Headlight restoration.

Is there a good product out there to polish/rub out your headlights? I believe Meguiar's has a product, by the name of I think, Plast-X to restore them. Does anyone know if it is any good? The headlights on my 98 Monte need a little care. I used Meguair's Scratch-X on the black rear trunk panel and it can out BEAUTIFULLY. Brought that dull nasty black back to shiny glossy, from the factory look. Tried it on the headlights, to little success.

get some sandpaper and the plast-x or rubbing compound (i perfer the novus plastic polish)

sand paper in 1000 and 2000 grit should do it. start with alot of water and the 1000 grit then the 2000 grit, remember keep it wet. Then use the polish or compound. This will keep em looking good for a while, then I perfer to use some clear spray paint on them to keeping lasting for a few years.

I used that meguiers plastic x on a couple of fox mustangs., and it's great as a finishing polish, but if they are reall bad, 3M has a kit with 3 different grit sandpapers and a drill pad that worked awesome. real similar to what BlackSS is talking about, just in Kit form.Took about twenty minutes per side and the lights looked brand new when I was done.
But those lights were awful to start with. Yellowed and so cloudy you couldn't see inside at all, and they were rough to the touch.
If yours aren't that bad, i'd try the plasticX first.

Mine aren't that bad. Just could be better.

Thanks for the tips!

Toothpaste, the white gritty kind. I'm told Acetone woks decent too.

Okay guys, here's what were dealin' with. They're not too awful, but could be better. Think I'll try Dan's method first. If worst comes to worst(making them look worse), I can pick up some new ones at the salvage yard.

Passenger side:


^This is already junkyard light. The original was destroyed behind, and held together with tape and wood

Driver's side(the better of the two):

Careful with the sandpaper method. I ruined my Eclipse light that way. This is how I came to find out about the toothpaste idea. My acetone suggestion came from a police buddy. They do this to squad car headlights when they start to yellow.

Yeah, kinda nervous about it. I think I'll try the Plastx alone first, w/o the sandpaper.

Those aren't bad at all, the plastix should do a good job on those with a little elbow grease.

They're a little bit worse in person, especially the passenger side, but I have seen a lot worse, and I am doing so much to improve the looks of this car, that I think polished headlights would look so much nicer!

Thinking of putting some raised white letter tires on it as well.

Picked up some Plastx and sand paper on Monday. Polished the headlights with the Plastx alone. It worked...but not as well as I would have liked. Plan on washing the car today, so while I have the hose out, I'll try a little sanding. Wish me luck guys...lol

Thats why you use 1000 grit and then 2000 grit. all you do is lightly sand to get the soft contaminated layer off. If you want you can just use the 2000 grit and then polish

Well, just like always, when I try something I'm nervous about, I fail. Wet sanded, polished, made it worse. Just the passenger side(worst one of the two). Brought it back mostly to what it looked like before the sanding, but not 100%. Driver's side is alright. Wasn't bad to begin with. They look like hell though when the lights are on. STILL full of tiny scratches. Looks like someone sat there, with a wire brush, and tapped the hell out of the lens with it. I'm starting to not like Meguiars's anymore. They're whoa nelly never works for me, and it pisses me off!!! So, I'll probably end up buying a new one at the salvage yard for $25.