Wetsanding Plastic ATV fenders?

GlossyTundra

Tractor Detailer
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.
 
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+?
 
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?
 
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.
 
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