Cleaning up yellowed headlamps for less than $15 in 10 min

[Soul Shinobi]

My '92 Legacy has the original headlight covers, and with 250,000 miles on the car they're pretty worn. Now, I'm not about to go blow some money on brand new ones, and would have more pride anyway if I polished them myself. What I need from you guys is advice on just what method to use, I have three options:

1) Meguiars PlastX Clear Plastic Cleaner & Polish, I don't know exactly how this stuff works, but it's only $2.99 at my local auto store and I've heard it's good, really freaking good for a manual polish. Because of pits I may need more than this, so I come to option 2.

2) "5 Minute Optical Polish." This is a buffing kit with an attachment for a standard drill that comes with six polishing pads. I believe the pads have a polishing substance in them. I actually have already purchased this, and probably paid too much (My '92 Legacy has the original headlight covers, and with 250,000 miles on the car they're pretty worn. Now, I'm not about to go blow some money on brand new ones, and would have more pride anyway if I polished them myself. What I need from you guys is advice on just what method to use, I have three options:

1) Meguiars PlastX Clear Plastic Cleaner & Polish, I don't know exactly how this stuff works, but it's only $2.99 at my local auto store and I've heard it's good, really freaking good for a manual polish. Because of pits I may need more than this, so I come to option 2.

2) "5 Minute Optical Polish." This is a buffing kit with an attachment for a standard drill that comes with six polishing pads. I believe the pads have a polishing substance in them. I actually have already purchased this, and probably paid too much (perhaps $12, I could see it being sold for $5 (hypothetically I mean)), but the guy at the store said they cleaned up his wife's Acura real well.

3) Both. Well, I am a perfectionist at heart, so I was wondering if perhaps I could try to use option 1 to clean the lamp covers, then option 2 to do a finishing polish. I know so little about how option 1 works chemically, so this is why I'm asking at all.

Thanks, I'll be sure to post before and after pictures later!

EDIT: Might using the PlastX cleaner with the pads be a good idea, or bad? I think that might be over doing it... Just a thought.), but the guy at the store said they cleaned up his wife's Acura real well.

3) Both. Well, I am a perfectionist at heart, so I was wondering if perhaps I could try to use option 1 to clean the lamp covers, then option 2 to do a finishing polish. I know so little about how option 1 works chemically, so this is why I'm asking at all.

Thanks, I'll be sure to post before and after pictures later!

EDIT: Might using the PlastX cleaner with the pads be a good idea, or bad? I think that might be over doing it... Just a thought.

[kidatari]

Before/after pics?

[vrg3]

If you insist on just using these options, use the "5 Minute Optical Polish" stuff (according to its instructions) first and then the PlasticX. Follow up with some carnauba wax if you can.

It'll help, but the lenses will still be yellowed.

If you're a perfectionist at heart, this is a waste of time. I think you should spend a little more time and do the sand-and-clearcoat method.

[206er]

I sanded with 400, wetsanded with 600, polished with toothpaste, called it good. I wouldnt trust any clearcoat I can spray to stay clear in a harsh environment. I just polish mine with some motoroil every couple weeks(20 seconds worht or so) and they stay like glass.
vikash, if he's happy with the results I wouldnt call it a waste of time.

[Soul Shinobi]

To be honest the main reason I'm going for these methods is money. I don't really have a lot right now, and I just got the car so I'm not fully attached/committed to it yet.

Though fine sanding is something I'm familiar with, I must confess that I'm new to car hardware (I'm very much a computer hardware guy, though, and am trying to make the transition) and I honestly do not know what a clearcoat is. But at least, god dammit, I can admit it rather than pretend I know what I'm doing.

EDIT: might a find sanding then using the 5 minute buffer be better??

[vrg3]

I didn't say it would be a waste of time. My sentence was of an "if-then" construction. Anybody after perfection would be unhappy with suboptimal results, no?

Sanding and clear coat shouldn't cost more money than the miracle cure stuff and the plastic polish all together.

Clearcoat is just transparent paint made for painting automobiles. It's rugged because it's designed to withstand the elements and stay pretty.

Legacy777 did a how-to thread with pictures explaining how to do the sand-and-clearcoat method of fixing headlights. You can search for it.

[Soul Shinobi]

Might it be the one that's a sticky in this subforum?

[vrg3]

Yes, it might.

[mattyg41383]

I used the PlastX, and at first i didnt think I liked it, but the more I look at it I notice a difference. I just got some applicator-type pads and used elbow grease for about 5 mins each. It'll shine em up, and for $3 or whatever it costs, its worth it.

My headlights weren't too aweful, becuase i had swapped them off a parts car that had better ones. PlastX did not make a dent on the yellowing/fading on my girlfriend's 98 Neon, we bought aftermarket. So it depends on how bad they are.

[n2x4]

I bought those 5 minute polish pads from advanced auto, and I was impressed.
I used one pad per headlight, you just have to be careful for the three plastic pieces that stick up from the surface of the headlight, they get in the way. After I used the pads, there was some light pitting on the headlight, but I'm pretty sure that had just happened over time, not from the polishing pad. I vote the 5 minute polish, it's much better than what it is now.
Just wash them really well before you sand, and wash them after you sand too. I'll get you a pic in the morning.

EDIT: My headlights were on a 90 L, so they had a lot of yellow and were really bad, but you'll see in the pic.

[IronMonkeyL255]

I sanded/clearcoated, then for touch-up I occasionally use plast-x or the 5-min polish.