The Cube's headlights had gotten pretty hazy over the years. Fourteen years of UV exposure will do that to polycarbonate lenses - they develop that familiar cloudy, yellowed look that makes the car look tired and cuts down on light output at night. I grabbed a 3M Headlight Lens Restoration System (39008) off Amazon to tackle the job. It's a drill-mounted kit that steps through progressively finer sanding discs followed by a polishing compound - takes the guesswork out of the process. I taped off the paint around the lenses and worked through the grits. The 3M kit makes quick work of it - you can see the oxidation coming off with the first disc.
The difference was night and day. What were dull, yellowed lenses are now clear again. It's one of those jobs where the effort-to-reward ratio is hard to beat - maybe 30 minutes per side and the front end looks ten years younger.
Not bad for a Sunday afternoon!
