polished plastic parts DIY
05-19-11, 02:31 PM
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polished plastic parts DIY
so to celebrate my 100th post in cl i will attempt a DIY. attempt
i discovered that most of the black plastic parts in the interior can be polished to look glossy and new.
things you will need.
beer
wet or dry sandpaper 600 grit and 2000 grit.
meguires ultimate rubbing compound/or mothers.
some microfiber cloths
microfiber buffing pads.
screwdriver
panel popper
ptional:
popeye arms.
so on the parts that are textured with a matte finish you will need to sand first with the 600 grit to get it down to a flat surface. take out your part remove any electronic switches from it. take it to the sink and blast that texture off with the 600 grit under a stream of running water.
once you are satisfied you have removed the texture use the 2000 grit under running water to smooth it out first use a little pressure while sanding then work out to light pressure until its pretty smooth. next get your buffing pad and compound and start rubbing. you can wipe off the compound once and a while with the rags to see where your at. the rubbing compound works pretty quick. buff it out with a rag reinstall your part move on to the next one.
its better then black paint imho.
fair warning about this piece! it came out a little patchy looking. but once you have it back in the car you dont notice it at all. it just looks shiny.
shifter bezel came out cherry.
here you can see the drastic difference between the ashtray and bezel.
thats about it for now i will post up more pics of the stereo bezel and climate control once they are done. i believe you could do the dash vents as well but whats the point if they are cracked...lol damn i need to find some unbroken ones.
oh yeah forgot to mention i cut tiny little squares of clear box tape to cover the painted lettering of the clock buttons so you dont sand them off. the dimmer symbol i wanted gone any way. looks cleaner without it.
i discovered that most of the black plastic parts in the interior can be polished to look glossy and new. things you will need.
beer
wet or dry sandpaper 600 grit and 2000 grit.
meguires ultimate rubbing compound/or mothers.
some microfiber cloths
microfiber buffing pads.
screwdriver
panel popper
ptional:popeye arms.
so on the parts that are textured with a matte finish you will need to sand first with the 600 grit to get it down to a flat surface. take out your part remove any electronic switches from it. take it to the sink and blast that texture off with the 600 grit under a stream of running water.
once you are satisfied you have removed the texture use the 2000 grit under running water to smooth it out first use a little pressure while sanding then work out to light pressure until its pretty smooth. next get your buffing pad and compound and start rubbing. you can wipe off the compound once and a while with the rags to see where your at. the rubbing compound works pretty quick. buff it out with a rag reinstall your part move on to the next one.
its better then black paint imho.
fair warning about this piece! it came out a little patchy looking. but once you have it back in the car you dont notice it at all. it just looks shiny.
shifter bezel came out cherry.
here you can see the drastic difference between the ashtray and bezel.
thats about it for now i will post up more pics of the stereo bezel and climate control once they are done. i believe you could do the dash vents as well but whats the point if they are cracked...lol damn i need to find some unbroken ones.
oh yeah forgot to mention i cut tiny little squares of clear box tape to cover the painted lettering of the clock buttons so you dont sand them off. the dimmer symbol i wanted gone any way. looks cleaner without it.
Last edited by bleedspeed; 05-19-11 at 02:35 PM.
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05-19-11, 03:48 PM
#9
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05-19-11, 03:51 PM
#10
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05-19-11, 04:35 PM
#11
i cut out tiny little square pieces of clear box tape and covered each letter. allowing me to sand in between each. that dash piece was easy compared to the shifter bezel. the previous owner had stained and burned the bezel in a few spots so i had to remove the texture and the stains. dash piece took about 30 minutes. bezel 2 hours. glad most of you are liking it. i think it adds flare personally. takes an old flat matte and turns it to shine. not to mention fixing years of wear. those pieces look new now. thanks for the input to all. more pics on this in a few days.
