Headlight Restoration That Actually Works
Headlight restoration of foggy headlights is one of the quickest and easiest ways to make your car look fresh again.
There is no doubt that after headlights have yellowed or fogged, they make even the nicest cars look old, weathered and dumpy. That is true whether you are driving a Lexus, Cadillac or a Ford
Headlight restoration of foggy headlights is one of the quickest and easiest ways to make your car look fresh again.
There's no doubt about it – after headlights have yellowed or fogged up, they make even the nicest cars look old, weathered and dumpy. Doesn't matter if you're driving a Lexus, Cadillac or a Ford. Foggy headlights age any vehicle instantly.
Older cars had glass headlight lenses and they were always clear. The bad news? Those lenses were way more susceptible to cracks or outright breaking. The new polycarbonate headlights are much tougher than their glass predecessors, and if they do break, they won't explode into scores of pieces and shards. You just get a crack in the molded lens instead.
Here's the thing though – polycarbonate headlights have a UV protectant coating to help the plastic lens last longer. That coating will usually hold up for at least three years, sometimes longer. But over time, the foggy yellowing of the coating happens no matter what. That's when headlight restoration becomes necessary to strip off the old coating and replace it with a fresh one.
The Steps Of Headlight Restoration
The concept of headlight restoration isn't complex. Success comes down to having the right materials and doing the work correctly. Our process for bringing headlights back to life has three basic steps:
First, we completely strip the old coating off the lens. This is the critical step most people mess up.
Second, we re-apply a new fresh coating evenly at the right thickness. Too thin and it won't last. Too thick and you get runs or cloudiness.
Third, we let the coating cure completely. Rush this and you're asking for trouble. When it's done right, you get crystal clear headlights that look factory-fresh.
Unfortunately, vehicle owners find it nearly impossible to get similar results with those do-it-yourself kits you see at auto parts stores. Those kits are basically a wax agent that gets applied right over the old coating on the foggy lens. Sure, it gives you a temporary fix. But within a few months the wax wears off and the foggy lens comes right back. Without the industrial-strength stripping agent that professionals use, a DIY headlight restoration job is temporary at best – lasting maybe a couple months if you're lucky.
Why Professional Headlight Restoration Matters
At Auto Color, we focus on helping you keep your car looking sharp. We've found that headlight restoration is one of those small repairs that makes a huge difference. The looks of your car improve dramatically, but there's more to it than that. Safety increases as well. Properly restored headlights mean your visibility on dark, rainy nights won't be compromised by foggy, yellowed lenses anymore.
Think about it – you're driving home late at night, it's raining, and you can barely see through those clouded-up headlights. That's not just annoying, it's legitimately dangerous. Clear headlights aren't just cosmetic. They're a safety feature that actually matters when conditions get rough out there.
Headlight Restoration Saves You Real Money
Here's where the math gets interesting. Headlight replacements can easily run you $200 to $500 per headlight – and that's before installation costs, which typically add another $50 to $90. You're looking at potentially $600 to $1,200 to replace both headlights on many vehicles. Some luxury cars? Even more.
The Auto Color headlight restoration charge is $90.00 (plus tax) for both headlights. That's it. You get professional results that bring your headlights back to like-new condition, and you're spending a fraction of what replacement would cost. For most people, that's a pretty easy decision.
Plus, proper restoration done right means those headlights will stay clear and bright for years to come. We use professional-grade coatings that are designed to hold up under real-world Wisconsin weather – the sun, the salt, the temperature swings, all of it.
What To Expect From Our Process
When you bring your vehicle in for headlight restoration, the whole process typically takes about an hour. We're not rushing through it, but we're also not making you wait around all day.
We'll inspect your headlights first to make sure restoration is the right call. Sometimes if a headlight has deep cracks or damage to the lens itself, restoration won't help and you'll actually need replacement. We'll tell you straight up if that's the case.
Assuming your headlights are good candidates for restoration, we'll mask off the surrounding area to protect your paint, then get to work removing that old degraded coating. This step takes some elbow grease and the right chemicals. Once the lens is stripped down to clean polycarbonate, we apply our professional coating system and let it cure properly.
The result? Headlights that look new again and actually improve your nighttime visibility. Simple as that.
