Restore your weathered plastic how-to

[rlith]

Yes, due to a day off and boredom I figured since my front end was just redone, I would clean up my weather beaten plastic.

We all know that the plastic shell stuff on our trucks oxidizes, gets weather beaten and wind burned, and after a while (in my case 10 years) it really looks like ass. Some people are happy with just slapping some armourall (crap) or a good silcone based coating on it before they go out or on the next sunny day. I've never been happy with that. I like my stuff to look like new even when there isn't some kind of detailing fluid on it. I've done this to my wife's car and it's come out well, just never got around to doing it to mine.

Note: This also will apply to general buffing for clear coats, but you really need a buffer. A buffer, not an orbital waxer. I reccomend the Mikita buffers as they can go as high as 1000 rpm and as low as 10 rpm. Be careful though, you can burn straight through your clear coat. ORBITAL BUFFER/WAXERS WILL NOT WORK FOR PROPER BUFFING.


On to the pics..



Here you can see what I use. EZ1 Cutting gel (Blue) and 3M Foam Finisher polish. This is what most autobody shops use, (at least around here). Now, understand, the CRAP you would buy at Autozone, pepboys, or any other chain store is general consumer SHIT. To get this stuff you need to go somewhere that supplies automotive paint. (Real paint, not rattle can crap). I am a big believer in if you're going to do something, do it right. Consumer based crap is NOT doing it right...



Start with putting a couple of quarter sized drops on the plastic.



Next, using a SLIGHTLY damp cloth, rub in circular motions. You eventually will see the plastic shine up. Just keep on going and going and going. (about 5-8 minutes in constant motion)

Wipe off with a soft towel really well when done.



If you have any nicks in the plastic, simply wet sand the nick down with 1500 grit (not anything less) sand paper. Go back and reapply the cutting gel.

Now, you will have some swirl marks and or light sand paper marks after you're done. (Depending on how bad your plastic was)... So now we move on to the final step.

Use a dime sized drop of the 3M Foam Pad Finishing polish. (This is really powerful stuff, you won't need more than this). Again, rub in circular motions. Do this for another 5-8 minutes. You will see how the shine really comes out. You can see in this pic how well the cutting gel did.



When you're done, it should look like this...(you can see the stark difference)



And....




This will work for most of the plastic on your car. The rubber pieces obviously won't come out like this, but no harm in running some cutting gel over them just to get rid of some of the oxidation.

Hope this helps some of you in your next car wash...

[dropped94]

COOL i WILL HAVE TO TRY THIS

[P-Unit]

Are there any sites online that you can order this stuff from, it looks like something I should do to my dime, Thanks.

[03IndigoBlazerX]

Awesome!! Gotta Try It... Although I Think My Problem Is The Plastic Is Wrotting Away... But None-the-less.

[rlith]

Quote: Originally Posted by P-Unit

Are there any sites online that you can order this stuff from, it looks like something I should do to my dime, Thanks.

Just find out who in your area the autobody shops get their paint from. They should have this. The cutting gel might not be EZ1 but they should have someone's brand.

[$nowman]

I just use some meguiars wax on my plastic and it looks almost as good as yours

[rlith]

Quote: Originally Posted by $nowman

I just use some meguiars wax on my plastic and it looks almost as good as yours

Yeah, but between the sun and the rain, it will be gone in less than a week, my way it will look the same in a year.. Besides, the wax and shiners (armourall, etc) end up just building up residues. I used nothing but a soft cloth for all the plastic parts.

[bluef0x]

what should u use to repaint plastic? the plastic that outlines my grill is white in the center from being weathered

[bmack8613]

WOW is all i have to say!

[BLAZ1N]

i was hoping that this was for the rough style plastic on the bottom of the late 2nd gen airdams





but its lookin good bro :thumbup:

[rlith]

Quote: Originally Posted by blaz1n

i was hoping that this was for the rough style plastic on the bottom of the late 2nd gen airdams





but its lookin good bro :thumbup:

It works fine on textured plastic... I did my mirrors this way...

[s10n20s]

so the buffer is only for the clear coat? u didnt use it on the plastic peices?

[rlith]

Quote: Originally Posted by s10n20s

so the buffer is only for the clear coat? u didnt use it on the plastic peices?

Yeah, a buffer would be too much for the plastic by itself (and a pain trying to do small parts like that) Those pieces ARE NOT clear coated... That's bare plastic you see up there. I did the entire car (textured mirrors, 3 piece cowl, rear tailgate sides, clear coat on the wheels) with noting more than some soft cloths.

[MasterBlaster]

That is impressive. I am going to have to try that with my cladding when I get home, it needs some major help...this might work.

Good work!

[-Tucker-]

Got part numbers? I'm ordering this stuff tonight!

[Derek@2020Kustoms]

:thumbup: Great results!

Someone should move this Cleaning/Detaling.

[rlith]

Quote: Originally Posted by Foo182

Got part numbers? I'm ordering this stuff tonight!

You can see the 3m # on the bottle in the 1st pic, just ask who ever you are buying from to get a bottle of cutting gel/cutting glaze

[xTravisx]

i just took my plastic pieces off and spray painted them with some good plastic bonding paint and they turned out awsome.

[rlith]

Quote: Originally Posted by xTravisx

i just took my plastic pieces off and spray painted them with some good plastic bonding paint and they turned out awsome.

That's an option but I wouldn't use crappy rattle can paint... Prepped, scuffed and primed with an epoxy primer, then painted and cleared and buffed if I was going to do that. Most of that plastic rattle can stuff doesn't have a good flex agent in it and will eventually crack/peel with hot and cold weather extremes. Easier to do what I did and take a rag and some goop to it. Won't have to worry about it for a year or 2...

[kev2809]

damn thats a big ass difference...nice work man

[s10n20s]

hey bro i dont have a lot of plastic i need to do. would u mind pouring a bit into a bottle and sending it to me? ill pay ya

[rlith]

Quote: Originally Posted by s10n20s

hey bro i dont have a lot of plastic i need to do. would u mind pouring a bit into a bottle and sending it to me? ill pay ya

Not gonna go through all that...(don't have a lot left myself of the polish) Why not just pick it up locally? It does paint as well, use some to buff out swirls and scratches in your car...

[s10n20s]

ok cool. where did u get ur buffer?

[rlith]

Well for the plastic pieces I used a couple of soft rags, for my buffer I have a dewalt variatble speed (800 rpm to 3000)

[s10n20s]

yeah i got the whole plastic paint diff and using the buffer. whered u get the buffer home of the pot? lowes?

[blksdime03]

that looks good!

[Teal95Jimmy]

I know it has been a while since someone posted in here but i was just wondering. The plastic on the back of my jimmy, the black by the window, feels like it has pitted. how would you suggest cleaning it back to a smooth polished finish

[rlith]

Start w/ 800 grit sand paper (wet sand) next wet sand with 1000, then 1500, then use the stuff I mentioned above.

[rlith]

bumped since there weather turned nice

[rlith]

Bumped again..

[kdh]

Wow awesome!

If I sand part of it.. should I just and the part?

[rlith]

Quote: Originally Posted by kdh

Wow awesome!

If I sand part of it.. should I just and the part?

Sand the whole thing so it's even