Chemical Guys headlight restorer critique
Chemical guys is a reputable brand in car care, lets’s review their headlight restorer and compare its performance to other headlight restoration kits.
Table of Contents
Packaging
Headlight Restorer is a 16 oz/473 ml bottle with a professional-grade compound that will be used to restore the new headlights. The compound also has wax sealants in it so it will restore and protect the headlight after polishing.
How to use headlight restorer
The reason why headlights get hazy is that the Sun breaks down the plastic to form a layer on the headlights called oxidation. To get rid of oxidation headlights need to be restored.
The chemical guys headlight restorer is a compound, to get your headlights clear again additional items will be required, they include:
- Masking tape
- Sandpaper
- Polisher with pads or dill with a polishing attachment
- Water
- 3 clean towels
- Sanding block
Headlights can be restored without sanding but the process will not get the best results so we recommend sanding first for all restoration methods.
Step 1
Mask the surrounding areas of the headlight to prevent damaging the paint. Clean the headlight with water and wipe it dry .
Step 2
Sand the headlight starting with 400 grit sandpaper. Wrap the sandpaper on the block to aid in effectiveness. Wet the headlight and the sandpaper and work on it in a hash pattern, horizontal then vertical to avoid deep sanding marks on the lens. Keep the surface wet to avoid clogging the sandpaper, once done ensure the headlight is uniformly hazy and move to the next stage.
Step 3
Repeat step 2 with 600, 1500, and 2500 grit sandpaper, Wipe the headlight clean and move to the next step.
Step 4
Apply three dots of the compound (headlight restorer) on the polishing pad and dab on the headlight to avoid slinging. Start polishing at a slower speed then advance to a faster speed and work the compound till clear. The headlight should be crystal clear.
If the sanding marks are still visible polish the headlight again to your satisfaction. The process is done and your headlights are new again.
Summary
Chemical guys headlight restorer should be considered as a compound rather than a kit. If you restore headlights regularly then it is a good compound to buy. It should be noted that other compounds used on paint when polishing will do the same job since the principle is the same.
This is not the best way to restore headlights for a novice because skill and additional equipment will be required. It is much easier to restore a headlight using kits that are better packaged.
While the headlight restorer has UV sealants included it is advisable to use a sealant or ceramic coat to protect the headlight.
