Here is the procedure I have used on a couple of cars now to restore the headlights to like new condition. I have tried polishing, sanding then polishing, and acetone and even though these other techniques can work, they do not last long. Once the clear coat has work off of the plastic, the headlights will quickly yellow again after restoration unless the clearcoat is restored. This procedure took me maybe 40 minutes to restore my headlights to new.
These headlights started off as bad as I have ever seen a set of headlights.
I started by wet sanding the headlights with 500 grit sandpaper till all the yellow was gone. You may have to sand for a while to get through all the affected plastic. At this point they are a dull white and look like they will never be clear again. Dont worry, this is part of the process. Then I cleaned them with brake cleaner, you could use an automotive paint prep solvent to remove grease, fingerprints, wax etc. The point is you want to remove anything that will keep the paint from sticking. Make sure the solvent is completely dry and there is no lint or dust on the headlight.
I then masked the surrounding area and sprayed with clear paint. I used duplicolor clear engine enamel, any clear automotive paint should be fine. Typical painting procedure should be used here. First spray a light tack coat, then follow up with another coat after the tack coat has set for a while. The final coat should be thick enough to look smooth but not so thick that it runs.
They look as good as new now. I have done this on a couple cars now and it has not chipped or yellowed in any way.
These headlights started off as bad as I have ever seen a set of headlights.
I started by wet sanding the headlights with 500 grit sandpaper till all the yellow was gone. You may have to sand for a while to get through all the affected plastic. At this point they are a dull white and look like they will never be clear again. Dont worry, this is part of the process. Then I cleaned them with brake cleaner, you could use an automotive paint prep solvent to remove grease, fingerprints, wax etc. The point is you want to remove anything that will keep the paint from sticking. Make sure the solvent is completely dry and there is no lint or dust on the headlight.
I then masked the surrounding area and sprayed with clear paint. I used duplicolor clear engine enamel, any clear automotive paint should be fine. Typical painting procedure should be used here. First spray a light tack coat, then follow up with another coat after the tack coat has set for a while. The final coat should be thick enough to look smooth but not so thick that it runs.
They look as good as new now. I have done this on a couple cars now and it has not chipped or yellowed in any way.