DetailingDiscuss how to make your car sparkly clean for car shows, local meets, or any other reason. What products do others use and how do we get them? Get your questions answered in here.
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Protecting new headlights: Clear coat vs. film products
What are your thoughts on the effectiveness of applying either an automotive clear coat finish or a headlight protector film in maintaining UV protection for the plastic lens? My Cefiro (non-OEM) headlights started to fade after a few years so I polished them but they didn't stay shiny for more than a few months. I polished them again last summer (owned lights for 8 years) and they only stayed shiny for a few weeks before turning yellow again.
I decided to buy new cheap Cefiros, but before I install them I would like to do something to protect the plastic but can't make up my mind. Getting a great finish from the paint might be more difficult, but I'm also worried that if you ever have to take the film off it will take some of the UV/clear from the headlights and then they will fade even if you put on a new film.
Also keep in mind I'm not aware of a company that makes a film for Cefiro headlights
A clear film will always be more effective than automotive clear coat. It's more resistant to the harmful effects of UV, and stones. I always custom cut the film with any car that I apply the 3M film to. I don't generally use pre-cut patterns.
I was thinking of applying a clear film to my 5.5 gen fog lights. Has anyone done this? Where are you getting the film from?
Thanks for the suggestions,
Gears
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If the headlights are sanded and buffed out, and more than one coat of clear is used, it works well. I have a friend that had a body shop put on several coats of clear a few years ago, and they still look great.
So what are people's thoughts on how the plastic headlight covers actually fade? For example, if you put a clear film or clear coat over the lens, is it possible for the plastic to still fade underneath whatever you put on top of it? Or is it really just a matter of having some sort of UV shielding over the lens and as long as it has UV it won't fade?
I've also found some people talking about problems with Lamin-X, such as it causing lenses to crack or the film the get burnt:
^^That. I wax mine every wash. I also hit them with plastx (even though they are glass, it is an abrasive that will remove "junk")
What I found out that works really well is to claybar the head light before I hit it with plastX. It makes a noticeable difference doing that, and makes polishing em up easier and the need to do it again becomes less frequent.
What I usually do on my vehicle because I have the resources and its cheaper it so wet sand down the lights real good and hit them with a couple coats of clear. I have never had problems with this method. If its a customer that just wants something quick, which most do, then I just wet sand down the lights and hit it with my buffer and some polish after. I just then advise them to keep waxing it every time they wash their car.
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