Brand new car headlights


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I want to apply Opti-coat Pro Plus on my brand new car. I am concerned about headlights. You have another product for headlights (Opti-Lens). Should I let the detailer apply Opti-coat Pro Plus on the headlights or it is better to apply Opti-lens on headlights?

Also, do I need to polish brand new headlights before applying Opti-Lens/Opti-Coat Pro?  Perhaps if I polish headlights, I will remove the factory protection layer?

Could you help me to find out what is the best solution?

Thanks,

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Opti-Coat will provide protection for headlights but is not as good as Opti-Lens, because Lens is formulated to bond to plastic and has additional UV protection.  You would need to polish the lens to remove the manufacturers protection before applying either OCP or OL.

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One thing I forgot to mention is to look into xpel.  They make pre-cut headlight protection film that is quite thick.  Then one can coat over the film as an optional step to have the hydrophobic properties.  Or possibly the shop you are going to sells the new optimum paint protection film. 

That will keep the headlights looking good for a long time.  I currently have xpel on my new headlights with a coating on the film.  Will also keep them from getting pitted from highway driving.   

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  • 1 month later...

Can optilens bond with and protect new headlights with the original UV coating permanently like it does to sanded headlights?  It seems it would be more beneficial to protect the original coating with optilens than to remove that original coating which without, headlights would start yellowing quickly with UV exposure. 

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No...opti-lens is created to bond to polyurethane plastic once you remove the factory protection. Its best used on old cars that have faded or yellowed headlight and they need to be repaired. 

Gloss coat or Opti coat is best suited for new headlights as the they are clear coated and one or the other coating will bond to the clear. Or car wax for that matter would be also fine. You would just have to apply it more often.

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On 8/17/2017 at 1:46 PM, A&J said:

No...opti-lens is created to bond to polyurethane plastic once you remove the factory protection. Its best used on old cars that have faded or yellowed headlight and they need to be repaired. 

Gloss coat or Opti coat is best suited for new headlights as the they are clear coated and one or the other coating will bond to the clear. Or car wax for that matter would be also fine. You would just have to apply it more often.

I think there is a lot of conflicting information. Ron also talked about polishing before opticoat or optilens on headlights earlier in this thread. I've seen in many other places the use of opti lens on new headlights including the selling page on autogeek.  It would be nice if Dr G. could come and clarify the bonding of optilens to new headlights and whether it is permanent and better than using opticoat pro for that application. 

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Chris comments were from 4 years ago when Opti-Lens was first introduced.  Optimum has learned that Opti-Lens does not bond well to existing Manufacturers UV protection, but Coatings (OCP, Gloss-Coat ) do.  To apply OL to new (or newer) headlights, we recommend sanding/polishing the existing protection.  OL is a permanent coating and in most cases needs to be polished to remove.

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Good to know. This kind of information should be more public as I never found that detail anywhere about optilens not bonding well with clearcoat of headlights. 

Does opticoat pro stay permanently on new headlights and prevent hazing?  Or will it also eventually be worn off?  

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