Another Headlight Sealant thread--hopefully this one will generate some answers

T

turbovation

New member
I have researched virtually every form of headlight sealant:



wolfgang plastik sealant

opti-seal

pb wheel sealant

plexis

fk 1000p

ultima paint guard plus

dp plex-all

doublehorn clear protective coating

sem products

klasse aio/sg

rejex

303 UV protection

Minwax Spar-Urethane 40% mineral spirits 60%

21013 - SOLARAY UV HEADLIGHT REPAIR

21109 - SOLARAY UV CURING LAMP



Most of them seem to be very similar, with longevity depending on storage of automobile, amount driven, weather, and general use. Generally ranging from a claimed 2 months of protection all the way up to a year. They are all relatively similar in price as well, but don't offer the protection I think you could get from a real long-term sealant.



The Minwax spar urethane and mineral spirit concoction seems to be very promising for those of us on a budget, but as my dad mentioned, spar urethane tends to amber over time. He has been painting contractor for 32 years so I trust his judgement. However, he did say that there is a possibility that the 60% mineral spirit dillutes the urethane enough to limit this ambering. He still seems concerned that such a thin coat could lift over a short period of time.



The SEM solaray product seems to be the only Legitimate one available right now, but it requires UV light for drying. At ~$30.00 for a 7.8 ounce can it is REALLY expensive. And the UV light is $200.00 (probably insanely overpriced for suckers). I don't want to charge people for a half-assed service that only lasts 3 months. I want their restoration to last as long as possible.



I guess I have three specific questions for the forum:



How many headlights could be coated with 8 ounces of Solaray?



Where can I find a UV curing light for much cheaper? Can I just buy a clamp-light and a bulb at wal-mart?



Am I going to have to be the one who invents a quick drying driveway application UV protected spray that is both affordable and designed specifically for application on headlights? I feel like I will make a lot of money if I do!
 
After you get the headlamps to the point where you like the way they look, bring the car to a body shop. Have them clear coat the lenses. You will get 5-10 years out of them.
 
just spray the head lights with SEM and let them cure in the sun for a few hours. sun=best UV light you can get for free. the reason the SEM states to use UV light assembly is because most body shops dont work outside and they wouldnt waste the time to set lights outside to cure.
 
After you get the headlamps to the point where you like the way they look, bring the car to a body shop. Have them clear coat the lenses. You will get 5-10 years out of them.
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For personal vehicles and, perhaps, long term projects. Sure... Removing headlamps

can be a bit tricky as quite a few require the bumper cover to be removed.



Here's my set using clear. Did quite a few since...



P1000757.jpg


P1000758.jpg


P1000760.jpg


P1000874.jpg




Very simple process: finish sand P1000, scuff and shoot. The results are dramatic.

And durability seems very good (year+).
 
This is the first time I've ever heard of clear coating headlights! I guess it makes sense, but at some point I would expect the 'finish' to chip and start looking pretty bad. Has anyone tried this on a vehicle that used as a daily driver that's subjected to heavy winter road abuse?
 
BTW, I've always just wet sanded worn and weathered headlights and then buffed them out with a rotary and some compound(s). I've never tried, but would adding a layer of wax over the top be of any benefit?
 
Sneaky Pete said:
BTW, I've always just wet sanded worn and weathered headlights and then buffed them out with a rotary and some compound(s). I've never tried, but would adding a layer of wax over the top be of any benefit?
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....it should provide some level of protection but it will be temporary and require routine follow-ups. I have to do this with my own car (an '03). ....polishing occassionally to keep oxidation at bay and adding a coat of sealant regularly. It's easy to maintain but can get bad quick if I don't keep up.
 
I wonder if the various adhesive-backed protective films would work in this regard :think:



sneaky pete said:
BTW, I've always just wet sanded worn and weathered headlights and then buffed them out with a rotary and some compound(s). I've never tried, but would adding a layer of wax over the top be of any benefit?
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I always use whatever LSP the rest of the car is getting (even if it's just wax) and, while it might just be a coincidence, I've never had any yellowing/etc. of any of my headlights or other lenses.



The '93 Audi had pretty badly oxidized lenses both front and back, and they're staying nice (over a year later) with just Collinite on them.
 
Accumulator said:
I wonder if the various adhesive-backed protective films would work in this regard :think:
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....I have wondered as well. I have heard people claim those films (Lamin-X, Xpel, 3M, etc.) will keep the lenses from oxidizing, but I still have some doubts. ....maybe if I had a better understanding of the oxidation process. In my own head it seems simply having the film attached to the surface of the lens may be enough to keep the plastic beneath from oxidizing or at the very least slow the process down.
 
Accumulator said:
I wonder if the various adhesive-backed protective films would work in this regard :think:
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Same here, would provide UV protection (many are advertised as having such) and resistance to rock chips.
 
Yeah, I guess it's a question of whether the films really block the UV rays or not :nixweiss



I've only run Xpel, and only on vehicles where I had irreplaceable headlights (i.e., T-84s on 9C1 Caprices).
 
Any sort of wax/sealant that goes on microscopically thin can only offer

so much "protection." A clear protective film sounds like an excellent way to go.
 
A clear protective film is the optimal way to go for longer protection. I want to offer this in my headlight restoration business but I want to do it in a cost effective manner. I guess we'll have to wait a while to see if the Spar urethane technique holds up, but it seems the Solaray by SEM is the only one offered right now that is worth it's weight in gold. I'm glad some of you are benefiting from this thread!
 
Great points by a lot of qualified posters. For my personal cars, I also just use whatever LSP I have on hand. (I tend to gravitate to resin type sealants for headlamps, but have used Collinite845 with no ill effects)
 
I can see film as a great way to seal the headlights for a long time. I am not going to add this to my service until I have some experience with it and a steady cliental because it is expensive.



One big reason I made this thread is to find a product that is driveway applicable and dryable in a short amount of time and is very affordable for people who are offering a high quality and affordable alternative to purchasing new headlights. So far the only two products we have that should offer true long-term protection are SEM Solaray spray and the minwax urethane/mineral spirit techniques.



Perhaps somebody can enlighten us on a cheap UV light setup that will work as well as the $200.00 one they offer on SEM's website. Does anybody know the output requirements? I know that you can build your own UV light setup for really cheap--I just don't know what is required.
 
Thanks for that link. I wonder what UV sealant they use. Is it one they designed and patented? The annealing process requires a hair dryer so it must bake on in one way or another. Any experience with this?
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From the description it sounds exactly like how the rest of vehicle is painted;

less the bumper covers which are done by hand (why you might notice the color

is different from the body).
 
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