Anyone know how to make headlights new again?

You could probably polish them.

 

Yes.
1500 grit sandpaper and soapy water... Wet sand all the surface oxidation off ....then use a white cloth buffer wheel with some clear coat polish compound and they will polish out to look new!

 

Buy new. .
All snake oil restoration good only for used car dealership. Sanding and polishing will take out protection layer from plastic and it will start cracking and yellow in short period of time.

They will looks new for short period of time because sanding and polishing will take out UV protection. After sanding need to restore hard coat Exxene S 25 or S 500 and bake it in 120 C.
Reflector in headlight usually is bad too.
Just buy new headlights don't waste time and money.
Proud Volvo headlights restorer SNAILEXPRESS

 

Worth a shot.

If they crack and yellow then you'r back at square one.

 

It depends. If new headlights are in your budget, get new headlghts.

But if they're not, get a good quality restoration kit (both Sylvania and Griot's Garage make good quality kits). If used properly, they will restore your headlights to a crystal finish, and last for quite a while.

 

Great film. I learned something today.

 

Chris Fix has a lot of good information.

 

Funny you ask. I got out my polishing grinder and clay bars out yesterday and started working on my aluminium after last winter. My wife's sienna was sitting there and I figured I would try it on them. The headlights were real bad. Took about 5 minutes on each one and they were almost looking new again.

 

If you don't have the funds for new right now, polish them as others have said. If you can afford new, buy new. Polishing will only buy you time. And not really that much time.