Is there anything that can be done to clean up an old set of rear side panels? They seem to scratch super easy, as if the top layer of plastic is all dried out. You can chip the plastic with your finger nail just by touching it. I will be painting them and am hoping that the vinyl panel paint will rejuvinate the old plastic some. Should I scrub them with a wire brush and soap or maybe sand them before painting? Or gently clean them and prep it for the vinyl paint? What has everyone else done with old fragile panels? Eric
eric, they can't be painted the way they are. a wire brush did not work for me. i had posted pics. on a set i did to see how they would work. they came out like new. there is a lot of work in the way i did it. i took a pocket knife and used just the point. start in one corner and work your way across the panal. then you can paint them any color you like. the easy way is to get a set that only needs painting. dan, suggested a new type of paint. i haven't been abel to find the (simi black). i found the flat and high gloss. it is called ( fusion ) by krylon...frank...
You would definitely be much better off with a different set that's not deteriorated like yours. I've bought a couple of sets off eBay and have been very happy with them. I've tried painting ones like yours and they aren't worth the time. Good luck whichever way you go.
That's were I got these from, ebay - $10. Not really that bad, about 90% - 95% good. It is just those few spots that always would get the sun that have a brittle coating. I did start to clean off a section by scraping with a dull knife. The plastic under the "chalk" like coating is very good and still has the natual texture grain of the plastic. I have one of those wire roto-stripper things. I wonder .... . Might just give it a try!
If you are going to try that I`D suggest doing it on the area of the panel that will be hidden by the seat...just in case it has an Ill effect on the panel. I wonder if the panels could be media blasted pryor to painting them? By this I mean with a very mild media(maybe plastic pellets) that would not mess up the plastic. The Eastwood company may be able to help you if you give them a call.
I've been scraping at the bad areas and the "dead" plastic does come off real easy. I would think a light blast from a sand blaster would remove the bad spots quite easily as well. Just can't get too close to friction burn the plastic. I will try a couple of things tomorrow and let you all know what happens.
Roto-Stripper Works! Well, I tried the roto-stripper and it works very well. I started on a good place to see if it would leave any bad marks in the solid plastic and it does not, as long as you use light pressure and not leave it in the same place for too long. When you hit a dry spot, the old dead plastic comes right off as a powder. Very quick and easy to do it this way. Took me about 10 mins to clean 2 panels. I will go over them with a wire brush to touch up any missed spots. But all in all it was a success! I do have to note for anyone that wants to try this, the roto-stripper I used is the fine wire type made to strip wood furniture and paint from the edge of window frames. It is not the heavy wire kind for stripping rust off a fence post.
LOL! It Zips! It Strips! IT slices! It Dices! It makes tons of julianne fries! Order now and recieve the handy dandy pocket sized roto zipper ABSOLUTELY FREE! Drill sold seperatly.:bananaman
be careful, be very careful. i tried one years ago on some brick i had paint on. the brick would break off the wire ends. "ouch". i needed a safety suit, not just the glasses...frank...
Are the panels smooth after removing the factory texture? Or is the texture still seen in the good plastic below?
So the handy dandy Roto Zipper has another little known function when used on bricks..... self acupuncture.
