Alright well to start off i'll say that i bought a used s2k and when i bought it the headlights were very dirty.. you could tell they tried to clean it but couldn't/wouldn't get all of the grime off.

anyway, the grime is mainly on the right headlight (looking at the car) and it was quite terrible when i first got it:


It also has the same grime on the left headlight but only a little towards the top corner.

Here are the headlights now

If these aren't Great pictures for you guys to help me out i have a lot more, just ask.


So far I've used PLASTX and i was only able to de-haze the headlights not take off that film-ish shit on there... Any advice on what i should try next?

After a couple coats of PlastX:

 

I have used this kit on many headlights, including my s2k. Works very well and has protectant to put on the headlights after your done cleaning.

http://www.autogeek.net/meguiars-hd-headlight-kit.html

You buy it pretty much anywhere. Auto parts stores, Walmart.

 

I would go with the turtle wax head light kit. It includes sanding pads with varying grits. From the picture the meguiars kit wouldn't be aggressive enough. Then buff and polish it out. And of course seal it after.

 

In my opinion with the headlights that far gone the best option is to use the 3M kit you can get at O'Reilly's and clean them up that way. The only downside is you either have to be OCD about keeping them clean going forward or get a clear bra put on the headlights to prevent oxidation coming back in a big way.

I did mine last spring and I absolutely love them - they look brand new, factory finish. I put the clear bra on too. It sounds like a pain in the ass, but realistically it's not that time consuming and at a fraction of the cost of new housings.

 

https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/954...n/page__st__25

Post #34.

This was my method. It worked brilliantly and altogether was pretty inexpensive, and MUCH better than a pre-built kit imo (which I've used in the past a couple of times). Definitely requires a polisher though, preferably a DA polisher.

 

Although I'll add to it. Make sure if you go that route to spend adequate time on each step the more the better your final results will be. Also I would use a Synthetic sealant to finish. Last a lot longer than wax and will keep your headlights mint for much longer. You could even apply wax over for extra protection.

I have had good results using Merenza Power lock sealant

 

i did a process very similar to that guide and my lights came out nearly perfect. i also did it on my moms hyundai with horrible fading and they came out nice, not perfect but much better.

 

very thankful for the reply guys, here is an updated pic of the headlight(s) (right one as of now since that was the dirtier one).



used meguiars advanced kit as suggested to me earlier to get it that clean.

though it seems from the picture that it is perfect there is still minor gunk on there.. VERY hard to see unless you're up close. was thinking about doing another round of the meguiars kit or should i try that method from the thread suggested by jkelley?

 

What kit did you use? I used a Meguiar's kit that came with the buffing drill bit attachment, 1000 and 2000 grit little sandpapder pads, plastX, and headlight sealant. My headlights came out about 5x better than my wife's. I used my homemade kit on mine and the Meguiar's kit on her.

It's a fairly simple process. All your doing is removing the impurities with a harder grit paper and then smoothing out those new grooves from the paper with higher and higher grit paper to bring it down toa 'polishable' haze. Which is why I highly recommend the 3000 grit paper before going into the polishing phase. Then it's best to have good equipment to buff that out to a heavenly glow. PlastX is a good product, but the drill bit attachment they provided is not.

just my 2c

 

The Heavy Duty restoration kit with 3000 and 1000 sandpaper pads, the drill attachment, plast X and the sealant.