Restoring fog lights the Chris way

This car is now eight years old and i have done my best to keep it in good nick. But alas the fog lights being as low to the ground as they are, ended up pitted and looking sorry. So i decided to follow the guide made by @ChrisFix on how to restore your headlights permanently.

This car is now eight years old and i have done my best to keep it in good nick. But alas the fog lights being as low to the ground as they are, ended up pitted and looking sorry. So i decided to follow the guide made by @ChrisFix on how to restore your headlights permanently.

Things you will need

  1. 400, 600 and 2000 grit sandpaper
  2. Clear coat paint
  3. Tools needed to remove fog light

(I ended up not using 400 grit sandpaper as my fog lights weren’t too pitted but if yours is worse you might want to start there)

The Process

After struggling to get both fog lights out, i could finally start with the sanding.

One of the fog lights before restoration
One of the fog lights before restoration

As per Chris’s guide, I started sanding with the 600 grit sandpaper in a swirling motion and then after all the pitting was gone, i sanded in a straight horizontal line to give the paint an edge to adhere to. After doing so, i repeated the process with the 2000 grit sandpaper until the lens was nice and smooth.

Fog light after sanding
Fog light after sanding

Once both lights were prepped, in Chris’s video he recommends that you use isopropyl alcohol to clean the lens and to help dry it off. But i didnt have any on hand so some soapy water and a microfiber cloth did the trick for me. One that was done, it was time for my favorite part, painting. I started with a light coat. It had some visible orange peel but i let it dry for 5 minutes before adding another coat and repeating the process until i had done 6 coats of clear coat. Once it all dried, it looked amazing!

As good as new
As good as new

This picture was prior to waxing and just goes to show the effectiveness of this method. Once the paint dried, i just reinstalled it back onto the car and cracked open a can of beer in celebration. 😂

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Comments

Anonymous

ChrisFix Thanks for the guide m8!

05/12/2016 - 20:08 |
50 | 0
ChrisFix

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

No problem! This is awesome! Nice work!

06/17/2016 - 14:32 |
2 | 0
Gabz

Awesome guide, will try on mine!

05/12/2016 - 22:31 |
76 | 2
AmilBRZ 🌐

ChrisFix

05/12/2016 - 23:15 |
20 | 0
Tech Assistant

What is that crack or scratch?

05/12/2016 - 23:16 |
0 | 0

I think it’s just a seam in the plastic where two pieces were fused. kind of an odd spot though, so I could be wrong.

05/13/2016 - 00:00 |
0 | 0
all4spinning

@ChrisFix

05/12/2016 - 23:54 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

This would work on headlamps as well, correct? (plastic)

05/13/2016 - 00:01 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Yeah. As long as you have lights with a plastic lens, it will work.

05/13/2016 - 04:39 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

I always use a little bit of atf on a shop towel. Just kind of hand buff it. I made some pretty bad ones look brand new.

05/13/2016 - 01:08 |
0 | 0
M A K

What about the turn signal?

05/13/2016 - 01:19 |
16 | 2
JDMfR34K

In reply to by M A K

He won’t be needing those

05/13/2016 - 03:39 |
56 | 0
Dat Boi

In reply to by M A K

It’s a Bimmer mate

05/13/2016 - 07:10 |
2 | 2
xMARCsthespot11

Before and after pics on the car?

05/13/2016 - 02:25 |
8 | 0
Dalton Reck

Looks great! I think I’ll have to try this on my headlights! Thanks for the instructions!

05/13/2016 - 02:28 |
2 | 0