plastic scratch

[genes]

I have a horrible srcatch across my radio plastic face. It is going to take some effort to remove it. I figure it is at least .005" thick and on the left side of the face. It covers 15% of the face dimension.

I don't know if plastix is the product to go to to remove this amount?
Would you think I would have to block sand it to keep the face flat?
What about the product residue that would left over in the cracks and on the leather (Lexus).

I also see scratches on the poly covering the imatation wood grain. I used the cleaner and polish but they still remain. thanks for any advice

[Mike Phillips]

Hi Gene,

Welcome to Meguiar's Online

Can you put your fingernail into the scratch?

[genes]

No I can't. i went and revisited the area and as it looks bad, there isn't any depth to it.

[Mike Phillips]

Hi Gene,

In situations like this, I tend to type these little catch phrases...

• "You don't know what you can do until you try"
  
  "First test in an inconspicuous area before applying to the entire surface"
  
  "Sometimes you are better off merely trying to improve a defect rather than trying to completely remove a defect"

All three apply when working on components like the plastic face plate of a radio. I'm not there, I can't see what you see so it's really hard to say, do this, do that and the problem will be fixed. The above three catch phrases help to guide you to solving the problem.

Undertaking the task of block sanding the face plate on a radio is might lead to a lot of work and disappointment if the results don't turn out the way you hope. The time and effort involved will probably be greater than you anticipate at the beginning.

Here's a start,

Test some PlastX in a small area and make sure they type of plastic you're working on reacts well to polishing. Some coated plastics and lexan type plastics do not. Once you can prove to yourself that the type of plastic you're working on then you can proceed to working on the scratch itself.

Tape-off any seams, or edges, cracks or crevices that you think it will be difficult to remove residue from before starting. If you cannot do this, then avoid these areas. Next, work the scratched area with the PlastX using a clean, soft foam applicator pad and do your best to improve it. If you're lucky maybe you can remove it. You don't know what you can do until you try.

How does the outside of the car look? The big picture?

[genes]

It's a flawless 98 Lexus ES300. One small ding on the right side front quarterpanel. This is the reason I am detailing. These kinds of cars turn heads no matter where they go due to the shine and upkeep. The body color is white and tan. I have kept the combination of #6 and #26 since I bought the car from the previous owner and only top of the combination with the detailing spritz.
I live in the NW and the day the sun did shine I turned around to admire the car and the shine was blinding.

This is my get out, go driving, turn up the tunes and RIDEmobile.

It took me 32 years of working to afford this car and I love every minute of it. thanks for asking

[Mike Phillips]

Sounds like a fun car to drive!

If at all possible, a picture of the scratch on the face plate would help. Keep us posted of your progress, one other thing, if you want the easiest, safest thing to do, then simply apply a product like our M10 Plastic Polish. This will not remove the scratch, but it will restore clarity to the entire faceplate and it should help to improve the appearance of the scratch.

If you ever replace the faceplate, then it might be interesting to try a couple of things on the scratched faceplate just for a learning experience and share that on the forum as I'm sure this will be a topic again in the future.