Human
Active member
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2019
- Messages
- 377
- Reaction score
- 204
- Points
- 43
- Buick Ownership
- Present: 2013 Lacrosse hybrid (x2). Past: 1984 Century Custom (1992-96); 1977 Skylark (1983-88).
When my mom gave me her 15,000 mile 2013 LaCrosse, one of the few things that made it look its age was the hazy headlights. They weren't completely opaque, but they were getting there. I've used a couple of different brands of restoration kits on other cars, always with mediocre and temporary results. I was always able to get the lights looking better, but within a few months, the hazing was back again. Still, I figured I had nothing to lose by trying. After a little research, I ordered a Cerakote kit from Amazon. It was neither the cheapest kit available, nor was it the most expensive, but it had one thing the others I looked at didn't--a guarantee for as long as I own the car. And at $18, it was far less than hiring it done, much less replacing the lights, which would have required removing the whole front end of the car.
Today's mild weather, sunny and in the mid 70s, provided the perfect opportunity to try it out, one not forecast to come again for awhile. The packaging says the kit includes everything you need for the job, but there are a few other necessary items, including masking tape to protect the paint around the headlights, a spray bottle full of water for the wet sanding process, a whole lot of paper towels, and a chair to sit in, as my knees aren't very happy if I kneel or squat for very long. The process itself consisted of three-stages--a solvent to remove the weathered coating, 2,000- and 3,000-grit sandpaper with an applicator to smooth out the lenses, a ceramic clear coat to seal them and add the final shine, and two pairs of rubber gloves to wear during steps 1 and 3. All told, it was pretty easy, taking a little more than an hour, including time for the headlights to dry thoroughly after wet sanding, plus at least another hour for the ceramic coat to cure.
You definitely want to do this outdoors or in an extremely well ventilated area. The solvent and clear coat wipes have some pretty strong fumes. The ammonia odor of the latter is almost enough to knock you over when you first open the packet. The appearance of the headlights didn't change all that much after each of the first two steps, but after the ceramic coat dried, the fastest step of all, made the headlights look as though they belonged on a brand new car. They turned out way, way better than I expected. At this point, the only test they have yet to pass is that of time. Yes, they look great today, but how will they look in six months or a year? That remains to be seen, but I will update you as time goes by.
Today's mild weather, sunny and in the mid 70s, provided the perfect opportunity to try it out, one not forecast to come again for awhile. The packaging says the kit includes everything you need for the job, but there are a few other necessary items, including masking tape to protect the paint around the headlights, a spray bottle full of water for the wet sanding process, a whole lot of paper towels, and a chair to sit in, as my knees aren't very happy if I kneel or squat for very long. The process itself consisted of three-stages--a solvent to remove the weathered coating, 2,000- and 3,000-grit sandpaper with an applicator to smooth out the lenses, a ceramic clear coat to seal them and add the final shine, and two pairs of rubber gloves to wear during steps 1 and 3. All told, it was pretty easy, taking a little more than an hour, including time for the headlights to dry thoroughly after wet sanding, plus at least another hour for the ceramic coat to cure.
You definitely want to do this outdoors or in an extremely well ventilated area. The solvent and clear coat wipes have some pretty strong fumes. The ammonia odor of the latter is almost enough to knock you over when you first open the packet. The appearance of the headlights didn't change all that much after each of the first two steps, but after the ceramic coat dried, the fastest step of all, made the headlights look as though they belonged on a brand new car. They turned out way, way better than I expected. At this point, the only test they have yet to pass is that of time. Yes, they look great today, but how will they look in six months or a year? That remains to be seen, but I will update you as time goes by.
