So if you are tired of your ugly headlights, you should give this a try. I'm actually doing this for my brother, I'll probably do mine next.
Supplies needed:

*Polisher/Buffer with adjustable speed (Harbor Freight has one for about $40)
*Good wool pad and foam pad, and Heavy Cutting compound, Medium cutting compound, and a liquid polish at the end (Bought a meguiars wool pad, foam pad, heavy cut and medium cut compound on ebay for $61 shipped and liquid polish I used was Nu Finish from autozone, about $8)
*600 grit, 1000 grit, 1500 grit, and 2000 grit wet sanding paper and bucket of water
*Some cotton cloths or terry cloths
*A lot of elbow grease and patience lol

So to start off, here's all of my supplies:

Ugly headlight






Step 1:
Start wetsanding the headlight down with the 600 grit sandpaper. Note: You can use even lesser grit if you have really deep scratches or cracks, but since this headlight was mostly yellow and just rough, 600 was adequate.
This should be the result:




Step 2:
Empty bucket so you dont have little particles floating around that could scratch your headlights even more. Same process as step one, just this time, use 1000 grit sandpaper.


Step 3:
Empty bucket again and this time use 1500 grit sandpaper.


Step 4:
Again, same as step 3, but this is the final step in wetsanding. Use 2000 grit sandpaper and finish off the wetsanding, making sure everything looks right.


Alright, you got this far. Now its time to buff.
First, wipe off the headlights and make sure they're completely dry.
Then, use your wool pad and heavy cutting compound and get to work!
Note: Don't use too high a speed or you can burn the headlight. Use around 1200 rpm.
The wool pad and heavy cutting compound works quick to get rid of the wetsanding marks.


Now, switch to the foam pad and use the medium cut/polish. This will help remove swirls and polishes the headlight. Again, don't use too fast of a speed.



Wow! Shiny eh? haha Well, final step is to use a liquid polish. I used Nu Finish and it worked great. Apply it with a towel or cloth and let sit for a minute. Then, wipe dry. This should really bring out the shine in the headlight.






There you have it! I did not think it would come out this good, but with enough patience and care, it can come out great. Now to start the other headlight! lol
Hope this DIY helps someone.

 

Wow that's great! Maybe I'm going to consider doing that! Thanks for the DIY!

 

No problem However, make sure you use some sealant or wax and re-wax about every 2-3 months to keep the headlight in good condition.

 

idk about the sand paper thing lol i just need to get rid of the haze without using the sand paper lol

 

i was thinking of doing this to mine

 

turned out great.

 

Thanks man!
It works really well. You don't have to go all out like me, but I did this because the headlights were really bad.
You could try, but these look brand new! If they're just a little hazy, I would use 1500 or 2000 grit sandpaper and sand a little, then use some aggressive compound, then polish after, then wax to protect the headlights.

 

i did mine at work, got the sandpaper from the bodyshop and the buffer from detail. good write up.

 

can i get the 1500 or 2000 grit sandpaper from oreillys? heres a picture of my headlight its not that bad but i want to clean them up...what grit sandpaper do yall recommend?

 

You can get it from Oreilly's, Autozone, Advanced Auto Parts, Walmart, pretty much anywhere (At least in my area lol). And I would suggest 1500 and 2000 with some good elbow grease. Make sure all the defects and the yellowish haze are out before you begin to polish.

 

lol...ok thanks ....what is elbow grease lol i never heard of it lol...

 

lol! It means to put in a lot of effort. In other words, do work!

 

great turnout. Has anyone tried this on a set if jdm itr headlights?

 

lol oooo ok lol

 

i got a Rubbing Compound its heavy duty cleaner do yall think this will work after the wetsanding?

 

If you've wetsanded with 2000, it should work as long as you got the aggresive one. But you have to use a lot more pressure because you're doing it by hand.

 

idk if its the aggressive one it says removes scratches and stains on it lol

 

Brand? What does the product say on it exactly?

 

it says Turtlewax Rubbing compound

 

Yah, thats what I first used on my headlights, came out bad. lol I would recommend some meguiars m105 or m85. Then some polish, then wax.

 

lol...i went to buy meguairs headlight restoration kit today and used it...i can tell the difference and got clean but when i turn on the headlight i can still see the haze but the haze doesnt show a lot.....so i might think about wetsanding the headlights.

 

If there's barely any haze, use 2000 grit and wetsand for a bit. Then, use the compound or polish and go to work

 

after i wetsand with 2000 grit can i use the meguiars plastx to polish or do i need to use compound then polish?

 

It might work with the Plastx, I've heard so from a few people. Try it and let us know

 

very good write up and nice turn out..imma do my corner lights!lol