This is a plastic heater air box from an old bronco. It had overspray and a lot of scratches on it.
I used acetone on the other one to get the overspray off (it wasn’t as bad) but it didn’t do much to clean this, and unfortunately it doesn’t affect scratches anyway.
ive sanded it down with 1, 2 and 400 grit Trying some 1000 didn’t give me confidence that I would be able to achieve a glossy appearance.
i remembered watching a guy use a torch on acrylic to make a bend nice and shiny so I tried it on a small section and it helped but wasn’t miraculous and I wonder how doing it over the large flat areas would look
I also don’t know what material it is - what was the plastic du jour from 1972? Abs?
i’d rather not spray paint it but that is certainly an option, in which case should I prime it first? What kind of paint is best, what kind to avoid, etc??
For the spray painting option, there's a spray bomb available specifically for plastics, sold at Wally World. I forget the brand, not Rustoleum, one of the other big brands, and they demonstrate it to the Walmart buyers by spray painting outdoor plastic chairs with it.
It's Krylon Fusion and it works.
A heat gun may be a better bet than a torch - less heat and more gently dispersed. Another thought is to try some polish - there are plastic polishes out there (take your pick at the auto parts or hardware store) but I've also had good luck using metal polishes like Flitz or Simichrome.
I have had luck restoring plastic with MAF cleaner. Much less aggressive a solvent than things like acetone. By the way it is also fantastic for headlights. Takes a bit more effort but the polish is better.
Hal
UltraDork
6/11/18 4:01 p.m.
Since you have already sanded it, spray it with Krylon Fusion. I did a set of cheap plastic outdoor chairs for my SIL a couple years ago and they still look great even after sitting out for two winters.
For black part take a tip from the jeep guys Flood Penetrol seems to work well on bumpers and fender flairs.
I’d give a heat gun a go. Start on low heat until you get a feel for how the plastic reacts.
it is (probably) filled polypropylene.
I would clean it carefully and spray with paint recommended above.
Rog
