The day I was leaving for home from the Havoc run I decided to give my interior a quick wipe down and clean some of the dust off my dash, seats, etc.
In my haste, I used a dry microfiber towel that was apparently covered in dirt to wipe my gauge cluster. Bad move, idiot. I knew better but I was in a hurry and obviously didn't expect it to scratch as badly as it did. Basically the entire cluster was hazed with a couple decent scratches toward the bottom.
I searched the forum and other outlets with a couple of solutions but for the most part I was reading that you're pretty much SOL. I have used that Mother's plastic polish product in the past on other vehicles with limited results.
Today I decided to dig through my detailing products to see if there was anything that I could apply that might lessen the appearance of the scratches at least, because it was driving me nuts. I tried a couple different wax-like products that didn't do anything except create a smudgy mess.
Next I got to thinking about products meant for removing clear coat scratches. I have a variety of rubbing compounds and fine cut paint cleaners but decided those would probably scratch the plastic more.
Meguiar's Ultimate Polish glaze I thought would be smooth enough not to scratch the plastic any worse and I have had good success with it on a variety of surfaces in the past.
It says right on the bottle not to let it come in contact with plastic, rubber or porous non-metal surfaces so I was hesitant. I actually tested it on an old pair of cheap sun glasses first to make sure it didn't like melt the plastic or something horrible. Then once nothing catastrophic happened I tested it on a corner of my tail light since it seems like a similar plastic. Nothing bad happened so I went for it...
Before:
Pretty bad, right? Now you understand why I was so horrified.
I started by cleaning the cluster with glass cleaner and a glass cleaning microfiber cloth from Adam's.
Then I basically followed the instructions on the bottle. Foam applicator, small amount of product, circular pattern with moderate pressure, 4-6 passes, then wipe clean with a microfiber. I cut up a foam applicator and used a small piece of it since the entire foam pad would have been too big for such a small area.
I worked in sections with a small amount of product using tight, overlapping strokes. Moderate pressure is a relative term but I pressed pretty hard for the best results. Just don't send your hand through the plastic. Also, you really don't need a lot of this stuff, just use enough to create a nice clear layer while you're working it.
I did the entire cluster 3 times over and I am very pleased with how it came out. You can still see some of the deeper scratches but you have to crook your neck in the right light to see them.
After:
In my haste, I used a dry microfiber towel that was apparently covered in dirt to wipe my gauge cluster. Bad move, idiot. I knew better but I was in a hurry and obviously didn't expect it to scratch as badly as it did. Basically the entire cluster was hazed with a couple decent scratches toward the bottom.
I searched the forum and other outlets with a couple of solutions but for the most part I was reading that you're pretty much SOL. I have used that Mother's plastic polish product in the past on other vehicles with limited results.
Today I decided to dig through my detailing products to see if there was anything that I could apply that might lessen the appearance of the scratches at least, because it was driving me nuts. I tried a couple different wax-like products that didn't do anything except create a smudgy mess.
Next I got to thinking about products meant for removing clear coat scratches. I have a variety of rubbing compounds and fine cut paint cleaners but decided those would probably scratch the plastic more.
Meguiar's Ultimate Polish glaze I thought would be smooth enough not to scratch the plastic any worse and I have had good success with it on a variety of surfaces in the past.
It says right on the bottle not to let it come in contact with plastic, rubber or porous non-metal surfaces so I was hesitant. I actually tested it on an old pair of cheap sun glasses first to make sure it didn't like melt the plastic or something horrible. Then once nothing catastrophic happened I tested it on a corner of my tail light since it seems like a similar plastic. Nothing bad happened so I went for it...
Before:
Pretty bad, right? Now you understand why I was so horrified.
I started by cleaning the cluster with glass cleaner and a glass cleaning microfiber cloth from Adam's.
Then I basically followed the instructions on the bottle. Foam applicator, small amount of product, circular pattern with moderate pressure, 4-6 passes, then wipe clean with a microfiber. I cut up a foam applicator and used a small piece of it since the entire foam pad would have been too big for such a small area.
I worked in sections with a small amount of product using tight, overlapping strokes. Moderate pressure is a relative term but I pressed pretty hard for the best results. Just don't send your hand through the plastic. Also, you really don't need a lot of this stuff, just use enough to create a nice clear layer while you're working it.
I did the entire cluster 3 times over and I am very pleased with how it came out. You can still see some of the deeper scratches but you have to crook your neck in the right light to see them.
After:
