I expect that most of you know about this but I only found out the other week how to do this.
My front lights were no longer in the best of condition because the previous owner had only washed the car in garage and not by hand. This resulted in the lenses becoming damaged on the top half. I was warned when I went for the inspection by the tuv that I would have to replace them soon. So I looked in the price and found that they boot only cost an arm and leg but a kidney as well.

So I looked on the internet for a any solutions which there are hundreds of suggestions.

In the end I went for mequires plasticx and 1008 clear plastic polish.



The light before i polished it




After it was polished




Before polishing<br/>




After poloshing

The results are not perfect but I do not have to replace them anymore when I checked with the vehicle inspector.

 

My wife had a 2000 Lexus RX300 SUV more than a decade ago. That vehicle's plastic headlight covers would oxidize and cloud over every couple of years. I was always able to restore them to near-new condition using a common bathroom-cleaning product called SoftScrub (along with plenty of elbow grease). The bleach and fine grit contained in SoftScrub would eventually cut through the oxidation every time. I did this job by hand using a dampened cotton washcloth and a bucket of rinse water. An electric buffer would definitely speed up the process....

 

Here's a video from one of my favorite YouTube contributors showing his method for clearing and protecting headlight lenses. He's not a car detailer or lens expert, nor does he pretend to be. It's simply one DIY way to rescue foggy lenses. Note that he recommends clear-coating them to prolong their clarity. Links to all the products he used are contained in the description section.

His sanding steps might have been overkill in your case, but the high gloss clear coat UV protection might be worth considering to minimize future yellowing. He uses clear Rust-Oleum with UV protection. Don't know if all this is available in your part of the world. Hope this helps.

 

I used this method for mine: Headlight Restoration-new UV sealant idea










What is looked like overall.




One side done.




Done.

Things I learnt:

Don't used much force while standing (caused some etching I wasn't aware of), and end with a 3000 instead of 2000.

 

Now if you guys install these your restored lights will stay pristine: XPEL® - Jaguar S-Type 2003 Headlight and Fog Light Protection Kit

 

Thanks for the information. It looks like you have a lot more products available for you in America. I will have some friends with relations in America for the headlight covers get them for me.

I decided not to sand them because I did not want to be too courageous as it is first time that I tried to do this. I may look for a cheap set of second hand lights to try that on.

 

I just removed my front bumper to do mine.. takes some time but the results are worth it. Lights look brand new again.

 

Beautiful car! Clear lights really are perfection, aren't they?

 

They look a lot better than mine. Did you give them a coat of clear varnish against the uh light

 

Yes. It really make the car stand out. It took me a couple hours since I had to remove the front end. I had wet sanded them the buffed them out..