Simple Auto Body Repair | How To Polish Those old Tail Lights
To most folks having a clean and shiny car is as important as having a clean home. Countless hours and money are spend each year in maintaining that shine by washing and waxing. Sometimes when even that is not enough some people go beyond and have their precious car repainted making the body look like it did when it rolled off the assembly line. But what about your cars tail lights and other lenses? Years of polishing and washing can cause them to fade and scratch ruining the look of your car. We will be covering what it takes to renew the look of your lenses to complete the look of your car.
This is a fairly simple project that does not need a whole lot. Most of the materials you probably have around your home already. The rest can be easily obtained from a local store or on our websites online store. First and most important you are going to need some good 400 grit sand paper. Make sure its for wet sanding. Your also going to need a buffer and buffing wheel, plastic polishing compound and a clean terry cloth towel.
Start by removing the tail lights from the vehicle. Some people will attempt to leave the tail lights in during this step, however it is not recommended as you can slip and accidentally sand down your cars paint. Once removed you may start sanding down the lenses with your 400 grit wet sand paper. It is not necessary to sand the entire lens, just any blemishes on them. You may also choose to sand down the DOT lettering and other part numbers at this time, to give a cleaner look. Be sure to keep the sand paper wet.
Once you have finished sanding down the lens, wash it thoroughly with soap and water. I recommend using a dish soap for this part as the de-greasing agent in the soap will remove any remaining wax that may be on the lens. Dry the lens fully.
Now that your lens is dry it is time to start polishing. Fire up the buffer and start to pick up the polishing compound into it. A little goes a long way here so don’t over do it! Once the wheel begins to change color you have enough. Begin buffing it into the lens but make sure you are moving quickly. If you stay in one spot to long it can over heat the plastic and cause it to melt. Quick motions over the entire lens works best. Wipe any excess compound up with the towel right away. If your getting black blobs on the surface you used to much compound.
Continue buffing until you see the results you like. You will know they are finished when they look and feel like glass. Now stand back and admire your results. Your wallet will thank you for not buying new lenses too!
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