Since my headlights are getting HID retrofitted, I decided to clean them since they are apart. The car I purchased was well taken care of, but pretty much everyone is going to run into dirty, pitted headlights over time.

I've used a bunch of the different kinds of store bought stuff to do my headlights with similar results between them all. Not wanting the sanding marks that most of the store bought stuff leaves behind, I decided to take matters into my own hands on my new Evo 9. I don't think the pictures do justice to how they look in person (taking good pictures of lenses is not that easy, especially when they are cleaned) which is good because it took me about 2.5 hours just to do one lens.

Before: This is the driver's side lens as it is right now, but the passenger looked the same.


By evolvr2006 at 2012-08-11


By evolvr2006 at 2012-08-11


After:


By evolvr2006 at 2012-08-11


I will have finished pictures when it is all back together with the new Morimoto lenses.

 

Damn!

 

What is your secret? I want to clear out the fades and crap on mine. I've already used those store bought ones too and got that same results in the first pic.

 

Sandpaper, polishing compound, a rotary device of some sort (a drill will work) and some elbow grease. The main secret is to cross hatch your work. The headlights are not 100% perfect as it's pretty much impossible to remove every single little mark, but they look as close to knew as I've seen on an Evo since my brand new 9 I bought in 2006.

I used to make a little money on the side doing headlights for people so I've had some practice. Even when you know how to do it, it's still a bunch of work.

 

Looks amazing! Definitely gonna have to see how bad my headlights are when I black them out. Might have to give this a shot.

 

How you gunna use one side for the Before pictures then the OTHER side for the afters?

 

How are you going to post a question when you lack the ability to read what I wrote? I said "This is the drivers side as it is right now, the passenger looked the same."

 

I read but I dont care what you say, lol. Proof!

 

You can do anything with Photoshop.

lmao j/k looks amazing

 

nice job, Just so everyone knows, DO NOT clean the inside of the lense with any solvents or rubbing alcohol or anything! They are clear coated or something and you will mess them up if you do.

 

Well, you should at least take some time to consider if you are adding anything to a thread before posting. In this case, you didn't. Maybe next time though.

 

You should probably try to avoid putting solvents on almost anything plastic, but this is new to me. I didn't clean the inside of these lenses, but I have cleaned the inside of my own Evo lenses in the past and nothing ever happened. They stayed looking clean for my entire ownership.

 

Looks awesome man, nice job! Could you share what materials you used like specific grits, brand of compound and polishing wheels. Also what was the sequence of sanding and polishing. Thanks!

 

Sure. I didn't actually plan on making a how-to on it because I originally didn't plan on taking the cleaning process so far. I just decided in the middle that if I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it the right way.

I saved the other headlight just in case people wanted me to do a how to. Since there seems to be some interest in a how-to, I will make one in the next few days explaining everything I used and what I did. Since I also have some down time, I'm willing to do some people's headlights for them if anyone wants (not for free because materials aren't cheap and to do it properly takes a good amount of time).