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Incredible, car looks new Painted side views with carbon fiber protection
Got tired of my 14 year old hazy headlight. Paid my auto body shop to restore them. Very happy. They also painted my side view mirror housings. They had the 24 year old paint protection film that was yellowing.
Do you know what kit or product they used on your headlights?
Peace
Bruce in Philly (now Atlanta)
I asked my body shop guy about restoring the headlights, he quickly answered yes, said he would remove factory film and clear coat them. This was professionally done. These guys have been restoring and upgrading to all leather for the past year. I keep going back because they are doing such a great job.
who needs a new 911, my 14 year old 87,000 mile Carrera S is new again
Incredible, car looks new Painted side views with carbon fiber protection
Got tired of my 14 year old hazy headlight. Paid my auto body shop to restore them. Very happy. They also painted my side view mirror housings. They had the 24 year old paint protection film that was yellowing.
Side view mirror housing protection Leather sun visors Stitching for visor Leather mirror triangles Inside triangle trim Dash ends Inside triangle advertisement New convertible top
Do you know what kit or product they used on your headlights?
Peace
Bruce in Philly (now Atlanta)
One of the headlights on my 09 was replaced. I forgot to ask my brother why. The difference was something a non car person noticed when I showed him the 968 in my garage. Yesterday I compounded and polished the nose of the car. It lived by the Atlantic since 2016 when my brother bought it, and he didnt garage it. I went over the hazy headlight as if it was part of the hood. I think it came out pretty good. I used the Mother's blue ball with a drill on my S80 some years ago. They were in bad shape with lots of pits in the plastic. That worked great too. I recommend removing the assembly if you use the Mother's system. My opinion which is worth nothing is any polish will do. In HS I polished the edges of scrap pieces of plexiglass that was made into keychains. It isnt the product as much as the time spent and pressure (or lack of) applied.
One of the headlights on my 09 was replaced. I forgot to ask my brother why. The difference was something a non car person noticed when I showed him the 968 in my garage. Yesterday I compounded and polished the nose of the car. It lived by the Atlantic since 2016 when my brother bought it, and he didnt garage it. I went over the hazy headlight as if it was part of the hood. I think it came out pretty good. I used the Mother's blue ball with a drill on my S80 some years ago. They were in bad shape with lots of pits in the plastic. That worked great too. I recommend removing the assembly if you use the Mother's system. My opinion which is worth nothing is any polish will do. In HS I polished the edges of scrap pieces of plexiglass that was made into keychains. It isnt the product as much as the time spent and pressure (or lack of) applied.
My body shop removed the headlights for the restoration process as well.
I'd imagine an indy shop would be pricey to have the headlights done---->There are mobile detail guys who advertize on Craigslist that do excellent job on headlights
Had mine done a couple of years ago for $100.
I'd imagine an indy shop would be pricey to have the headlights done---->There are mobile detail guys who advertize on Craigslist that do excellent job on headlights
Had mine done a couple of years ago for $100.
Yes, it is a cottage industry. I have an acquaintance who retired from a Chrysler assembly plant who still had his name on vendor lists and has contracts with a few used car lots to freshen their inventory. He used commercial chemicals to do headlights and I had him do Her Lexus for $100. Well five years on now, they yellowed again and I re-did it with the Sylvania kit. I have not found any reviews of products that address longevity.
I redid my first 911 using some home brew method 6-7 years ago. Held up well until I lost track of the owner about a year ago. Involved sanding then coating with some varnish or something afterwards that had spf to it.
From the thread “I've done my own headlight restorations on many cars over the years (I use 1500 & 3000 grit wet sandpaper, followed by rubbing compound then polish) and what has worked best for the final coating and in my experience has lasted at least 2 years after application is a 50-50 mix of Helmsman Spar Varnish and Mineral Spirits. Mix it up and apply with a blue shop towel as your brush. Brush it on evenly and uniform. It dries perfectly clear and since it is a marine spar varnish it has superior UV protection. Slow and easy is the key but results are typically better than most aftermarket UV coatings.”
The only real way to restore the headlights is, buying new ones. No matter the repairs I tried, they don't last "like new" for more than 1 to 2 years maximum. None rework brings it to the original condition.
New headlights makes the car really look as new for 10 or 15 years. Yes, it's expensive but if you consider rework cost each 1 to 2 years, after 15 years you will spend the same amount and never enjoy the look (and light) of new headlights.
The only real way to restore the headlights is, buying new ones. No matter the repairs I tried, they don't last "like new" for more than 1 to 2 years maximum. None rework brings it to the original condition.
New headlights makes the car really look as new for 10 or 15 years. Yes, it's expensive but if you consider rework cost each 1 to 2 years, after 15 years you will spend the same amount and never enjoy the look (and light) of new headlights.
To me, the headlights are the eyes of the car
Cheers
Not the case for me - I had my headlights refinished on a 997 C4S 7 yrs ago and anothe 997 C4 about 4 yrs ago - Both sets of headlights looked like new several yrs later.
My car was garaged and I don't live in year round sunny climate.
Last edited by groovzilla; Sep 10, 2024 at 08:10 PM.
I think the key to getting a long lasting result is to seal the lights with a 2K clear once the oxidation is removed,
which is almost certainly what the body shop did in Dave's case.
3M make a cheap but very good DIY kit. Key is once the headlights are clear, to either apply ppf or a paint sealant over them to protect from the UV sun which eventually will cause hazing of the headlight lenses overtime especially if you drive a lot or park outdoors
Headlight restoration
