Remove the tail lights from the car. If you look at the lenses, you will see raised DOT numbers. These have no use except for collecting dirt and wax, so I solved that problem.
Take your 400 grit sandpaper on a sanding block,, apply water to the lense, and in about 20 swipes the letters are gone and flush with the surface of the lense.
Wash the lenses with soap and water to get rid of any dirt or plastic particles. Apply the buffing compound to the buffing wheel sparingly...once the wheel has started to change to the color of the compound, you have enough. You now have 2 choices when buffing:
1) Go slow and go over the surface once.....or 2)Go fast and go over the surface several times.
I chose to go slow...the only disadvantage with this is heat build-up. I didn't have a problem with heat build-up, but you may want to check every so often when you are doing it to avoid it. Keep a clean terry cloth nearby so you can wipe away any compound build-up or particles from the buffing wheel. If you start to get a rubber type residue on the lense, this signifies that you are using too much compound, so back off with the compound.
You can buff for as long as you want to...it just depends on how well you want it to look. I settled for what I have and they look like glass and took me about an hour of actual buffing.
Keep in mind that buffing is a project that requires time. If you rush through it, you will not get brilliant results. Also keep in mind that you do not need to apply much pressure at all when buffing, let the compound do the work, not your arms.
Here is the finished product in the three pictures to your right. If you have any buffing questions, feel free to email me by clicking HERE. |
