Headlight Correction

[Tortaruga]

Since upgrading to decent bulbs I've become painfully aware how scratched my headlights are. I know of various kits on the market where you use a drill to sand and polish the lights. I just want to now if people generally do this with the lamps in situ or off the car? If you leave them in I suppose the key is to mask the surrounding area very well.

I'm just thinking it could be a better job and possibly easier to take them out.

Cheers for any advice

PJ

[Nodz]

There's a good guide here

http://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=26433.msg341751#msg341751

Personally I would take them off if I was ever to attempt it

[galaxie500]

I've successfully repaired my previous Audi's very opaque headlights and a pal's Saab 93's lamps recently.  I sanded with progressively finer wet and dry papers by hand up to 2500 grit and finished off with the Meguiars Plastx polish and a really good result can be achieved if the headlight is constantly kept wet and the abrasive paper is rinsed regularly.


2003 Saab 93 headlamp before repair...


... and after sanding and polishing.

The result above took about 1.5hrs to sand through the grades of wet and dry and the polishing was very quick - I don't have a rotary or DA which might be more efficient and get an even better result.
I don't think its necessary to remove the lamps from the car - backside of most headlamps are quite delicate and keeping it rigid is easy when its still attached. 
Good Luck.
PR

[homesqueeze]

I wet sanded my lights because they were looking awful. I followed the guide that Nodz has posted the link for. I didn't take the lights off and managed to do a great job. Lights looked like new. You just need to mask of the edges of the paintwork well. It's well worth doing, although you have to be prepared to invest a lot of time into the job to make sure you do it right!

[swgti]

Mine are absolutely shot now, polished some of it out using Autosol but I'm going to have to take the plunge and go down the wet sand route, bit nervous as I'm not the most patient of people

[Tortaruga]

^^^I've just bought the 3M headlight restoration kit on ebay for £20. It's a four stage process, but you use your power drill. I haven't tried it yet, but 3M have an instructional video on youtube and it is a straightforward job.

Should be the perfect solution for you sw!