Not joined yet? Register for free and enjoy features such as alerts, private messaging and viewing latest posts and topics.

Headlight resto. 142 pages of posts just on this one method! Those crazy 'murrrcuns!

Claying, polishing, waxing... share your secrets in here.
Post Reply
User avatar
Chris_D
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 6615
Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2016 11:41 pm
Location: Mostly Holland. Sometimes UK.

Headlight resto. 142 pages of posts just on this one method! Those crazy 'murrrcuns!

Post by Chris_D » Thu Jul 11, 2019 11:29 pm

SO.. 'the method' involves doing the headlight resto first and then applying a 50/50, later suggested as a 70/30 mixture of this stuff called 'Helmsman Spar Urethane (Indoor/Outdoor)Clear Gloss', then mixed with Mineral Spirits (1part urethane to 1 part mineral spirits) in order to preserve the resto via a layer of UV protection. Interesting.

I like to think that I have better things to do with my time than read 142 fekin pages of 'it works, no it doesn't, yes it works, no it doesn't you motherf*cker! ... white power! ... black power!...' -type posts. So I skipped to the end where the concensus seemed to indicate that it does in fact seem to work like a charm.

Anyone else applied a UV sealant to the headlights post-resto?
I'm tempted to give the above recipe a go after restoring mine as they look quite shocking at the moment but the Helsman stuff seems to be only available in the good 'ol US of A.

https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/sh ... -idea.html
1011315_1.jpg
1011315_1.jpg (173.37 KiB) Viewed 2075 times
E85 3.0i roadie (03) 'Benny'. E93 320d M-Sport Cabrio (11) 'Bob'.
Image
'Always different, always the same.' John Peel on The Fall.

User avatar
ben g
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 7858
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2012 5:20 pm
Location: Essex

Headlight resto. 142 pages of posts just on this one method! Those crazy 'murrrcuns!

Post by ben g » Sat Jul 13, 2019 1:28 pm

I bought some uv sealant from Amazon. Applied 2 coats and they look great.

I last did them 5 years ago, so the sealant definitely works as that's the last time I applied it before this year :lol:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/GLASS-POLISH-S ... B00A3S1RGU
Red Soft-top Sterling grey 3.0i - Z4M Front, Eibachs, Polybushed, Clear headlights, Triple clear spot rear lights, Shadow Chrome 107's, Sport MFSW, ZHP.

pcube
Member
Member
Posts: 104
Joined: Mon Feb 29, 2016 4:39 pm

Headlight resto. 142 pages of posts just on this one method! Those crazy 'murrrcuns!

Post by pcube » Sat Jul 13, 2019 2:45 pm

ben g wrote: Sat Jul 13, 2019 1:28 pm I bought some uv sealant from Amazon. Applied 2 coats and they look great.

I last did them 5 years ago, so the sealant definitely works as that's the last time I applied it before this year :lol:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/GLASS-POLISH-S ... B00A3S1RGU
Did you apply them after the headlights were restored? The headlights already have a UV coating, which gets stripped off in the restoration process. That spar urethane thing is supposed to form the new UV coating after restoration is done. Not so sure this amazon product can do the job...

User avatar
ben g
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 7858
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2012 5:20 pm
Location: Essex

Headlight resto. 142 pages of posts just on this one method! Those crazy 'murrrcuns!

Post by ben g » Sat Jul 13, 2019 4:27 pm

pcube wrote: Sat Jul 13, 2019 2:45 pm
ben g wrote: Sat Jul 13, 2019 1:28 pm I bought some uv sealant from Amazon. Applied 2 coats and they look great.

I last did them 5 years ago, so the sealant definitely works as that's the last time I applied it before this year :lol:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/GLASS-POLISH-S ... B00A3S1RGU
Did you apply them after the headlights were restored? The headlights already have a UV coating, which gets stripped off in the restoration process. That spar urethane thing is supposed to form the new UV coating after restoration is done. Not so sure this amazon product can do the job...
Yes, sorry I thought I made that clear in my post. I used the 3m headlamp restoration kit 5 years ago. I then applied 1 coat of this sealant afterwards.

Fast forward 5 years and my headlamps needed re-doing. After using the 3m kit again, I then applied 2 coats of the same sealant and they look factory fresh now.

I'd say 5 years is pretty good return rate, but you go with whatever you feel will work best for you :thumbsup:
_20190305_172812.JPG
_20190305_172812.JPG (124.93 KiB) Viewed 1989 times
Red Soft-top Sterling grey 3.0i - Z4M Front, Eibachs, Polybushed, Clear headlights, Triple clear spot rear lights, Shadow Chrome 107's, Sport MFSW, ZHP.

Post Reply