Do those plastic restoring kits work?

[twiggy]

Has anybody tried any of those plastic restoring kits on faded plastic? I've got an older bike with a severly faded gas tank. Is there anything I can do to get that color and shine back? Thanks.

Jon

 

[JMD]

Yes, they do work. But you have to put in a lot of work sanding the plastic. A LOT of work. A HUGE amount of work. Did I mention that it's a lot of work?. They could sell this stuff as an exercise program for your forearms and fingers.

Personally, I think that if your plastic is a mess, you're better off buying new stuff. The amount of work it will take to bring it back is prohibitive--several hours for a badly scratched fender may not be enough. But if your time is not as valuable as your money, you can work wonders with this stuff.

I still use the stuff, but only to put a new shine on my basically good plastic after it loses its finish from a couple of washings. It works a lot better than Armor-All or Wet Look.

 

[txvintage]

As JMD says, it takes a LOT of work.

Being a primarily Vintage bike owner, this stuff is in regular use in my stable, simply because there isn't new plastic available for most of my stuff. I use it on side panels and fenders. It does take hours of work for the prep with wet snading sanding, but I have resurrected 25+ year old fenders and had amazing results.

There are words of caution about gas tanks however. The finish does not last as long on tanks due to gas spillage and the fact that vapors permiate through the plastic. It does work on tanks, jusyt not as well or as long as on fenders and side panels.

If you have a new enough bike that aftermarket plastic is available, go that route. It's easier and doesn't take a weekend to do. If you have ir-replaceable OEM vintage stuff, it's a god send.

 

[KawieKX125]

It works alarming well for me. I sand ALOT and then apply 5 coats of the liquid, buff with sandpaper and repeat process of applying and buffing 5 times leaving out the buff the last time. Looks like car apint. Deep color, and shiny. It comes off with solvents and stickers will not stick to it.

 

[MikeT]

Here is the cheap way to do it

My brother is an old autobody guy and he said he could make my bike shine like new. He took his buffing wheel out and a little car wax then buffed my fenders, sidepanels, AND tank. They now shine like NEW. This only took him about 10 minutes and I am extremely happy. It lasted a long time also. I don't even see the need to buy a plastic renew kit when you can buff it yourself.

SIDE NOTE: The buffing wheel he used is not an orbital one, just one that spins. No orbital device.

So, you may think that you need to buy a renew kit but, I'd say you don't (if you have a buffing wheel). :D

 

[twiggy]

Thanks guys!

Thanks for the replies. It was kind of what I was thinking, just needed to hear it from someone else. Guess this is just another excuse to get a new bike!:)

Jon

 

[KawieKX125]

I doubt wax removes scratches. Might have been buffing compound or plastic polich though.

 

[MikeT]

Originally posted by KawieKX125
I doubt wax removes scratches. Might have been buffing compound or plastic polich though.

Kawie, My bike is a shining example of how well it works. Infact, we used liquid turtle wax. Now, putting turtle wax on by hand won't do it, it's the wheel at high speed that gets the job done.

 

[KawieKX125]

The heat must have melted the plastic a bit and then took the scratches out, or the wax just filled them in?

 

[MikeT]

Originally posted by KawieKX125
The heat must have melted the plastic a bit and then took the scratches out,

Probably a little heat due to friction but not enough to melt the plastic that I could see. The wax has a little grit in it, I mean a little grit. I guess it, being rubbed in at high speed polished the plastic. The scratches were removed completely and totally. The best think is that if I spill gas, it's not a problem.

Kawie if you have access to a buffing wheel and some wax, try it. The wheel you need spins at high speed and sort of looks like a 9" angle grinder, but with a buffing cloth on it. You know what I mean?

 

[KawieKX125]

Was should have no grit in it at all, and I know what kind of buffer you are talking about. I will try it when I can get the wheel for the angle grinder.

 

[Old CR goat]

If this is your first time with the buffer, be very careful. Not hard at all to burn or discolor plastic, by the time you notice it is happening guess what,--too late.

 

[MikeT]

Originally posted by Old CR goat
If this is your first time with the buffer, be very careful. Not hard at all to burn or discolor plastic, by the time you notice it is happening guess what,--too late.

Good advice goat. Like I said, my brother is an OLD body guy. He has many years of experience. He didn't seem to have any problems, but he is really good.

Kawie, you might want to start on an old fender until you get the hang of it.

 

[MikeT]

Originally posted by KawieKX125
Was should have no grit in it at all,

Huh? :think What were you saying?.... Oh, Wax should have no grit in it? Some wax does, some wax doesn't. I used regular turtle wax, I think it does.

DON"T TRY THIS AT HOME: you can tell if wax has a little grit in it by putting a teeny tiny itsy bitsy droplet of it bettween your teeth then bite down lightly on it. If it has grit in it, you'll know it. If it doesn't you'll know it.

Oh, and when your done, SPIT THE WAX OUT! :)

 

[JMD]

Another way to check if there's any grit is to take a tiny little bit of the stuff and put it right up your . . . well, never mind. I guess your mouth will work fine.

 

[MikeT]

Originally posted by JMD
Another way to check if there's any grit is to take a tiny little bit of the stuff and put it right up your . . . well, never mind. I guess your mouth will work fine.

Silly! :confused:

 

[KawieKX125]

Kawie, you might want to start on an old fender until you get the hang of it.

I doubt I can make my fender worse. Mine looks like some crazed chef attcked it with a very sharp cheeze grater. The fender is, err, fuzzy in a way.

 

[MikeT]

Originally posted by KawieKX125

Mine looks like some crazed chef attcked it with a very sharp cheeze grater. The fender is, err, fuzzy in a way.

LOL! Crazed chef! Well, you might want to start out with a little sand paper then...

 

[gremlin]

SAFETY NOTE HERE GUYS moping at high speed on plastic produces STATIC, empty the gas out first, if you are going to do the tank..
Another point, polypropalene melts at around 160 C and it doesnt take long to get there, so be careful..

 

[TONY78]

Here is some info you guys may not be interested in. After playing around with a heat gun in the garage, i found that you can remove all those unsightly white stress marks in your plastics by waving the heat gun over them. I wouldn't recomend leaving the gun on the same spot for too long, but give it a go, you may be suprized how well it works.

 

[MikeT]

Originally posted by TONY78
. I wouldn't recomend leaving the gun on the same spot for too long, but give it a go, you may be suprized how well it works.

I tried that with a hair dryer. It took a little longer, but it worked great!

 

[MikeT]

Originally posted by gremlin
SAFETY NOTE HERE GUYS moping at high speed on plastic produces STATIC, empty the gas out first, if you are going to do the tank..
Another point, polypropalene melts at around 160 C and it doesnt take long to get there, so be careful..

True, however we had no problems with the process.