I have a 1994 Subaru Legacy and over time the headlights became cloudy and yellow. I was driving back home on the freeway last week. It was raining hard. I could hardly see the road in front of me. I needed to do something about it.

I looked online and found that each lens would cost me $164.42. I didn’t think it was possible to repair them. I saw a few “systems” but they seemed like they could be a scam. I did more research and found someone who used a very fine sandpaper to remove the oxidation and then used a plastic polish to remove the small scratches.

I decided to experiment. I tried 1500 grit sandpaper. It removed the cloudy yellow oxidation. Then, I applied the plastic polish with a clean lint-free rag. Then I wiped it off. I was surprised to see that it really worked. I continued to experiment and decided to put together a kit for people who would like to do the same (without buying tons of everything).

It only took me about 10 minutes to restore the headlights. It’s still hard for me to believe it works. And it saved me more than $306.89.

What you need

First gather all the things you'll need for the job.

One half sheet of each:

3M 2000 ultra fine grit wet and dry paper
3M 1500 ultra fine grit wet and dry paper
3M 1000 ultra fine grit wet and dry paper

2oz Bottle Novus Fine Scratch Remover
2oz Bottle Novus Heavy Scratch Remover

SCOTT 10" x 13" low-lint Rags (four of them)

How to do it

If you have a lot of road grime on the headlights, first wash it off with a wet sponge. Place the sandpaper in a small container of water; let it get wet for about five minutes before starting. Start with the 1000 grit. The goal is to remove the yellow, cloudy outside layer of the plastic. Use a gentle back-and-forth motion. It will make the lens look more opaque, that’s normal. Periodically, dip the sandpaper into the bowl of water to help keep the paper clean. Continue until the discolored yellowish plastic layer is removed. Then wipe off the lens. Make sure you removed all the discolored plastic. Now, repeat the process with the 1500 and 2000 grit paper, the goal now is to remove the fine scratches the 1000 grit paper made.

Clean off the lens and dry it with a Scott Rag. Apply the Novus Heavy Scratch Remover to the lens using a Scott Rag. Make firm back-and-forth strokes at a right angle to visible scratches. Reapply if needed. Continue until only fine scratches remain. Using a clean section of a Scott Rag remove all remaining polish.

Next, apply the Novus Fine Scratch Remover using a clean Scott Rag in a circular motion until dry. Then, buff off with the Scott Rag. You’re done!


For your convenience I put together a kit of all the things listed above.

It has three grits of sandpaper: 1000, 1500 and 2000. It has four non-lint and non-scratch paper rags; a 2 oz bottle of plastic polish and a 2 oz cleaner (enough for at least four cars) the cleaner also works great for removing scratches from CDs or DVDs.

Oh, and send me a photo of your results! I want to start a collection of before and after pics, thanks. The kit is $21.95 + 4.60 shipping (USPS priority mail).