Having an old car is difficult to maintain. It may have a lot of issues with its engine or the body may be rustic. But there are still a lot of old car buyers that would make it a point to buy the oldest car possible. This is because it has a lot of value if they are restored properly.
One of the things that are easily damaged with old cars is the lights. For old cars, the headlights are made of glass mostly that is why they are difficult to be destroyed unless it was hit. But for not so old cars, the material that is used for the headlight lens is polycarbonate or hard plastic. If it is made with plastic it can have a lot of damage and as time pass and would need car light repair polish.
Why refinish
There are reasons why people try to get a headlight repair polish than to change the whole thing. One of the reasons is the cost. It will be more costly if one would change the whole headlight system because once you change the left one you would have to change the right one too even if they are still okay. Second is that it is to prolong the life of the original headlights because of its characteristic. Changing it to another one that is made of another material will change the appearance of the car all at once. This is what restoration companies are trying to avoid, especially people who are collecting old cars.
Successful headlight restoration
To have a successful restoration headlight job, one would have to be observant. Check the headlights if they are broken from the inside or from the outside. If the damage is from the inside, then condensation will appear from moisture. This moisture must be drained. In cleaning and polishing polycarbonate lenses, avoid using cleaners with ammonia, this is the one that causes the yellowish colour on the lens. Test a small part of the headlight by putting some toothpaste and rub with a cloth, if that small part becomes clear, then you can restore the whole headlight with toothpaste and rug. But it does not, and then sanding would be another option. The usage of deoxidizer will help clean the lens and will give a better beam of light for a night drive. This will also improve the look of the car, thus increasing the car’s value. Having the car in a shaded area while it rest would not just give you a cool inside when you drive it afterwards, but will also give the headlights rest from UV rays.