DIY Auto Body – Polishing Your 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.
Not a whole lot is needed for this project and most of it can be had pretty cheap. There is a good chance you have alot of this stuff around the house already. Everything else can be purchased at a local hardware store or auto body supply store. First your going to need some good 400 grit sand paper. Make sure its designed for wet sanding. Next your going to need a buffing wheel and of course a buffer to attach it to. Your also going to need plastic polishing compound. There are many on the market out there, I personally like the one made by the Eastwood Company. You will also need 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.
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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