How to get rid of deep scratches in rear plastic.

[ddminikc]

On our way home from Vegas a sack that had a geode we bought broke. It ended up rubbing against the hard plastic above the rear armrest and leaving some deep scratches. Does anyone have a way to fix this or do I just need to get it replaced?

[stargate823]

Ouch! Read my post if you want a bigger ouch: http://www.northamericanmotoring.com...ad.php?t=65075

I'm afraid replacemnt is probably the only way it will be good enough the make you happy. Price it out and put it in yourself. So sense wasting the money on labor. My 2 cents anyway.

[Califzeph]

We ended up putting a tasteful sticker over our scratch!

[muggy]

man, stargate, that sucks I feel for ya. You got all that and I'm tripping about my right front fender trim being like a quarter inch off (I had the car for 2 days before I noticed). That's sad man, I hope everything gets replaced fine, if that happened to my car I would freak out! :impatient

[stargate823]

Is the trim fixable? What trim is it? If it makes any difference..... my bonnet stripes are off (from the factory!) by about 1/4"!

[muggy]

It's the wheel arch pieces, the one attached to the bonnet and the one along the fender.

Where those two meet, they're misaligned a bit sideways. We'll see tomorrow when I bring the car to the dealership.

[LeeL]

I had something similar with the side panels in my older Jeep Cherokee. I was able to use a brand new razor blade to clean up any jaggies and then I just had to keep it covered with Vinylex or something similar. Of course, that was in teh trunk area of the car so it will probably not really look great in your situation.

[KC MCS]

There are some used auto parts sites out there...you might be able to pick one up from a MINI that was 'totaled', but could have an interior fairly, or at least in part, undamaged.

[BLIZZ]

Try a good vinyl cleaner before deciding to replace. The reason it looks so bad is because of the contrasting color. The vinyl cleaner will take out a lot of the discoloration.
If that doesn't work, a good trim shop can repair & dye the panel. But check the price of a new part against the repair estimate.

[ddminikc]

Thanks,

I am going to try the vinyl cleaner and then the razor. With any luck I will not have to buy a new panel.

[sidetrak]

I just got a couple of those cuts in my plastic 2 days after buying the car. I was transporting a couple of rack-mount servers in the boot with the seats down and took a corner when they smacked the side. DOH!

The plastic feels really soft and easy to damage. I'm going to try some repairs with a Demel. I'll tell you which tool works best.

I better keep a blanket in the car for next time my work wants me to move some stuff.

[LeeL]

Originally Posted by ddminikc

Thanks,

I am going to try the vinyl cleaner and then the razor. With any luck I will not have to buy a new panel.

Just make sure to use some type of vinyl dressing like Vinylex or the 303 stuff (I think thats it) when done as they goes a long way to keeping the damaged area close to teh same color.

[BradB]

Great tip! Thanks.

[ddminikc]

I did not get a chance to work on the scratches due to an emergency at work but the grease pencil idea sounds great.

Thanks

[Fez]

Does the grease pencil "fix" also work on exterior trim? I've somehow inherited my first minor scratch on one of my wheel arches and really don't want to replace it for just a single scratch...seems like the plastic used is really soft

[agranger]

Originally Posted by C4

The grease pencil repair method was actually suggested by an assembly plant worker at the MINI factory in Oxford, UK.

This is SO reassuring! He's probably the same guy who thought that a piece of tape would cover up the clamp points under the door sill (where no paint went) and would prevent rust!

[BradB]

Originally Posted by agranger

This is SO reassuring! He's probably the same guy who thought that a piece of tape would cover up the clamp points under the door sill (where no paint went) and would prevent rust!

LOL!

[Fez]

Just to follow up with this thread ... I tried using a black wax pen on my slightly scratched trim and it seemed to cover the scratch up quite well. It's not 100% but definitely a lot more inconspicuous - if you didn't know where to look you'd have a hard time finding it...

[snooter]

I've found the best fix is to rush down to your nearest dealer and trade it in for a brand new Mini

Ok, I really don't have any usefull suggestions

[CutnThrust]

Originally Posted by Fez

Just to follow up with this thread ... I tried using a black wax pen on my slightly scratched trim ...

What the sam hill is a black wax pen and how does it compare to a grease pencil? Where can a fellow scratch owner get one?

[bamatt]

Never tried this but thinking about it for a repair to my leatherette seat. It says it works on dashes too so MBE it would work on the hard plastic I dunno. I believe it is a few steps above the cheapo vinyl repair kits.

http://vinylpro.safeshopper.com/2/2.htm?5

[abbydog3]

On my plastic trim, I have had success with removing the panel from the car and using a small blow torch to lightly hit the area. Just don't hit it too long or the plastic will change to a white color. Just tap it, let is cool for several seconds and tap it again. Slowly it will look better and it leaves a little of the grain in place.

Your milage may differ, so use caution - after all it is fire!

Before:




After:


Note shiny white spot, too much fire in that spot.

[sprp85]

Nice.
I have my back-of-front seats all messed up plus some on sides because I was carrying snowboards in the back.

I guess I gotta get one of them torches.

and I see harbor freight carrys a micro torch only for $10.

[CutnThrust]

So . . . when you say "tap it" . . . what exactly do you mean? Just hit the spot with some fire for a brief moment?

Very curious about this technique but I'm totally paranoid that I'll over do it.

Any further advice would be fantastic.

Thanks!