Facelift Headlight Refresh | SwedeSpeed

Since fall ball season ended and the light output was really not great with the lenses in this condition, I prioritized getting the lenses restored. I used a 3M kit that had pretty much every sanding disc needed (500, 800, 1000, 3000, and polishing pad). I also purchased some 320 grit discs to really remove the oxidation and a couple deeper scratches. If you’re unsure of how to do this, check out videos by the Headlight Restoration Pro on YouTube. It’s quite easy.

First order, tape off the surrounding areas. I didn’t have any newspaper/advertisements, otherwise I would have shielded more of the car. Not totally necessary however. Big lesson here is – don’t use Frog Tape, just use regular masking or blue painters tape. When spraying the lenses down after sanding, the Frog Tape activated, and really stuck to the car. I don’t think I got all of it off still. Since the foglamp trim covers most of the bumper, I didn’t bother taping.

I did a poor job of taking pics of this in process. Essentially, sand, spray and wipe down, check your work, and repeat as needed. Move to the next highest grit, and do the same. When you hit the 800 grit, you’re essentially looking for a relatively uniform opaqueness – similar to what they look like if they’re oxidized. From there, you wet sand with the 1000 and 3000 grit trizac pads. When you hit that 3000 grit, that’s when it really starts to look clear. I used the polish that came with the 3M kit, but the Headlight Pro recommends a different brand, which I do have. I think I put these through two rounds of polishing using a small hand-held polisher. As it was getting on to dusk, I snapped a few pics, then headed to the nearby car wash because the car was filthy from all the flinging polish and pollen.

The next morning when I took the dog out I grabbed a few more pics in the daylight. I did a pretty good job I think for the first attempt. Light output still kinda sucks. I think it is partially because the inside of the lens may need some clean up. I’ll probably tackle that over Thanksgiving weekend.

I understand these halogen projectors kinda suck in general. Depending upon what next year looks like, I may look to upgrade either to new halogen projectors or some LED projectors that ideally drop in. I’ll need to take the front trim and bumper off at some point to repair the trim and properly fit the bumper. And I guess while that’s off I should do the OEM+ S60 intercooler upgrade.

Overall, I like the look of the darkened housings and reflectors. I think at some point it’ll be time to chrome delete the grill and find me another prancing moose badge for the grill.