[nanda007]

This weekend I spent some time restoring my headlights.

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In order to prevent scratches I ended up removing the trim around the headlights (the top and the bottom one) than installed the headlight back onto the car before the restoration. Kinda awkward working on them when OFF the car. The trim is too close and masking would not be sufficient enough.
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Also, the kit does not come with the ‘final step’ sealer/polisher. I’ll get back with the sealer I used, can’t remember the brand. BTW – same product I used many times in the past with great results. Note: prevents from yellowing when exposed to the direct Sun light.<o></o>
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Here they are!<o></o>

 

[rao]

Very nice.

 

[pseudo stig]

that looks great. how long did it take you & would you do anything differently if you had to do it again ?

 

[nanda007]

that looks great. how long did it take you & would you do anything differently if you had to do it again ?

I’ve done it couple of times already. Last year I restored Honda Odyssey’s headlights the same way just before leaving for our vacation trip to ffice:smarttags" /><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com

</st1:City><st1lace w:st="on">Miami</st1lace>. Put the whole process to test by leaving car purposely exposed to the direct Sun light for two weeks in the row. On top of that, the Van was our daily driver all wither long. BTW – <st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Rochester</st1lace></st1:City> winters are very harsh and roads are full of salt/rocks. The headlights still look as if they were restored yesterday.

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Second car I did is a Honda Accord. Same results! Nothing special here, just follow the instructions and make sure you cover rest of the car especially during the polishing process. The rubbing compound will be all over the car. That was the case with the first restoration on Odyssey, had to clean the car right away, what a mess it was!<o></o>
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As I already mentioned, unfortunately the kit does not come with sealer. I’ll get back with the Sealer/Polish I used in all three jobs. Due to the headlights/trim removal and re-installation, the M5 job took me a bit longer, approximately 3 hours total. Make sure your drill is capable of reaching the speed mentioned in the instructions. <o></o>
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Note: Meguiar’s Plastic Cleaner & Polish ‘PlastX’ did NOT work for me in the final step. PlastX left a hazy surface and took me back almost to square one. It did not make sense to me since it apparently is one of the recommended products out there. Anyway, after PlastX messed it up, I had to reconsider my options before getting the car out of the garage. I went ahead and experimented with my high quality sealer I use after buffing my car; which also is fine for plastic surfaces according to the instructions. It worked out great, the haze was gone and lenses remain like new all year around. This sealer was recommended to me by one of the best local paint shops.<o></o>
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Again, I’ll get back with the polish I used and I highly encourage using the same product.<o></o>

 

[Hdhntr23]

Very nicely done.

I also like your front plate location. Ingenious idea.

 

[VitaliyM5]

Very nicely done.

I also like your front plate location. Ingenious idea.

Yea same here, im getting nervous about those no front plate tickets. The cops here in Rochester are cracking down on it. My buddy just got one last night.

 

[nanda007]

Very nicely done.

I also like your front plate location. Ingenious idea.

Thanks! Not too many M5s are out there with the front plate mounted like this. It requires bumper removal as well as grill removal. The plate has to be custom cut as well. Not very pleasant since you only have one plate to play with. No room for errors here!

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I've seen tons of M3s with plates mounted like this. For M3s, due to the wider opening it is as easy as reaching for few zip-ties and tying the plate to the grill. <o></o>

 

[Hdhntr23]

Since youve now done 3 headlight restores, what are your thoughts on Luminex or something similar to protect them from pitting again?

 

[lehsmann]

Great job man,please do get back with the products you used from start to finish,that way it will be easier for some of us to look them up on the net!

 

[nanda007]

Since youve now done 3 headlight restores, what are your thoughts on Luminex or something similar to protect them from pitting again?

Not really since most likely you will not restore it to a brand new condition unless you buy more than one kit; maybe 2 – 3 kits due to a lack of sandpaper! And even so, there will be imperfections from the inside. In my case, I’m unable to open my lenses since it is the 2000 model and the adhesive is super strong. I tried various methods including baking and did not work for me, almost destroyed them once.

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It would make sense for jobs that come out near perfect. Revisiting it every couple of years doesn’t bother me. Every time you revisit, it becomes better and better. <o></o>

 

[nanda007]

Great job man,please do get back with the products you used from start to finish,that way it will be easier for some of us to look them up on the net!

Will Do

 

[trbo930]

I used the 3m kit on my 97 e39 with 180k on the odometer. The kit worked miracles. Mine were much worse when i started.

 

[OsinO]

I've purchased this kit to do my headlights as well, will post before/after pics.

One question - is it possible to remove that lower trim below the headlight without taking the headlight out? If so how? I don't think I want to start taking the entire assembly out... Thanks!

 

[Sailor24]

Very simple to take the light out 4 screws and a couple of plugs. It is so simple to do your lights on the bench, on the car would be much harder. Do a search on "headlight removal" in quotes. Ok I did it for you and found this
http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e3...7-headlight-removal-install-instructions.html

 

[OsinO]

Didn't realize it's so easy - thanks!!

 

[lbis4123]

any word on the sealer? just finished doing mine dont want to install without a sealer thanks.

 

[trbo930]

I used this kit on my 97' E39 528i with 185 k on the clock & they worked fantastic! 25$ kit & about an hours work & you will have great results.
The most important step is the first one when you use the course grit , make sure to get all the cloudiness even looking. This step really takes out the stone chips and the cloud look.

 

[OsinO]

any word on the sealer? just finished doing mine dont want to install without a sealer thanks.

I just went out and bought a bottle of headlight sealer at my local car parts store.. was on sale for like $8!

 

[nanda007]

My apology for not getting back to you guys regarding the polish/sealer I’ve used in my projects. Here it is, apparently it’s being used by tons of paint shops as well as recommended by local paint shop suppliers as the best polish you can buy. Finally something good and inexpensive that is excellent for wide variety of surfaces. I use it as a final step after buffing my cars as well as after restoring my headlights.

 

[bmwluvr4evr]

^^^ I'll keep an eye out for a bottle. I was wondering about where to acquire a sealant.