I am having a problem with most of the interior pieces that I am coming across, that problem being seemingly faded looking plastics.
Perfect example is a black center console and ebrake cover. There are places where the surface of the plastic looks like it has been ‘rubbed’ and dulled the black color. There are also annoying and unavoidable micro scratches here and there.
Is there an effective method for essentially restoring these plastics? I have already tried a light rubbing compound followed by a plastic polish to attempt to smooth the surface, but as soon as I clean the residue from the polish off of the part, it looks the same as it did before. Any help? :read:
In all honestly find replacements. Interior parts go for cheap in your local junk yard or check out the parts for sale section here on g2ic. :sipread:
Not a very feasible option at this point, as there isn’t a single wrecked G2 within 400 miles from me that has decent quality or even 50% complete interior. And less than I would say 15% of those cars have black interior which is the color of mine, and of the cars that have black interior… well… let’s just say there isn’t much if anything left on them. How can I make such a claim? Because I have been to every single yard in my area that has a G2 corpse, be it 2 or 4 door.
Finding mint black interior is nearly impossible unless you are willing to pay the stealership for misc. parts they only might still have.
Believe me if it was that easy or cheap to simply replace the interior I would have done it already.
Anyone?
Restoring those plastic pieces is very possible and not even really very difficult.
Here’s what you do.
Clean the heck out of the plastic piece you want to restore, scrub it with a good degreaser and medium scouring pad or a stiff bristle scrub brush. Once you are sure you have cleaned every possible bit of dirt/oil/whatever off of there, clean it thoroughly with rubbing alcohol and let it dry.
Now, the preferred product seems to be SEM Brand Plastic/Vinyl spray. Ive read that one of the black colors they have is identical to honda OEM. I’ve never used it myself but I’ve heard nothign but good things…Here
http://www.levineautoparts.com/semlanblacpl.html
I used duplicolor vinyl spray myself, which works great for vinyl but not so well on plastic. If I did it again I would use SEM. In addition to whatever spray you use though, you’re going to need to apply something like “Bulldog adhesion promoter” or “SEM sand free” first to make sure it sticks on there. This step is essential to the finish lasting a long time.
If all of those steps are followed, it will look 100% brand new and really last. I changed my entire interior color from blue to black and things held up really well. It can’t be said enough though, that preperation is the key here. The cleaner the thing is, the better the new color will stick.
Don’t forget to take before and afters!
VERY helpful! someone sticky this!!!
Not sure is SEM is the way to go for me, really am looking for more of a permanent solution to truly restore them, something that will help resurface the plastics. With paint or dyes the imperfections will still be there.
I kinda want to avoid spraying my panels if at all possible, but I understand that SEM does make a very good product.
EDIT: I also used Duplicolor Vinyl on my old door panels. Even with the panels having been cleaned thoroughly with a degreasing agent and dish soap to dry the surface, plus the application of sandless primer, there are spots that after a year are showing signs of wear. EG: The vinyl just above the handles is already faded/dull. It isn’t being scraped off or peeling, just wearing over time with very light regular use. Having to recoat places = pita but it is inevitable.
Hey man, that’s interesting about your duplicolor panals. Mine showed zero wear after 3 years and I sprayed the entire dash and door panals, but I agree that it could stand up better to wiping, cleaning, dust ect.
As for the plastics, if you are concerned mainly with the wear issue, I would definatly try a different product. I used to use duplicolor exclusivly and now I wont touch the stuff. Plastikote and SEM’s products are far superior and easy to work with. (Maybe try the plastikote plastic spray, they’re car paint and clear coats rock!) Also, as you probably know the sheen you use is important too. If you use a semi-gloss finish it may stand up to wear better. I used duplicolor satin and it held up ok, but there’s defintaly room for improvment.
I have been painting plastics and metal almost daily now for years so im just talking out of my ass here, I really think these products have come a long way even in the last few years and I am able to get things to come out looking brand new. No one has ever sat in my car and asked if I sprayed it at least, so i take that as a good sign.
When you say re-surface, I’m guessing you mean just treat the plastic and renew the original finish, which is basically what those plastic sprays were designed to do. Maybe try a different product on a spare panal? If you grabbed any panal of any color from a junkyard and try the SEM or Plastikote on it, as well try different finishes at the same time, im confident you will get the result you are looking for. 
Good Luck and let us know how it turns out.
[QUOTE=oneoffG2;2005477]Not sure is SEM is the way to go for me, really am looking for more of a permanent solution to truly restore them, something that will help resurface the plastics. With paint or dyes the imperfections will still be there.
I kinda want to avoid spraying my panels if at all possible, but I understand that SEM does make a very good product.
EDIT: I also used Duplicolor Vinyl on my old door panels. Even with the panels having been cleaned thoroughly with a degreasing agent and dish soap to dry the surface, plus the application of sandless primer, there are spots that after a year are showing signs of wear. EG: The vinyl just above the handles is already faded/dull. It isn’t being scraped off or peeling, just wearing over time with very light regular use. Having to recoat places = pita but it is inevitable.[/QUOTE]
Sem spray IS kind of a permanent solution other then replacing them with new pieces from an oem site and/or finding interior pieces at a local yard. On the can (I think) it says something about being a permanent solution plastic/vinyl dye restore. If you do go with sem though, I suggest looking into their vinyl prep products and plastic prep with some adhesion promotor. Sem makes some really good products, and I’ve heard nothing but good things. The plastic dye seems to last forever, with no signs of fading or scratching as long as you prep right. Oh, and the color you’re going to want to look into is called landau black, it matches our black interiors best as far as I know.
Here are a couple of DIY links from honda-tech:
http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=2517981, http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=2351002
Also, lightly sanding them with fine grit should help reduce the micro scratches. Re-dyeing them would help rid the dull black spots as well. Hope you get your interior looking fresh again.