Wetsanding Plastic ATV fenders?

[GlossyTundra]

I just bought a new used 2000 Honda 400ex atv. Its red and in great shape, although the plastics are in pretty rough shape. I was thinking of doing 220-300-400-800-1000-1500-2000-2500 then hitting with some sort of compound. Does anyone have any comments or tips on doing this? Ever wetsanded plastic like this before. I know I can remove the scratches and re-level the plastic, I am not sure however about removing the wetsanding marks.

[imported_JoshVette]

No experience with this, but is the plastic painted or finished in any way? if it`s dyed plastic you may end up removing the dark gray coloration all together. just a thought.



why going so aggressive with the sanding paper? why not start up at 800+?

[David Fermani]

Try Micro-Surface - They offer products for plastic repair:



Acrylic & Plexiglass : MICRO-SURFACE FINISHING PRODUCTS, INC (http://micro-surface.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=272_8_219)

[GlossyTundra]

Its red all the way through. Its got some pretty serious gouges, although I may just let those stay there. I may start at 400 and work up from there.



I figure some #105 on wool should take out 2000+ grit sanding marks on plastic. Maybe?

[ten39]

I don`t ride quads (stopped needing training wheels many years ago :hide:) but I do trail ride dirt bikes.



As I`m sure you already know, it`s just uncoated colored plastic. You can wet sand and compound to remove deep gouges and scratches if you`d like, but using abrasive polishing methods will never get the plastic glossy, like it would if it had a BC/CC paint system on it.



A trick I learned over on thumpertalk, and personally use, is Mop & Glo. After each ride and wash, just add as many layers as you`d like to get the gloss you want. After a few of these sessions, you`ll find that you`ve got a bit of a semi-permanent layer built up, and you may or may not need to re-apply each time.



There are industry specific products offered, but they`re usually silicone-based, so you just end up making your ride a slimy mess and a dirt magnet. Alternatively, products like Plexus and/or Honda Spray Polish don`t offer near the gloss as M&G. You could also just buy new plastic, as you might be surprised how cheap it is (at least it is in the dirt bike world).



Sounds silly, but I`ve been riding dirt bikes since I was a kid, and M&G really is the best option. It doesn`t make the plastics look fake or gaudy, just new. I take a lot of flack from my riding buddies about how my bike never looks used, but it goes with the territory with being an a-rentitive detailer, like most of us here.



Hope this helps.

[GlossyTundra]

I will have to try that haha. Maybe do some wetsanding, polishing THEN Mop and Glo...