Toothpaste, baking soda, lemon, teapot - which is best for restoring headlights?
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- Опубліковано 26 вер 2024
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In this episode we try out a few headlight polishing methods - some old and well-known, some a bit less conventional.
Our instagram / garage__54
You could tell that Cyril was very mechanically knowledgeable but now he's been proving he's able to do the in front of camera work too, very much an asset to Garage 54.
@@clarkdavis3588 He has indeed and all of our best wishes go out to Vlad, we do miss him and his humour and willingness to try anything.
this guy is very good in front of camera i think
Yeah, Cyril was always there, but almost never he or translator said anything by himself, great to see it changing.
@@Markok1911 It is because the man really seems to know his stuff and it's great to hear him passing on his knowledge and passion for the thing we're all here for.
He should be considered the co-host from now on.
Oh! Wish Vlad a speedy recovery, the host though, doing a great job in his absence. Nice one the entire Garage 54 crew.
What about in America?
I miss glass headlights.
Tell me about it. It's been plastic since the early 2000s iirc.
The most modern car I've owned was 1979.
I just rent them now and give them back when I'm through.
ABS plastic headlights came out sometime in the mid to late 80's. Ford started using them around 1987.
And yah...would be nice to have some glass headlights available. Even aftermarket ones. I've searched for aftermarket glass headlights to replace the plastic ones and nobody makes them. IDC if they were $300, they'd last forever over this plastic crap.
@@brucewrigleysgumchewz4667 My '91 Ford truck has those wretched plastic headlights. One day my mechanic took polishing compound to them and they were like new again... for a while. Lasted about a year. I'd guess the "teapot" is adding a layer of acrylic, bonding to the sanded surface. Will being interesting to see if it lasts.
Glad i got a 91 m30 with glass id hate always cleaning the headlights
Get well soon Vlad, we all miss you.😔 But still the host is going a great job👌
I predict this will be the top comment. Get well soon, Vlad!!
Hope you get better soon, Vlad!
Get well soon, Vlad!!
Aye, get well soon Vlad!
Get well soon big guy!
Cryil is doing such a great job filling in. He may get his own fan base. ^.^
I love Russia lol... a 50/50 rresult goes in the "bs" category. Here in the USA they'd make the video title "secret headlight restorers don't want you to know" and it'd have a tube of toothpaste in the thumbnail lol.
Cyril: **Sniffs Chemicals**
Also Cyril: "and it smells like....it's got a chemical smell to it"
That stuff is bad forgot what it is but he should use a mask and gloves.
@@Sinerwray I have no idea what that stuff is, but most chemicals used for vapor polishing are thought to be carcinogenic. Could be methylene chloride. It might even be chloroform
I hand rubbed toothpaste on stone chips away from headlight covers and it took ages through they look like new now. I used toilet paper and paper towel with the toothpaste, that should be called teethpaste, because if you only have one tooth, you kinda missed the boat already.
Hairs cut not a hair cut
I use the toothpaste trick too, but with a kitchen towel/tea towel - anything that has some texture to it.. after that, the secret is a little WD-40 and a paper towel - showroom shine. That shine only lasts a week or two, but beats paying for commercial stuff.
@@rajgill7576 Cut them all at once, that way it won't take so long. :)
Baking soda and a damp paper towel (not wet, and certainly not a lemon) is what I always use. It's an abrasive and what is in the toothpaste as well. Spray on a layer of clear coat after and it will last several years. Going to have to try the acetone vapor method though, looks great. I've done the heat gun trick on plastics many times.
Get well soon Vlad, we all love and miss you very much.
But great hosting in his absence! Maybe you two can co-host when Vlad is back, you've got great energy and personality.
one love ✌
You are doing a great job! I Really enjoy vlad. But you are a great asset and should get your own item on the channel!! Keep them coming guys... 👍
So what did actually happen? How do I do this?
Get well soon Vlad. We miss your laugh.
And the “Hey Fellas”
Hey there fellas
That might be acetone vapor. I use it for smoothing ABS 3D Prints and it does an amazing job. So my guess is whatever the clear plastic is made of is affected by acetone vapor the same way. Lot's of plastics aren't though.
Polycarbonate
Its a different solvent than acetone, since the lenses are polycarb. that being said there is no coating to protect the polycarb now so it will fade again without a film.
@@davidfarmer Explains why when my mechanic used polishing compound on my (original 1991 plastic) headlights, for a year or so they were like new, then went cloudy again. So what if one paints the resurfaced headlight with say, polycarb furniture finish? it makes a hard clear surface that doesn't yellow.
I may have to scrounge some busted headlights from the junkyard for experiments...
@@Reziac after polishing them you just need to give the headlights a spray of some kind of UV protector, Its the sunlight that fades them, they come from the factory with a UV protectant on them but as soon as you polish them that protectant is gone, could try sun cream once a month maybe see how that would work, i have an old audi i be working on soon so will be experimenting with a few ideas too, but that polycarb furniture finish sounds good idea too
@@Reziac Pros use a uv resistant film, it applies like a clear bra.
Cyril has improved significantly in the past week or two, probably just his comfort level. This product was surprisingly effective though, I’m surprised
Suprisinglly good results with the 'teapot' :D Also shouldn't you reapply new UV resistant clear coat to seal it?
As a former colleague said: If it lasts 2 years like that, it's better worth than the UV coating 😄.
I'm sorry I'm Italian and. I did not understand how to lighten the plastic ... could you explain to me?
It's a short term scam total tripe!!
Do a Lada-engine powered mega air compressor!!!
@NonCoinCollector you mean double air pressure?
Most superchargers can do that.
If you increase the relative rpm of compressor side, then it would just fail while accelerating.
If it was such an extreme thing, most drag racing teams would be doing it.
Cyril keep up the great work. I wish Vlad a speedy and healthy recovery. This channel is not only entertainment but knowledge. Garage 54 thank you
get well soon Vlad. Greetings from Malaysia 🇲🇾
2000 grit sandpaper carefully wet sanded with a electric palm sander followed by a good buffing with plastic polish and then spray with 2k clear coat, makes them look straight out of the factory. Worked awesome on my 05 Montero and worked really well by removing the headlights from the body..
That liquid is probably acetone. Acetone melts the plastic. But having it in the heater you have much more control over it, so it doesn't drip all over. It might also be some acetone based lacquer which would then apply a thin coat over it.
Nice. I was just about to ask if anyone had a theory on how and why it works. (For the time being anyway)
@@FirstFamilyCharger This is how screwdriver handles are "polished". They are dipped in acetone after machining. So the acetone melts the thin ridges and makes the surface smooth and transparent.
After the solvent vapor polish it needs a coat of Ultraviolet protectant.
I think sanding with 2000 and 1500 grid and a good coat of clear coat will restore the headlights😊
Definitely. People need to understand that if they want to save some time, they need to do it the right way the first time.
all you need is 600 grit and automotive clear.
You dont need clear. Just a ceramic coating.
@@williambrewer855 if you want to to last for years like factory then you need clear. You trying to pawn it off on some unlucky buyer than use ceramic. There is a reason why the manufacturers still clearcoat them instead of ceramic coating the raw plastic.
@@williambrewer855 The ceramic coating will wash off leaving the volnerable plastic exposed to UV radiation (sunlight). Clear coat is a must.
But how do you destroy a functioning Lada by restoring headlights?
I am surprised how good he is in front of the camera and knowledgable. I cant talk 1 minute with improvising or clearly with no stops or shit like this guy. Got me off guard will tell you that.
I used tooth paste to clean yellowed headlights but I used it with cordless drill and cotton polisling wheel. When the paste starts to dry-up while you are polishing just spray a little bit of water and go on. You can't expect super results but it's good enough for car inspection and it's fast, cheap and easy. And if you clearcoat the headlight after polishing the result will be great(the clearcoat in my case filled the little imperfections and the headlights are almost like new)
A clear headlight wrap after treatment will help longevity from oxidation and also protect some from stone chips.
I think this kid is doing a great job for Vlad! Very knowledgeable! Get well soon Vlad! We all miss you man!✌😎👍
For $20 just buy a retail headlight cleaning kit and do it correctly the first time without messing with home remedies. I bought a Meguiar's kit a month ago and worked just fine on the first try.
Yeah, the meg's kit works really well and also includes a UV protective spray. The ball polisher was pretty hard to work with, so I replaced that one for a disc version
@@martijnphilipse6864 I got the meguiars heavy duty kit and it has a little wool pad for a drill and polishing compound as well as 1000 and 3000 grit sandpaper that never seems to wear out. It has wipe on clear coat that is nice because I done have to mask off anything and it self levels out a couple seconds after being wiped on so it leaves the headlight looking new and protected just like a new headlight
I did this on my Honda Accord/Fiat Punto and others... AND IT CAME UP LIKE GLASS (USING ARM AND HAMMER BAKING POWDER TOOTHPASTE)
Time: Approx 10 minutes per headlight
1 - Wash headlights
2 - Use a spray bottle to damp down headlight
3 - dab on toothpaste on a soft buffpad attached to a cordless drill
4 - go over the headlight in circular motions with a LIGHT PRESSURE
5 - OCCASIONALLY SPRAY WATER ON TO KEEP IT DAMP (AND THUS COOL)!!!
6 - Add toothpaste if needed and continue buffing till plastic is clear like glass
7 - Wash off
8 - Add Anti UV polish to stop fade again (I didn't 1st time round and it still lasted 6 months)
IT DOES WORK I PROMISE YOU...
Very interesting! I wish Cryil would have put that device over the cars paint to see if it was affected too.
My best guess is the liquid is acetone. 3D printers use acetone fumes to smooth out filament lines and stuff too
There is some oily spray on product that people advertise at gas stations here in South africa that instantly clears up your headlights and makes people go "oh wow amazing, here take my money" but then once you drive away and it starts drying up your headlights return to their normal faded yellow look
the blue stuff is part acetone. this is an old school trick for fixing plastics that react to acetone. note that it isn't going to stop uv fade, you're better off buying a can of 2k clearcoat from eastwood or the other brand and doing the sanding smooth to prep dance before clearcoating them the right way (use proper ppe with 2k paints!). that way should last for years, vs having to perform regular maintenance.
Try the highest deet bug spray you can find. Not the dry kind and apply liberally. Buff and rinse away. It does wonders!
I was bow hunting and was bored after dark and tried this , They looked a little better from the outside but performed MUCH better as seen from inside the cab.
get well soon Vlad 👍
also good work from the new presenter and voiceover dude as always
We want Cyril to be in every video for the explanations. He's really really good at that. Meanwhile Vlad does his part which we all love aswell
Any outdoor bug repellent (with deet) and a cotton cloth will clean headlights instantly. Simply spray on and wipe off. Dont have to leave it sitting. The more deet in the repellent the better
I've got bug wipes I am going to go try right now and report back.
All done and hats off to you sir! I did my headlamps and my tail lights in less than 10 minutes and they look almost new. Unbelievable. I used Zep insect wipes with 30% Deet. The towel was dark yellow when I finished!
The deet melts some plastics. With 94.6% deet, my dad left his hand print in the telephone receiver.
@@Chris_Garman Wow! I should have worn a glove. It won't wash off my hand and it feels funny.
@@CarsandCats rip you o7
Keep well Vlad, co-host is a welcome addition.
The fumes are melting the tiny surface scratches together. Just like petrol can attack certain plastics (polystyrene, plexiglass) and make them sticky or dissolve. Easiest is to use a fine cutting compound, a buffer and finish with UV blocking car polish.
Winter is never far off there in Siberia, right? My suggestion is for a simple, but possibly unpleasant, winter driving activity. Here's the idea:
1) choose a Lada
2) remove all window glass: windshield, door glass, back window
3) disconnect heater core
4) wait for a minus 40 degree day
5) assign a rookie employee to drive Lada (as prepared above) for as long as possible at a high rate of speed (until he/she freezes to death or until he/she quits and tells you to stick this job up your ass)
6) we viewers will watch and smile
Metal polish works the best and the fastest..no sanding. Use it with a buffer then seal it with rustoleum clear automotive
Great info! Also insect repellent works well I have found, without clouding up too much
Get well soon Vlad - young Cyril is doing a great job, but he's not the same! Greetings from Western Canada.
Get good soon Vlad !!! nice vid, this guy does really a good host too.
Hope you feel better. Now, best cheap results, WD-40. Tried all over months of tests until I finally ceramic coated which fixed the problem. Sand, polish and System X ceramic coating. Still perfect
i sanded mine with coarse paper, and worked up to 3000, then cleaned with alcohol. then i sprayed them with clear coat, and wet sanded that from 2000 to 3000, then polished with toothpaste, then cleaned with alcohol again. there is a very small amount of orange peel but they are very clean and clear and from a distance you can't see any imperfection. that ali express thing seems like less work though.
I'd love the link to the last one you used! Great video this will help out tremendously
Assuming the headlights are made out of some kind of acrylic its most likely vapour polishing. You can do the same with 3d printed parts to remove the layer marks and the process is mostly the same sans the sanding thought it works better if you sand it down first too.
Said nobody 40+ years ago: "I need to get my headlights polished."
Get well soon Vlad!
Cyril great asset of Garage54 crew!
I really do extremely appreciate these videos you guys are making.
One wipe with a cloth moistened with acetone, works good. Do not rub back and forth in one spot as it will melt the plastic.
Mosquito Spray. The higher the deet content the better. Swear to God, one of the quickest and most effective fixes for cloudy yellow headlights.
I hope Vlad get well soon. We all miss him❤️
Rub it with scotch brite pads, then take a paper towel soaked in acetone, one careful wipe. This is very quick.
Great work Cyril 💪.
Hope Vlad gets better.
Thanks for sharing guys.
Get Well soon! Greetings from Denmark
Allan, what are you doing with my BFF?
@@yodasbff3395 :-)
Toothpaste is a light abrasive and it is actually great for polishing -- you do need to use a drill brush or a pad though, as you need a little more oompf than just a toothbrush and elbow grease.
Off bug spray works amazingly you spray it give it a minute and wipe it off
Ajax scrubbing compound for dishes works well and also the other kind of cleaners called comet therefore using to clean your pots and pans without scratching them very well on cleaning off headlights other than warm water or a sponger Rags all you need keep it wet
toothpaste works better with an old clean sock and just start wiping hard, throwing a little water in when it gets harder to rub. keep in mind, you're not able to do the same to the inside of the same piece of plastic, it may only get you to 2/3 or 3/4 of clean+clear.
A lot of love from greece!You 're all amazing guyz.keep going.
What up with Vlad? Im starting to worry a bit...
Covid
@Carl Sagan I hope not
Guys, theres lots of diseases far worse than covid.
I AM hoping its not a stroke, cancer or something else SERIOUS...
He got a cold a friend in Russia told me no worries.
Just got to love russians. Great vlog. vlad all the best from norway
He isn't sick, he is right there ... he was just talking about t-shirts etc
Plastic is porous. Applying wax, silicone spray or WD40 will seal the plastic and cause it to fog. Polish and clean the polish off. Sometimes you have to sand through the crazing and then polish to get rid of the fogging.
Sand with 600 grit sandpaper. Spray clearcoat. Done
Take as long as you need Vlad, Cyril is out shining you
The tothpaste works but you have to use a cloth and rub hard. I have used this method a few times.
Start with 400grit and go incrementally to the highest number you can find than use buffing paste and say OY BLYAT
Should be painted with a acrylic clear coat after sanding with a 2500 or 3000 grit, instead of melting plastic with a acetone. Should be sticky after applying vapour.
UV rays will make the headlight cloudy again, mo matter which method you use. You have to put a coating that stops UV rays on the cleaned headlight. Also, get well soon Vlad!
Or get glass headlight front pieces.
the headlights will get yellow again, coz there is no UV blocking stuff. Just clear plastic. You need a UV resistant clearcoat for that to last.
I used toothpaste on a scratched Windows 7 CD (dropped laptop during install, CD impacted something inside) and polished it with some toothpaste and a microfibre cloth. It worked. I probably still have the CD somewhere.
We used to wet them under running water. Quickly shake off the bigger water drops and put it in the CD-ROM drive. Crazy but it works.
@@eternalfidelity123 I gotta give that a shot, seems counterintuitive - one would think that once the CD spins up to like 40x or something, the droplets will get spun off inside the CDROM casing,potentially landing on the laser itself.
I'll try it anyways, I have a stack of CD/DVD ROM drives I can experiment on.
@@the_kombinator ok now that you’re after that, try freezing a bad cd, and put it into your CD-ROM drive while still foggy. Works as well.
I use AUTOSOL and some old soft underwere that work but you need polish maybe 2 ore 3 time but it work.
Get well soon Vlad, we enjoy your personality on camera. To Russia from Illinois USA
M.E.K. or A Solvent used in Paint Stripper is the blue liquid. It melts PC. I've accidently melted PC. Highly Explosive in vapor form.
I love mek we used it for cleaning litho printing cylinders
Maybe its a chlorinated hydrocarbon, non flamible and smells like "chemical"
For clear headlights first use toothpaste them lemon and baking soda then lastly the wd40.
I usually use bug spray which has deet in it and it lasts roughly 2 months before I have to apply again
Cyril is very refreshing.. keep him moderate this show!
I use 600 grit then 2000 and 6000 grit wet/dry sand paper..job done
Love how BMIRussian has a different voice for each person. Even that lady the one time 🤣
Deep woods OFF works well and last about 6 months
Once you sand down your mirror it will look super hazy and ugly but you just spray clear coat from a can on it and it will be perfect.
off bug spray works better than anything i have tried
Cyril is a champ!
Напишу русский коммент ))
Vinegar is great too
In other videos, people just used simple blow torch to restore headlights... I wouldn't try putting that too close to the surface either...
the Tea pot is melting a thin layer of plastic with the chemicals in it. it's a good idea but I'd still spray some clear coat on it, if it was mine.
You can use just clearcoat istead chemicals cup.
He's still on sick leave?
I hope he's doing well and it's not the CO-you-know-what-RONA
Well I hope its not cancer, a stroke or something like this. Corona is by far not the worst disease you can catch.
@@Chris-yy7qc fr
It was the worst illness for over 613,000 Americans.
@@Honey_Daddy Total 10% of the population (35 Mio) got infected. And 99,983% of them are well again. Thats a death rate of 0,017%.
To compare, lets pick cancer for example: The chance of you getting cancer at some point in your life is 47,5%. 46% cancer patients die.
And thats just one example of many.
So no: Corona is by far not the worst disease you can catch.
@@Honey_Daddy
Lies.
They raised the numbers like in every country, just to scare the people.
Those patients died from other diseases most of them because they didnt get their treatment.
i seen online that the OFF! brand bug repellent makes quick work of foggy headlights. you guys should give that one a try.
Sand headlights with 600 grit. Clean and degrease, spray with clearcoat.
Brake fluid and a polishing wheel is supposed to be the quickest,cheapest and easiest method, requires a bit of masking to keep the brake fluid away from the rest of the car body however.
Every car in the yard now has spotless headlights, even the wreckers :o) Imagine how much profit there would be in a scrapyard for old lights.
Cyril and Vlad should host together, like Hammond and Clarkson. But the best would be if you had one more fellow to make fun of like May, to complete the trio.
Off outdoor bug repellent works really good and easy but you have to reapply after 2 weeks.
I tend to believe that the steam is a clear coat. So after you sanded all the dirt, you also applied a clear coat.
Nice video, thanks
yes toothpaste works, same as it does on cd's. the trick for them is.. use the clear stuff, not the white stuff, and NO sparkles,the clear red or green is best..
Best way to fix a cloudy headlight is sand paper, 1000 then 1500, then 2000 then a rubbing compound.