3M Headlight Lens Restoration System for $12.06

Guest #328 - 4 years ago

I've used this kit and I've used the Turtle Wax Headlight Lens Restorer Kit. The Turtle Wax kit is easier, quicker to use and gives better and longer last results. Again, I've used both and I do a lot of car restoration. Additionally it's important to apply a lens sealer after restoring. Here's the kit I recommend:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001TI5IIQ/

And here's enough sealant to last you a lifetime:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001TI5IIQ/

And

Shiftlock - 1 decade ago

L11 Sergeant

Reply to morriefisher

Seems to work though without clouding the lens with fine scratches. The plastic they use for headlights seems to be very, very hard. Almost any compound that is a bit abrasive will take the yellow off without scratching the plastic. I was very surprised by this when I was experimenting with a yellow headlight that had already been removed from the car and replaced. I expecting abrasive polished and compounds to scratch the plastic and make it foggy, but they didn't. You could always test a small nonconspicuous spot first, just to be certain.

morriefisher - 1 decade ago

L20 Captain

That would be rubbing compound but it does scratch.

Shiftlock - 1 decade ago

L11 Sergeant

Reply to morriefisher

Right, but it's still nothing like the $170 that Nero Knot was talking about, and you end up with a brand new lens.

Nero - Apparently the cost of headlights is hugely variable depending on make/model/year of car. I did a quick search, and the cheapest I could find for your RAV4 was in the range of $75 per side, so perhaps this scratch repair kit is worthwhile after all. I do know that the yellowing you see on plastic headlight lenses is all on the outside, even thought it sometimes looks like it's on the inside. Before I replaced the lenses on my son's car, I used some silver/copper polish by hand with a non-abrasive pad to make them about 90 percent better. I bet plain old auto compound would work, too. It's all micro-abrasives.

morriefisher - 1 decade ago

L20 Captain

$11.95 shipping.......

Shiftlock - 1 decade ago

L11 Sergeant

Reply to Nero

Nope. Here:

Amazon.com: 97-99 TOYOTA CAMRY HEADLIGHT LH (DRIVER SIDE) (1997 97…

Shiftlock - 1 decade ago

L11 Sergeant

Reply to Nero

Obviously different cars will have differently priced parts, but $150 each sounds outrageous. Amazon has the headlights for my son's car for $18.99 each, and I found them for a couple bucks cheaper on eBay.

Nero Knot - 1 decade ago

Curiosity Killed Squirrel

Reply to Shiftlock

I checked a few sites - all were about $170 each side! - so I think you may have been a decimal off Shiftlock. Headlamp assemblies go for 150 plus in Toyota cars - they got us by the cajones here. Perhaps you can find a junkyard that will sell them to you on the downlow, but you'll still pay serious bucks for clear beams.

Nero Knot - 1 decade ago

Curiosity Killed Squirrel

Reply to Shiftlock


Not sure where you're looking, but to replace the lens covers on my 2001 RAV4 it would cost me about $150 EACH lens - so these are a bargain if they work.

Still, I think my local Walmart will do them for me for an inexpensive price - they probably use one of these kits - they'll do it for you while you shop. Better then me fooling around with a stupid drill, plastic carbonates and such -

"OOPs! Now what did I do??" :mmph:

morriefisher - 1 decade ago

L20 Captain

Where do you get them for $17?

Shiftlock - 1 decade ago

L11 Sergeant

I was going to get one of these kits last year to repair the yellowed headlights on my son's 1998 Toyota Camry, but I checked the price of new headlights, and I was surprised to see that they are only $17 each online, and that includes the whole thing - lens, reflector, and even new bulbs! For that price, I opted to replace them rather than spending the time and effort repairing the old ones with uncertain final results. Installing the new headlights was a snap.