Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

READ THIS BEFORE BUYING OF USING THIS KIT! This is long, but you’ll be glad you read this before using the kit. First off, I really am pleased with being able to transform my totally clouded, pitted, 10-year-old headlamps into looking nearly brand new. But, to do so, I needed to read a few of the reviews of this product and do a few extra things to make it work: 1. If your headlamps are cloudy or pitted at all, you’re going to need additional wet/dry sandpaper (which I got after reading other reviews). I ended up getting two packages of 3M wet/dry sandpaper that covered the range from 220 grit all the way up to 2500 grit: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005JPGTNI?redirect=true&ref_=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_20 and http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CQ49X6?redirect=true&ref_=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_16 2. Have two spray bottles handy, one with soapy water and one with plain water, and use them liberally while using the sandpaper. 3. Make sure to tape well (masking tape; NOT duct tape) to protect the paint on your hood. 4. Plan to spend some time and elbow grease. If your headlamps are as cloudy/pitted as mine were, plan 30-40 minutes per headlight if you want to get them looking new. 5. Make sure you start with just coarse enough grit to get through the initial deteriorated surface. I was sure that 400 grit was more than coarse enough, but 10 minutes on one headlight still hadn’t sanded through the deteriorated plastic layer. After going through all the grades I had (400, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000), I ended up starting over with the 220 and working my way up again, from there. I inspected carefully to make sure the 220 did its job before moving up to 400. Don’t be intimidated by the scratch marks from whatever you choose for your coarsest grade that is appropriate to your headlamps. These scratches will go away through the process – you need to make sure to get through the initial layer of deterioration. 6. Make sure you change directions each time you increase the fineness of the sandpaper, as you go up through the grades. Side-to-side at one grade and up-and-down for the next grade. I spent 5 minutes each with the 220, 400, 800, and 1000 grades, and 3 minutes each with the 1500, 2000, 2500, and 3000 (last being the pad provided). If I only used the 1000 and 3000 pads that came with the kit, I *never* would have gotten anywhere close to what I was able to do. I may have used more grades of sandpaper than strictly required, but I hadn’t reconditioned the headlamps in 10 years of owning the car, and I wanted great results, so I put in some extra work. It paid off. 7. Even if you use 8 grades of sandpaper, like I did (and I really did need those coarser grades), when you finish with the sandpaper steps, the headlamps will have a dull, satin finish, but hopefully smooth. The miracle occurs when you use the Maguire’s buffing compound with a corded electric drill. I replaced the masking tape, since the water I’d used liberally when sanding had soaked the original tape. After re-taping, I started buffing according to the directions, and the headlamps turned crystal clear. Amazing! I took my time, applied it 2-3 times with the buffer, and then did one round by hand, per the directions. They literally looked as good as the brand new headlamps that my wife got on her car a couple of weeks ago. We are both amazed and very pleased. Apply the protective coating to finish. Yes, it can take a while, depending on the condition of your headlamps. But, if you’re patient, the results will be worth it, and saves several hundred $ in buying new lamps. I gave 4 stars because I had to buy the extra sandpaper and go through multiple steps to get the results I wanted with my older headlamps. And, thanks to the other reviewers for the tips that made this work so well for me!