FrontRanger

This weekend I did two different methods of Headlight Restoration. 
  One was a 10 Step Restoration on a really yellow really badly oxidized set of lights. (Beat up 2004 White Honda Odyssey)   The other was a 5 Step restoration on a not as badly oxidized set of lights. (2001 Toyota Rav4)   My goal with these headlights were not to make them perfect (although I tried, but just to cut away the oxidation and improve visibility for night time driving. To start with on both, I wiped down the headlights with diluted Rinseless Wash to remove any dirt or dust. Then taped off the paint, the grill and the rubber pieces surrounding the headlight. On each I did a test section to figure out what process I wanted to do.   10 Step Restoration: Step 1: Wet Sand with 600 grit Sand Paper by hand Step 2: Wet Sand with 800 grit Sand Paper by hand Step 3: Wet Sand with 1200 grit Sand Paper by hand Step 4: Wet Sand with 2000 grit Sand Paper by machine with soft foam interface, (after machine use by hand to get into the corners and areas where polisher wouldn't reach. Step 5: Wet Sand with 3000 grit Sand Paper by machine with soft foam interface. Step 6: Heavy Correcting Compound and Microfiber Pad by machine (multiple passes and stops to use conditioning brush and spritz DS or add more HCC)  Step 7: Sprayable Compound and Microfiber Pad by Machine  (multiple passes and stops to use conditioning brush and spritz DS or add more SC)   Step 8: Sprayable Compound and Blue Foam Pad by Machine  (multiple passes and stops to use conditioning brush and spritz DS or add more SC) Step 9: Finishing Polish with White Pad Step 10: Revive Hand Polish with Blue Hex Grip Applicator     (Forgive the Loud Background Noise, I wasn't able to figure out how to turn the audio down)   (Forgive the Loud Background Noise, I wasn't able to figure out how to turn the audio down)   I found this very effective for really cutting away the nastiness and revealing a fully new layer of plastic. Wet sanding is a bit of a scary process. Seeing sanding marks is very unsettling even when you know that if you follow the process it will work.   I found that there were a good number of scratches left in the headlight plastic that I couldn't get out. Im not completely sure, but I imagine that's a matter of spending more time with the 2000 and 3000 grit and the Heavy correcting compound to make sure I properly phase out the previous sanding marks.   Anyways the plastic is very clear after this method, just has some scratches which I should have spent more time getting out.
    Picture above shows headlight on the right has not been restored vs. the one on the left which has been restored.   5 Step Restoration: Step 1: Heavy Correcting compound on a Synthetic Wool Pad by Machine (multiple passes, stopping to use conditioning brush once and spritzing DS) Step 2: Heavy Correcting Compound on One Step Pad by machine  (multiple passes, stopping to use conditioning brush once and spritzing DS) Step 3: Heavy Correcting Compound on Blue Foam Pad  (multiple passes, stopping to use conditioning brush once and spritzing DS) Step 4: Finishing Polish with White Pad Step 5: Revive Hand Polish with Blue Hex Grip Applicator   It's clear to see that this is an immense improvement and definitely will improve visibility. This way left a scratch free surface, but I'm afraid it didn't cut all the way through the oxidation. There's still a very very light haze.
      Protection: After the Revive Hand Polish on both sets of headlights, I then used a surface prep, and applied Ceramic Spray Coating.     Comparison: In conclusion, I'm going to guess that the 10 Step Method was the way to go. I think I successfully cut through all the oxidation,and onto a new layer of plastic. I believe the sanding introduced some scratches along the way and I'll have to get some more practice to figure out how effectively get those scratches out during the process.   With the 5 Step Method, I think It will work for a little while, but I think the clarity will start to disappear. I say that because I don't think I got to a new layer of plastic. I think I just cut away some of the nastiness.   

Here is my current collection, recently added the Champion set not pictured yet. Here is a list of every "limited" I know of, I believe this list is complete minus a few unicorn bottles. 
 
2019 Memorial Day 
2019 Memorial Mega foam 
2017 July 4th 
2018 July 4th Detail Spray
2018 July 4th Shampoo
2019 July 4th Detail Spray 
2019 July 4th mega foam
2015 Pumpkin Spice
2016 Pumpkin Spice
2016 Pumpkin Spice cut off label 
2016 Pumpkin Spice green
2017 Pumpkin Spice Detail
2017 Pumpkin Spice Interior
2018 Pumpkin Spice Detail
2018 Pumpkin Spice Interior
2018 Pumpkin Spice G&G
2018 Pumpkin Spice ON
2019 Pumpkin Spice detail 
2019 Pumpkin Spice interior 
2019 Pumpkin Spice shampoo 
2019 Pumpkin Spice tire shine 
2019 Spooky bottle set
2016 Christmas Detail
2016 Christmas Interior
2017 Christmas Detail
2017 Christmas Interior 
2017/18 Valentine’s Day
2019 Valentines Day 
2018 Cinco de Mayo
2019 Cinco de Mayo 
2019 cinco de Mayo 2nd label 
Saint Patrick’s day 
2018 Untamed set
2019 Untamed set
Slammed Enuff orange 
Slammed enuff pink 
Slammed enuff white 
Slammed enuff red 
Kindigit Set
Kindigit Detail Spray misprint  
Mystery Scent 2017 
Mystery scent 2018 
Throwback Detail Spray  
Throwback shampoo 
ASSC Set
2018 Canada Day 
2019 Canada Day 
Car Syrup 
Illest 
Spot Meet Detail Spray 
Spot Meet Tire
100K 
250k 
300k 
350k 
Cars & Coffee White
Cars and Coffee Black 
Red Vette GM 1st gen Detail 
Red Vette GM 2nd gen 
Current (yellow Vette) GM Detail 
Throwback white label detail spray 
Throwback white label soap 
Matte Detailer Gloss label 
Matte detailer matte label 
Champion Set
Cadillac Set 
C1 Corvette Detail Spry
International detail spray 
Vossen wheel cleaner clear 
Vossen wheel cleaner blue
Vossen Mini 
Vossen Wheel Detailer
Water 
Throwback tire dressing 
Throwback spray glaze 
Challenger design 
Barrett Jackson Set 
2018 Black Friday Set 
Johnny’s Wax Shop set
BAGP set
California detail 
Colorado 
RWB 
RWB Preproduction
 
 

Not an in the action detailing shot, but picked up a suuuupppeeerrr clean 2012 GT for my son. Paint needed work, but the car was an amazing example. We were out in the garage and I accidentally captured some pretty descent shots of the paint. I hate to admit it, but I had to revert to some other products to get the paint where I wanted it. In Adam’s defense, I don’t think I worked the correcting compound as long as I should have. Might have gotten there. BUT...the finished product in the photos here is Finishing Polish and spray ceramic coating.  

Received my stuff today and was thrilled. Started my car with a strip wash and starting claying but ran out of sun light. I’ll finish tomorrow and start the paint correction with my new 15mm pro. Really happy with my purchase except I bought the new blanket for my wife and she looked at it and said that will be a neat car cover! I kind of gave her a stare and said it’s to use around the house, games etc! Her exact words were, send it back and get stuff for you, I don’t need another blanket. So much for trying! Guess I’ll add a micro to my collection! 

I decided to be nice to the son-in-law today since between him and my daughter they are almost living at the restaurant being temporarily short two managers.   The truck has CSC on it and today it was washed, dried with Ceramic Boost and then I went over it with Brilliant Glaze to make it pop. 
 
As painful as it is to do a non-red vehicle, the Ford Blue does look pretty good.

Had to make a lunchtime run to the hardware store today and was pleasantly surprised to see this.
 
 

Had to make a lunchtime run to the hardware store today and was pleasantly surprised to see this.
 
 

Hi everyone.  I've been using different Adams products for quite a while now, love them.  some of my favorites are the detail spray for touch up between washes and the h20 G&G which is also a great product.  current dd is a 19 widebody scat pack in b5 blue... once I'm brave enough I'm going to stip all the wax (ive been using caranuba which is great but doesn't last very long) and maybe attempt the ceramic spray coating that I just got from Adams... otherwise I'm going to just start using at least a synthetic type wax just get better longevity.. here's my current b5 just after one of the first waxes...
 
 

Nice Job! @FrontRanger

Weather in Colorado has been pretty crappy, but I managed to spend a few hours getting the bride's Rover looking clean and shiny.
 
Love how the wheels/tires turned out with Adam's Tire Shine and Detail Spray (even though I did miss a couple of water drops before taking this pic).
 
 

Weather in Colorado has been pretty crappy, but I managed to spend a few hours getting the bride's Rover looking clean and shiny.
 
Love how the wheels/tires turned out with Adam's Tire Shine and Detail Spray (even though I did miss a couple of water drops before taking this pic).
 
 

The Mustang received some much needed attention this weekend, which I'll post the details about in my Mustang thread.  However, this picture with three Red vehicles, came our rather nice, so I'm posting it here, since they all some attention this weekend.   The three colors are Mustang Red, Cajun Red and Red Quartz.    In the addition, the Dogwood is finally starting to turn colors, so that means the rest are only a month or so away from changing also.  

Weather in Colorado has been pretty crappy, but I managed to spend a few hours getting the bride's Rover looking clean and shiny.
 
Love how the wheels/tires turned out with Adam's Tire Shine and Detail Spray (even though I did miss a couple of water drops before taking this pic).
 
 

Weather in Colorado has been pretty crappy, but I managed to spend a few hours getting the bride's Rover looking clean and shiny.
 
Love how the wheels/tires turned out with Adam's Tire Shine and Detail Spray (even though I did miss a couple of water drops before taking this pic).
 
 

Finally had a chance to use Brilliant Glaze on the inside of our KIA's windows. All I can say is, wow! Super-smooth and clear as, well, glass. Very impressed with how little effort it took to apply and polish, too.

I wondered about that, too (I usually trim them down a bit).

Thanks, @falcaineer -- that info really helped clarify things.

I just realized we never directly answered your main question about differences...
 
HGG is a sealant, and its (relatively new) hybrid technology includes a make-up of acrylic resins, SiO2 resins and carnauba flake. In other words, if plays well with a variety of products including sealants, coatings, and waxes. It's water-activated and works really well that way, but it can also be applied using a dry application method.
 
Spray Wax, on the other hand, is a carnauba based product, heavily at that, and is more like DS on steroids. It will play well with other carnauba waxes like Americana and Buttery, but recommend not using it with a coating or sealant.
 
Both can be applied as a standalone or maintenance product, but shouldn't be used more than every 3-4 washes. Either can also be applied wet or dry, and with both, a little goes a long way. 

https://adamspolishes.com/collections/new-just-in
 new glass cleaner and jumper box live.    Still waiting for the Pcar LE DS

I have various vehicles that use ceramic and non-ceramic options, as @Nickfire20 stated, if you are going with ceramic, stay with ceramic, otherwise stay with non-ceramic.
 
The windshields are all Glass Sealant with Glass boost applied every 2-3 weeks.  Once we know the right combination, tolerance and results of the new ceramic glass coating wipes, I'll get that applied to at least one of the vehicles.   
 
The exterior mirrors, get Glass boost only, I didn't care for the results of Glass Sealant on the mirrors, so I just go with Glass boost and it seems to work very well.  The inside windshield gets Brilliant Glaze and the other windows gets Adam's Glass Cleaner on the inside
 
The non-ceramic vehicles, get Spray Wax on the outside once they are cleaned with Adam's Glass Cleaner.  If it is right after a full wash, I just the Spray Wax as a drying aid on the windows, except the windshield.
 
The ceramic vehicles get Ceramic Boost once the windows are cleaned with Adam's Glass Cleaner.  When I am using Ceramic Boost as a drying aid, then I go over the windows at the same time that I'd doing the rest of the vehicle, except the windshield.
 
Don't forget to do your tail lights, marker lights and 3rd brake light if exterior with the same products being used on the windows.  

Generally maintain Ceramic with Ceramic infused product 
 
and
 
Glass Sealant with Glass Boost (these don’t contain Sio2)
 
 
I play around with different options on my daily driver, to see what i like, or which one will or wont cause wiper chatter.
 
But the above is the proper, short , and simple answer.
 

The next and best step would be Ceramic Wipes, instead of Sealant.
 
https://adamspolishes.com/collections/ceramic-coating-wipes/products/ceramic-glass-coating-wipes

That is an excellent plan,  I absolutely love the sealant and boost combo
 
 

I would maintain with CWW,  I feel like boost is a little too streaky on windows,  certainly worth experimenting with though.
 
I personally like playing around with different combos,  I’m actually about to put Glass Boost on my one windshield that has Spray Coating on it,  and just see what happens,  we have a good bit of rain coming here in the next week.

Thanks for asking this question. I need this info as well.