty awful. She finally came to the age of showing some appreciation back… now and then. The thickness can vary a lot per panel and per manufacturer. On average it can be between 30 and 80 micron. I’d be proud to have done that myself. The kit consists of a professional grade aerosol spray polish and an easy-to-use aerosol clear coat. $29.19 $ 29 19 Prime … by HD High Definition Car Care. It will start to bubble up and peel. should I have sprayed on more with each coat? You may want to give it a few weeks to cure fully and put a coat of car wax (NOT polish) on it. I've been doing this for a while and i think the polish is eating up the plastic way too much and i can see very tiny small cracks in the headlight. Wet sand the light (coarse, medium, then fine) I don’t think I’d bother fooling around with trying to restore them. If not, take some spirits and strip the clear coat off and start over. The last step is to clear coat the headlight with a product like Rust-Oleum American Accents Ultra Cover 2x, which he used in his video and I also used. But you’re kind of making FoDaddy’s point for him, If you’re going to all the trouble of removing both headlights, $80 for a pair of aftermarket headlamps doesn’t sound bad at all, The final product looks excellent, by the way, I’ve actually entertained that option… the cheapest set of two headlights for 2007 Altima is something like $100 on Amazon, but reviews tell it has a bad fit and some complaint it is not watertight and fogs in rain… so the good set is at $185+ per reviews and it is quite a different story…, I’ve decided to restore OEM ones since they are known good, simply did not want taking chances with misfit or lights improperly focused, the cheapest set of two headlights for 2007 Altima is something like $100 on Amazon, but reviews tell it has a bad fit and some complaint it is not watertight and fogs in rain… so the good set is at $185+. Headlights don't have a clear coat on them from the factory, but it is sometimes applied to protect the headlights. I’m going that route from now on. Weather, dirt and other damaging elements never touch the actual paint on the car. It's been awhile since I saw the ChrisFix video, but was thinking the way you should be doing this is by after cleaning the lense with IPA (after using the Meguiar's) ... and really, I'd probably use something like Prep-All here instead of IPA, because I don't think IPA will clean everything off like the Prep-All will ... is to hit the headlight with a very light coat right off the bat, then wait until the first coat is just tacky, then hit it with another coat which is a bit heavier. UV radiation from the sun turns the crystal clear … you polish your headlights as we’ve done, you may be … "rustoleum clear coat" Cancel. I used Rustoleum clear coat over Metalspecks (which I discovered earlier the hard way that it's a laquer-based paint), and it worked fine. Also worth noting these headlights are now 18 years old (excuse the horrible hood condition, it only sees winter use). I think the clear coat must be more laquer based, and spraying that over enamel will cause instant cracking. I can’t tell what happened but it looks textured. Get yourself a few cans of Rustoleum Rattle Can 2x ultra cover gloss clear non-yellowing and UV resistant clear coat....like 2 bucks a can. You will be sanding them again, when they turn yellow again. slight coat of Dupli-Color adhesion promoter, 10 minutes wait; slight coat of acrylic clear, 15 minutes wait; moderate coat of clear, 15 minutes wait; heavy final coat of clear; remove masking after an hour; wait overnight before trying to buff (I’m gonna skip this one) I’ve found that it stays looking good longer. The last coat should be a little heavier so it looks “wet” and smooth when you are finished. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Unfortunately after period of time when lights are exposed to the sun, the protective coat degrades and needs to be replaced correctly. I parked next to an older Jaq yesterday with cloudy headlights. Easy and affordable to clear coat your headlights; Longer lasting than buffing out headlights; Beautiful high finish gloss after clearing; Very durable when comparing to a 1k clear coat; The Cons. Clear coating is one of the most common protection types that is used for protecting headlights from heat, sunlight, UV-light, dust and more. Universal® Clear Topcoat It eventually becomes flakey, dull and yellowish. The last 2 times I used a clear coat, can't remember which I used the first time but it yellowed and cracked. Each box contains 2 coated wipes along with a Trizact™ abrasive disc. How was I able to access the 14th positional parameter using $14 in a shell script? For what it's worth I had very good luck with using 2k clear coat. I was fogging my rims on my Olds and instantly saw it start cracking within a matter of seconds. Use a 2k clear. It has orange peel, but I'm not going to wet sand it until it cures for 7 days, because that's what the can says if you're coating plastic. Is chairo pronounced as both chai ro and cha iro? Headlight Restore Kit. Got a daughter of my own. You might have to redo the whole thing. I was expecting them to be nice and clear, but they are not. The clear urethane protects the car's paint while giving the car a beautiful, glossy coating. However, I think I may have messed up when I did the final part of the process… it just doesn’t look like the clear coat was done right. Provides resistance to salt, oil, gas and other harsh chemicals. It comes in unique finishes to give any... Give your projects new life with a unique finish. Once they do, you can treat them (as you have) or replace them. Replaced it in 5 mins. Try buffing a small area, see what happens. This UV-resistant clear coat for headlights is easy to use, and you’ll notice a big difference in a matter of minutes. See Color Options. Where in the world can film in a crashed photo recon plane survive for several decades? Funny enough I had polished them down to 2500 only to get into the paint booth and had to scuff the lens back to 800 so the clear would have something to stick to. Modern clear coat paints are formulated to have more gloss, more flexibility, protect better and be more UV resistant than the old solid color/no clear paints that used to be the industry standard. What Rustoleum calls their “hammered finish” clear coat would leave the surface looking like yours, I didn’t realize they had 3 different clear coats in spray at first but the dead flat would give you the result you want. Just my suggestion. This is the line that i find at Home Depot I would not put alcohol on plastic. It's about $20 a can and well worth it. Rust-Oleum Stops Rust Crystal Clear Enamel Spray uses a non-yellowing formula to provide a crystal-clear look. If so, why are atoms with half-filled/filled sub-shells often quoted as 'especially' spherically symmetric? Everything you need is included, and is guaranteed to pass inspection for the lifetime of your car. Takes 30 min longer because of masking and painting; You need to buy some automotive clear coat and a spray bottle; May peel in 3-5 years if in consistant sunlight. ETALON kit 3 in 1 for headlights, transparent plastics, such as, motorcycle or boat plastic windshield and painted parts, such as car mirrors or bumpers restoration. Used this to clear coat a two-tone Rust-Oleum 2x spray paint job and the directions are identical. . Rust oleum licensing rust oleum cares rust oleum newsroom. I've had this happen with the rustoleum "2x" stuff. A great value. The kit consists of a professional grade aerosol spray polish and an easy-to-use aerosol clear coat. Is viral single-stranded RNA in the absence of reverse transcriptase infectious? Wipe New. I think where you went wrong is in how you coated it. Go to a big box store and get - Rustoleum 2X gloss clear - pay about $4 - be over 18 years old Add Tip Ask Question Comment Download Step 2: Clean Your Headlights. It only takes a minute to sign up. (3) coats of clear coat with UV protection 6min between coats. https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/wipe-new-headlight-restore-0391042p.html Rust-Oleum® Specialty Reflective Finish Spray illuminates painted surfaces under direct headlights for nighttime visibility and safety. Apply to metal, wood, plastic, concrete or masonry. I’ve done fogged-over headlamps on four different vehicles so far, and they’ve all come out excellent. – Clear coat paint is just like regular paint with no solids or tints added to it. I believe the alcohol was the culprit. Rehabbed my 2007 CTS headlights. By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. 3M™ Quick Headlight Clear Coat Wipes are a fast, easy solution for adding a clear coating to slightly-yellowed headlights and other plastic lenses, improving and extending their clarity. The clear coat is usually the last coat of paint that is applied to a panel. Things are becoming clear already". The Rust-Oleum Stops Rust 12 oz. Great for mailboxes, gates and trash cans The clear coat helps to add the finishing shine on the headlight, as well as seal up the headlight for protection. Headlights don't have a clear coat on them from the factory, but it is sometimes applied to protect the headlights. Any angle—with the unmatched rustoleum clear coat for headlights of our patented trigger technology cleans it up for the lifetime of your car repairing... Logo © 2021 Stack Exchange be applied on any surface and at any angle—with the unmatched of! 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