Toyota Corolla Headlight Restoration by The Gloss Boss, LLC

[The Gloss Boss]

Here is a set of headlights on a Toyota Corolla I restored for a customer. This is only the second time I have done this. I used the following process.

-Cleaned headlights with Meg`s APC+
-Clayed with Detailed Image clay using ONR at QD ratio as lube
-Wet sanded with 3M 1000 grit (by hand)
-Wet sanded with 3M 2000 grit (by hand)
-Wet sanded with 3M 3000 grit (by hand)
-Compounded with M105, orange pad, rotary
-Polished with PB`s SSR2, white pad, rotary
-Finished with PlastX, white pad, rotary
-Protected with Detailer`s Pro Series Poli-Coat Sealant

Total time: 90 minutes (includes prep and letting papers soak for 15 mins)

Here are some photos for your enjoyment. Thanks for looking!


This is what we`re dealing with. I could make so much money off this in my town. Every other vehicle has headlights like this.






The tools and products I used.





The headlights after sanding.





Here is the finished product.

[Old Pirate]

Thank you for sharing, and yes with so many vehicles headlights looking like this one can make extra money on the side and be busy too.

[mrclean81]

Turned out really good. Nice job

[The Gloss Boss]

Thank you for sharing, and yes with so many vehicles headlights looking like this one can make extra money on the side and be busy too.

Thanks for taking a look. I totally agree. I wonder if people in my area just don`t know about this option or what. I`m on a mission to make people aware.

[The Gloss Boss]

Turned out really good. Nice job

Thanks buddy. I order a backing plate and some 1000, 1500, and 3000 grit 3M discs to use with my PC so I can do this work quicker and better and finally get around to sanding my entire car.

[Rocket]

Good job

[mrclean81]

Thanks buddy. I order a backing plate and some 1000, 1500, and 3000 grit 3M discs to use with my PC so I can do this work quicker and better and finally get around to sanding my entire car.

Cool good luck with it. Be damn careful with the 1000 and 1500 by machine. Test a spot with the 3000 first for 2 reasons. To get a feel for the machine with the paper and new plate (its going to be alot different than using a pad), and to see how the 3000 does by itself. You may not even need much more. You done the right thing though by buying multiple grits. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best

[BIOLINK]

Nice work! Love it!

I just did a similar job on a TSX. Used 2000, polished, sealed with opti coat 2.0. I am anxious to see how opti coat holds up on the headlights.

[Garry Dean]

Very nice work. Thanks for sharing!

[The Gloss Boss]

Cool good luck with it. Be damn careful with the 1000 and 1500 by machine. Test a spot with the 3000 first for 2 reasons. To get a feel for the machine with the paper and new plate (its going to be alot different than using a pad), and to see how the 3000 does by itself. You may not even need much more. You done the right thing though by buying multiple grits. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best

I`ll probably be visiting a salvage yard to pick up some panels to practice machine sanding. I`ve been pretty ballsy with trying these "aggressive" and "dangerous" correction methods, but I`m actually kind of nervous about going right on to my car or someone elses without testing it on something I don`t care about first. I know that 1500 grit will level my orange peel by hand. Does sanding by machine increase the aggressiveness to where I may only need to do 3000 and get the same results?

[The Gloss Boss]

Very nice work. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks man!

[The Gloss Boss]

Good job

Thanks!

[The Gloss Boss]

Nice work! Love it!

I just did a similar job on a TSX. Used 2000, polished, sealed with opti coat 2.0. I am anxious to see how opti coat holds up on the headlights.

Thanks! Opti-Coat has to be better than the crummy UV "protection" that today`s plastic headlights have. I`m wanting to coat my paint in it as soon as I get it wet sanded.

[mrclean81]

I`ll probably be visiting a salvage yard to pick up some panels to practice machine sanding. I`ve been pretty ballsy with trying these "aggressive" and "dangerous" correction methods, but I`m actually kind of nervous about going right on to my car or someone elses without testing it on something I don`t care about first. I know that 1500 grit will level my orange peel by hand. Does sanding by machine increase the aggressiveness to where I may only need to do 3000 and get the same results?

Its not that its more aggressive, but its moving a whole lot faster than it would be by hand. You can hit a high body line just for a second and be in trouble. The junk panels are a good idea. Try to find stuff thats going to give you different situations. Flat sections, curves, sharp body lines, etc.

[Todd@RUPES]

Great job Gloss Boss! I also love the Rosso Ferro font in your water marks, very Ferrari!