Recommend me polish for plastic headlights?

The plastic headlight lenses on my truck are yellowing badly, which isn't exactly a surprise given how intense the sun is out here. As my commute involves a mountain pass, I actually kindly like to see where I'm going though...

Before I spend a pile of dosh on a set of new ones, can anybody recommend a consumer-grade headlight/plastic polishing kit that actually works?

i think it was Trucks! tv show that used toothpaste for a surprisingly good result on one of their old project vehicles. easy to try at least.

I've heard that the 3M one works very well.

It is just polishing compound, and fine grit sandpaper.

Hotlinked for your convenience.

Wetsand with 2000 grit and then polish with any paint polish you may have around. Sometimes a medium compound is needed between sanding and polishing.

When my step son came up one time in his Talon, I pointed out his cloudy headlights and gave him some of the 2 step Plastic Polish stuff that's been around for years. It was probably sitting on my shelf for the last 20. He was a space suite technician for NASA before The O eliminated our space program and fired him. He said that was the same stuff they used on space suite face shields.

In reply to Zomby woof:

Thanks, looks like the local Wallyworld has them in stock.

Cone_Junky wrote: Wetsand with 2000 grit and then polish with any paint polish you may have around. Sometimes a medium compound is needed between sanding and polishing.

Well, I'd have to buy paint polish anyway, but good point - that should work nicely on the rear lights.

Dr. Hess wrote: When my step son came up one time in his Talon, I pointed out his cloudy headlights and gave him some of the 2 step Plastic Polish stuff that's been around for years. It was probably sitting on my shelf for the last 20. He was a space suite technician for NASA before The O eliminated our space program and fired him. He said that was the same stuff they used on space suite face shields.

He's not the only one who suddenly doesn't have a job with NASA anymore, same thing happened to my wife last year . Trouble is she was in the wrong division to have access to space suit face shield polish .

I have used the Novus 3-step polish with good results, although it is probably a lifetime supply unless you have a bunch of those headlights you need to treat.

toothpaste

Wetsand as fine as you can and the Meguiars Plastix polish, use the plastix every few months to keep them up, it only takes a few minutes.

Is it smart to add a lamin-x clear layer over freshly polished plastic headlights to resist further yellowing? Or would that prevent you from being able to polish next time they yellow?

I'll second the Meguiars Plastix polish. Works great and costs like $9.

Hmm. I'm cheap, so that'll work even better for me...

Any experience using Plastx on a convertible soft rear window? The Corvette's window could do with a little clean, too.

I used the Plastix on the rear window of my S2000. It worked well, but you have to be careful as it is very hard to get out of the top material.

Thanks for the warning - I'd probably cover the top material with masking tape just to be on the safe side.

http://www.harborfreight.com/12-minute-headlamp-lens-restorer-kit-65938.html

Harbor freight has a kit

But so do these guys. http://micro-surface.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=68&zenid=9e24dae63c5c2ac02816403b6e0b1b2c

I used a micro surface to remove scratches from a corian countertop. Their products are top notch. The abrasives are well done and very impressive.

I've used the Novus polish with really good results on a Toyota Tundra. It was ridiculously fast, about 3 minutes per light. It didn't work as well on the Grand Cherokee.

Most Miata guys with a plastic rear window should have Novus 2 and 3 on the shelf!

I used plastX on my camaro and its holding up well 8 or 10 months later. I'd still prefer a nice piece of glass that doesn't have these silly oxidation problems.

My eldest and I did the headlights on his Escort with 2000 grit wet dry and a can of clear spray paint. Worked like a charm.

3M restoration kit KICKS ASS. Best $20 I've spent since they were having dollar night down at the BJ club.

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They still looked good 9 months later too. For taillights I just hit them with a microfiber cloth and some PlasticX

That Novus stuff is what they used on the space suits, back when we had astronauts.

I've used the HF product and it works. Just don't shortcut the time for each step. Better to over do it.

The rumors on the internet say that Chore boy or Bon Ami without bleach work great. I want to give it a shot.

harbor freight's kit is made in ohio.