Guest 400 ci 280z Posted February 8, 2002 Share Posted February 8, 2002 i would think you could use some high grit sand paper then go back with a plastic polish to get out the scratches. i havent done this before but in one of the books i have it says you can buff the scratches out. i would see if someone has done this before though. good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted February 9, 2002 Share Posted February 9, 2002 Davy, My first thought was some gritty hand cleaner, like gojo or something. Since you lights are nice and new, it might be worth picking up a old one from a J/Y and getting overspray on it (I'm sure that most body shops would happily oblige you) and trying various products to remove it. Acetone might be a good one too, since it is unreactive and comes in plastic bottles anyway?! Good luck... Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oltmann Posted February 9, 2002 Share Posted February 9, 2002 Originally posted by Tim240Z:Acetone might be a good one too, since it is unreactive and comes in plastic bottles anyway?! Good luck... Tim NO, acetone is a solvent to many types of plastic. The bottles it comes in are LDPE and specially made to be chemical resistant. Most plastics will dissolve very quickly in it. You could try a milder solvent, I think turpentine is safe on plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KraZ4spd Posted February 9, 2002 Share Posted February 9, 2002 Neverdull or a chrome polish seems to work good. I put a scratch in my cell phone face and it took it right out. You might also want to try bumper sticker remover. Works on taking those stickers off of my DVD covers all of these didn't hurt any of the plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spotfitz Posted February 9, 2002 Share Posted February 9, 2002 Another one to try is denatured alcohol. We use it for cleaning acrylic plastics at work. There are sand paper(not really paper but) that is like leather, for taking scratches out of plexiglass. I used it on airplane windows back during schooling and I tstill have it. It's rated in microns. As stated before, I would get a dumby lenses for any tests you perform. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greimann Posted February 9, 2002 Share Posted February 9, 2002 Here is another option. Go ahead and remove it with solvent then sand the the whole thing with 2000 wet/dry to get the surface uniform. Then shoot a coat of clear urethane to get the gloss back. I did it to mine and they look great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sumo Posted February 9, 2002 Share Posted February 9, 2002 I have used the plastic polish that you can buy from autozone. I used it to repair a buffer burn and it turned out pretty good.Its usually listed as a bottle of plexiglass/plastic polish/ cleaner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted February 9, 2002 Author Share Posted February 9, 2002 Thanks guys!! I think the denatured alcohol that Spotfitz mentioned would be the easiest on the plastic. I am shying away from sandpaper for the main reason that they are not completely smooth and have raised manufacturer writing on them. The idea of clear coating them to get back gloss is a great idea and I think would work well. I will use plastic polish and the bumpersticker remover first after the denatured alcohol. We shall see what happens. BTW, these are not brand new lights, just ones from a Skyline... Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted February 9, 2002 Share Posted February 9, 2002 I have used a product called Goof Off that is intended for house hold paints. There is also Goo Gone that I have used on plastic computer parts to clean up overspray. Dave... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted February 9, 2002 Author Share Posted February 9, 2002 I have seen Goof Off at the store, but have never used it. I do have Goo Gone and I know it does not hurt plastic--I'll try the Goo Gone, but I don't think it will work for old overspray. The Goof Off just might. I hope I don't melt the plastic with all of these chemicals!! j/k Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted February 9, 2002 Author Share Posted February 9, 2002 I think I should know the answer to my own question, but I can't make a mistake with these tail lenses I bought a little while back. The overspray is two types: the light 'mist' type and the obvious heavy type that results from improper taping before shooting the paint. I do not want to ruin the red plastic parts and I am wondering if anyone here has had the same issues, but has successfully removed the overspray without harming the shiny finish of the plastic. The first product that comes to mind is plastic polish, but I'm really unsure if this is the best thing to remove paint. Guys I can't afford to screw this up so I'm putting the question out there. Suggestions? Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted February 9, 2002 Share Posted February 9, 2002 Overspray Problem: Body shops use a product called Clay Magic to remove overspray. The main advantage of this clay like stuff is that it won't remove any the base paint. You keep rubbing the clay over the surface to be cleaned. It's available at jobber paint warehouses. Sunny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted February 10, 2002 Author Share Posted February 10, 2002 Racer X & Sunny, I forgot about the clay! I have Mother's clay bar that I used on my paint to get off the fallout from around here, but I didn't think to use it on overspray. I'm sure it will work on the lighter stuff--thanks for the info! The part that has me concerned is the bad tape edge that allowed thick paint on the plastic lens. It is just along the edge and is very annoying to look at I appreciate everyone's great suggestions!!! Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted February 11, 2002 Author Share Posted February 11, 2002 RacerX, I would say yes if there was actually a car to see at the moment! lol I have a ton of parts, but I sold the 260Z because of the smog issue and rust. I also had a '72 240Z for a brief time and sold it quickly. Now I'm hunting for the 'right' car--cheap 240Z roller w/straight body and NO rust. As soon as I do, you are very welcome to come over and see it, daughter and all! Thanks for asking! Cheers, Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staledale Posted February 12, 2002 Share Posted February 12, 2002 I use a mild buffing compound. It cleans my plastic gage lens on my burning outfit that I forget to cover. Use it on windsheilds, and even my glasses. Just make sure it's a mild compound. Some of the chemicals above in the other posts will melt the lens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two40MuscleZ Posted February 12, 2002 Share Posted February 12, 2002 DavyZ: Do not use the "Goof-Off" liquid. That is ment to remove latex paint but, with respect to your plastic lens, it may cause it to fog; i.e. defuse the clearness into a cloudy apperance. You may want to try a mild polishing compound such as "Jewelers Rouge" and a soft clean cloth. Using any type of abrasives and/or sandpaper may remove the overspray, however, it will leave a potential shallow spot on the lens, which can appear as a wave in the reflection once it is buffed out. A mild cleaner wax such as "Magwyers" or "Blue Coral" takes a good deal of rubbing, but, that may be your saving grace. Try a test area first before application to your final product. Take your time and you'll be just fine! Comps, Van Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted February 12, 2002 Author Share Posted February 12, 2002 Thanks for the info Van, Fortunately I read it before uncapping the Goof Off. I have plenty of cotton polishing cloths and even a synthetic chamois that I can use. The lenses are recessed and I have to pull the assemblies apart before commencing on the polishing, and get rid of that sticky black silicone sealant that was liberally used on the back of these parts. I have tried to use 3M Wax & Grease remover to really no avail--if anyone has better ideas as to removal of the black stuff, I'd love to hear. Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted February 14, 2002 Author Share Posted February 14, 2002 OK, I disassembled the lights and used my fingernail to scrape off as much of the paint as possible (wet down of course). I then used a Maguire's #6 cleaner wax and it did take off the overspray quite easily, but left a cloudy surface due to minute scratches although I was prepared for this. I then used a veryfine Maguire's wax/polishing compound and it left a nice finish. However, I feel like I'm not finished yet with this and I will be purchasing some plastic polish very soon to finialize the surface of the lenses. Thanks for all the help and advice, guys! Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted February 14, 2002 Author Share Posted February 14, 2002 I'll probably go that route--I have always had great results with their products. There is an auto-paint supply store near here where I will pick some up. I have never seen these two particular polishes at Kragen. Thanks, RacerX! Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denny411 Posted February 22, 2002 Share Posted February 22, 2002 while searching the chevelle forum, I found some usefull info for the the over spray removal dilema. easy off oven cleaner. Apparently alot of model car enthusiast use it to strip the paint from their plastic models when they want to repaint them, and some of the chevelle guys use it to strip painted interior pieces before they redye them. another usefull tip is to use shaving cream and cigarette ashes to polish plastic light lenses and instrument cluster lenses. I hope this info comes in handy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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