Headlight Polishing Made TOO Easy?!?! - Detailers All In One Headlight Restoration Polish vs. oxidized headlights

[Todd@RUPES]

Detailers All In One Headlight Restoring Polish is engineered to replace the multiple steps usually required to restore headlight lens covers - multiple sanding steps followed by multiple polishing steps.

Detailer`s All In One Headlight Restoration Polish is available as a stand alone product as well in two kit forums.

Detailer`s Headlight Restoration Kit -

This kit features a 4 oz bottle of Detailer`s All In One Headlight Restoration Polish, as well as 3 1/4 inch Lake Country Purple Foamed Wool Pad, a 3-inch Drill Backing Plate and microfiber applicator. This kit allows you to use a standard drill to achieve professional results.


Detailer`s Total Headlight Restoration Kit -

This kit is similar to the above, with the addition of an 8 oz bottle Detailer`s Headlight Protectant Spray. The polish size is also increased to an 8 oz bottle.



Getting Started:


In this article : Autopia Guide To Headlight Restoration is showed the advantage of doing a total headlight restoration (including sanding) on the passenger side headlight of my Toyota Matrix. For this article I am going to work on the driver`s side headlight. While sanding will flatten the cover more, removing sand-blast pits, Detailer`s All In One provides near the same results in less than a fraction of the time.






Not only do clouded healights look back, but they greatly reduce the headlight`s ability to illuminate the road head. Even worse, they reduce your visibility to other drivers..




Start by thoroughly cleaning the headlights (washing or wiping with a waterless wash) then using Detailing Clay to remove any insect remains, embedded contaminates and road film... Here I am using BLACKFIRE PolyClay Fine.


Next, take the time to tape up any adjacent bodywork. This is step is even more important if you are using the rotary-like action of a drill for your restoration.




To demonstrate the effectiveness of Detailer`s All In One Headlight Restoration Polish, I taped the headlight in half as well.




The Lake Country Thin Purple Wool Pad provides good cutting power (to scrub away the yellowing/oxidation), which is why it is included in the kit. Not only does it clean well, but it leaves a haze-free finish so your headlights will shine brightly.




The kit`s provide attachments to use with a standard drill. However, I have access to Rupes` excellent Mini BigFoot Polisher, so I wanted to give it a try. A drill will work equally well, just make sure to keep it moving to avoid overheating the plastic lens cover.

Draw a medium X across the face of the pad.




Using Detailers All In One Headlight Restoring Polish is as easy as putting the machine on the paint, turning it on, and moving it around in smooth overlapping passes. The film will quickly "clear up", revealing a clear headlight. It is amazing how quickly this works.




Make sure to get the edges (why the tape comes in handy).




You can see the yellowing on the face of the pad. Clean with a nylon brush like the Pad Conditioning Brush or compressed air.




Polish until the residue and the headlight appear clear then wipe away the residue with a soft microfiber cloth. For headlights that are badly oxidized, you may need two applications.




Removing the tap line to reveal the 50/50 - before/after- shots.




The polished side looks much much better....






... and more importantly, both luminosity and visibility have been greatly improved.




In a matter of minutes I had the rest of the headlight restored...






Once the headlights have been restored, they need to be protected to prevent or help prevent oxidation/yellowing from reoccurring. Detailer`s offers an excellent, and easy-to-use Headlight Protectant Spray. However, if you want even long-lasting protection, I would suggest looking at one of Detailer`s nano coatings.

In this case we are going to use the Detailer`s Wheel Coating. The reason I choose the Wheel Coating is because it features a unique solvent that flashes quickly, perfect for maximum adhesion to small areas....




Nano coatings must be applied to surgically clean surfaces, free of any oil, polish, silicon/e or wax residues. Detailers Coating Prep Polish is a cleaning agent that quickly removes any surface residue while wiping away completely. You can use this polish with a drill, polisher or by hand. Since I had the BigFoot Mini handy, I slapped on a 3-inch Lake Country Tangerine Hydro-Tech Pad and spread it over the surface, then buffed it away.




Simply spread it out on low speed and wipe away the residue.




Once the headlight is prepped, mist one-to-two sprays of Detailer`s Wheel Coating onto the headlight and spread thinly into an even film. Continue work until no streaks are visible.








Allow the coating to cure for about a day and avoid water exposure for 12-24 hours if possible.

In less than 20 minutes you can restore headlights to like-new condition. The majority of the time is spend cleaning, claying and taping as the All In One Headlight Restoration Polish works so quickly. In a few more minutes, you can apply a long-lasting, nano-ceramic coating that will provide a crystallized shield against degradation.

[jtford95]

That is what I need to get. Thanks Todd. That came up great.

[dc52nv]

I am getting great results with this kit. Will be ordering more polish on my next order. Thanks for the review, Todd.

[mrclean81]

I`ve got it in my shopping cart. I have GOT to try this out.

[The Driver]

I wish this worked on glass...

Owning a Volvo always presents strange challenges...

[fenderpicks]

Todd, I currently use 500 , 800 , 1000 and 3000 grit for my sanding process.
However the sand paper are expensive especially the 1000 and 3000 grit, and they only last so long.

I am interested in trying the DP kit because it seems very promising.
So with the wool pad and polish, it can produce same result as with sanding guarantee?

[RaysWay]

Great write-up Todd.

[tropicsteve]

good review todd. dp products are such great a great value. I`ve never had a problem with any of their products.

[Todd@RUPES]

Todd, I currently use 500 , 800 , 1000 and 3000 grit for my sanding process.
However the sand paper are expensive especially the 1000 and 3000 grit, and they only last so long.

I am interested in trying the DP kit because it seems very promising.
So with the wool pad and polish, it can produce same result as with sanding guarantee?

No.

[Trouble]

I have GOT to try this out.

[fenderpicks]

No.

Sorry i am confused. Are you replying no as meaning, it will not be as effective as actual sanding?

[Todd@RUPES]

Sorry i am confused. Are you replying no as meaning, it will not be as effective as actual sanding?

Detailers All In One Headlight Restoration Polish is an amazing 1 step polish that replaces the traditional sanding, compounding and polishing usually required. It clears up foggy headlights very quickly.

However, sanding first, particularly with a coarse grade, is going to remove more material which will smooth away rockchips and imperfections, at least to some degree. I would say that Detailers All In One will provide at least 90% or more of the same results in less than 20% of the time.

[fenderpicks]

Alrighty understood.
Now i just need to place another order lol.

[Todd@RUPES]

As with anything, the most proper steps will always yield the best results. But, just like everything else, their is a point of diminishing returns. We see it most with paint correction...

Almost universally, a 1-step polish provides the best "bang for your buck". That first step usually removes any fine (gloss hindering) paint defects, cleans any scum or calcium off the paint, and leaves behind a smooth surface that reflects light maximally. If you want to chase the deeper defects, you need an additional, stronger level of cut. If you want to chase even deeper defects, you may need a very aggressive cut first, followed by two subsequent steps...

The same with headlight restoration, only Detailers All In One Headlight Restoration Polish has bridged the gap between what a 1-step polish and an all out correction (including multiple sanding and polishing steps) can achieve.

Make no mistake, this is a class-leading product, and the first product of its kind that I have tested.

[fenderpicks]

I perform mobile headlight restoration locally as a side job. Always been using sand paper for my jobs.
Went from hand sanding to machine sanding when i finally got the funds for a generator.
However often times, it takes me about an hour from start to finish on a set of headlights. The sand paper also go quite fast on each headlight, and they are not cheap either.

So i wanted to try something new to shorten the time on each headlight i work on.
Originally just got the foam wool pad to try along with M105, but since i saw this thread today. I called in and got a 8oz bottle added along with my order i placed over easter.

I can`t wait to put this to the test!!!

Oh and i got a LHR75 in my order to go along with this set up as well!!