Coupe headlights restore options

[Lanister]

Hello fellas,

So I'm starting to see that my 2005 zhp coupe headlights could probably use a bit of re-finish. I tried looking into lens replacement and was disappointed to find that that there are no lens-only replacements, as it takes the entire housing. At $900/side, it's clearly not an option. I tried to use the 3M headlight lens restoration kit over the weekend but it did not really produce the desired results. It is as if the AL lenses are made of tougher material. Before I start looking into something more drastic, I wanted to see if anyone here has solved this problem or what your suggestions would be.

Cheerios

[Vas]

What I have done before in the past is take the headlights to a body shop. Local place where I live does restoration which includes sanding the headlights and then spraying clear coat on them.

I had done this before to headlights and tinted even the tails on my previous cars.

[Lanister]

Great call there, Vas. Do you recall how much it cost you to refinish the headlights?

[Vas]

Place I have used is $50 a light. 2 coats of clear just to prevent against rock chips.

It might be different in the norther California though. But alot of body shops starting doing this to generate more revenue so I would ask around.

[ELCID86]

My local shop quoted my ~$150/light. But since I have a sedan, it's cheaper to go with replacement lenses from khoalty, etc.

[Lanister]

$150/light? that's just greedy.

[ELCID86]

Maybe it was $150/pair, I wasn't really listening as I knew I could get them for ~$80/pair.

[Lanister]

Called a local shop and got quoted $75/pair. Sounds reasonable.

[Vas]

Not a bad price. Have they done it before?

[Lanister]

Yeah, he appears to have been doing it for the past 4 years. I read all his reviews on yelp and they look impressive. I gave the dude a call a spoke for good 10 minutes. He explained what he does and it's obvious that his approach is different to that of the DYI kits. Moreover, he guarantees his work and provides 2-year warranty. No red flags thus far.

[ELCID86]

Good price and sounds like he knows what he's doing.

[Hermes]

Sounds like a good deal. Those headlights are a PITA to deal with, I've baked mine twice and don't want to do it ever again

[Lanister]

Why did you have to bake yours twice?

[Vas]

That sounds great actually.

Plan on doing it soon?

[Lanister]

Yeah, within the next week or so, just have to find time to go meet him.

[JKO_ZHP]

You're better off sanding them on your own assuming it's the outside of the lens that are degraded, have rock chips, etc.

I've baked my lights twice myself and I sprayed then sanded the turn signal lights' lens to give them a smoked look. That's when I noticed that it cleared it up significantly...

The 3M kit, toothpaste trick, etc. works on older cars with yellow lights but doesn't really keep it "clean" for long. At least one of the mobile headlight restoration trucks around SoCal does sanding also, then a layer of clear 3M film or sealant.

[Vas]

He would take the complete headlight assemblies so no need to bake them apart.

[Hermes]

Why did you have to bake yours twice?

It's a requirement when you wanna mess with facelift coupe lights. Point is that baking them is annoying, and if it's not necessary don't waste your time

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c288/jhermes/185a290e.jpg

[johnrando]

You're better off sanding them on your own assuming it's the outside of the lens that are degraded, have rock chips, etc.

I've baked my lights twice myself and I sprayed then sanded the turn signal lights' lens to give them a smoked look. That's when I noticed that it cleared it up significantly...

The 3M kit, toothpaste trick, etc. works on older cars with yellow lights but doesn't really keep it "clean" for long. At least one of the mobile headlight restoration trucks around SoCal does sanding also, then a layer of clear 3M film or sealant.

Are they any good JKO? Also, how much? (for future reference, not ready to do it yet).

[Lanister]

It's a requirement when you wanna mess with facelift coupe lights. Point is that baking them is annoying, and if it's not necessary don't waste your time

Right. I guess when it comes to messing about with coupe headlights, the rule should be to plan out all the mods, bake-open, do it once, do it right and never look back.

:)

[Lanister]

You're better off sanding them on your own assuming it's the outside of the lens that are degraded, have rock chips, etc.

I've baked my lights twice myself and I sprayed then sanded the turn signal lights' lens to give them a smoked look. That's when I noticed that it cleared it up significantly...

The 3M kit, toothpaste trick, etc. works on older cars with yellow lights but doesn't really keep it "clean" for long. At least one of the mobile headlight restoration trucks around SoCal does sanding also, then a layer of clear 3M film or sealant.

JKO, in speaking with the dude today, he let out the reason why I had no luck with a 3M kit. Essentially, on 03+ coupes at least, the OEM clear coat is pretty hard to get off so 500 grit disks that came with the kit have lost their efficiency way before they could get to the plastic surface. Apparently, the OEM clear coat is a government requirement but actually doesn't quite hold up to the elements. In fact, he advised against any clear coats after the refinish, saying that it would be much easier (and faster) to "once over" several years down the road. I reckon a 3M clear film might be ok, assuming it can be removed at later time. That's when the 3M lens restoration kit will actually become a good and cheap option.

[JKO_ZHP]

Are they any good JKO? Also, how much? (for future reference, not ready to do it yet).

The 3M Headlight Restoration kit was under 20 bucks when I bought one a few years ago, but I didn't use it on the ZHP. My dad used it on the family Nissan Quest and it really cleared up the yellow haziness. With the ZHP though I don't think yellowing is a problem for the facelift coupes....don't know about others, but all I have are scattered rock chips.

There was a Groupon deal not too long ago for SoCal residents (OC), some mobile headlight restoration service. Deal was like 50% off I think and people gave it good reviews but what I heard from someone was that they use sandpaper, which means literally anyone can DIY with a quick trip to Lowe's or Home Depot.

When me and a buddy smoked the turn signals, it came out too dark at first so we sanded it down. It came out nice and even, didn't damage the lens which I thought it would, and it was smooth. I regret not doing the entire headlight lens that day...

[DARXIDE]

The 3M Headlight Restoration kit was under 20 bucks when I bought one a few years ago, but I didn't use it on the ZHP. My dad used it on the family Nissan Quest and it really cleared up the yellow haziness. With the ZHP though I don't think yellowing is a problem for the facelift coupes....don't know about others, but all I have are scattered rock chips.

There was a Groupon deal not too long ago for SoCal residents (OC), some mobile headlight restoration service. Deal was like 50% off I think and people gave it good reviews but what I heard from someone was that they use sandpaper, which means literally anyone can DIY with a quick trip to Lowe's or Home Depot.

When me and a buddy smoked the turn signals, it came out too dark at first so we sanded it down. It came out nice and even, didn't damage the lens which I thought it would, and it was smooth. I regret not doing the entire headlight lens that day...

I've got some sand damage and rock chips on mine. Were you able to get some of the smaller chips out with sandpaper? From what the previous posts say, I gather there is a "baking" process to separate the lens? I could have sworn I'd seen lenses for sale at some point. No?

[Lanister]

DARXIDE, there's no option to replace the lens for our coupes, unfortunately. Check my build thread (link in my sig) to see the before and after the lens restoration. It took care of most of the rock marks. Looks very good for $60. Didn't even have to remove the headlights.

[johnrando]

You can bake them to loosen the glue and remove them, but just for lens repair I'd try the sanding, etc.

[DARXIDE]

Giya, thanks....wasted the last part of my workday reading your thread like a good book! haha I've got all the same issues, but it's all recorded analog (old school little green lab book). I plan to use your page as my template to post on here! Great taste, sweet car (I'd choose graphite for my next one).

So I've recently filed a sand damage claim and my insurance co. wants to total my car based in large part to replacement costs: $1k per headlight, the finishers, and windshield. So since the finishers will be removed for paint, I thought maybe I could copy your Autozone solution for rubber replacement.

Randeaux,
Thanks, I will try the sandpaper! Otherwise, I am assuming I could take the opportunity to upgrade? lol I'm interested in the no holes license plate...since they'll be prepping the bumper cover anyway. Next is brakes and installing the ST suspension I won at Bimmerfest!

[johnrando]

I'm switching from a gominigo no holes plate to a US Millworks one due to the quick release function. I haven't listed mine for sale yet but LMK if you're interested, I'll offer a good price. It works great, absolutely no issues, I just want quick release.

GL on the lens cleaning.

[DARXIDE]

Definitely! The quick release sounds like a definite "nice to have", but please pm me when you get around to replacing yours!

Oh and thanks, I'll take all the luck I can get!

[bloodspatteranalyst]

Giya, I've been having the exact same problem. My "before" looks exactly the same. I also have an SGM coupe and tried the 3M kit. It worked alright, most chips are gone, but the lens still has a very light haze and a few remaining deep chips. Do you know how the guy did it? I'm thinking maybe I just need to use even rougher sandpaper instead of the 500 grit one provided by the 3M kit.

[Lanister]

Giya, thanks....wasted the last part of my workday reading your thread like a good book! haha I've got all the same issues, but it's all recorded analog (old school little green lab book). I plan to use your page as my template to post on here! Great taste, sweet car (I'd choose graphite for my next one).

So I've recently filed a sand damage claim and my insurance co. wants to total my car based in large part to replacement costs: $1k per headlight, the finishers, and windshield. So since the finishers will be removed for paint, I thought maybe I could copy your Autozone solution for rubber replacement.


I'm glad you found my project thread useful :) It certainly helps me justify all the time I've spent documenting everything. Once you're done with all the little external bits, your car will look and feel mint. Let me know if you have questions along the way.


Giya, I've been having the exact same problem. My "before" looks exactly the same. I also have an SGM coupe and tried the 3M kit. It worked alright, most chips are gone, but the lens still has a very light haze and a few remaining deep chips. Do you know how the guy did it? I'm thinking maybe I just need to use even rougher sandpaper instead of the 500 grit one provided by the 3M kit.

Bloodspatteranalyst, it looks like you've gotten much further with the 3M kit than I did. When I tried it, it felt like I've made 0.5% progress as I just couldn't get the clear film off. This is why I gave up and had the guy do it for me. In his words, he has done these many times and getting the clear film off took the most work. He was at it by hand for about 2-3 hours. I know he used several types of automotive-grade sand paper with water. I recall the first one was rougher than 500 grit but not sure which one exactly. Only the final polish he did using a drill with a buffing wheel. I found him on Yelp so it's not like he's some underground headlight ninja. I wouldn't be surprised if there are similar folks in SoCal. To be honest, given the price, I'd still call that guy up over doing it myself and I love doing my own work.

[bloodspatteranalyst]

Bloodspatteranalyst, it looks like you've gotten much further with the 3M kit than I did. When I tried it, it felt like I've made 0.5% progress as I just couldn't get the clear film off. This is why I gave up and had the guy do it for me. In his words, he has done these many times and getting the clear film off took the most work. He was at it by hand for about 2-3 hours. I know he used several types of automotive-grade sand paper with water. I recall the first one was rougher than 500 grit but not sure which one exactly. Only the final polish he did using a drill with a buffing wheel. I found him on Yelp so it's not like he's some underground headlight ninja. I wouldn't be surprised if there are similar folks in SoCal. To be honest, given the price, I'd still call that guy up over doing it myself and I love doing my own work.

2-3 hours? Damn. I wouldn't mind shelling out $75 if it meant saving 3 hrs of my time. What's his business called? Not that I'd come all the way up to NorCal for it, but I'm just curious.

[Lanister]

http://www.yelp.com/biz/lightsavers-mobile-headlight-restoration-san-jose#query:headlight%20restore

[bloodspatteranalyst]

http://www.yelp.com/biz/lightsavers-mobile-headlight-restoration-san-jose#query:headlight%20restore

Yep, tons of those around here too, and same prices. Thank you.

[ELCID86]

if you do them or have them done, you may want to look at sealing them (spray or maybe lamin-x) so you don't have to redo them as often.