We've all seen them. Some of us own cars with them. I do. Or did. I
refer, of course, to Sun damaged polycarb headlights. I spent an hour or
so over the long weekend using this product:

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/dc/v000087445/

Outstanding! SO much more light on the road from the Stagea HID
headlights. Nice sharp cut-off. Just fabulous.

I did quite a bit of research, before I chose the 3M product. The only
other product I considered was the Sylvania one. It was a lot more
expensive, more difficult to obtain and required a lot more elbow grease
(no drill required).

Anyway, for anyone wanting to tart up their headlights, the 3M product
is brilliant. Instructions are clear and easy to understand. All you
need to add is a drill/driver and a spritzer bottle of water.

On 6/10/21 11:12 am, Trevor Wilson wrote:
> We've all seen them. Some of us own cars with them. I do. Or did. I
> refer, of course, to Sun damaged polycarb headlights. I spent an hour or
> so over the long weekend using this product:
>
> https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/dc/v000087445/
>
> Outstanding! SO much more light on the road from the Stagea HID
> headlights. Nice sharp cut-off. Just fabulous.
>
> I did quite a bit of research, before I chose the 3M product. The only
> other product I considered was the Sylvania one. It was a lot more
> expensive, more difficult to obtain and required a lot more elbow grease
> (no drill required).
>
> Anyway, for anyone wanting to tart up their headlights, the 3M product
> is brilliant. Instructions are clear and easy to understand. All you
> need to add is a drill/driver and a spritzer bottle of water.

I prefer not to let the headlights get to the drill/driver requirement
level. This is helped by the fact that my cars are always garaged and
spend little time out in the sun anyway. I use the Turtlewax headlight
cleaner and sealer; https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/163760812240
Don't let it get bad in the first place, preventative maintenance works
for me. What's more, a bottle lasts a bloody long time and is simple to
apply.

--

Xeno

Nothing astonishes Noddy so much as common sense and plain dealing.
(with apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson)

On 6/10/2021 11:12 am, Trevor Wilson wrote:
> We've all seen them. Some of us own cars with them. I do. Or did. I
> refer, of course, to Sun damaged polycarb headlights. I spent an hour
> or so over the long weekend using this product:
>
> https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/dc/v000087445/
>
> Outstanding! SO much more light on the road from the Stagea HID
> headlights. Nice sharp cut-off. Just fabulous.
>
> I did quite a bit of research, before I chose the 3M product. The only
> other product I considered was the Sylvania one. It was a lot more
> expensive, more difficult to obtain and required a lot more elbow
> grease (no drill required).
>
> Anyway, for anyone wanting to tart up their headlights, the 3M product
> is brilliant. Instructions are clear and easy to understand. All you
> need to add is a drill/driver and a spritzer bottle of water.

how old is the car? they must have been bad to require such treatment.

--
"A mans got to know his limitations"
- clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry

On 6/10/21 11:12 am, Trevor Wilson wrote:
> We've all seen them. Some of us own cars with them. I do. Or did. I
> refer, of course, to Sun damaged polycarb headlights. I spent an hour or
> so over the long weekend using this product:
>
> https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/dc/v000087445/
>
> Outstanding! SO much more light on the road from the Stagea HID
> headlights. Nice sharp cut-off. Just fabulous.
>
> I did quite a bit of research, before I chose the 3M product. The only
> other product I considered was the Sylvania one. It was a lot more
> expensive, more difficult to obtain and required a lot more elbow grease
> (no drill required).
>
> Anyway, for anyone wanting to tart up their headlights, the 3M product
> is brilliant. Instructions are clear and easy to understand. All you
> need to add is a drill/driver and a spritzer bottle of water.

I've got a Mothers kit which works pretty well, I've also just used very
fine wet and dry and some plastics polish.
Where did you buy the 3M kit?

--
Daryl

On 6/10/21 12:31 pm, Yosemite Sam wrote:
> On 6/10/2021 11:12 am, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>> We've all seen them. Some of us own cars with them. I do. Or did. I
>> refer, of course, to Sun damaged polycarb headlights. I spent an hour
>> or so over the long weekend using this product:
>>
>> https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/dc/v000087445/
>>
>> Outstanding! SO much more light on the road from the Stagea HID
>> headlights. Nice sharp cut-off. Just fabulous.
>>
>> I did quite a bit of research, before I chose the 3M product. The only
>> other product I considered was the Sylvania one. It was a lot more
>> expensive, more difficult to obtain and required a lot more elbow
>> grease (no drill required).
>>
>> Anyway, for anyone wanting to tart up their headlights, the 3M product
>> is brilliant. Instructions are clear and easy to understand. All you
>> need to add is a drill/driver and a spritzer bottle of water.
>
>
> how old is the car? they must have been bad to require such treatment.
>
5 years parked in the sun is enough to do it.

--

Xeno

Nothing astonishes Noddy so much as common sense and plain dealing.
(with apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson)

On 6/10/2021 11:12 am, Trevor Wilson wrote:
> We've all seen them. Some of us own cars with them. I do. Or did. I
> refer, of course, to Sun damaged polycarb headlights. I spent an hour or
> so over the long weekend using this product:
>
> https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/dc/v000087445/
>
> Outstanding! SO much more light on the road from the Stagea HID
> headlights. Nice sharp cut-off. Just fabulous.

It's a by-product of the use of Polycarbonate Headlights in modern cars
I'm afraid. It's a material that's easy and cheap to manufacture, but
unfortunately it's not all that great when it comes to UV resistance.
They just about all go dull after a while. Some quicker than others.

> I did quite a bit of research, before I chose the 3M product. The only
> other product I considered was the Sylvania one. It was a lot more
> expensive, more difficult to obtain and required a lot more elbow grease
> (no drill required).
>
> Anyway, for anyone wanting to tart up their headlights, the 3M product
> is brilliant. Instructions are clear and easy to understand. All you
> need to add is a drill/driver and a spritzer bottle of water.

There's a number of different headlight "restoration" products on the
market, and they all work pretty well. The key element is the ultra fine
sandpaper in the range of 3-5000 grit or so, and the polishing compound
which is *very* mild.

Brasso liquid works *very* well as a polycarbonate polish.

--
--
--
Regards,
Noddy.

On 6/10/2021 12:37 pm, Daryl wrote:
> On 6/10/21 11:12 am, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>> We've all seen them. Some of us own cars with them. I do. Or did. I
>> refer, of course, to Sun damaged polycarb headlights. I spent an hour
>> or so over the long weekend using this product:
>>
>> https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/dc/v000087445/
>>
>> Outstanding! SO much more light on the road from the Stagea HID
>> headlights. Nice sharp cut-off. Just fabulous.
>>
>> I did quite a bit of research, before I chose the 3M product. The only
>> other product I considered was the Sylvania one. It was a lot more
>> expensive, more difficult to obtain and required a lot more elbow
>> grease (no drill required).
>>
>> Anyway, for anyone wanting to tart up their headlights, the 3M product
>> is brilliant. Instructions are clear and easy to understand. All you
>> need to add is a drill/driver and a spritzer bottle of water.
>
> I've got a Mothers kit which works pretty well, I've also just used very
> fine wet and dry and some plastics polish.
> Where did you buy the 3M kit?
>

**I was unable to find a bricks and mortar retailer, so I went on-line
and find a kit on eBay.

On 6/10/2021 12:31 pm, Yosemite Sam wrote:
> On 6/10/2021 11:12 am, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>> We've all seen them. Some of us own cars with them. I do. Or did. I
>> refer, of course, to Sun damaged polycarb headlights. I spent an hour
>> or so over the long weekend using this product:
>>
>> https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/dc/v000087445/
>>
>> Outstanding! SO much more light on the road from the Stagea HID
>> headlights. Nice sharp cut-off. Just fabulous.
>>
>> I did quite a bit of research, before I chose the 3M product. The only
>> other product I considered was the Sylvania one. It was a lot more
>> expensive, more difficult to obtain and required a lot more elbow
>> grease (no drill required).
>>
>> Anyway, for anyone wanting to tart up their headlights, the 3M product
>> is brilliant. Instructions are clear and easy to understand. All you
>> need to add is a drill/driver and a spritzer bottle of water.
>
>
> how old is the car? they must have been bad to require such treatment.
>

**The car is 20 years old. It has not seen the inside of a garage for
almost 10 years and possibly more. The damage was not as bad as that
which I've seen.

On 6/10/2021 1:06 pm, Noddy wrote:
> On 6/10/2021 11:12 am, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>> We've all seen them. Some of us own cars with them. I do. Or did. I
>> refer, of course, to Sun damaged polycarb headlights. I spent an hour
>> or so over the long weekend using this product:
>>
>> https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/dc/v000087445/
>>
>> Outstanding! SO much more light on the road from the Stagea HID
>> headlights. Nice sharp cut-off. Just fabulous.
>
> It's a by-product of the use of Polycarbonate Headlights in modern cars
> I'm afraid. It's a material that's easy and cheap to manufacture, but
> unfortunately it's not all that great when it comes to UV resistance.
> They just about all go dull after a while. Some quicker than others.
>
>> I did quite a bit of research, before I chose the 3M product. The only
>> other product I considered was the Sylvania one. It was a lot more
>> expensive, more difficult to obtain and required a lot more elbow
>> grease (no drill required).
>>
>> Anyway, for anyone wanting to tart up their headlights, the 3M product
>> is brilliant. Instructions are clear and easy to understand. All you
>> need to add is a drill/driver and a spritzer bottle of water.
>
> There's a number of different headlight "restoration" products on the
> market, and they all work pretty well.

**Before I chose the 3M kit, I did a fair bit of research. The thing
that stood out with the 3M kit is that I was able to use a drill/driver
and that tests performed by some people on-line demonstrated that the
abrasives supplied by 3M do not clog as easily as other brands. One
reviewer tested around 10 different kits on pre-damaged polycarb sheets.
He did some macro photography on the final result and it was very clear
that the 3M and Sylvania kits delivered results that were head and
shoulders above all the other kits tested. I concur. The 3M kit
comfortably exceeded my expectations.

The key element is the ultra fine
> sandpaper in the range of 3-5000 grit or so, and the polishing compound
> which is *very* mild.
>
> Brasso liquid works *very* well as a polycarbonate polish.

**Yep. I have a mate who spent a day and half using Brasso™ on his
headlights. I started using Brasso™, but I gave up after 30 minutes,
because there was minimal difference. The 3M product turned out a better
result with around an hour's work. I'd rather spend the extra, for a
better result in MUCH less time.

On 6/10/21 1:06 pm, Noddy wrote:
> On 6/10/2021 11:12 am, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>> We've all seen them. Some of us own cars with them. I do. Or did. I
>> refer, of course, to Sun damaged polycarb headlights. I spent an hour
>> or so over the long weekend using this product:
>>
>> https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/dc/v000087445/
>>
>> Outstanding! SO much more light on the road from the Stagea HID
>> headlights. Nice sharp cut-off. Just fabulous.
>
> It's a by-product of the use of Polycarbonate Headlights in modern cars
> I'm afraid. It's a material that's easy and cheap to manufacture, but
> unfortunately it's not all that great when it comes to UV resistance.
> They just about all go dull after a while. Some quicker than others.

The polycarbonate used in headlamp covers has a protective UV layer. The
covers only begin to discolour when this protective UV layer has broken
down. UV exposure is the key element here, along with the quality of
manufacture.
>
>> I did quite a bit of research, before I chose the 3M product. The only
>> other product I considered was the Sylvania one. It was a lot more
>> expensive, more difficult to obtain and required a lot more elbow
>> grease (no drill required).
>>
>> Anyway, for anyone wanting to tart up their headlights, the 3M product
>> is brilliant. Instructions are clear and easy to understand. All you
>> need to add is a drill/driver and a spritzer bottle of water.
>
> There's a number of different headlight "restoration" products on the
> market, and they all work pretty well. The key element is the ultra fine
> sandpaper in the range of 3-5000 grit or so, and the polishing compound
> which is *very* mild.

I call bullshit on that. Once you have used an abrasive of any sort on
the headlamp covers, you have *removed* the protective UV resistant
layer. The polycarbonate material now has *NO PROTECTION* and will
weather, and *discolour*, much more quickly than before. The key element
in *any* headlight restoration product is the *sealant*. The sealant is
what restores the UV resistance *after* you have abraded away the OEM UV
resistant layer.

Far better to use a *preventative measure*, such as a *sealant*.

https://www.automegastore.com.au/pub/media/catalog/product/cache/e4d64343b1bc593f1c5348fe05efa4a6/b/m/bm730_1.jpg

Two ways to look after headlights. The first - minimise sun exposure.
It's what I do. The second - from day one use a sealer as depicted in
the link above. Do both of these things and you won't need to use an
abrasive headlight restorer ever. Of course, when you buy a car used,
you can bet your bottom dollar that the headlights have been given the
restoration treatment so get a sealant and use it regularly because you
will definitely need it.
>
> Brasso liquid works *very* well as a polycarbonate polish.
>
You are such a Googling clown! Brasso liquid contains no UV sealant wax
in any form. Use such an abrasive at your peril because it will leave
your headlight covers fully exposed to further UV damage. Won't be long
before you begin to see fine cracking - that's the beginning of the end
for your headlight covers. After that, the UV will attack the
*reflectors*. That *IS* the end of your headlights.

--

Xeno

Nothing astonishes Noddy so much as common sense and plain dealing.
(with apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson)

On 6/10/21 1:31 pm, Trevor Wilson wrote:
> On 6/10/2021 12:31 pm, Yosemite Sam wrote:
>> On 6/10/2021 11:12 am, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>>> We've all seen them. Some of us own cars with them. I do. Or did. I
>>> refer, of course, to Sun damaged polycarb headlights. I spent an hour
>>> or so over the long weekend using this product:
>>>
>>> https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/dc/v000087445/
>>>
>>> Outstanding! SO much more light on the road from the Stagea HID
>>> headlights. Nice sharp cut-off. Just fabulous.
>>>
>>> I did quite a bit of research, before I chose the 3M product. The
>>> only other product I considered was the Sylvania one. It was a lot
>>> more expensive, more difficult to obtain and required a lot more
>>> elbow grease (no drill required).
>>>
>>> Anyway, for anyone wanting to tart up their headlights, the 3M
>>> product is brilliant. Instructions are clear and easy to understand.
>>> All you need to add is a drill/driver and a spritzer bottle of water.
>>
>>
>> how old is the car? they must have been bad to require such treatment.
>>
>
> **The car is 20 years old. It has not seen the inside of a garage for
> almost 10 years and possibly more. The damage was not as bad as that
> which I've seen.

I have seen 10 year old cars where the headlights are beyond even
restoration. Permanently knackered. Use the sealant regularly on yours
once you have restored them. Won't need to restore them as often if you do.

--

Xeno

Nothing astonishes Noddy so much as common sense and plain dealing.
(with apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson)

On 6/10/2021 1:37 pm, Trevor Wilson wrote:
> On 6/10/2021 1:06 pm, Noddy wrote:

>>
>> Brasso liquid works *very* well as a polycarbonate polish.
>
> **Yep. I have a mate who spent a day and half using Brasso™ on his
> headlights. I started using Brasso™, but I gave up after 30 minutes,
> because there was minimal difference. The 3M product turned out a better
> result with around an hour's work. I'd rather spend the extra, for a
> better result in MUCH less time.

Did you use sandpaper with the Brasso?

Brasso won't work on it's own. You have to micro-sand the plastic first
just like you do with the 3M kit. The process is exactly the same, just
using more commonly available products than what 3M supply.

--
--
--
Regards,
Noddy.

On 6/10/2021 2:06 pm, Noddy wrote:
> On 6/10/2021 1:37 pm, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>> On 6/10/2021 1:06 pm, Noddy wrote:
>
>>>
>>> Brasso liquid works *very* well as a polycarbonate polish.
>>
>> **Yep. I have a mate who spent a day and half using Brasso™ on his
>> headlights. I started using Brasso™, but I gave up after 30 minutes,
>> because there was minimal difference. The 3M product turned out a
>> better result with around an hour's work. I'd rather spend the extra,
>> for a better result in MUCH less time.
>
> Did you use sandpaper with the Brasso?

**Nope. Brasso™ is an abrasive. Neither did my mate. I thought the
results he got were excellent, but it took a long time. I thought his
results were excellent, until I finished using the 3M product on mine.
Much better.

>
> Brasso won't work on it's own. You have to micro-sand the plastic first
> just like you do with the 3M kit. The process is exactly the same, just
> using more commonly available products than what 3M supply.

**And once more: I chose the 3M product because it appeared to be the
best product to do the job. The results are stunning. The polycarb looks
like new.

On 6/10/2021 1:53 pm, Xeno wrote:
> On 6/10/21 1:31 pm, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>> On 6/10/2021 12:31 pm, Yosemite Sam wrote:
>>> On 6/10/2021 11:12 am, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>>>> We've all seen them. Some of us own cars with them. I do. Or did. I
>>>> refer, of course, to Sun damaged polycarb headlights. I spent an
>>>> hour or so over the long weekend using this product:
>>>>
>>>> https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/dc/v000087445/
>>>>
>>>> Outstanding! SO much more light on the road from the Stagea HID
>>>> headlights. Nice sharp cut-off. Just fabulous.
>>>>
>>>> I did quite a bit of research, before I chose the 3M product. The
>>>> only other product I considered was the Sylvania one. It was a lot
>>>> more expensive, more difficult to obtain and required a lot more
>>>> elbow grease (no drill required).
>>>>
>>>> Anyway, for anyone wanting to tart up their headlights, the 3M
>>>> product is brilliant. Instructions are clear and easy to understand.
>>>> All you need to add is a drill/driver and a spritzer bottle of water.
>>>
>>>
>>> how old is the car? they must have been bad to require such treatment.
>>>
>>
>> **The car is 20 years old. It has not seen the inside of a garage for
>> almost 10 years and possibly more. The damage was not as bad as that
>> which I've seen.
>
> I have seen 10 year old cars where the headlights are beyond even
> restoration. Permanently knackered. Use the sealant regularly on yours
> once you have restored them. Won't need to restore them as often if you do.
>

**I plan to do just that.

On 6/10/2021 11:15 am, Trevor Wilson wrote:
> On 6/10/2021 2:06 pm, Noddy wrote:
>> On 6/10/2021 1:37 pm, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>>> On 6/10/2021 1:06 pm, Noddy wrote:
>>
>>>>
>>>> Brasso liquid works *very* well as a polycarbonate polish.
>>>
>>> **Yep. I have a mate who spent a day and half using Brasso™ on his
>>> headlights. I started using Brasso™, but I gave up after 30 minutes,
>>> because there was minimal difference. The 3M product turned out a
>>> better result with around an hour's work. I'd rather spend the extra,
>>> for a better result in MUCH less time.
>>
>> Did you use sandpaper with the Brasso?
>
> **Nope. Brasso™ is an abrasive. Neither did my mate. I thought the
> results he got were excellent, but it took a long time. I thought his
> results were excellent, until I finished using the 3M product on mine.
> Much better.
>

Brasso is an abrasive and will work fine by itself - but it depends
entirely on the level of sun damage. If it's just starting you can get
away with brasso by itself but if it's quite bad wet sanding with fine
sand paper is the go.

>>
>> Brasso won't work on it's own. You have to micro-sand the plastic
>> first just like you do with the 3M kit. The process is exactly the
>> same, just using more commonly available products than what 3M supply.
>
> **And once more: I chose the 3M product because it appeared to be the
> best product to do the job. The results are stunning. The polycarb looks
> like new.
>

It would have using other methods too. The trick now is to prevent it
happening again. Does the 3M kit include a post polish UV blocking
product to prevent it recurring?

On 6/10/21 2:51 pm, Clocky wrote:
> On 6/10/2021 11:15 am, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>> On 6/10/2021 2:06 pm, Noddy wrote:
>>> On 6/10/2021 1:37 pm, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>>>> On 6/10/2021 1:06 pm, Noddy wrote:
>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Brasso liquid works *very* well as a polycarbonate polish.
>>>>
>>>> **Yep. I have a mate who spent a day and half using Brasso™ on his
>>>> headlights. I started using Brasso™, but I gave up after 30 minutes,
>>>> because there was minimal difference. The 3M product turned out a
>>>> better result with around an hour's work. I'd rather spend the
>>>> extra, for a better result in MUCH less time.
>>>
>>> Did you use sandpaper with the Brasso?
>>
>> **Nope. Brasso™ is an abrasive. Neither did my mate. I thought the
>> results he got were excellent, but it took a long time. I thought his
>> results were excellent, until I finished using the 3M product on mine.
>> Much better.
>>
>
> Brasso is an abrasive and will work fine by itself - but it depends
> entirely on the level of sun damage. If it's just starting you can get
> away with brasso by itself but if it's quite bad wet sanding with fine
> sand paper is the go.

Never seen one bad enough to require sand paper, and I have seen some
really bad ones over the years, the wife's previous car as a perfect
example. The Turtle Wax did a fine job on that.
>
>>>
>>> Brasso won't work on it's own. You have to micro-sand the plastic
>>> first just like you do with the 3M kit. The process is exactly the
>>> same, just using more commonly available products than what 3M supply.
>>
>> **And once more: I chose the 3M product because it appeared to be the
>> best product to do the job. The results are stunning. The polycarb
>> looks like new.
>>
>
> It would have using other methods too. The trick now is to prevent it
> happening again. Does the 3M kit include a post polish UV blocking
> product to prevent it recurring?

It should do. Most of the *restoration kits* seem to. The Turtle Wax kit
does so I'd presume the 3M kit is no different.

--

Xeno

Nothing astonishes Noddy so much as common sense and plain dealing.
(with apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson)

On 6/10/2021 2:51 pm, Clocky wrote:
> On 6/10/2021 11:15 am, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>> On 6/10/2021 2:06 pm, Noddy wrote:
>>> On 6/10/2021 1:37 pm, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>>>> On 6/10/2021 1:06 pm, Noddy wrote:
>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Brasso liquid works *very* well as a polycarbonate polish.
>>>>
>>>> **Yep. I have a mate who spent a day and half using Brasso™ on his
>>>> headlights. I started using Brasso™, but I gave up after 30 minutes,
>>>> because there was minimal difference. The 3M product turned out a
>>>> better result with around an hour's work. I'd rather spend the
>>>> extra, for a better result in MUCH less time.
>>>
>>> Did you use sandpaper with the Brasso?
>>
>> **Nope. Brasso™ is an abrasive. Neither did my mate. I thought the
>> results he got were excellent, but it took a long time. I thought his
>> results were excellent, until I finished using the 3M product on mine.
>> Much better.
>>
>
> Brasso is an abrasive and will work fine by itself - but it depends
> entirely on the level of sun damage. If it's just starting you can get
> away with brasso by itself but if it's quite bad wet sanding with fine
> sand paper is the go.
>
>>>
>>> Brasso won't work on it's own. You have to micro-sand the plastic
>>> first just like you do with the 3M kit. The process is exactly the
>>> same, just using more commonly available products than what 3M supply.
>>
>> **And once more: I chose the 3M product because it appeared to be the
>> best product to do the job. The results are stunning. The polycarb
>> looks like new.
>>
>
> It would have using other methods too. The trick now is to prevent it
> happening again. Does the 3M kit include a post polish UV blocking
> product to prevent it recurring?

**Not the specific 3M kit I have, but the kit I purchased some time back
does. I used it.

On 6/10/2021 11:58 am, Xeno wrote:
> On 6/10/21 2:51 pm, Clocky wrote:
>> On 6/10/2021 11:15 am, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>>> On 6/10/2021 2:06 pm, Noddy wrote:
>>>> On 6/10/2021 1:37 pm, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>>>>> On 6/10/2021 1:06 pm, Noddy wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Brasso liquid works *very* well as a polycarbonate polish.
>>>>>
>>>>> **Yep. I have a mate who spent a day and half using Brasso™ on his
>>>>> headlights. I started using Brasso™, but I gave up after 30
>>>>> minutes, because there was minimal difference. The 3M product
>>>>> turned out a better result with around an hour's work. I'd rather
>>>>> spend the extra, for a better result in MUCH less time.
>>>>
>>>> Did you use sandpaper with the Brasso?
>>>
>>> **Nope. Brasso™ is an abrasive. Neither did my mate. I thought the
>>> results he got were excellent, but it took a long time. I thought his
>>> results were excellent, until I finished using the 3M product on
>>> mine. Much better.
>>>
>>
>> Brasso is an abrasive and will work fine by itself - but it depends
>> entirely on the level of sun damage. If it's just starting you can get
>> away with brasso by itself but if it's quite bad wet sanding with fine
>> sand paper is the go.
>
> Never seen one bad enough to require sand paper, and I have seen some
> really bad ones over the years, the wife's previous car as a perfect
> example. The Turtle Wax did a fine job on that.

We have high UV levels so it's not uncommon to see really bad ones and
sanding with fine paper works a treat where Brasso by itself would be
largely ineffective.

>>
>>>>
>>>> Brasso won't work on it's own. You have to micro-sand the plastic
>>>> first just like you do with the 3M kit. The process is exactly the
>>>> same, just using more commonly available products than what 3M supply.
>>>
>>> **And once more: I chose the 3M product because it appeared to be the
>>> best product to do the job. The results are stunning. The polycarb
>>> looks like new.
>>>
>>
>> It would have using other methods too. The trick now is to prevent it
>> happening again. Does the 3M kit include a post polish UV blocking
>> product to prevent it recurring?
>
> It should do. Most of the *restoration kits* seem to. The Turtle Wax kit
> does so I'd presume the 3M kit is no different.
>

You would hope.

On 6/10/21 3:31 pm, Clocky wrote:
> On 6/10/2021 11:58 am, Xeno wrote:
>> On 6/10/21 2:51 pm, Clocky wrote:
>>> On 6/10/2021 11:15 am, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>>>> On 6/10/2021 2:06 pm, Noddy wrote:
>>>>> On 6/10/2021 1:37 pm, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>>>>>> On 6/10/2021 1:06 pm, Noddy wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Brasso liquid works *very* well as a polycarbonate polish.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> **Yep. I have a mate who spent a day and half using Brasso™ on his
>>>>>> headlights. I started using Brasso™, but I gave up after 30
>>>>>> minutes, because there was minimal difference. The 3M product
>>>>>> turned out a better result with around an hour's work. I'd rather
>>>>>> spend the extra, for a better result in MUCH less time.
>>>>>
>>>>> Did you use sandpaper with the Brasso?
>>>>
>>>> **Nope. Brasso™ is an abrasive. Neither did my mate. I thought the
>>>> results he got were excellent, but it took a long time. I thought
>>>> his results were excellent, until I finished using the 3M product on
>>>> mine. Much better.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Brasso is an abrasive and will work fine by itself - but it depends
>>> entirely on the level of sun damage. If it's just starting you can
>>> get away with brasso by itself but if it's quite bad wet sanding with
>>> fine sand paper is the go.
>>
>> Never seen one bad enough to require sand paper, and I have seen some
>> really bad ones over the years, the wife's previous car as a perfect
>> example. The Turtle Wax did a fine job on that.
>
> We have high UV levels so it's not uncommon to see really bad ones and

So do we. Not unusual to see headlights that are yellow and totally
opaque. Never owned a car that's been let go to that level though.

> sanding with fine paper works a treat where Brasso by itself would be
> largely ineffective.
>
>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Brasso won't work on it's own. You have to micro-sand the plastic
>>>>> first just like you do with the 3M kit. The process is exactly the
>>>>> same, just using more commonly available products than what 3M supply.
>>>>
>>>> **And once more: I chose the 3M product because it appeared to be
>>>> the best product to do the job. The results are stunning. The
>>>> polycarb looks like new.
>>>>
>>>
>>> It would have using other methods too. The trick now is to prevent it
>>> happening again. Does the 3M kit include a post polish UV blocking
>>> product to prevent it recurring?
>>
>> It should do. Most of the *restoration kits* seem to. The Turtle Wax
>> kit does so I'd presume the 3M kit is no different.
>>
>
> You would hope.

I would expect! It isn't a *proper kit* without the finishing product.

--

Xeno

Nothing astonishes Noddy so much as common sense and plain dealing.
(with apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson)

On 6/10/2021 1:51 pm, Xeno wrote:
> On 6/10/21 1:06 pm, Noddy wrote:
>> On 6/10/2021 11:12 am, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>>> We've all seen them. Some of us own cars with them. I do. Or did. I
>>> refer, of course, to Sun damaged polycarb headlights. I spent an
>>> hour or so over the long weekend using this product:
>>>
>>> https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/dc/v000087445/
>>>
>>> Outstanding! SO much more light on the road from the Stagea HID
>>> headlights. Nice sharp cut-off. Just fabulous.
>>
>> It's a by-product of the use of Polycarbonate Headlights in modern
>> cars I'm afraid. It's a material that's easy and cheap to
>> manufacture, but unfortunately it's not all that great when it comes
>> to UV resistance. They just about all go dull after a while. Some
>> quicker than others.
>
> The polycarbonate used in headlamp covers has a protective UV layer.
> The covers only begin to discolour when this protective UV layer has
> broken down. UV exposure is the key element here, along with the
> quality of manufacture.
>>
>>> I did quite a bit of research, before I chose the 3M product. The
>>> only other product I considered was the Sylvania one. It was a lot
>>> more expensive, more difficult to obtain and required a lot more
>>> elbow grease (no drill required).
>>>
>>> Anyway, for anyone wanting to tart up their headlights, the 3M
>>> product is brilliant. Instructions are clear and easy to understand.
>>> All you need to add is a drill/driver and a spritzer bottle of water.
>>
>> There's a number of different headlight "restoration" products on the
>> market, and they all work pretty well. The key element is the ultra
>> fine sandpaper in the range of 3-5000 grit or so, and the polishing
>> compound which is *very* mild.
>
> I call bullshit on that. Once you have used an abrasive of any sort on
> the headlamp covers, you have *removed* the protective UV resistant
> layer. The polycarbonate material now has *NO PROTECTION* and will
> weather, and *discolour*, much more quickly than before. The key
> element in *any* headlight restoration product is the *sealant*. The
> sealant is what restores the UV resistance *after* you have abraded
> away the OEM UV resistant layer.
>
> Far better to use a *preventative measure*, such as a *sealant*.
>
> https://www.automegastore.com.au/pub/media/catalog/product/cache/e4d64343b1bc593f1c5348fe05efa4a6/b/m/bm730_1.jpg
>
>
> Two ways to look after headlights. The first - minimise sun exposure.
> It's what I do. The second - from day one use a sealer as depicted in
> the link above. Do both of these things and you won't need to use an
> abrasive headlight restorer ever. Of course, when you buy a car used,
> you can bet your bottom dollar that the headlights have been given the
> restoration treatment so get a sealant and use it regularly because
> you will definitely need it.
>>
>> Brasso liquid works *very* well as a polycarbonate polish.
>>
> You are such a Googling clown! Brasso liquid contains no UV sealant
> wax in any form. Use such an abrasive at your peril because it will
> leave your headlight covers fully exposed to further UV damage. Won't
> be long before you begin to see fine cracking - that's the beginning
> of the end for your headlight covers. After that, the UV will attack
> the *reflectors*. That *IS* the end of your headlights.
>
>

noddy never gets it right

--
"A mans got to know his limitations"
- clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry

On 6/10/2021 2:58 pm, Xeno wrote:
> On 6/10/21 2:51 pm, Clocky wrote:
>> On 6/10/2021 11:15 am, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>>> On 6/10/2021 2:06 pm, Noddy wrote:
>>>> On 6/10/2021 1:37 pm, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>>>>> On 6/10/2021 1:06 pm, Noddy wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Brasso liquid works *very* well as a polycarbonate polish.
>>>>>
>>>>> **Yep. I have a mate who spent a day and half using Brasso™ on his
>>>>> headlights. I started using Brasso™, but I gave up after 30
>>>>> minutes, because there was minimal difference. The 3M product
>>>>> turned out a better result with around an hour's work. I'd rather
>>>>> spend the extra, for a better result in MUCH less time.
>>>>
>>>> Did you use sandpaper with the Brasso?
>>>
>>> **Nope. Brasso™ is an abrasive. Neither did my mate. I thought the
>>> results he got were excellent, but it took a long time. I thought
>>> his results were excellent, until I finished using the 3M product on
>>> mine. Much better.
>>>
>>
>> Brasso is an abrasive and will work fine by itself - but it depends
>> entirely on the level of sun damage. If it's just starting you can
>> get away with brasso by itself but if it's quite bad wet sanding with
>> fine sand paper is the go.
>
> Never seen one bad enough to require sand paper, and I have seen some
> really bad ones over the years, the wife's previous car as a perfect
> example. The Turtle Wax did a fine job on that.
>>
>>>>
>>>> Brasso won't work on it's own. You have to micro-sand the plastic
>>>> first just like you do with the 3M kit. The process is exactly the
>>>> same, just using more commonly available products than what 3M supply.
>>>
>>> **And once more: I chose the 3M product because it appeared to be
>>> the best product to do the job. The results are stunning. The
>>> polycarb looks like new.
>>>
>>
>> It would have using other methods too. The trick now is to prevent it
>> happening again. Does the 3M kit include a post polish UV blocking
>> product to prevent it recurring?
>
> It should do. Most of the *restoration kits* seem to. The Turtle Wax
> kit does so I'd presume the 3M kit is no different.
>

I've never needed to restore the headlights on any of my cars

--
"A mans got to know his limitations"
- clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry

On 6/10/21 4:06 pm, Yosemite Sam wrote:
> On 6/10/2021 2:58 pm, Xeno wrote:
>> On 6/10/21 2:51 pm, Clocky wrote:
>>> On 6/10/2021 11:15 am, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>>>> On 6/10/2021 2:06 pm, Noddy wrote:
>>>>> On 6/10/2021 1:37 pm, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>>>>>> On 6/10/2021 1:06 pm, Noddy wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Brasso liquid works *very* well as a polycarbonate polish.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> **Yep. I have a mate who spent a day and half using Brasso™ on his
>>>>>> headlights. I started using Brasso™, but I gave up after 30
>>>>>> minutes, because there was minimal difference. The 3M product
>>>>>> turned out a better result with around an hour's work. I'd rather
>>>>>> spend the extra, for a better result in MUCH less time.
>>>>>
>>>>> Did you use sandpaper with the Brasso?
>>>>
>>>> **Nope. Brasso™ is an abrasive. Neither did my mate. I thought the
>>>> results he got were excellent, but it took a long time. I thought
>>>> his results were excellent, until I finished using the 3M product on
>>>> mine. Much better.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Brasso is an abrasive and will work fine by itself - but it depends
>>> entirely on the level of sun damage. If it's just starting you can
>>> get away with brasso by itself but if it's quite bad wet sanding with
>>> fine sand paper is the go.
>>
>> Never seen one bad enough to require sand paper, and I have seen some
>> really bad ones over the years, the wife's previous car as a perfect
>> example. The Turtle Wax did a fine job on that.
>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Brasso won't work on it's own. You have to micro-sand the plastic
>>>>> first just like you do with the 3M kit. The process is exactly the
>>>>> same, just using more commonly available products than what 3M supply.
>>>>
>>>> **And once more: I chose the 3M product because it appeared to be
>>>> the best product to do the job. The results are stunning. The
>>>> polycarb looks like new.
>>>>
>>>
>>> It would have using other methods too. The trick now is to prevent it
>>> happening again. Does the 3M kit include a post polish UV blocking
>>> product to prevent it recurring?
>>
>> It should do. Most of the *restoration kits* seem to. The Turtle Wax
>> kit does so I'd presume the 3M kit is no different.
>>
>
> I've never needed to restore the headlights on any of my cars
>
Always garaged? That's the secret. The only time my car is not garaged
is when I am down at the shops or visiting someone. I expect my
headlights to see my tenure with the car out without and yellowing or
other UV damage, however long that tenure may be.

--

Xeno

Nothing astonishes Noddy so much as common sense and plain dealing.
(with apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson)

On 6/10/2021 2:15 pm, Trevor Wilson wrote:
> On 6/10/2021 2:06 pm, Noddy wrote:
>> On 6/10/2021 1:37 pm, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>>> On 6/10/2021 1:06 pm, Noddy wrote:
>>
>>>>
>>>> Brasso liquid works *very* well as a polycarbonate polish.
>>>
>>> **Yep. I have a mate who spent a day and half using Brasso™ on his
>>> headlights. I started using Brasso™, but I gave up after 30 minutes,
>>> because there was minimal difference. The 3M product turned out a
>>> better result with around an hour's work. I'd rather spend the extra,
>>> for a better result in MUCH less time.
>>
>> Did you use sandpaper with the Brasso?
>
> **Nope. Brasso™ is an abrasive.

*All* polishing compounds are abrasive Trevor. That's how they work. The
3M stuff you bought is abrasive too.

> Neither did my mate. I thought the
> results he got were excellent, but it took a long time. I thought his
> results were excellent, until I finished using the 3M product on mine.
> Much better.

Polishing polycarbonate plastic is like polishing automotive paint or
most other materials. The reason why you use the sandpaper is to cut
back the excess and keep the polishing time to a minimum. You don't have
to use the sandpaper, but doing so significantly speeds up the process.

>> Brasso won't work on it's own. You have to micro-sand the plastic
>> first just like you do with the 3M kit. The process is exactly the
>> same, just using more commonly available products than what 3M supply.
>
> **And once more: I chose the 3M product because it appeared to be the
> best product to do the job. The results are stunning. The polycarb looks
> like new.

Yeah, I don't think you're quite getting what I'm saying. Let me put it
another way: Use the 5000grit paper and Brasso liquid (that's the
*liquid*, not the paste), and your results will be just as stunning.

--
--
--
Regards,
Noddy.

On 6/10/2021 3:01 pm, Trevor Wilson wrote:
> On 6/10/2021 2:51 pm, Clocky wrote:

>> It would have using other methods too. The trick now is to prevent it
>> happening again. Does the 3M kit include a post polish UV blocking
>> product to prevent it recurring?
>
> **Not the specific 3M kit I have, but the kit I purchased some time back
> does. I used it.

I wouldn't waste too much time on it. There's not too many products that
give adequate UV protection that lasts a lot longer than a couple of
weeks once they're exposed to the elements. You're better off just using
your polishing kit every 5 years or so :)

--
--
--
Regards,
Noddy.

On 6/10/21 4:40 pm, Noddy wrote:
> On 6/10/2021 3:01 pm, Trevor Wilson wrote:
>> On 6/10/2021 2:51 pm, Clocky wrote:
>
>>> It would have using other methods too. The trick now is to prevent it
>>> happening again. Does the 3M kit include a post polish UV blocking
>>> product to prevent it recurring?
>>
>> **Not the specific 3M kit I have, but the kit I purchased some time
>> back does. I used it.
>
> I wouldn't waste too much time on it. There's not too many products that
> give adequate UV protection that lasts a lot longer than a couple of
> weeks once they're exposed to the elements. You're better off just using
> your polishing kit every 5 years or so :)

Most polishing kits will require redoing every year or so. Says so on
the instructions and I have found this to be the case when you just use
a polishing compound. On the other hand, the waxing sealants do last
longer than a couple of weeks. When you wash the car, you put some
sealant on the headlights if you're concerned about the UV resistance
effectiveness waning, even if you only wash the car every month. It
takes but a few moments to do and it's not like you need to use a ton of
it each time.

--

Xeno

Nothing astonishes Noddy so much as common sense and plain dealing.
(with apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson)