I do have a 5" orbital cordless sander. I'll buy a kit. Knowing paper grit is nice. I can buy 5" round paper to use. I'll go longer polish time for 3000 grit sanding. Due to time constraints, this will likely like a winter project.

using a cordless drill/sander head vs. real sanders, my experiences
 

I tried restoring/polishing the headlights on my '04 Chevy 2500HD, using a orbital sander, at first, but found that I was like a young child, unable to draw inside the lines. I switched over to using a straight-line palm sander, but used too harsh a grit, and probably kept it in one place too long, and ended up scoring the plastic.

I did much the same on my wife's '98 GMC, later, and that's why I've used 3M kits and a cordless drill to do restoration work (on her Cobalt, my HHR Panel, and the X5). I ended up just replacing the headlights on both the big trucks, because they were cheap ($55-60 a set, bulbs included, from Amazon). I wish you could get new replacement E53 headlights as cheap!

I was able to control the cordless drill/sanding head much easier and more precisely than using sanders.

I use the multi-step 3M kit mounted in a drill followed by two coats of spray-on headlight coating from Meguire's

https://a.co/d/aDxQQCL

And I would do both the headlight and the trailer hitch installation. They take about the same amount of time.

Factory (Westfalia) tow hitch?

Not a bad idea. Might as well get both of them done. Hitch is a Curt S019 found locally off an X5. The only item pending is where to mount the round wiring bracket. I plan to modify the hitch area cover so only the tube sticks out. :thumbup:

Yeah I just went thru this. Mine had a Reese hitch installed but no plug, and no location for the plug. Still trying to figure out what to do because I don't want to cut into the hitch or the rear bumper.

YMMV, but on multiple previous vehicles I've found that aftermarket housings are inferior to the OE ones, even when they look the same. The beam patterns suck.

but they're sure better than originals in bad shape
 

I've used aftermarket headlights, ordered from Amazon, on four vehicles so far, two of them mine, two of them for relatives. It seems that most of our vehicles sit outside all the time, and get the glazed plastic syndrome, early in their lives.

Even at my advanced age, being the eldest male in my wife's family group, I have been the go-to installer of most auto parts (including trailer hitches, brake controllers), mini-blinds, ceiling fans, faucets, outdoor security lights (you name it, I've done most of it), for the past 32 years. Therefore, I buy and install replacement headlights.

I have to do quick fixes often, whenever I go to the family "ranch", so I often take my X5 full of tools, and parts that I bought following the last trip down there, in preparation for my next visit.

Father-in-law (now passed) wasn't very mechanically adept, and the sister-in-law, her son-in-laws, and now their kids (Generations: Silent, X, Millenials, Z, and lastly Alpha), just don't seem as work-oriented as us Boomer Ones (early Boomers), IMHO. Not willing to learn, either. At least in my experience.

Rant over, back to the headlights. I replaced the headlights on my '04 Chevy 2500HD in June '17, on my wife's '98 GMC in December '19, on my FIL's '03 Chevy 2500 in November '21, and on MIL's ?year Chevy Avalanche in January '22. All are still clear, aimed OK, water and condensate-free even today. I prefer the "Eagle Eye" brand, which I used on the first three trucks.

I tell everyone who will listen there is ONE answer here.

Xpel PPF.

I did my lights 7 years ago and immediately had them covered with xpel ppf. one and done. look as good as they did the day i polished them

i bought the assortment of 3m wetsanding paper.

you do need a lot of grits.

i would probably start at 320 or 400, then 600/800/1200/1500. something like that. it's not that much work to do it by hand. just keep all your sandpaper nice and wet in a dishpan with some soapy water. after the sanding, polish with a dual action buffer. cutting compound then polishing compound. I won't mess with anything else again. PPF all the way.

I've yet to see an aftermarket headlight that looks as good as OEM which is another reason to avoid.

I'm not even sure you can even buy an aftermarket Xenon unit for the LCI update.