Anyone have experience, informed opinions about the best cheap way(s) to address old, dingy headlight plastic? Fresh on my mind since our 02 Odyssey got in a wreck and we had to replace the left front light assembly. Unbelievable the contrast between the two sides!

On my MBs, the main lamps are glass so they look great. But the plastic looks terrible.

Lots of folks recommend tooth paste or baking soda...although some say that can damage the UV protective layer (if we even have such on our older cars).

Thoughts/advice? Thanks.

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14 E250 Bluetec 4Matic "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 154k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 172k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver on Tan, 142k mi, wastegate conversion, ALDA delete

19 Honda CR-V EX 61k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife

3M kit. $20. Follow the directions. It works.

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Greg
2012 S350 BlueTEC 4Matic
2007 ML 320 CDI
2007 Leisure Travel Serenity
2006 Sprinter 432k
2005 E320 CDI
1998 SLK230 (teal)
1998 SLK230 (silver)
1996 E300D 99k, 30k on WVO
Previous:
1983 240D, on WVO
1982 300D, on WVO
1983 300CD, on WVO
1986 300SDL 237k, 25k on WVO (Deerslayer)
1991 350SDL 249k, 56k on WVO - Retired to a car spa in Phoenix
1983 380 SEC w/603 diesel, 8k on WVO
1996 E300D 351k, 177k on WVO

I've always used buffing compound and a polisher.
10 minutes and they look like new.

Don't know about any coatings....
Would seem that if there was one, it wasn't doing much

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On some nights I still believe that a car with the fuel gauge on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. - HST

1983 300SD - 305000
1984 Toyota Landcruiser - 190000
1994 GMC Jimmy - 203000

https://media.giphy.com/media/X3nnss8PAj5aU/giphy.gif

Pretty much all composite lenses have UV protection of some sort. I wet sanded my Silverado lights with 600 grit ending with 1000 and cleared with UV automotive clear. Looks new after 3 years.

Then Meguiars headlight lens protector.

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'84 300SD sold
124.128

Forget kits. Just get a sheet of 1000 grit sandpaper and wet sand those bad boys. Then, polish to perfection with rubbing compound. Works like a charm and it's much cheaper than any pre-assembled kit. I used this solution of my Subaru and Tyler's Land Rover Disco.

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[GONE] - 1995 Mercedes E300 Diesel - 130k miles - Smoke Silver (702) over Mushroom leather (265) - Bladder blasting, coast-to-coast work machine.

I used fast orange hand cleaner... looks great.

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

When will they need re-polishing?

These are only 14-years old:





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Ditto on the 3m kit, it is $20, but it has all the items needed. If you bought them separately it would cost much more.
I used it on my wife's Toyota and it made the lenses look near new.

Plenty of good instructional vids on youtube.

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1995 E300 Diesel

Yes the 3M kit actually works, turtle wax doesn't and either Mother's or Meguire's (one of the two firget which) wasn't too good on my friend's Sequioa. Just refinishing them is pointless if you don't put on a UV coat because otherwise they will fade within months.

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Current: 1975 450SEL, 83 300D, 88 Yugo GVX, 90 300D OM603 swap, 91 F150 4.6 4v swap, 93 190E Sportline LE 3.0L M104 swap, 93 190E Sportline LE Megasquirt, 03 Sprinter, 06 E500 4Matic wagon.