Headlight protectors

[bigblock8396375]

Anyone using these?http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230414809223&viewitem=#ht_3519wt_948

[blacksambo]

Probably okay. But remember that un-touched VX headlights already have a UV coating that this product may remove when you take them off.

[Triathlete]

Probably okay. But remember that un-touched VX headlights already have a UV coating that this product may remove when you take them off.

We have uv protection on our headlights? Would never know from all the hazieness.:winky:

[bigblock8396375]

Aren't they for stone protection?

[blacksambo]

Mine stilll look great 133K LATER.

[vt_maverick]

Mine stilll look great 133K LATER.

Never polished or protected them and they still look great at 133K? :eek: That's hard to believe.

[vt_maverick]

I bought them a few months ago but haven't had a chance to install them yet. They're not designed to be a UV protectant but rather an abrasion guard (whether it be stone, sand, etc.). If you've ever polished your headlights you've already chewed off whatever UV protectant was already there. And UV protectant obviously doesn't help with scratch/haze resistance.

[VX KAT]

I also bought them, haven't installed yet. Wanted to get my headlights as perfect as possible before I do. I'm still not satisfied with my polish job. Every time I think I've got it, the next day I see too many swirls.

I think these things look really good when I've just laid them on. They're really pretty thick so they'd protect from stones. I already have a little chip in one from my mega trip last fall.

Mav promised he'd install his first.....come on bud, I wanta see how it goes and get install tips!

[Grif]

I too have held off on these, and I too am not completely satisfied with my headlight restoration attempts. They look *much* better than before, but till I get them as near to perfect as I can, I'm not gonna get the protectors. I've used a PlastX polishing kit and a 3M polishing kit each with their own downsides. Now an "expert" I met told me to attack it with the very finest steel wool I can find. Eventually I'll get them back up to snuff and install these, its on the list.

[Riff Raff]

Aren't they for stone protection?

Yes, they are for stone protection only and do not offer any UV protection. My concern would be if hazing reappeared later on after they'd been applied. Can the same covers be removed and reapplied later; or, once they are removed do new ones have to be re-purchased??? I don't believe the stone guards will prevent eventual hazing from the sun.

Personally, my best stone protection method is not to tailgate the vehicle in front of me (it saves both my headlights & paint job), while giving me greater braking distance/reaction time.

:bgwb:

[VX KAT]

They can be removed, but they're one use only.

[Gussie2000]

I haven't done my head lights restoration so far.
But got GTS covers that i bought @ summitracing.com.

When it comes to protect them from stones & UV these are the best choice i can think of so far.

GTS covers comes in dark,transparent & carbon fiber.

[vt_maverick]

I also bought them, haven't installed yet. Wanted to get my headlights as perfect as possible before I do. I'm still not satisfied with my polish job. Every time I think I've got it, the next day I see too many swirls.

I think these things look really good when I've just laid them on. They're really pretty thick so they'd protect from stones. I already have a little chip in one from my mega trip last fall.

Mav promised he'd install his first.....come on bud, I wanta see how it goes and get install tips!

Gotta cool it with VX stuff for a few weeks at least... you can pretty much imagine Sonya standing just off-camera in each of the "Beach" thread pictures rolling her eyes and wondering when we can move on to taking pictures of the actual scenery. :o In all seriousness I'm slammed at work and traveling 2 out of the next 4 weeks, so I'll try to get them installed by the end of the month if possible.

I sold the Borbets to RAZ and in the process met a fantastic wheel/headlight/body damage repair place that wants to take a look to see what they can do. Yes it will be more expensive than doing it yourself in the short run, but if I pay a professional to do it perfect once, then put these covers on and never need to d it again, I think it pays for itself.

[rowhard]

When I had my VX windows tinted, what, 5 years ago, I had the headlights covered in Lexan, hand cut and molded. Now I know we don't get a lot of UV issue's here in Washington State, but I have had no clouding issues since covering them.

[RabidPony]

I polished my lights last year and they still look perfect. I guess it just depends on how nitpicky you are when you do it. Then again, I used to be a professional detailer so I use a high speed polisher and some different product instead of those kits from the store. Ideally though, a good polish job and then covering them with the 3M stoneguard or lexan, like Rowhard did, is the best idea. Personally though, I'd just take it to a trusted body shop and have them apply the stoneguard to your lights using a single sheet and a heat gun. That way there's no gap like there would be with this kit.

[Mile High VX]

Then again, I used to be a professional detailer so I use a high speed polisher and some different product instead of those kits from the store.

So share your secrets with the rest of us that are perfectionist...:bwgy::smilewink:bgwo::bgwb:

And when you say "hig speed" what does that mean?...3000 rpm, 6000 rpm, what are we taking here?

[JAMAS]

So share your secrets with the rest of us that are perfectionist...:bwgy::smilewink:bgwo::bgwb:

And when you say "hig speed" what does that mean?...3000 rpm, 6000 rpm, what are we taking here?

I have one of these (http://www.amazon.com/Porter-Cable-7424-Variable-Random-Orbit-Polisher/dp/B00004SUQ8)

4 Amp motor runs at 2,500-6,000 OPM

[blacksambo]

Yes! They still look great after 133K, and my wife's 66K '99 looks great too. So the factory UV protection must offer something beneficial.

[vt_maverick]

I think what happens is that the factory UV coating reduces over time, and this process is exacerbated when you sand them back to clear. Sanding makes them clear but likely takes off all the UV coating, which is probably why the headlights return to their previous haze/craze more quickly than the first time.

This is why protectors are so critical. I'm eager to get my headlights fixed and covered with Stongard, hopefully that will take care of the issue permanently.

[Luna X]

for people who are sprayer-friendly, you can sand the lights with 1000 grit, then clear-coat 'em with a good quality auto refinish clear.... that will take care of it for many years.

if I can ever get to feelin' better, I plan on doing that to my lights, and will most likely add a little tint to the clear.

[vt_maverick]

That's a really good idea Luna - any thought on how much that might cost?

[Riff Raff]

I think what happens is that the factory UV coating reduces over time, and this process is exacerbated when you sand them back to clear. Sanding makes them clear but likely takes off all the UV coating, which is probably why the headlights return to their previous haze/craze more quickly than the first time.

This is why protectors are so critical. I'm eager to get my headlights fixed and covered with Stongard, hopefully that will take care of the issue permanently.

Huh, I'm confused??? Once the factory UV coating is gone; then it's gone for good. Putting the Stonegard covers on is not going to prevent the Sun's UV rays from passing thru the covers and re-yellowing the lenses underneath. The Stonegard protectors only purpose is to protect the lights from flying stones, not UV.

:_confused

[vt_maverick]

I thought they did have UV protection... Oh well, maybe I'll just run with Luna's idea.

[Luna X]

That's a really good idea Luna - any thought on how much that might cost?


well, if you take the lights off and bring them to a shop..... I would expect $50-75.

THEN put that stone guard on.

now your lights would look brand-spankin' new, and with the stone guard, they will stay looking new for another 10 years or more.... just don't crash the VX... those stone guards won't quite hold up for that..... :winky:

[bigblock8396375]

I agree with Luna also, a good automotive urethane clear will also have uv protection.

[VX KAT]

I polished my lights last year and they still look perfect. I guess it just depends on how nitpicky you are when you do it. Then again, I used to be a professional detailer so I use a high speed polisher and some different product instead of those kits from the store. Ideally though, a good polish job and then covering them with the 3M stoneguard or lexan, like Rowhard did, is the best idea. Personally though, I'd just take it to a trusted body shop and have them apply the stoneguard to your lights using a single sheet and a heat gun. That way there's no gap like there would be with this kit.

The "gap" you're referring to?? Is it the slight potential air space between the stongard film covers and the hard plastic of the headlights?

Would heating the stongard covers with a hair dryer be a good install tip? Any other tips?

Any other type of UV inhibitor that can be applied to the headlights or to our stongard film covers? Anything like a consumer spray-on UV?



I thought they did have UV protection... Oh well, maybe I'll just run with Luna's idea.

I'd asked the ebay seller of our Stongard covers about UV protection. He didn't "think" they had any. Maybe we could drill down a bit further with the manufacturer about it?

[Riff Raff]

Any other type of UV inhibitor that can be applied to the headlights or to our stongard film covers? Anything like a consumer spray-on UV?


The only type of spray-on topical treatment UV inhibitor I know of is STP brand "Son of a Gun".

:bgwb:

[VX KAT]

The only type of spray-on topical treatment UV inhibitor I know of is STP brand "Son of a Gun".

:bgwb:

Aerospace 303 is a 40 SPF, but says not to apply to clear plastic...but I've actually done it a time or two.....world hasn't ended,....oh, that's next year anyway :laugho:.......maybe I'll write to the mfg and ask why, what the issue is.....

[etlsport]

Aerospace 303 is a 40 SPF, but says not to apply to clear plastic...but I've actually done it a time or two.....world hasn't ended,....oh, that's next year anyway :laugho:.......maybe I'll write to the mfg and ask why, what the issue is.....

I was going to say that.. ive used it on my headlights before (shhh!) it worked ok, but if you dont wipe it up immediately, it leaves spotting that are really tough to get out, i got some on my gauge cluster and didnt notice, took like 15-20 minutes of buffing with plast-x to remove them

lots of shops are now getting kits in to restore headlights, they are a bit different than what you can buy from a store. the kits we got for the shop are sanding and buffing like any other, but include a final clear coat with UV resistance. according to the manufacturer it is supposed to last 4 years (but no actual warranty to my knowledge) last time i was at a pep boys i saw they were advertising that they do headlight restorations too

[RabidPony]

Kat, the gap I was referring to was where that ebay kit has the sheet for the main body of the kit then the second piece for the horns. If that's what that second piece is for anyway. If you did it with a single sheet and used heat and application solution, you could apply the stoneguard to the light and shape it to cover the whole thing, horn included. I looked at your install thread, looks like you did a good job to me. Give it a few weeks and some of those lines and bubbles should either be less noticeable of go away altogether.

[VX KAT]

Kat, the gap I was referring to was where that ebay kit has the sheet for the main body of the kit then the second piece for the horns. If that's what that second piece is for anyway. If you did it with a single sheet and used heat and application solution, you could apply the stoneguard to the light and shape it to cover the whole thing, horn included. I looked at your install thread, looks like you did a good job to me. Give it a few weeks and some of those lines and bubbles should either be less noticeable of go away altogether.

Wow, you means there's still hope? That's great to hear. Can I still hit them with a hair dryer now (day, 5 I think) and try to get some of those small lines out? Or would that be a bad idea at this point? The outer side of the horn (on both lenses) has completely come loose, not adhering at all. :( I'm thinking it may be best to just cut that small section off.

...and the 2nd piece you're referring to I "think" is the cover for the turn signals. The headlight is all one piece.

[RabidPony]

Yup, there's still hope. Make a mixture of about a cup of warm water and a few drops of dish soap and put it in a spray bottle. Get out the hairdrier and warm up the stoneguard a section at a time, also turn on the lights to help keep the plastic warm. You will also need something to smooth/work the stoneguard. I recommend the soft plastic plaster/bondo scrapers (pictured below). Warm the stoneguard with your hairdryer and spray it with the mixture then slowly work it with scraper. Go slowly and carefully and keep the stoneguard warm. If you do decide to peel them off and try again, send me a pm and I'll post some extra pointers.

Oh, and you're right, I thought that other piece was for the horns.

[RICHARD PAYNE]

We have uv protection on our headlights? Would never know from all the hazieness.:winky:

You need to polish those baby! We do everyone of ours.:winky: