Polishing tail light lenses possible?
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From: SF Bay Area, CA
Polishing tail light lenses possible?
I noticed tonight that I have a few minor scratches/scuffs in my tail light lenses. Nothing major, just on the surface. Is there a way to polish this out without creating more damage?
Wiould the lenses first have to be sanded with superfine 2000 grit paper to get them 100% smooth?
Wiould the lenses first have to be sanded with superfine 2000 grit paper to get them 100% smooth?
Racer
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 330
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From: hong kong
Hi Nicole
yes you can polish your rear lenses, I used a product from Meguiar's PlastX Clear Plastic Cleaner & Polish it works great it cleans the plastic while removing small scratches. I believe they also sell a different two step product which a friend has used with great success, one bottle for cleaning the plastic and one for polishing out small scratches.
Regards
Dan 1990 928GT
yes you can polish your rear lenses, I used a product from Meguiar's PlastX Clear Plastic Cleaner & Polish it works great it cleans the plastic while removing small scratches. I believe they also sell a different two step product which a friend has used with great success, one bottle for cleaning the plastic and one for polishing out small scratches.
Regards
Dan 1990 928GT
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Joined: Aug 2005
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From: South Africa
Nicole, they polish up nicely, I used a polish for metals & it worked beaut. Just be careful what other chemicals go on the plastics.
I have an old broken light & was experimenting on it to see what would best clean out the inside, dust etc, dull reflectors. Well I put some methylated spirits in there (which usually does not react with plastic) & almost instantly the lenses started cracking & crazing ! Good old soapy water works well to flush them out if they are dirty inside. Just flush with distilled water so no water marks left inside, then blow out with compressed air.
I have an old broken light & was experimenting on it to see what would best clean out the inside, dust etc, dull reflectors. Well I put some methylated spirits in there (which usually does not react with plastic) & almost instantly the lenses started cracking & crazing ! Good old soapy water works well to flush them out if they are dirty inside. Just flush with distilled water so no water marks left inside, then blow out with compressed air.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 434
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From: Minneapolis
Polish and grinding off other marks:
When I got my body work done they took the tail lights and ground off all that small lettering and forming marks to smooth the surface, as well as polish the lenses.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: 86.5 928 - Montreal, Canada
Years ago I was the general manager of a marine supply store. We sold piles of a two step product to clean and polish the plexiglass windows on boats. You may want to try a local boating store to see what they have.
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From: Philly
Originally Posted by Nicole
I noticed tonight that I have a few minor scratches/scuffs in my tail light lenses. Nothing major, just on the surface. Is there a way to polish this out without creating more damage?
Wiould the lenses first have to be sanded with superfine 2000 grit paper to get them 100% smooth?
Wiould the lenses first have to be sanded with superfine 2000 grit paper to get them 100% smooth?
Really works well.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 105
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From: South Africa
Another good tip, I have noticed a lot of the old lights start cracking from the injection molding marks on the clear reverse light lens (usually a small circle with cross hair type pattern).
If you file or sand these off, then polish, it removes the stress points & will probably not crack from there.
If you file or sand these off, then polish, it removes the stress points & will probably not crack from there.
Chronic Tool Dropper
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The key, as pointed out above, is to find a polish that doesn't have any petroleum carriers. That pretty much eliminates most of the products that are made for paint care, including the Finesse It product line. Using a solvent-based polish can make it look OK for a short while, but then the plastic will start crazing. A mild crazing looks like scratches on the surface that are really tiny surface cracks. Some great examples are polycarbonate plastic (like 'lexan') headlight lenses that folks have waxed.
The products made specifically for plastic will be fine. Just resist the urge to use car wax or sealer intended for paint as a last procedure on your refurb'd lenses. Same goes for lenses that aren't refurb'd at all, like the ones already on the car--- NEVER wax the lenses.
The products made specifically for plastic will be fine. Just resist the urge to use car wax or sealer intended for paint as a last procedure on your refurb'd lenses. Same goes for lenses that aren't refurb'd at all, like the ones already on the car--- NEVER wax the lenses.
