In the spirit of this thread, which is a review of a kit, I'd appreciate it if the kit contents were itemized like I did with mine, and the procedure used is properly detailed. I have no problem with people hopping in here and showing alternate methods, but I'm not going to take a review seriously when all you say is it had sandpaper and some chemicals on microfibers. That tells me nothing.

 

STEP 1. In this step you will use Brown & Blue finishing paper and CV-#1. (There are two pouches of CV-#1 Use one pouch for each lens) It is necessary to keep the surface moist during this step. Keep a water mister, or bowl of water on hand to dampen the surface. Mist the lens surface with water, or apply a few drops of water to the sandpaper to keep the lens moist during the sanding process.
A) Moisten the surface of the lens and the Brown sandpaper. Vigorously sand the entire first lens. (Approximately 3-minutes).
B) Wipe the lens with a paper towel and check the result. The surface will appear white and hazy – this is normal – If excessive damage (yellow or gray coloring) is still visible, repeat the process. If the lens is cleared of damage, proceed to the Blue finishing paper using the same process. Keep the surface moist during sanding.
C) The Blue finishing paper is very fine and will immediately begin to “slide” over the surface. When you are done sanding, (approximately 1-minute) wipe the lens with a plain paper towel.
D) Apply a pea-sized amount of CV-#1 to a piece of the HydroWeave Cloth folded into a square. Vigorously polish the surface until the product begins to dry on the lens. (Approximately 1-minute) Turn the cloth over and continue to polish until most of the product is removed.
E) Wipe the surface with a damp cloth or paper towel until all residue has been removed, then completely dry the lens surface.
IMPORTANT: Damage removal is critical; if it is incomplete, the final result will be unsatisfactory. This step will determine the quality of the restoration. TAKE YOUR TIME, AND MAKE SURE DAMAGED SURFACE IS REMOVED!!!
RESURFACING THE LENS
STEP 2. In this step you will use CV-#2 and HydroWeave cloths (There are four pouches of CV-#2. Use one pouch for each coating applied to the lens. Apply two coats of CV-#2 to each lens.)
CAUTION – CV-#2 dispenses very quickly, be careful during application to the HydroWeave cloth. Apply SLOWLY.
A) Make sure the first lens surface is completely dry before applying CV-#2.
B) Slowly apply a complete pouch of CV-#2 onto a piece of the HydroWeave Cloth folded into a square.
C) Wipe onto the lens surface using LIGHT PRESSURE in one direction. Do not continue to wipe as product dries.
The CV-#2 must be wiped on while wet. If you wipe as it dries, it will pull the finish
After completing steps 1 and 2 on the first lens, repeat the process on the second lens. When both lenses are done, return to the first lens and re-apply CV-#2 again, using LIGHT PRESSURE in one direction. This will insure a consistent finish, and add luster and gloss to the surface. Then, when the second lens is dry to the touch (2 – 3 minutes) Re-apply CV-#2 to the second lens as well. Allow 2-3 minutes between the first and second coats.
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING NOTES
This product is only for use on the exterior surface of plastic automotive headlights.
Application of CV-#2 needs to be done quickly (the higher the outside temperature the quicker you need to be) as CV-#2 starts to set-up in approximately 20-seconds. This is plenty of time to seal the lens. Do not continue to wipe as product begins to dry, as this will “pull” the finish. Headlights should be dry to touch in 5-minutes. Temperature and humidity may affect drying time. To test curing, touch in an inconspicuous location so as not to leave marks in a visible area if still tacky.
An additional coat of CV-#2 will add gloss and protection and fill in any spots you missed the first time. No additional sanding or polishing is required.
CRYSTAL VIEW CHEMICAL’S PRODUCTS ARE PAINT SAFE. HOWEVER, CV-#2 IS A COATING THAT WILL HARDEN IF ALLOWED TO DRY ON THE PAINT AND MUST BE REMOVED IMMEDIATELY. ALWAYS LOOK CAREFULLY AROUND THE LENS AREA IMMEDIATELY AFTER APPLICATION TO SEE IF THERE IS ANY CV-#2 ANYWHERE OTHER THAN THE LENS SURFACE. IF YOU DO HAVE ANY EXCESS, IT IS EASILY REMOVED BY PUTTING SOME WATER ON A PAPER TOWEL AND WIPING OFF CV-#2 PRIOR TO DRYING.
Storage and Application Tips:
· Keep product from extreme temperatures (below 32-F or above 115-F)
· Best when applied with temperature between 50 – 90 degrees Fahrenheit
· If applied in cold weather, or high humidity, turn on headlights to warm surface during application
· If exposed to moisture before fully cured, a temporary “hazing” may occur. This “hazing” will disappear after surface has dried and curing is complete.
· While not necessary, the application of a synthetic automotive protectant 24-hours after restoration will further seal the lens, and repel road grime that can dull the finish. Re-apply every 2-3 months.




I guess the company doesn't want to tell everyone what's in their product so they don't list it anywhere about what "chemicals" they use. And I don't think the microfiber was a name brand.

I apologize, I didn't think it had to be that detailed.



EDIT:

Oh and here is a link just incase you like videos better than text.

 

Thank you - I understand what that stuff is now. It's a recoating process, not just a polishing process. Please keep us informed as to how well the coating holds up - I suspect that it may be subject to peeling down the road.

This is similar to the process that "professional" restorers use, they have bulk resin that they apply with a foam brush after the sanding and polishing. I suppose it works well if very carefully prepared and applied, but the kit I used is more like what you would use on paint to make it shine. Supposedly the new coating is UV-resistant, but so is PlastX.

 

Just to do a followup - the van has gone to the great junkyard in the sky. We never did replace either headlight. Stepdaughter got a new Kia Sorento back in 2011, they kept the van around as a spare till last summer, when it finally died.

 

Bringing this back up.

ADS no longer sells the kits, in fact they don't sell any chemicals any more, just tools and pads. Here is what you need to put your own kit together:

Meguiar's® Mirror Glaze® High-Tech Backing Pad

Meguiar's 1500 Grade - Unigrit Finishing Sand Paper

Buff and Shine 3" Wool & Foam Grip Pad Mini Buffing Kit

Meguiar's® M105 Mirror Glaze® Ultra-Cut Compound, 8 oz.

Meguiar's® PlastX™ Clear Plastic Cleaner & Polish, 10 oz.

I'm sure there are other sources and alternate products, I listed these to duplicate what was in my kit. You need to provide the following:

Bucket of soapy water
Electric/cordless drill or DA polisher
Masking tape
Microfiber towels or similar

Use the yellow wool pad for M105, yellow foam pad for PlastX.

EDIT: See post #53. Buff & Shine kit no longer available. You may want to use a stiff bristle brush for cleaning the pads.

 

glc,

Great post and tips for the kit. And just so everybody knows, you can use Meguiar's M101 in place of M105 and get the same results with much less dusting.

 

I just had to do the Kia, it's now my granddaughter's and she hasn't been taking care of it. No pics, but it worked very well.

 

Post #50 - the buff and shine kit is no longer available from ADS, their site no longer exists.

Can't find the whole kit anywhere, but here are the individual items to use in an electric drill:

https://www.autogeek.net/buf-358.html
https://www.autogeek.net/buff-and-sh...l-adapter.html
https://www.autogeek.net/buf-301g.html
https://www.autogeek.net/buf-330g.html