How To Restore Headlights – Headlight Restoration Tips

You have 2 options when it comes to restoring headlamps.

You can Sand & buff (what I usually do)
You can Sand and Clear Coat using a 2k automotive clear coat


In this post we will show you the simple process of wet sanding and clear coating your headlights with 2k clear coat. For those of you who don’t know what 2k clear is, basically you have 2 kinds of clear. The first one is 1k. You see then on the shelves of automotive stores like AutoZone, Checkers, O’Reilly and PepBoys. You know… Brands like Krylon and Rustoleum.

They have no hardeners in them and are weak in durability plus they are cheap. You can use them, but you won’t get a long lasting finish if that’s what you’re looking for.

If you want to restore headlights by clear coating them, then I recommend to use a 2k clear coat like I do in the video on the top of this post. They can last longer and won’t fade out every year to 18 months. This method has been tested and used by many people.

There are Pros and Cons, and here are the Pros first.

Easy and affordable to clear coat your headlights
Longer lasting than buffing out headlights
Beautiful high finish gloss after clearing
Very durable when comparing to a 1k clear coat
The Cons

Takes 30 min longer because of masking and painting
You need to buy some automotive clear coat and a spray bottle
May peel in 3-5 years if in consistant sunlight. (you can always sand and re clear though)
So, yes! this is easy as heck to do and you can make your headlights look like new again. You can also start a mini business out of it, like I said one of our VIP members Gary did. Here’s a finished picture below of a completed headlight that we did on a Honda CRV.


In conclusion, when performing any kind of headlight restoration know that you have options. You can wet sand and buff or you can clear coat them. …And if you do clear coat them, then go with a 2k clear coat not a cheap 1k aerosol can of clear. You want them to last and by using a 2k clear coat, it will.

If you end up buffing them, just remember that you’ll probably have to do it every year or two depending on how much they wear off. It really only takes about 10 minutes to complete a pair if you buff them out and they will look nice. More read..

Good luck with your headlight restoration projects or business!

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I usually polish mine just before snow hits with tooth paste.