Faded Plastic Restoration

[Carl]

I came across this on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk8U5tKQXQw
Has anyone tried this approach?

[zxbob]

Looks like it work . . . . if the heat gun is in capible hands !
Bob

[NobleHops]

I came across this on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk8U5tKQXQw
Has anyone tried this approach?

Wow, very cool. I painted my stuff with SEM Flexible Bumper Coating, and it came out great, but I'd have tried this just for fun if I knew about it. We need a tester!

N.

[pitfighter]

My CBX airbox is faded, has anyone tried this yet, it is a different kind of plastic to a Jeep bumper, lol.

It would be preferable to me, to painting the part.

[oilheadron]

It looks like a good idea. We've got a lot of donor plastic stuff around here to test on, and I have the exact same heat gun that kid in the video has, so we're going to give it a try.

[NobleHops]

Video or it didn't happen Ron!

N.

[Don]

If you'll wetsand the sides of your airbox with #1000 wet or dry with plenty of water, followed by #2000 again with plenty of water, then a coat of wax will have them looking brand new . . . . no painting needed - At least, that worked for me on mine

Don

[ajs350]

I came across this on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk8U5tKQXQw
Has anyone tried this approach?

Wow, very cool. I painted my stuff with SEM Flexible Bumper Coating, and it came out great, but I'd have tried this just for fun if I knew about it. We need a tester!

N.

OK I'll be the tester! It was remarkably easy. Just like on the video when you wave the heat gun it is as though you are painting from gray to black. I used Mother Back to Black to give it a deeper black. Thanks for the tip Carl.
Ross

[Carl]

You're welcome. I'm impressed with your results.... :)

[NobleHops]

You're welcome. I'm impressed with your results.... :)

Wow. My airbox looked just the same as yours before you treated it. Any subtlety to doing it Ross? Thank you for trying it and reporting back.

Very cool tip Carl.

N.

[ajs350]

You're welcome. I'm impressed with your results.... :)

Wow. My airbox looked just the same as yours before you treated it. Any subtlety to doing it Ross? Thank you for trying it and reporting back.

Very cool tip Carl.

N.

Nils, just hold the heat gun up to the air box and wave it gently from side to side. After a few seconds you will see the grey turn to black. The black then starts to spread outwards so keep moving the gun until you have covered the whole box. Finish with Mothers Back to Black. It takes 5 minutes!
Ross

[viciouscycle]

Just want to say that my airbox sides were quite faded and I was wondering what to do to them to bring them back to life. This process worked a treat! They look like new now. What I found is that you heat them up pretty good. In fact it was looking like I was melting the plastic as it started to shrivel. On the first side I cussed and carried on. On the second side I kept heating and the shrivelling effect turned smooth giving a much better effect. I put the Mothers Back to Black on while the plastic was still hot, something that one would not expect to be a good idea. In fact this worked quite well and as said, the airboxes, especially the second one I did, look great! So I started on the front turn signal plastics and lo and behold, works again. I had painted the plastic on the back signals and it looks okay, but not as good as using the heat gun.

Many thanks for this tip. Now I have to try not to get too carried away.

[ahlenius1]

WOW tried this on the turn signals absolutely fantastic results!!! next will be the switch pods and fuse box cover as well as the rear brake caliper deflector ill keep you all posted, by the way Nils i finished painting the frame today, the foot pegs entire foot peg holder assemblies,rear grab rail and fuel cap are at the chrome shop should be done in a couple of weeks, engine soda blasted , painted,fuel tank,side covers,tail cowl, being restored in Virginia for a 1/4 of the price of tims $$$