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

Restoring fog lights the Chris way
Josh Mott

So good, I’m going to try this!

05/13/2016 - 03:34 |
2 | 0
PAMO

Will you try the same with head lights? ;)

05/13/2016 - 06:58 |
2 | 0
suchdoge

Remember BMW’s need Halogen fluid not regular old blinker fluid.

05/13/2016 - 08:10 |
4 | 2
zetecyoo

But I don’t hav fog lights
I cri every tiem

05/13/2016 - 09:55 |
2 | 2
Miguel Salas

Nice Guide :D

05/13/2016 - 13:32 |
0 | 0
Anthony B

Wow, they look brand new! I’ll need to do this to mine this weekend :)

05/13/2016 - 17:39 |
2 | 0
Ben Conover

I’ve done this on my previous car and my current car and it works great!
Only issue I’m having is keeping the paint from running.
Maybe taking off the headlight would help but that’s involves removing the bumper for my car… Oh well. Still looks good if you don’t get too close. lol

05/13/2016 - 20:18 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

No toothpaste and piss? :D (MCM style)

05/14/2016 - 15:08 |
0 | 0
ChrisFix

This is awesome! I love seeing people putting my videos to work! Great results man!!! Here is the link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEJbKLZ7RmM
Awesome work man! They look brand new! What clear coat did you use?

06/17/2016 - 14:32 |
4 | 0

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