Headlight lens coating
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 306
Likes: 55
From: Hernando, ms.38632
Headlight lens coating
Do any of you guys recommend a headlight lens coating?. Recently bought a 2007 coupe. The headlight lens have been polished. And, I believe the coating has been polished off. There must be 50 different ones available. Some say must use heat lamp to cure.others do not. Anybody have experience with one of these coatings.
Thanks
Thanks
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 306
Likes: 55
From: Hernando, ms.38632
Headlight lens coating
I would like to find something that's more or less permanent like the factory stuff. Nobody in my area offers or installs a semi permanent coating. I have seen a few sprays and a couple you wipe on. Since I'll have to do it myself, I am hoping to stay away from one that requires a special lamp or heat to cure.
Thanks, phil
Thanks, phil
Racer
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 255
Likes: 94
From: West Palm Beach, Florida
I'm getting ready to do mine on my weekend and I'll try to remember to grab some before and after pics for here. Going to use Mother's Mag & Aluminum Polish on 3" DA and then cover them with Llumar Paint Protection Film (PPF) for UV and debris protection. They don't have any significant cracks/chips/scratches/etc. Just areas/patches there clear coat is coming off. No need for any 500/800/1000/etc. wet sanding on them to give and idea of severity.
I'm not a fan of anything trying to replace to the original lights clear coat with any type of aerosols/potions. IMO, you're never going to get it that smooth and thin again.
Nothing will be long term anyhow, but the PPF will get you a couple, three years imo, and then you just peel it off, clean with alcohol
and apply new. With the others you will most likely be refinishing and protecting the plastic again
I've never done vette lights, but I've used good quality PPFs Xpel/Llumar/3M/etc. on my trucks with no issues.
As mentioned above, there is a discussion that could be had on 'heat build up' due to PPF being put on the lenses. I run stock bulbs and have never had any heat related issues using it.
Curious to see what others have had success with
I'm not a fan of anything trying to replace to the original lights clear coat with any type of aerosols/potions. IMO, you're never going to get it that smooth and thin again.
Nothing will be long term anyhow, but the PPF will get you a couple, three years imo, and then you just peel it off, clean with alcohol
and apply new. With the others you will most likely be refinishing and protecting the plastic againI've never done vette lights, but I've used good quality PPFs Xpel/Llumar/3M/etc. on my trucks with no issues.
As mentioned above, there is a discussion that could be had on 'heat build up' due to PPF being put on the lenses. I run stock bulbs and have never had any heat related issues using it.
Curious to see what others have had success with
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Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 21,631
Likes: 1,144
From: Below the bottom of Berby Hollow, NYS
There was a pretty lengthy thread here 2-3 months ago about this subject that had some good ideas. CLICK HERE.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 640
Likes: 146
From: Texas
From my experience you're not going to get anywhere with the OEM clear with anything over 240 grit sandpaper. And if you're going to repolish them you really need to remove any former clear from the assembly. The other side of this sword is that you really, really chew through the light with that low of grit and it will require a lot of patience when you go to repolish them as you'll slowly need to work you're way back up to 3k as those low grits leave a ton of sanding marks. Those kits you get at AutoZone with the sandpaper will not work as I think they start at like 500 grit.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 2,385
Likes: 939
From: PNW
^ nah. you can stop at 800 (i've done this, though not on a vette yet) grit if spraying with a permanent solution (2k clear). clear fills in those scratches just fine.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...polishing.html
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...polishing.html
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 306
Likes: 55
From: Hernando, ms.38632
my lens have been polished and restored. but, it appears that it took off the factory uv coating on the lens also. almost any type of these polishing systems will also remove the factory protective coating. i noticed the coating left on the outside edges of the lens and researched to find out what i was seeing. so i have been looking for a coating that's uv resistant and clear that i can apply to my refinished lens that will be clear and smooth.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 640
Likes: 146
From: Texas
^ nah. you can stop at 800 (i've done this, though not on a vette yet) grit if spraying with a permanent solution (2k clear). clear fills in those scratches just fine.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...polishing.html
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...polishing.html
Last edited by Narddog; Sep 11, 2019 at 07:34 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,667
Likes: 159
IF the clear coat is fully off like mine, I just use a little Ajax and a sponge every month or so to really shine and clear them up.
I have new lens to install over Thanksgiving break, so I've not bothered trying to put another clear coat on them.
I also have internal spider cracks on one of them.......
I have new lens to install over Thanksgiving break, so I've not bothered trying to put another clear coat on them.
I also have internal spider cracks on one of them.......
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 2,385
Likes: 939
From: PNW
If you haven't done it in a Vette, which I have, then how can you have any input? 800 will not remove the factory clear. I wasted hours when I used a kit and still had clear coat cracking and it was because I realized it was because the included 500 wasn't rough enough to remove the clear. If you have headlights that aren't that bad, then sure 800 might work. But if you plan on respraying / laying down new clear, you need to remove the OEM coat first which can not be done with that high of grit.
Hint: Start with a lower grit and work up to 800, then stop. Get it? Nowhere did I imply to start with 800. You failing to comprehend what was written is on you.
And FWIW, I do not think for a second that the coating is any harder on the vette than it was on my cadillac., which I did do. You can believe what you want though, and that is my input.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 640
Likes: 146
From: Texas
What part of "stop at 800" do you not understand, kid? Seriously.
Hint: Start with a lower grit and work up to 800, then stop. Get it? Nowhere did I imply to start with 800. You failing to comprehend what was written is on you.
And FWIW, I do not think for a second that the coating is any harder on the vette than it was on my cadillac., which I did do. You can believe what you want though, and that is my input.
Hint: Start with a lower grit and work up to 800, then stop. Get it? Nowhere did I imply to start with 800. You failing to comprehend what was written is on you.
And FWIW, I do not think for a second that the coating is any harder on the vette than it was on my cadillac., which I did do. You can believe what you want though, and that is my input.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 3,556
Likes: 537
