One of my XJs had a minor fender bender before I bought it and the headlight lenses on one side were replaced. The originals on the other side look significantly more dull and I was curious if there is any way to polish them. Being glass headlights restoration kits won't work to my knowledge. Thanks!

 

They make headlight restoration kits. Some better than others. I've taken to wet sanding then sealing with a polyurethane or a good clearcoat spray like Spray Max 2000 high gloss.

 

Thanks for the tips, I'll give it a try. Most kits I've seen say "not suitable for glass headlights".

 

My bad, I forgot we're talki g glass here. I'm not sure my methods would work on glass. Haven't tried it.

 

I haven't polished a glass headlight, but in restoring classic cars, I have polished windows. Side windows in particular tend to get scratches from the worn out and dirty weatherstrip and deteriorated pads. The stuff to use is called cerium oxide and I have gotten some pretty deep scratches out, but it takes several full 8-hour DAYS, literally. It really has to be a hard to find part like a date-coded early Corvette window. I haven't done windshields as its usually not just a wiper scratch, rather they are usually pockmarked with pinpoint sized rock chips pretty evenly across the entire surface. That I expect would stretch from days to weeks or months. Headlights get damage similar to windshields but of course are much smaller surface area to work. If you want to try on glass headlights, you can search for instructions and videos on how to use cerium oxide.

But mine on the XJ8 were a little foggy too and it wasn't on the outside, rather it was a film on the inside of the lens. I'd stuck a long cotton swab in from the back and cleaned up what I could reach but I haven't ever taken the time to remove the headlight units and figure out how to dismantle them for cleaning. Before you order any glass polish, check that its not fogged on the inside of the lens. I'd be curious to know if that's your issue, how you manage to rectify it.

 

they fog out from the inside especially when a bulb blows out

 

Isn’t there a way to remove them so they can be cleaned on the inside with just soap and water?

 

They can be removed but it takes a lot of patience and heat. Removing glass lenses is not something you want to do to your car without having some experience. If you want to try it I suggest that you buy another set for your try and errors. The glass itself won't wear. The problem is from inside - bad/blown bulb can mist it and also when the reflective coating start to deteriorate it leave foggy film on the inner side of the glass. I have restored some glass headlights including sanding and polishing the glass and I never saw any yellowed glass. Every problem was from inside.

 

There's a thread here on the forum where a member cleaned the inside of his HL w/ instructions & pics. Search thoroughly.