#107197 - 12/27/07 04:02 PM
Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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Member
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Registered: 05/23/03
Posts: 8078
Loc: Austin, TX
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Headlight restoration: Originally posted by spillway47: As promised, here is the write up and the before and after pictures of my passenger's side headlight, using the Permatex Headlight Restoration Kit to try to undo the crazing at the top of the lens.
Some preliminary info: First, since it was still cold and threatening rain, I just removed the headlight and brought it inside. Second, I followed the manufacturer's directions to the letter.
Permatex gives you four 1/8 sheets of wet/dry sandpaper going from 1000, to 1500, to 2000, and a very fine 2500 to end up with. The container it all comes in serves as a water container where you soak each sheet for 10 minutes before use.
You also get 2 exam gloves, a small piece of soft cloth, and a small bottle of polishing liquid to complete the job.
Since I was dealing primarily with crazing, and no real cracks to speak of, per the instructions I didn't begin with the 1000 grit, I started with the 1500. They recommend you go back and forth with one grit, then up and down with the next one, and so on, which I did. This worked out well since I was going back and forth (side to side) first and last, and only up and down once. It's much easier to go side to side than it is up and down with you've got the headlight out of the car.
They recommend you change the water you're using between each grit, too, which seemed like a good idea to me. As I said, I followed their instructions entirely.
After the sanding was complete, the headlight looked cloudy on the outside, but felt smooth to the touch.
Next comes the polishing, for which they give you about 1 oz. of polishing liquid and a small soft cloth. This will work up a sweat. You really have to get after it, with lots of elbow grease, to get all the ultra-fine sandpaper scratches out of the plastic. I used up almost the entire 1 oz. bottle before I finally got the lens clear and shiny.
Last but not least, I rinsed the lens off with warm running water, and buffed it to a high shine with a microfiber towel.
My conclusions are after the before and after pics.
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My conclusions:
The results (to me) were impressive. My biggest concern was that I wasn't getting enough light through the lens to properly light up the road on my way home every night at midnight, and last night I noticed a huge difference, especially with the brights on.
So all in all, the product worked as advertised, the instructions were clear and easy to understand, and the materials enclosed were top quality.
Having said that, it seems to me that $15.99 is an awful lot of money to spend on four 1/8 sheets of sandpaper, some polishing liquid, and a soft cloth. They also enclose 2 rubber exam gloves, which may be why it's so expensive.
If I had to do it over I'd just buy some similar grit wet/dry sandpaper and use some Turtle Wax polishing compound. There is a link floating around with just those very instructions, and I could've saved maybe $6-$7 by going that route. But if you don't have the time to hunt down the materials, this Permatex kit should do the job.
James.
_________________________
Bobby
Died 5/1/08, resurrected 5/15/08
ASCD SD hood, 17" Bullitts, Overkill PCM, 3.4" Pulley, NGK TR55IX, K&N 9" cone filter, JimmyC D/P, U-bend removed, Flowmaster 40 series, Hooker big bore tips with resonators, S/B brake lines, drilled/slot rotors, GMPP handling kit, KYB struts, F&R strut supports, HID's, LED's, 2.5" Air Dam, red GTP overlays on custom badges, white rear insert.
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97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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HercMan(Rob)
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10/03/05 03:22 PM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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HercMan(Rob)
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05/13/06 07:40 AM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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AustinGTP
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08/23/06 08:30 PM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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AustinGTP
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09/06/06 06:22 PM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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HercMan(Rob)
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02/27/07 10:27 AM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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HercMan(Rob)
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03/31/07 01:41 PM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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AustinGTP
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04/08/07 06:43 PM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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HercMan(Rob)
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04/10/07 04:29 PM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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HercMan(Rob)
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04/26/07 05:44 PM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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AustinGTP
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07/15/07 09:31 AM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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HercMan(Rob)
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10/18/07 07:21 AM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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HercMan(Rob)
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10/19/07 07:44 AM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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HercMan(Rob)
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11/08/07 10:17 AM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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HercMan(Rob)
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11/19/07 07:38 PM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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AustinGTP
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12/27/07 04:02 PM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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AustinGTP
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02/13/08 06:45 PM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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HercMan(Rob)
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03/15/08 04:54 PM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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HercMan(Rob)
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04/07/08 07:36 PM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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HercMan(Rob)
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04/10/08 05:45 PM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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HercMan(Rob)
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05/24/08 09:36 AM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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HercMan(Rob)
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08/26/08 04:03 PM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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HercMan(Rob)
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11/22/08 05:15 PM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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HercMan(Rob)
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12/18/08 06:57 AM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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HercMan(Rob)
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01/06/09 08:08 AM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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HercMan(Rob)
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01/12/09 08:24 PM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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HercMan(Rob)
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02/11/09 02:36 PM
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Re: 97-03 FAQ, Perf mods, common fixes read first
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HercMan(Rob)
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05/19/09 12:21 PM
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