Since the car's 7 the headlights are foggy like alot of 98+ camaro's

I started to wet sand them like I've seen before with 1000g wet sand paper but I'm mostly scratching them

What more can I do? they look crappy being faded like that, I'd love to make them clear again.

I saw an add on TV for that "flitz" that you put on your drill, it even said you can clean headlights with it, is this a good idea? I dont want to mess up the paint at the same time.

Should I try another grit? I'm just not happy with whats happening.

 

The purpose of the sand paper is to abrade the defects. You need to follow up with finer grades of sand paper and end up with a plastic/metal polish.

 

Zane is correct. The job takes sanding with progressively finer grits of sandpaper, finishing up with the polish of your choice. This can be a very labor intensive job if your are heavily frosted.

The first cut, whether you use 1000 grit or something close to that, will more than likely make your lenses look worse than before you started. It will get better as you progress toward finer grit paper.

Start with the finest grit that will effectively remove the surface defects. Wet sand until all traces of the defect are gone. I find that it helps to sand in one direction and make your sanding marks run all in one direction. This makes it easier to determine when the defect is thoroughly removed.

When you are sure the defect is gone, switch to a lighter grit and sand 90 degrees from the previous grit. Wet sand until the sanding marks left by the previous grit are gone. By doing it this way, you remove the least amount of material (important because the lenses are thin) and spend the least amount of time doing the job. Repeat this process until you have gone to about 3600 or 4800 grit paper--then polish.

As far as using Flitz or some similar method that uses a power tool, be sure that you do not generate too much heat. It does not take too much heat to burn or cause the plastic to begin to distort. Acrylics, polystyrenes and polycarbonates (not sure which one GM used) get soft above about 225 deg and will begin to melt above 250-270 deg. I say this because a power drill would be OK if you don't keep it in one spot for too long. A Dremel or similar rotary tool spins much too fast and will damage your lenses. If you have access to a small orbital polisher, they generate less heat.

With regard to what to do to keep your lenses from frosting again: The frosting is caused primarily by ultra-violet light. Keep them polished with a material that has UV inhibitors in it. I just make sure I wax them every time I wax the car.

Sorry for the long post, but plastics and composites are what I do for a living.
I hope this helps.

 

Thanks guys, you both helped give me some insite on this.

Q: where do I get more wet sanding paper?

They are starting to come out good, I never thought before about waxing them till now funny, I wax everything else including the bumpers but it never occured to me to wax the plastic headlights!

I'll upload some pictures when I'm done, just need to find more wet sand paper

~Chris

 

<<Q: where do I get more wet sanding paper?>>

A: Try hobby stores, especially those that cater to fine metal working or glass crafts. Also, try residential or automotive glass dealers. If all else fails, you can mail-order it. I use a product called Micro-Mesh. Aircraft and boating suppliers carry it. The Micro-Mesh kits contain assorted ultra fine grit paper, polish, polishing pad, and polishing cloths. It is a little expensive (for sandpaper and polish $15-$20 for the hobby size kit) but it is worth it when you see what it can do.