If your like me having a clean and sharp looking car is very important. You take your car to get washed and detailed, you may even spend the money to have the car repainted, just to get that showroom floor look. All this washing and polishing may make your paint look great, but can wreak havoc on your tail light lenses. Today we will outline what it takes to polish your tail lights to give them a better than new shine.
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.
Step one is to remove the lenses from the vehicle. I DO NOT recommend sanding down the lenses in the car because one false move can mean scuffing up your car really good. Once you have them popped out you can start working them over with the 400 grit. Its not necessary to sand the whole lens. Concentrate on the areas that have blemishes and scratches. For a cleaner look you may opt to sand down the part numbers at this time.
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.
After the lens has dried it is time to start polishing. Spin the buffing wheel into the compound and pick up just enough so that the wheel begins to change color. You don’t want to much compound as it will cause black blobs to form on your work. A little goes a long way here. Begin applying it to the lens but don’t stay to long in any one area. Its very possible to over heat the work and cause it to melt. Your best bet is to move quickly along the entire lens. Be sure to pick up excess compound with the terry cloth towel.
Go ahead and buff the lens until you see your desired results. When you are finished your old lenses will look like glass! Its now time to detail the rest of your car to match your awesome new lenses!
Want to find out more about Auto Body Repair, then visit Chip Roth’s site on how to choose the best Auto Body Shop for your needs.
categories: tail light polishing, diy auto body repair, car detailing, car care, auto body repair
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