Cheap fix 12 very ugly headlights

Ask technical questions or post on problems/issues related to the Kizashi under this topic. Symptoms and pictures of your problem are a good idea.
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old tech
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There is already a good post on treating the mild UV damaged headlights but this post is aimed at the really bad ones and fixing them long term. Image
I remove them from the car and wet sand them first with 400 grit sandpaper keeping the headlight wet then I move up to the 600 grit . During the sanding process you will want to change directions to try to keep from making low spots. Then 1200 then finally 2000 grit. On the last sanding you want to go horizontal to try to Deter runs. Now wash the headlight down multiple times with rubbing alcohol and paper towel while the headlight is wet with alcohol you can look into the plastic to see what it will end up looking like once it’s clear coated. 2K clear coat Image
is what you want to use going on eBay at $20 a can. It has a Hardner in it that must be activated before use. It is supposed to be used up within 48 hours of activation. My experience with it is you’re lucky to get that time before spray turns crappy and no longer layers on the surface correctly so I try to use it up when I open it. Image
One can will do five or six pairs of headlights. That’s with giving them three coats. You want them to be wet coats but not heavy. If you do happen to get a run in it, you’re better off to let it dry for a week before wet sanding and buffing it. This is the after shot of the same headlight in the first picture. Image
They can be wet sanded with 3000 grit and then polished but I was happy with how they looked after spraying.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I wanted to update this post. I now sand them with 600 grit and I still use the clearcoat. I find that the clearcoat needs a little bit of roughness to stay attached and it’s just a whole lot faster. Typically when your headlights aren’t too bad, they can be sanded in about five minutes each. I recently finished a pair of headlights that were the worst ones I had ever seen. They were so rough. You could feel the cracks with your fingernail. If they were just a common headlight, like a Camry I would’ve just thrown them away. That’s not the case with a kizashi part . Sometimes these headlights used in good condition are $200 plus each. Anyway I thought I’d give it a try on fixing them. Here is a picture of when I started with them.Image
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I used 325 grit and then finished with 600 grit. I limited myself to 10 minutes a headlight. This clearcoat method made these junk headlights quite usable and nice looking now.Image
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This clearcoat is now costing around $20 a can. It must be used up in a couple days after opening . It is two part clear. I can do 10 pairs of headlights with one can though, so basically with the sandpaper and the clear it isn’t costing no more than three dollars of material to fix a pair of headlights. This method lasts a year or two before it starts to chip away. They can be redone.
Last edited by old tech on Tue Jan 19, 2021 3:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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KuroNekko
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Great results, especially from that original condition!
I've been trying to maintain my headlights about once a year with polishing to prevent it from getting too bad and changing the materials and techniques a little bit for better results.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
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LPSISRL
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Thanks for this. A lot more cost efficient than buying kits.
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SAEED_KIZZY
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Nice Job.
although Scotty Kilmer doesn't recommend clear coating on the headlight :D :D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9NP0_nF2ak
old tech
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I have seen people against clear coating and for laying in some vinyl over the lens but i think this way is cheaper and really, this is the original method. Using the professional stuff with hardener is a must though.
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Woodie
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SAEED_KIZZY wrote:Nice Job.
although Scotty Kilmer doesn't recommend clear coating on the headlight :D :D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9NP0_nF2ak
I like Scotty Kilmer, but what he says in that video makes no sense at all. "Don't use clear coat on your headlights because after a year or so it looks bad. What you should do is spray this Meguiar's headlight coating on there once a year." The only difference is that one of those choices has a sponsor's name in it.

I use Sylvania UV block headlight clear coat, it is smeared on with a rag and does the exact same thing. Lasted about two years before I had to reapply, but I just cleaned the headlight well and smeared it on again. Took about twenty minutes with no need for masking off the area around the light.
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KuroNekko
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I use the same Meguiar's headlight spray and it does seem to help protect against UV damage but I have no idea if it's better than professional clear coat spray because I've never tried that. I think the Meguiar's product is a good option for individual owners but for pros like Old Tech, I think a more economical option with multi-use is better. One thing I can attest to about that Meguiar's spray: it smells nice.

I used to like Scotty Kilmer's content several years ago but now, I see it as largely click-bait with his often ridiculous taglines and titles to his videos. I've seen too many, "Why the new (brand model) is the worst car ever!" titles from him and lost interest. The guy also yells too much as if a Billy Mays reincarnate. I agree with Woodie that this video really does seem to be an ad from a sponsor or he's desperately trying to get that sponsor.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
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otaku19
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I've got a kit that I purchased from Amazon that goes to 5k and I'm thinking about touching my headlights up with it very soon. I already have a can of clear coat to finish with
old tech
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I updated the original post after some amazing results on a pr of really bad headlamp assemblies I did today.
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