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#1
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99 Taurus Headlight "De-Hazing" Results
Like many of you with plastic headlamps, my 99 Taurus' ones were
hazed/fogged/scratched/pitted/etc....Not much light coming thru! Owned the car since new, never did anything to maintain them...tho I frequently cleaned them with a filling station window sponge/squeegee (yeah, THAT didnt help!) So, I set out to polish 'em back to some semblance of decency. Here's what I tried: -Toothpaste (Colgate): I've used toothpaste on a terry towel for years as a safe plastic cleaner and polish. Started to take the haze off, but nowhere near aggressive enough. -Turtle Wax Polishing Compound-green can: Slightly more aggressive but similar to toothpaste. -Meguiars Step 1 Paint Cleaner: Some effect on haze, nada on scratches. -Fine Brass wool: tried on small area, WAY too aggressive. Wish I'd had some 0000 steel wool to try out. -Gel Gloss: Similar to toothpaste & Polishing Compund. Left a nice coating when wiped off. -3M 39002 Perfect-it II Rubbing Compound Fine Cut. Did the best job of all, but still took a lot of elbow grease . Might have been nice to have this in a medium cut version. I ended up using the 3M 39002 on a soft ~2" wheel on a drill at slow speed. I got all the haze off and mitigated the scratches & pitting. Polished with Gel Gloss. Looks ( & probably works) WAY better. --Don Don Byrer KJ5KB Radar Tech & Smilin' Commercial Pilot Guy Glider & CFI wannabe kj5kb-at-hotmail.com "I have slipped the surly bonds of earth; now if I can just land without bending the gear..." "Watch out for those doves...<smack-smack-smack-smack...>" |
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#2
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99 Taurus Headlight "De-Hazing" Results
Don Byrer wrote:
<trimmed lots of good info on how NOT to clean headlamps> > I ended up using the 3M 39002 on a soft ~2" wheel on a drill at slow > speed. I got all the haze off and mitigated the scratches & pitting. > Polished with Gel Gloss. Looks ( & probably works) WAY better. > > trimmed a pretty cool sig < ...doves...smack, smack, smack...I love it! The best thing I've found is 3M 39002 with an electric buffer. Anything done by hand is going to take a long time and LOTS of elbow grease. (As you have found) The buffing takes off the original UV coating (Like that's a big loss). There needs to be a protective coating added or the fogging will reappear quickly. Gel Gloss is only a polish. The lenses are now shiny and new looking, but totally unprotected. Give them a bunch (6-10) coats of a Urethane Enamel clear(rattle can if you are good), then keep them cleaned and waxed like you would do the rest of your car. |
#3
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99 Taurus Headlight "De-Hazing" Results
With the coating polished off the lights I would use Plexus to clean/protect
all my clear plastic lenses. Use it regularly on my m/c windshield to clean it, 19k miles and still looking great. I get it at bike dealers, aerosol can spray on, wipe off with microfibre towels. It's made for plastic and it's all I use on my overpriced HD windshield now. |
#4
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99 Taurus Headlight "De-Hazing" Results
Repairman wrote:
> With the coating polished off the lights I would use Plexus to clean/protect > all my clear plastic lenses. Use it regularly on my m/c windshield to clean > it, 19k miles and still looking great. > I get it at bike dealers, aerosol can spray on, wipe off with microfibre > towels. It's made for plastic and it's all I use on my overpriced HD > windshield now. > > Available at an M/C shop you say? I need to look into that product. Thanks for the tip. |
#5
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99 Taurus Headlight "De-Hazing" Results
Thanks to both of ya for the tips...I knew the Gel Gloss was a VERY
temporary measure...but it was free Will look for Plexus around here. The recoating with poly idea sounds interesting but I'd want to pull them out first. I was being lazy and doing 'em on-car. Hey, if I can get another few years' before replacing 'em I'll be quite happy. --Don Don Byrer KJ5KB Radar Tech & Smilin' Commercial Pilot Guy Glider & CFI wannabe kj5kb-at-hotmail.com "I have slipped the surly bonds of earth; now if I can just land without bending the gear..." "Watch out for those doves...<smack-smack-smack-smack...>" |
#6
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99 Taurus Headlight "De-Hazing" Results
On Fri, 15 Jun 2007 18:38:53 -0400, Don Byrer >
wrote: >Like many of you with plastic headlamps, my 99 Taurus' ones were >hazed/fogged/scratched/pitted/etc....Not much light coming thru! Owned >the car since new, never did anything to maintain them...tho I >frequently cleaned them with a filling station window sponge/squeegee >(yeah, THAT didnt help!) > >So, I set out to polish 'em back to some semblance of decency. > >Here's what I tried: > >-Toothpaste (Colgate): I've used toothpaste on a terry towel for >years as a safe plastic cleaner and polish. Started to take the haze >off, but nowhere near aggressive enough. > >-Turtle Wax Polishing Compound-green can: Slightly more aggressive >but similar to toothpaste. > >-Meguiars Step 1 Paint Cleaner: Some effect on haze, nada on >scratches. > >-Fine Brass wool: tried on small area, WAY too aggressive. Wish I'd >had some 0000 steel wool to try out. > >-Gel Gloss: Similar to toothpaste & Polishing Compund. Left a nice >coating when wiped off. > >-3M 39002 Perfect-it II Rubbing Compound Fine Cut. Did the best job >of all, but still took a lot of elbow grease . Might have been nice >to have this in a medium cut version. > >I ended up using the 3M 39002 on a soft ~2" wheel on a drill at slow >speed. I got all the haze off and mitigated the scratches & pitting. >Polished with Gel Gloss. Looks ( & probably works) WAY better. > >--Don >Don Byrer KJ5KB >Radar Tech & Smilin' Commercial Pilot Guy >Glider & CFI wannabe >kj5kb-at-hotmail.com > >"I have slipped the surly bonds of earth; now if I can just land without bending the gear..." >"Watch out for those doves...<smack-smack-smack-smack...>" do a wev seach for headlight cleaner and you will find all kind of productts that claim to restore headlight covers. One is Briteeyes™ Headlight Restorer which sells for around $20. |
#7
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99 Taurus Headlight "De-Hazing" Results
Anyone know where I can buy Plexus in the Toronto, Canada area?
thanks. "Don Byrer" > wrote in message ... > Like many of you with plastic headlamps, my 99 Taurus' ones were > hazed/fogged/scratched/pitted/etc....Not much light coming thru! Owned > the car since new, never did anything to maintain them...tho I > frequently cleaned them with a filling station window sponge/squeegee > (yeah, THAT didnt help!) > > So, I set out to polish 'em back to some semblance of decency. > > Here's what I tried: > > -Toothpaste (Colgate): I've used toothpaste on a terry towel for > years as a safe plastic cleaner and polish. Started to take the haze > off, but nowhere near aggressive enough. > > -Turtle Wax Polishing Compound-green can: Slightly more aggressive > but similar to toothpaste. > > -Meguiars Step 1 Paint Cleaner: Some effect on haze, nada on > scratches. > > -Fine Brass wool: tried on small area, WAY too aggressive. Wish I'd > had some 0000 steel wool to try out. > > -Gel Gloss: Similar to toothpaste & Polishing Compund. Left a nice > coating when wiped off. > > -3M 39002 Perfect-it II Rubbing Compound Fine Cut. Did the best job > of all, but still took a lot of elbow grease . Might have been nice > to have this in a medium cut version. > > I ended up using the 3M 39002 on a soft ~2" wheel on a drill at slow > speed. I got all the haze off and mitigated the scratches & pitting. > Polished with Gel Gloss. Looks ( & probably works) WAY better. > > --Don > Don Byrer KJ5KB > Radar Tech & Smilin' Commercial Pilot Guy > Glider & CFI wannabe > kj5kb-at-hotmail.com > > "I have slipped the surly bonds of earth; now if I can just land without > bending the gear..." > "Watch out for those doves...<smack-smack-smack-smack...>" |
#8
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99 Taurus Headlight "De-Hazing" Results
On Sun, 24 Jun 2007 18:30:34 -0400, <a> wrote:
>Anyone know where I can buy Plexus in the Toronto, Canada area? > >thanks. Try Canadian Tire, I bought some there a couple of years ago. > >"Don Byrer" > wrote in message .. . >> Like many of you with plastic headlamps, my 99 Taurus' ones were >> hazed/fogged/scratched/pitted/etc....Not much light coming thru! Owned >> the car since new, never did anything to maintain them...tho I >> frequently cleaned them with a filling station window sponge/squeegee >> (yeah, THAT didnt help!) >> >> So, I set out to polish 'em back to some semblance of decency. >> >> Here's what I tried: >> >> -Toothpaste (Colgate): I've used toothpaste on a terry towel for >> years as a safe plastic cleaner and polish. Started to take the haze >> off, but nowhere near aggressive enough. >> >> -Turtle Wax Polishing Compound-green can: Slightly more aggressive >> but similar to toothpaste. >> >> -Meguiars Step 1 Paint Cleaner: Some effect on haze, nada on >> scratches. >> >> -Fine Brass wool: tried on small area, WAY too aggressive. Wish I'd >> had some 0000 steel wool to try out. >> >> -Gel Gloss: Similar to toothpaste & Polishing Compund. Left a nice >> coating when wiped off. >> >> -3M 39002 Perfect-it II Rubbing Compound Fine Cut. Did the best job >> of all, but still took a lot of elbow grease . Might have been nice >> to have this in a medium cut version. >> >> I ended up using the 3M 39002 on a soft ~2" wheel on a drill at slow >> speed. I got all the haze off and mitigated the scratches & pitting. >> Polished with Gel Gloss. Looks ( & probably works) WAY better. >> >> --Don >> Don Byrer KJ5KB >> Radar Tech & Smilin' Commercial Pilot Guy >> Glider & CFI wannabe >> kj5kb-at-hotmail.com >> >> "I have slipped the surly bonds of earth; now if I can just land without >> bending the gear..." >> "Watch out for those doves...<smack-smack-smack-smack...>" > |
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