Cheap headlamp polish

[Petrol Pete]

A pub acquaintance of mine started a mobile valeting service a few years back and as we usually say hello over a pint in the pub we have not seen each other to chat to for a while so yesterday as I drove past my neighbours a few doors down I spotted him cleaning the neighbours Bentley continental GT sports I slowed down to have a chat.

He took personal offence at the opaqueness of the headlamps on my 2006 Yaris and said he would get them done once he finished with the new Bentley seeing as I was just a few doors down.

Less than an hour (mostly us chatting) and £20 cash later here is the result with ceramic coating and a years warranty . look OK from what I can see, time will tell .



OMG ! I just realise I started a thread on the Detailing section I have entered 'the dark side'

 

[bob6600]

There are a few kits on the market, or you can use varying grades of wet and dry and then a sealant.

 

[Tonye]

G3, G10 then G3 wax

 

[Martin 1]

I tried two of those kits on my CLK, certainly improved them, but not a patch on yours, beautiful. Whereabouts are you ?

 

[Smart320]

Those look very good. Paid a mobile service £50 to do the lights on my wife's Rav, 12 months later they are nearly as bad as before. Will try a kit myself later in the summer.

 

[horatio]

I gave up doing this. They always yellow again and it gets tedious. Just spray with lacquer and forget for good. U-Pol UV resistant stuff is about £10 and sprays on really nicely.

 

[bob6600]

Have a read post #14

Free power...headlamp.. ;) | Electronics and Audio

I have always thought the standard H7 headlamps on my car were poor with a yellow light and undefined cut-off. Today whilst doing another job I decided to measure the headlamp supply voltage and found it about 1.2v below battery voltage. I tested with a wire straight to the main battery...

forums.mbclub.co.uk

 

[SL03WLY]

I love that generation of Yari's. I had both 1.3 SR and 1.4 D4D SR. If I recall, they have like 7 cup holders in total. And 2 in the best place (Right in front of the vents).

 

[Petrol Pete]

You know what SL0WLY , if you told me a few years back that I would be the proud owner of a 2006 1.3 VVT 4 door petrol Yaris I would have laughed at you. But when my mother in law decided she did not want to drive anymore and a tidy little Yaris that I knew well was going cheap I bought it off her thinking 'why not' ? it will fill the gap because using a 5.4 Litre V8 AMG as a shopping trolley is sooooo not PC.

I have not looked back, it has keyless go , climate control, push button lock/unlock a very flexible rear seat folding arrangement that turns it into a mini van in moments and it's pretty nippy. needless to say it is cheap to run and I am of the age that I don't give a fruck when people see me driving it

There are a few kits on the market, or you can use varying grades of wet and dry and then a sealant.

Yup , I tried the Maguiris(?) one , followed the instructions exactly and 4 hours later it was still $hit and went to what you see on the 'before' photos here in about 3 months.

 

[Petrol Pete]

He used products from Poland in yellow containers , can't remember ..'T' something or other ?? T4 ?? he said the goop he used first was 1500 grit ?? ..No idea . detailing not my strongest subject.

The ceramic coating was in a small black/purple bottle and had a strange smell about it. Sorry for lack of detail . If interested I can always find him and ask exactly what he uses .

 

[Petrol Pete]

I tried two of those kits on my CLK, certainly improved them, but not a patch on yours, beautiful. Whereabouts are you ?

About a 100 miles away , sorry Martin. He normally charges £35 for basic jobs like this.

 

[SL03WLY]

You know what SL0WLY , if you told me a few years back that I would be the proud owner of a 2006 1.3 VVT 4 door petrol Yaris I would have laughed at you. But when my mother in law decided she did not want to drive anymore and a tidy little Yaris that I knew well was going cheap I bought it off her thinking 'why not' ? it will fill the gap because using a 5.4 Litre V8 AMG as a shopping trolley is sooooo not PC.

I have not looked back, it has keyless go , climate control, push button lock/unlock a very flexible rear seat folding arrangement that turns it into a mini van in moments and it's pretty nippy. needless to say it is cheap to run and I am of the age that I don't give a fruck when people see me driving it

Yup , I tried the Maguiris(?) one , followed the instructions exactly and 4 hours later it was still $hit and went to what you see on the 'before' photos here in about 3 months.

Haa I knew I wasn't alone. Its like a little go kart when you really chuck it and like you said, really cheap to run. One mod I did was fit a rear anti roll bar -> BTR86Z Whiteline Sway Bar - 22mm Heavy Duty Blade Adjustable. and change the dog leg engine mount and she was good to go.

 

[Petrol Pete]

SLOWLY ,You know what I noticed about the Yaris the other day ? I had it backed up to the garage and noticed how wide the rear track looked , I glanced over to my C55 AMG estate and convinced myself that the little Yaris had a track as wide as the V8 AMG parked next to it...Odd I know.

Even more odd was that me being me - some say 'a man with an inquisitive mind'...some say sad git - I measured them both.

The 5.4 litre V8 AMG estate of the same year as the 1.3 Toyota Yaris is exactly 40 mm wider at it's widest point on the rear tyres....40 mm... and hundreds of horsepower apart

 

[Martin 1]

Hiya Petrol Pete, I would very much appreciate it if you could find out what the ceramic stuff is, I'm VERY impressed with the one year guarantee.

 

[Petrol Pete]

Hiya Petrol Pete, I would very much appreciate it if you could find out what the ceramic stuff is, I'm VERY impressed with the one year guarantee.

Will do , I have no doubt he will pop back to do the neighbours Bentley at some point.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

There are a few kits on the market, or you can use varying grades of wet and dry and then a sealant.

For £20, I'll let someone else do it.....those pics look like the OPs friend did a fantastic job.

 

[Nightmage]

I used an autoglym headlight restoration kit together with a de walt on a '97 car, happy with the effect, will see how it looks like after a year which should be late this summer.