Headlight restoration

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bulrid8

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Need that UV barrier of the dog back up. Did my wife's without it and it lasted 6 months.

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Bullitt5339

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Need that UV barrier of the dog back up. Did my wife's without it and it lasted 6 months.

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We used Chemical Guys Jetseal as the final step, which is a UV protector and sealer. We just need to reapply it whenever we wax the car and it won't come back.
 
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usaf2006

usaf2006

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I'll certainly be interested to see how that holds up in the long run.
 
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usaf2006

usaf2006

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Started the process. Put the 08s on my truck for the mean time. Here's a few before and afters.6a5b7741747565e68c4e2cfec6be681e.jpg783b13c068656874766aaeb812853972.jpge0a7110e373440298de0dc6ddd6f37c9.jpg
Looks way better!

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usaf2006

usaf2006

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Here's a few before and during the process.
fbebbcc9be7efaec1c9401ea7751b40a.jpg20170226_152016.jpg52252385448095eea180a3950a3471da.jpg
After sanding
20170226_160601.jpg
After one coat of clear
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More to come!!

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usaf2006

usaf2006

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Close up
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It's a little rough. Go easy on me lol. It's my first time ever using clear coat. It's got a few straight lines in it that are bubbled up. Might have not let the second coat dry enough. Going to wet sand with 2000 again tomorrow after it's cured a day and see what happens.

At any rate, it's better than what it started as lol...

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Bullitt5339

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You didn't sand them enough. In the picture before you cleared them, you can see the lines where you removed the UV coating in some places, but not in others. You have to remove all of it and it should look perfectly even and flat before you do anything else.
 
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usaf2006

usaf2006

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Thanks. I'll give it a go tomorrow. Only our three light coats, so it shouldn't take much to come off. The whole top "shelf" as I call it is good to go.

Is it just rough/bumpy in the last pic cause I didn't get it all?
 
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usaf2006

usaf2006

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Redid the one I failed on. Still bumpy slightly but you can't see any old clear underneath now. Will sand with 2000 and polish tomorrow or the next day and see how they turn out.
 
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usaf2006

usaf2006

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Here's the passenger side light. Had to polish sand it a bit, then three some turtle wax on it. Looks really good in person!

Driver side light currently drying from being cleared.20170311_203124.jpg20170311_203148.jpg

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usaf2006

usaf2006

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Here's my two finished old lights, back on the truck while I can get my "new" 08 headlights redone.
 

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usaf2006

usaf2006

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I will admit they look hazy in direct sunlight, but they done just as bright as before, but now they're not flaking apart lol
 
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usaf2006

usaf2006

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Yeah, they're not perfect, but in happy-ish haha. Wasn't much effort or time, so no loss there.
 
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