Headlight Restoration By Kit

I drive a 2007 Toyota Tundra SR5 Doublecab with the 6 1/2' bed. Even though the frame rotted out and Toyota replaced it at the end of 2018, it has been the best pickup truck I've ever owned and has 164,390 miles on the odometer. In 2016 with over 90,000 miles on it, I towed a 25' Puma camper from Kommiecticut to Glacier National Park in Montana and back with zero issues. I did have to stop at the Toyota dealer in Bozeman for an oil change, and that was my swap to synthetic oil from conventional. What was nice was NOT having to drop the trailer, because their oil change area is a large drive through over a pit. The truck is starting to show its age however, and one of those ways is typical of all modern vehicles, cloudy plastic headlights. I have been contemplating a headlight restoration kit, and finally pulled the trigger.

There are many different brands available, but I chose the brand of vehicle care products that I have used for decades from back when I had my classic car and still use for my bike... Meguiar's

 

 

They offer three different levels of their product; "Light" in the red box which is mostly a deep cleaning kit. Think better than just using glass cleaner. The next level is "Moderate" in the blue box which is what I used because my headlights were just starting to get cloudy looking. A two-step process that starts with a polishing compound, and then a clear coat/sealer. You apply the first coat to fill in the lens imperfections, then apply a second coat 3-5 minutes later to seal it. It takes 24 hours to fully cure. The "Severe" product in the yellow box is a multi-step process requiring sanding and polishing using a drill. See the photo of the rear of the box below.

 

The contents of the blue "Moderate" box are pictured below.

 

The kit comes with the cleaning paste, the spray on clear coating, and two applicator pads. The process is supposed to last for a year per application. There is enough cleaning solution and spray on clear coat to do the process several times. The applicator pad isn't anything special. I threw away the one I used. 

I have read reviews of these kits over the years, and have come to the conclusion that reading and following the directions as well as preparation is everything to be successful. Like an idiot, I neglected to take "before" photos, but this photo from March 26th when I did an oil change kinda shows the condition of the right headlight. The left was no worse.

Here is the same headlight after the full treatment and prior to removing the masking.

And the other side.

I started the process by cleaning both headlights of surface crud using Windex and paper towels and letting them air dry thoroughly. After everything was dry I completely masked off critical all areas to prevent any over-spray. I wanted to wait an hour before removing the masking to ensure no "oopsies" by muffing up a finish that might not be dry. It takes 24 hours to fully cure even though it is dry to the touch in a few minutes. The instructions say that during the 24 hour cure period, the treated area cannot get wet. That's why I did it this morning inside at the firehouse. We are supposed to get rain starting tomorrow afternoon, which should be outside the 24 hour cure period. I am hoping that having my truck inside the heated bays all day will actually help speed up the curing process.

Overall, I am quite pleased with the results. IMHO the only way to have clearer headlights would be to replace them at about $400 a pop. Time will tell how long the treatment lasts compared to the claimed one year.

UPDATE 1-3-23: The rain predicted for today came in much earlier than expected. When I went out to start my truck this morning I found heavy drizzle coming down. I have a very short commute so I wasn't too concerned, and having the truck inside and warm yesterday most likely accelerated the curing of the seal coat. I would have been really worried with a long commute in a driving rain. After having my truck inside for a few hours and dry, I checked the headlights and they are just fine. Whew!