15 Quick Tips To Improve Gas Mileage For You! The Plast-X on a buffing wheel made it shiny and the Meg's UV-blocking protective polish took it to the final photo. . Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. A lot of careful work with 120 grit finally got the coating off, then it was progressive wet sanding with 220, 320, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 2000, and 3000. A lot of careful work with 120 grit finally got the coating off, then it was progressive wet sanding with 220, 320, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 2000, and 3000. In most cases, you’re better off taking the car to a professional and apply a fresh layer of base coat and clear coat. Comes with a little foam sander and some velcro grit circles, plus Plast-X and the UV-block. Once you have this done it is up to you what you do next. This comes from rocks and grit hitting them while driving, and also comes from the UV rays in the sun beating down on it. Plus it will last for a long long time! The wool … … I do not want to ruin the red plastic parts and I am wondering if anyone here has had the same issues, but has successfully removed the overspray … The bigger the number the rougher the sandpaper, and the smaller the number the smoother or finer it is. Make sure you are not using toothpaste in excess, as you only need a small amount. You sand with it the same way keeping it flat and wet. To do this start with a cotton towel and apply some of your lens cleaner and polish to it. Once you got the headlight almost perfectly clear it is time to move to the last step. Thanks for the suggestion! It means you did it right. It's the Meguiar's G3000 Heavy Duty Headlight Restoration Kit. First, warm up the vinegar and rub it on the stain with a clean rag. It will make your headlights look like they are new. . Your email address will not be published. The microfiber cloth doesn't matter what brand and the polishing liquid can be whatever brand you prefer as well. Spraymax 2K Clear Coat Spray Can - High Gloss Clear Coat for Repair and New Paint Jobs - Diverse Applications - Professional Results - Bundled with Moshify Spray Can Trigger ... $34.99 $ 34. The microfiber cloth though will leave a very clear polished finish. Quote: hpracing007 on Dec/23/04I'd use paint thinner, i was painting a car once in a parking lot (very long story) and didn't mask the headlights, i got some over spray on the headlights … You don't have to put a new clear coat on them though, but it is a good idea too. ive never had a problem with overspray on my own car...but my friends car he was painting his rims and like a fool he did not take the rims off the car...although i have to say he did a pretty good job taping everything off..but the hood got a little overspray..he came to me 2 days later and he asked me if i could remove … The problem was that a previous owner had sprayed or otherwise coated the Spyder's big headlights with some type of glossy protective clearcoat that was quite thick. Sand the headlights … The paint dried, you were painting somewhere else on the truck which caused the overspray. After you took the time to remove the old clear coat and restore your lights to a new shine you don't want them getting damaged again. You will be able to remove the old clear coat so you can restore your headlights and reapply new clear coat. It was looking pretty bad. (pictures inside) Hi guys new poster here on MOL so please be easy Here is a problem,I have noticed recently that my car that was bought half a year ago had a rear quarter respray.Finish and colour matching is spot on but there is a what I belive a clear coat … Removes dried automotive basecoat/clearcoat overspray. Wash your vehicle to remove as much dirt and debris as possible. This wear can cause clouding and yellowing. Single Din vs Double Din- What Is Different? To remove the old clear coat you really don't need a lot of things. With these tips and the steps in this guide, you should be able to restore your headlights to a perfect brightness with no trouble at all. One tip for removing the old clear coat and restoring your lens does one headlight at a time. Step 2. Then take painters tape and tape off the area where you will be working. Place the toothpaste on the toothbrush, and rub in on the headlight in circular motions. You might have to do this multiple times to get all the loose plastic off the surface of the headlight and get most of the cloudy look off. Goof Off Overspray Remover works the first time quickly and easily removing tough stains from your vehicle like asphalt, tar and overspray. The numbers mean how fine of sanding the paper does. Apply the cleaner solution on the full headlight lens. Generally, though it doesn't wear off evenly, however, instead it chips off making it have an uneven look. There are some strange people out there in the world... For that final gloss, try optimum opti-lens. I got a used car with its headlights partially painted over, as if for decoration. Most people decide to reapply a new clear coat to keep your headlights protected. After passing over the headlight evenly with the last sandpaper the headlights will probably look cloudy and not clear. So now you know all the things you need to remove clear coat from headlights and you see it is pretty simple. The headlights will look hazy after sanding but they’ll be clear after applying the coating. Now, I have recently had a new windshield installed but I think between all the tree-stuff that falls on it and all the road-crap, … Cracks, runs, and orange peel. UV rays and elements like acid rain, salt and road debris are the main causes of damage to headlights. Any suggestions on how to remove paint from plastic, or how to polish up the headlights … So, I turned on my audiobook and spend a chunk of my afternoon today power-sanding one headlight. The massive mistake I consistently see is the failure to remove any protector or wax contained in the buffing compound before the clear coat application. Make sure the headlight is completely dry before applying the protective sealant. If it matters 2010 … To remove overspray from glass, you can use white vinegar. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the AutoDetailing community. Process gallery here: https://imgur.com/a/xHceU. Upgrade Car Audio System Guide For Beginners, Check Engine Light Blinking- The Complete Guide For Car Owner. Sometimes though the clear coat gets old and starts to wear off. This is painting 101 and yet consistently absent from most instructional videos. Edit: I'm fascinated that someone has taken the time to go through and downvote every post on this thread. You just need some sandpapers, water, a lens cleaner and polish, and a couple of towels. The problem was that there was no easy way to get that stuff off. Life is too short to drive with stock audio. This will really smooth out the surfaces and will ensure a good finish when down. Then, scrub the glass with warm water and soap. Although most people define Overspray in conjunction with paint and industrial fallout, overspray can also include bugs and road tar. After reading this article though you will be able to know what to do when this happens. To start with the sanding you use the 600 grit one first. It will clear all the dust and dirt … It is a good idea to get plastic lens cleaner and polish that is made for headlights so it doesn't damage the plastic. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. To sand properly you want to make sure to keep the sandpaper and headlights wet, this is because the particles from sanding can scratch the headlights. This will remove most of the clear coat that is still on the headlight. The problem is once you've sanded the plastic it's over. This is a very famous fact about alcohol that this component called alcohol can easily remove any kind of paint or overspray and this is why alcohol is a very useful instrument for removing overspray. Also, take your time and mask off good so you don't damage other parts of your car. . Any solvent that could dissolve it would also damage the plastic headlight housing. Your email address will not be published. Now it is time to let the headlamps to dry completely. You can see the detail sander (from Lowe's) as well as the Meguiar's Headlight Resto-Kit components in the pics. You should go about an inch past the … One tip for removing the old clear coat and restoring your lens does one headlight … That looks intriguing, and my wife will be the first to tell you that I'm always up for trying new car care products. The overspray is two types: the light 'mist' type and the obvious heavy type that results from improper taping before shooting the paint. How To Remove Clear Coat From Headlights? Any tips on taking it to that extra level of clear shine, or is it just the nature of the plastic to never be quite as glossy as the old coating? I ended up having to go buy an oscillating detail sander. In this video I show you how to quickly and effectively remove paint overspray from your vehicle's window. Help with removing masking tape clear coat edge/line. If overspray occurs, remove … This might sound odd since you are taking sandpaper to it, but you want to minimize the scratches from things other than the sandpaper. Now change the grit of the paper to 1200 and wetsand the clear topcoat to remove … Required fields are marked *. I just spent my afternoon getting old clearcoat off the headlights of our MR2 Spyder, and thought I would share the process here. If so, wetsand the entire surface. Laid clear coat on sanded/ polished/ prepped headlights on too heavy. You can see the detail sander (from Lowe's) as well as the Meguiar's Headlight … After the headlights have dried it is time to polish them up. This is okay. The overspray removal process is as follows: 1. I'd like to remove the paint, but using a solvent like acetone or nail polish remover scuffs up the headlight plastic underneath the paint. Start with 800-1000 grit paper, always use a squeegee to remove sanded film and look to see if all the overspray has been removed from that spot. So now you know all the things you need to remove clear coat from headlights and you see it is pretty simple. For more tips, including how to remove overspray … The last step is taking the microfiber cloth and do the same thing as with the cotton towel. So now that you know what you need and have everything together it is time to start the removal process. You just need some sandpapers, water, a lens cleaner and polish, and a couple of towels. How to Remove Clear Coat From Headlights Step 1. Once you have passed over both headlights good with the 1000 grit it is time to move onto the 2000 grit. The chemical formula of a clear coat could dissolve or weaken the headlight. I don't know when it was applied, but I have seen the after-effects - The first few pics show how it was beginning to peel and chip away around the edges. Rubbing Alcohol. Oxide Reducing Emulsion to Restore Faded, Oxidized or Sun Damaged Car Paint, Peeling Clear Coat and Dull Headlights … For this, pour a little rubbing alcohol onto the overspray spot; the amount of rubbing alcohol depends on the width of the overspray … However, does such a clear coat exist? 2. The main things you need are: The grits of sandpaper you will be using are 600, 1000, and 2000. You don't want to accidentally sand the wrong area and cause more work for yourself. Goof Off and wow!, the windshield has never been so clean. The plastic on headlights takes a lot of wear and tear. You should choose the best clear coat for headlights to get the best protection. Bit expensive though, might as well coat the rest of your plastic too at the same time :). Fill the spray bottle with water or the lubricant that came with the … Meguiar's Keep Clear Headlight Coating is a proprietary spray coating that helps to improve and maintain optical clarity on freshly cleaned or restored headlights for up to a year. The last thing you will need is some tape to mask off the paint. Next after passing over it good with the 600 grit sandpaper you want to move to the 1000 grit . If you have sandpaper on hand but don't have these specific numbers, then it is okay to use what you have as long as the numbers are close to this. And some plastic lens cleaner and polishing liquid. Having Overspray on your vehicle prohibits sealants and waxes to penetrate the clear coat… But then again, it also depends on the general condition of the finish. You can polish the plastic just like you would your clear coat. Make sure you sand it all out and buff it out with your two-stage buffing process. When it got to 3000, it was a nice even foggy look. The only real solution was to sand the stuff off, which was a minor PITA because it was so damn thick. 2. Is that the McGuire 2 part system you're using? The key is to just start with a small number and move to a bigger one. The coating protects the plastic surfaces and helps the headlights to stay functioning at the top level. I need to remove lacquer-type clearcoat from my headlight lenses, and would like to know if there's a faster method than wetsanding by hand. The recommended numbers are just a suggestion and many people will tell you different things. I am happy as it looks better than it did when peeling, but it's still not quite as glossy and clear as it was when coated with the stuff. I like to do 2-3 layers per headlight for that exact reason. One first has to take a little amount of alcohol … As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I need to get all the way down to bare plastic so that this … 99. The 1000 grit paper will remove the last of the clear coat and start smoothing out the surfaces for the later steps. After you have everything taped off it is time to start sanding. You can repair some clear coat damage by using a degreaser to remove any wax that might be present on the vehicle. Since it's a coating, and you're applying to the surface, it's bound to have some degree of filling in tiny microscratches. All you can do is try to buff it as best as you can, temperature outside does affect the outcome though. Need to know best steps to fix/ remove new very thick clear coat. You want to use painters tape or masking tape that will not stick to the paint and cause damage to it. That is why a lot of people put a clear coat protective layer on their headlights to help them last longer. Press J to jump to the feed. The first step is to mask off around the headlights. Go over the surface of the headlight evenly and smoothly in circular motions. Removing the clear coat in old paint will not make your car look better, but it will even out the damage and slightly improve the texture of the paint. Be sure to hold the paper flat while sanding and go over all the headlight evenly. A subreddit dedicated to those car enthusiasts and beginners interested in keeping their vehicles clean. Wipe the spot using a rag to remove any residue or extra paint. If there’s any residue leftover, slowly scrape it off with a razor blade at a 45-degree angle. This is so you get it all even. I am Average Guy, not a pro or even serious detailer, and this was done with off-the-shelf tools and supplies. Keep going until you’ve covered … You want to make sure to cover all the paint around the lights and also the chrome parts around it. You can use rubbing alcohol to remove clear coat overspray. 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Remove the last sandpaper the headlights to get the best protection if overspray,. Keeping it flat and wet 101 and yet consistently absent from most instructional videos coat the rest of the is! With a little foam sander and some velcro grit circles, plus Plast-X the... Surface of the finish plastic on headlights takes a lot of people put a coat... Coat on them though, but it is time to start with a number! Mcguire 2 part System you 're using this is painting 101 and yet consistently absent most... Upgrade car audio System Guide for Beginners, Check Engine Light Blinking- the Complete Guide for car Owner for.! The only real solution was to sand the wrong area and cause damage to it amount.