Toyota Corolla DIY

Items needed:

- Wet Sandpaper (i used 600/1500/2000 grit) – typically just 2 should do (600/2000), but the more you use, the smoother the transition.
- Rubbing Compound (i used Turtle brand, 3M sells one too for quite some more $)
- Meguiars PlastX plastic cleaner and polish
- A towel, and an applicator cloth thingie.
- Spray bottle with Dishwasher soap + water
- A container to hold a lot of water to rinse (not shown in pic)
- Painters tape (also now shown).

1. Apply the painters tape around the HL to avoid scratching the paint. Spray some soap solution and wash down the HL to remove any gunk that might be there.. i even used Goo Gone to remove the residue from the overlays. Here is a ‘before’ pic.

2. Spray some soap solution on the HL and use the 600grit sandpaper.. try to use even long strokes left->right->left.. the longer strokes you use, the less likely you will see variations across the HL. Keep the surface wet with the spray as you sand it and stop when you think you’ve gotten enough even coverage. This is what it looks like.

3. Wash the HL off with some water, and repeat step 2 with the higher grit (1500 in my case). this is what is looks like afterwards.

4. Wash the HL off with some water, and repeat step 2 again, but with the higher grit (2000grit in my case). this is the last step, so make sure you really have it all evened out. this is what it looks like.

5. Wash it off and let the HL dry. Apply some of the rubbing compound on the cloth, and with a good amount of pressure, rub the HL in circular motions. Do this 3-4 times and use different portions of the cloth to keep it fresshhh. The HL will start to look a little clear now but still scratchy.

6. Now, with the applicator, rub on some PlastX, again in a circular fashion, and work it till you are satisfied. Wipe off excess residue with a cloth or the other side of the applicator. You are now done.

Does it look like new, ABSOLUTELY not… Was it an improvement, DEFINITELY.

If you have an electric buffer or what not, feel free to use it.