fishy Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 I can't remember if it was on this board or over at legacycentral that I read about someone taking toothpaste to their fogged up headlights but I decided to try it. Sorry, no pics (I know I know) but after investing about $0.12 worth of toothpaste and about 10 minutes of my time I saw a notable improvement! Here's my complicated method: Step 1. blast lights with hose and wipe off loose dirt step 2. slop on a blob of toothpaste and rub it around with a clean rag till you get sick of doing it. step 3. rinse everything off well with the hose I'm going to give 'er another round or two of this treatment to see how good they can get. Then maybe clearcoat the lenses or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 mint or regular nipper there is also a 2 part kit available in auto parts stores. Dont clear coat them yet, wait a few days to make sure it solved the problem, otherwise your sealing in all the oxidation that cause the yellowing to begin with. DO a search here lots of posts on this nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forester2002s Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 step 2. ... till you get sick...step 3. rinse everything off well with the hose... The mind boggles... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishy Posted June 22, 2006 Author Share Posted June 22, 2006 mint or regular nipper there is also a 2 part kit available in auto parts stores. Dont clear coat them yet, wait a few days to make sure it solved the problem, otherwise your sealing in all the oxidation that cause the yellowing to begin with. DO a search here lots of posts on this nipper Good call, I actually intend to give them another session or two before clearcoat anyway. or I might just not bother clearcoating at all. ... and it was Mint Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishy Posted June 22, 2006 Author Share Posted June 22, 2006 The mind boggles... Taken out of context some of the things I say can end up pretty "funny". Taken IN context some of them are even worse sometimes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 dont forget to floss nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotshot Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 dont forget to floss ROFL Going to have to give this one a try, my headlights are looking pretty bad, and $.12 worth of toothpaste is much easier than new headlights on my wallet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megell Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 I have dentures. I'm gonna try soaking my lens overnight with one of those little fizzy tablets in warm water. I'll get back to you in the morning with the results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
970subaru Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 if you are lazy like me, after you have the headlights polished, rather than clearcoating just leave them bare, and every time you check your oil you can polish the headlights with the oily rag. the oil somehow leaves the headlights looking like glass if your polishing job was good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buick350X Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 Here are some pics of my tail lights. There were badly, badly hazed. Went though a few grits of sand paper till I had them nice and smooth. Then just shot some walmart clear on them. Did it in the sun and coated them heavy. Been over 2 years and they still look great. Almost used some VHT nightshades. To get that tinted look without folks being able to steal your tint covers. http://viragotech.com/taillights.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilroy Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 So you are saying he will wipe his headlights once a year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dj3stripes Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 so after all of the hype with tarter reducution for headlamps i finally decided to give it a whirl (namely on the driverside). instead of buying cheap dollar general paste, i just grabbed my current tube of aquafresh. i rinsed the lamps and applied the paste with a cotton towel, then soaked the towel with water to slosh it around a bit. frusterated with no progress i rinsed, and dried with disposable shop towels. then i applied more paste on a dry disposable towel and scrubbed. This seemed to go better as the paste was obviously more abrassive. rinsed and dried. my hands smelled fresh and minty. here's a link to the pictures. http://www.dj3stripes.com/subaru/Headlamps-Round1/ i intened to repeat before my next carwash (perhaps with a toothbrush!), as it's still a bit yellow, and in comparisson a LOT more yellow than the passenger side Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 i wonder if oral b has a attachment for cleaning headlights:clap: nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishy Posted June 23, 2006 Author Share Posted June 23, 2006 I'm sure you could rig something up with a dremel. Isn't that what dentists to anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 I'm sure you could rig something up with a dremel. Isn't that what dentists to anyway? GOD i hate that noise, though im surprised dremel doesnt have a "home dentisitry" kit nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjo Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 nipster... need dental work done? drive up here, we can clamp you into the 5 axis mill.. and take care of things hmm... maybe my roo' needs it's teeth brushed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffbradford Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 I cleaned the headlights on my '92 Legacy with COMET CLEANSER today. I used a clean, wet rag and enough COMET to make a thin paste. Worked it in for 2 minutes, then wiped it off. There was still a slight haze (COMET does that), so I spit on them and wiped the haze off. It worked great! A definite improvement, and they actually look white on the road. ... or maybe it was the spit?? :-\ John Wilke Milwaukee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericem Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 I threw that tooth paste on with breath strips in it, and made a improvement, from clear, clearer Tommorow ill try again, ill buff it much harder and rinse instead of just wipe, then apply some cleaner. Ill take some pics of before(looked fairily clear) after(little more clear) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 I threw that tooth paste on with breath strips in it, and made a improvement, from clear, clearer Tommorow ill try again, ill buff it much harder and rinse instead of just wipe, then apply some cleaner. Ill take some pics of before(looked fairily clear) after(little more clear) Don't forget to floss nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keltik Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Toothpaste cleared my lights up lovely, and its the only thing that will get the bugs off my windsheild and front licence plate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voluptuary5 Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Sorry to slightly highjack this thread but does the oxidation (yellowing) of the lenses tend to occur on the outside, inside, or both? -V5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uniberp Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 I use a variable speed grinder at slow speed with a 8 inch polishing pad and polishing /rubbing compound. If you go too fast or stay in one spot you will melt the plastic. I'm sure you could rig something up with a dremel. Isn't that what dentists to anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericem Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Don't forget to floss nipper I never forget And heres how it turned out, right headlight pictures were not cleaned with toothpaste, left side headlight with toothpaste 1 pic with flash 1 pic without flash, i don't know if u can see the difference though, i should have used my camera, not camera phone. This is another before pic, before i used the tooth paste with my camera from a while back. Hmm, ill take better pics when it gets warmer here its like -20C here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyhorse001 Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Go to your local hobby shop & buy a "polishing kit" ($12) & some "The Treatment" model car wax. ($8) The Polishing kit will be sanding cloths in 3200, 3400, 3600, 4000, 6000, 8000, & 12000. Start with the 4k & work up to the 12k. follow that with the wax... Viola! SUPER shiny headlight lenses! (Guess what I do for fun LOL) On the cheap... get some coarse rubbing compound & a LOT of elbow grease. I don't reccommend using a dremel as it's too fast & hot for the polycarbonate. maybe a VSR cordless drill, or a cheapie single speed, with a polishing wheel. I've done this on a set of SEVERELY yellowed Ford Tempo lights. They were so bad I'd have reccommended strapping a lighter to the hood! On the SUPER cheap (&temporary) get some "Future Floor Wax" & brush it on with a paintbrush... it'll shine 'em up until it rains, then it'll need more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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