How to Restore Faded or Oxidized ATV Plastic - Fast & Easy
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- Опубликовано: 19 янв 2013
- The plastics on my Yamaha Kodiak ATV were faded and oxidized. I searched the web and a 60/40 paint thinner to boiled linseed oil mix seemed to get good reviews. I saw some before and after pictures using this method, and I thought it was too good to be true. Well, I gave it a try, and the results were nothing less than spectacular. See for yourself.
If you try it, please leave a post and let me know if it works as well for you as it did for me.
UPDATE June 3, 2013: The ATV still looks great. The oxidation has not returned and the red is still bright! 
Хобби
Thank you for not spending 5 min walking around jabbering about the weather , etc. Like too many do! You got to the point and video was clear and good audio. Nice Job. Thanks!
Thanks also for not wearing a stupid cap and sun glasses
I watched this video 7 years ago, and did this procedure on an old Kawasaki. Still looks good.
Nice to know. I'll throw this in my tool box. Thank y'all. I use chemical guys tire shine. Works the same
@@dmo848 on your faded plastics?
After 7 years and not fade againg?
So it works pretty good then? It last ? Im getting ready to do my 04 rancher.
Linseed oil is miracle stuff as a sealer on just about any surface and has been in use for hundreds of years. I use a mixture of about 80% alcohol and 20% boiled linseed because I want as thin of a layer of the linseed oil as possible so it dries quicker. I can always apply more when needed. I use a 12oz bottle of the 91% alcohol from Wal-Mart with maybe 2oz of linseed oil, when shaken it is milky but will dry to a clear appearance, a cotton shop towel works best for application, be aware that linseed oil soaked rags are known for spontaneous combustion and can cause a fire if not properly disposed of. It works great on Wood, Plastics, Rubber, Fiberglass, bare metal and painted or powder coated surfaces, just about anything that will dry out, corrode or oxidize. I like to clean the surface with Borax before applying the oil, All three products are natural and environmentally safe.
I left it outside in the elements (rain, sun, etc) for about 2 weeks after the video was made, and it still looks great. Since then it has been in the garage. I never did do additional treatments, as I was happy with how it looked after one application.
Just tried the linseed oil/paint thinner on some extremely oxidized plastics...WORKED AWESOME!
I also used a heat gun too...
Best of all....no sanding required..
This method saves tons of time and labor.
Thanks for the video
Well, most of the comments are from about 10 years ago and now it’s 2023. I’ve used the heat gun and it took out a lot of the white and now I’m going to be using boiled linseed oil and thinner Thanks for the great video.
Same
Your video caught my attention so I just restored the plastic on my 2013 Ranger. It was a HUGE improvement on my faded black dump box. Thanks!
OKAY SUCCESS!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS. This method is saving my Mazda 2001 Tribute trim and my 2008 Honda CRV trim. The results are spectacular. From chalky grey to black again on the CRV. The Mazda is charcoal gray and now removed the whitish oxidized film. I have tried 4 times - 4 products on the Mazda over the past 4 years, from auto store products all failed to sustain the difference. We will see over time how this is maintained, but after drying overnight, looks fantastic!
Wow, that was amazing! Seriously, That was better than I expected.
It held up well until last month. My ATV spent the entire month of September in the back of my truck or on the trail - rain, shine, hot, cold. The oxidation is now returning. Not nearly as bad as it was before I treated it. I will treat it again, but this next time I will go over the plastics multiple times with the mixture.
It still looks much better than it did. I am not good about covering my ATV, so I am starting to see some signs of oxidation again.
One of the things I have found with the types of ABS plastic and similar plastics, is what you wash it with. Using a "poly" cleaner/de-greaser (concentrated alkaline cleaner and de-greaser such as 409, Purple Power, Greased Lightning, Super Clean, Zep, etc.) to wash your ATV can degrade the plastic parts. This, coupled with high UV exposure might be causing your chalking issue. This happened to me once... I had a pair of really nice (expensive) ABS ski boots that were filthy. I cleaned them using a Zep purple poly cleaner, wiped them down, and put them away in a closet. The following year, I took them out of storage to go skiing, put the boots on and the outer shell of both boots literally crumbled into pieces. My only explanation was that over the year of storage, the cleaner absorbed into the plastic and weakened the molecular bond of the plastic. I now only use mild dish soap to clean plastics. Dawn makes a pretty good engine de-greaser as well. Have not had any issues since switching to Blue Dawn. Someday, if I can get an old plastic motorcycle fender for free, I would like to soak it with a purple cleaner, rinse it off, then see how long it takes for it to get brittle, just as a test.
I tried it and had great results. Thank you for the tip. Keep up the good work.👍
I did this to my 87 Warrior about a year ago and it still looks good . Takes ten minutes and works . Easy wipe down once year looks like the way to keep it looking good . The down side is new decals won't stick .
Why are there several comments about how he should condition the "leather" seat? Do people actually think the seat is leather? Great video in any case!
It still looks a whole lot better than it did. I leave my ATV out in the weather uncovered, and I am starting to see little signs of fading again in the 100+ degree heat and sun we have been having this summer.
T-Cut works. I bought a moped that had been stood out in all weathers for 27 years. The blue plastics were oxidised and very dull. I used T-Cut to remove the oxidation and the colour came right back, then I just used Mer car polish. This video shown it turning white again after the application has dried. My moped still looks shiny and still as smooth as the day I polished it.
Great video. I don’t even use the paint thinner, just steel wool, linseed oil, and a lot of time.
Awesome video , i think i might try some of this on various cars and things i have. I'd say you can do this then put the clear coat plasti dip over everything to protect it from sun and water and rust and everything. Great video , thanks alot.
Hi kessingm, thanks for showing this, I just went and did this to my faded motorcycle plastics and it works a treat!!
Pp]]
If you want to really get rid of the dead surface plastic which is why it looks faded. Try fine steel wool in a circular motion. Takes a little longer but works great too.Take your carry racks off so its easier.
My daughter and I are going to try this method tomorrow on a 2001 Bear Tracker 250 that we picked up for $300.00 a few days ago. A new battery and some air in the tires! Runs like a top!
Looks great! Will be trying this asap on several atvs. Go over the finished result with some Maxima SC1 and it would look like new. Excellent tutorial.
tried your method this really works thank you
This video hit a million views! Good job man I might try this on my dirt bike
I did this 3 years ago and the atv still looks way better than it did for sure and I only did two full wipe downs :)
works great... we get a lot of trade in quads and the plastic is usually pretty bad, I used this process on a few quads/bikes and it made a big difference.
The plastic still looks good. The plastic in my machine was oxidized to the point that it was kind of rough in places. The solution made it smooth again, but not slippery shiny. I'm not sure if more coats might have made it shine more or not. I wasn't too worried about a glossy finish, but I didn't really like having a pink ATV! :-) Good luck, and let me know how it goes.
Dude, that's my ride lol. My Kodiak looks identical. Glad I found the video!
One of my uncle's did this over 20 years ago on his 3-wheelers. With this exact mixture. Worked good, lasted pretty good as well. The one of the reasons for the oxidation is that the plastic is losing its "moisture" into the air. Especially when you live in TF, Idaho! (I live north of you several miles up the road 😁😁😁). The linseed oil is replenishing it the plastc. Going over it again helps. Lastly, hit it with a top coat of Turtle Wax. Looks good!
Gunna have to try this instead of scraping my plastics. Thanks!
I Have 2006 Can Am 800, Black and yellow. This mixture 60/40 Did fantastic on the Black! Thanks for post !!!
I couldnt find any linssed oil so I tried the propane torch method and it worked really well. Easy to get into the nooks and crannies. Its not like new but the plastics are from 2005. Where the oxide was 1/16 thick it kind of browned up the oxide but everywhere else it just melted it back into the plastic and was really nice and shiny after a wash.
Thanks for taking effort to upload and share.
I seen you made this video 2 years ago is it still holding up and did you ever put anymore coats on to make it even brighter?
Let me know how it goes for you. I was blown away by the results on my ATV, and it couldn't be simpler!
kessingm just use a small torch quickly same results
mistamopar08 Not as good in any way
@@willyorraw5480 and how do you know this?
WillyorrAW I confirm that torch will not produce the same results I have tried with different torches and methods and the end results are not consistent or as easy as the method shown in this video.
@@mistamopar08 heating plastic will make it brittle over time
I have an 05 Vinson it was awful. I used this formula with a rag with nearly no result. Then I decided to use extra fine steel wool instead. It was amazing. My Vinson is now bright yellow as it should be. This is definitely definitely worth doing.
I have used this and it really worked thanks for the viedo
Thank You!!!!! This worked wonders on my 2005 Big Bear.
Wow. Night and day difference. Thanks for the tip!!!
Thank you! Glad to see it worked and from the comments lasts a long time!
Looks really good! What did you use to paint your racks with that texture?
Willing to give it a try...will it work on clear plastic like the lights as well?
I appreciate you posting this. I haven't tried it yet but I knew there had to be some kind of way to take off the oxidation chemically and with less "elbow grease" than using a razor blade..lol. I am going to try this on my KLR 650 pretty soon. From what I've seen in your vid it should work as my plastics look very similar to yours.
Great job well done thank you for sharing this video. My side by side is the same color but not as faded. Thanks again.
Awesome video I’m gonna try this on my machines, do you think this would work on a faded polyurethane canoe??
Did you have any scratches? Would you recommend sanding out the scratches before putting this on?
Thank you so much this helped me a lot and made my 4-wheeler Look alot better
Did you go over it with a wax or something to try to retain the shine?
Thanks again bud, I will give it a shot and see how it goes.
A heat gun works awesome to. Did it to my jet ski plastics and look brand new!
Sure. It is a Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS19. It is a small point and shoot camera with a 20x zoom that takes video. I've been very pleased with it.
I would think a light compound followed by wax would not only bring it up nice, but also protect it better from fading again. looks great.
I tried the mixture and it worked for me as well, dont expect a miracle plastic magic like new finish but it is a quick fix, my experience is that it attracts dust but a quick wipe and its off, not sticky for me like one person replied...
how long did it last?
2 days passed since i used it on my Bashan 300s 4x4 wd ,the plastic looks great :-D Thank you !
Wow!!!! Thank you so very much, worked like magic!
i wet sanding were there was some scratches on my plastics also was faded really bad an was dirty being yellow it looked much better when i sanded it but when it dried it was doll looking so i ended up wet sanding the whole quad plastics an giving it a nice coat of good quality clear coat.now my bike has a shine.i didnt want to do the paint thinner to boiled linseed oil mix , heat gun or try to polish them
Thankyou so much for this. I'm doing up and old go-kart and the bodywork whilst sound was faded. Now it looks so much better. I didn't have paint thinner so used white spirit instead and it seemed to work just fine.
Wow great job. Thanks for sharing this idea
It is parked in the sun off-and-on. I try not to leave it out there all day, but there are times of the year where it is in my truck uncovered for weeks at a time.
You should try wipe new, it work great. made my plastic look brand new.
Thanks for the video! I tried this on a 89 kdx200 that had whipped plastics and it didn't do a thing! On the parts that were marginally faded there WAS success! I think that this is a viable solution with just slightly oxidized stuff. Back in the day, a guy told me to "restore" my slightly faded stuff with Mop and Glow - and it works! (For newer stuff). I think your solution is for the next step in degradation. In my case, there's another UTube vid in which the guy actually scrapes with a razor blade and sands with 150- grit... Apparently I need that now! I'm too cheap just to buy new plastics! GREAT effort by you, tho!
Same I just tried it didn’t do a thing
Looks good, May I ask, what camera did you use?
When it dries it is still the same . Try putting in a shelter out of the weather
Thank you.. I had the same problem.. Now My Foreman is the boss again. 👍😀
i did a 50/50 mix and it is sooo nice and super easy imo...
this was very helpful information thanks
This does not remove the oxidized layer. The oil simply darkens the appearance like water does to wood, but will return once it completely evaporates. You need to buff the plastic with an abrasive similar to that used to restore UV damages plastic headlight lenses. After that you need to buy a UV resistant ATV cover to keep it restored.
Also I would like to ask : what is the current status of the plastics? Has there been any discoloration again? I would also like to know what is the surface texture of the plastic like after you restored them, did it dry out the plastics? Do they feel smooth and and still have that slippery shiney feel?. Thanks so much for your time. Cheers
Awesome hack! How long has it lasted?
Looks great. It does the same after you wash it . The question is how much it will stay like that? If you wash it, do you have to apply it again?
thanks for the awesome video-- its about time someone has put a video on here --that's full proof and right to the point-- question, how many applications did you finally do?
dennis
Thank you! Loved the results.
For my raptor 700 I used 50/50 mix for my 2002 raptor 660 I used 70/30. Use more thinner if the oxidation is more. Great video.
well looks dame good to me,I will try that for sure.
This is great did it on my 85 200x plastics then sprayed 2 coats of high gloss clear coat they look factory, it sure turns heads every time I ride 🤙
H P the clear coat stuck to the oil?
Boiled linsee oil a fantastic oil. I use it for furniture I build, I use it for my baseball mitt, many uses. Good to see atv plastics work too. You probably still need a UV wax or something to help it last longer. But, you may have found a way to add $500-800 to your resale. Great video.
Shiny plastics don't add $500-$800 on a resale lol I guarantee I can find a whole new set of plastics probably a newer design for $500 or less
I don't know that it will bring back the OEM shine. I quit after one coat. I didn't see it so much as a clear coat as an oxidation remover. It certainly made my ATV shinier than it was, but the plastic on my ATV was quite oxidized.
I've had a few people ask about shine. I will have to give WD40 a try.
so did you hit it 3 2 more times??? and did it get even better?? or was once enough? thax for sharing
I’m about to try this now on my
Front fender and side plastics
I don't know if it will make any difference or not. I would probably spot check it before treating all the plastics. Good luck.
Awesome vid man! Gonna give it a try ASAP! Keep up the good work--greetings from Sweden.
Hello, what type of thinner you use, standard or acrylic. regards
Have you tried it on head light?
Thanks for the video, its always nice to get a new method of restoring plastics! LOL to all you know it all's, just keep your thoughts to yourselves! Shit man the guys just posting a video to help a few people who don't know any tricks of their own. Like they say There's 30 different ways to skin a cat, get off your high horses fellas!
It does not seem to have hurt my plastics. The plastic on my machine still looks much better than it did before.
How’s it looking these days ? Just picked up a bear tracker . The plastics are mint but very much faded . Looks like I might try this idea.
Found this video when looking up oxidized vinyl shutters. Decided to try it, as my shutters were so oxidized I was ready to try and paint them. If I remember correctly the reason we bought vinyl was so we wouldn't have to paint them! This has worked beautifully. They look brand new. Thanks!!!
Does this also work for oxidized paint on the roll bars?
Thanks for this video...I was never going to spend hours buffing and/or sanding my plastics, and this simple and easy method produced amazing results...even if they may be short term.
Glad it worked for you!
I bought some plastic restore in a spray can at auto parts store and it worked great, 07 king 450, hunter green
I really don't know. I have only tried it with the boiled linseed oil.
Does it remove scratches too?, I have been thinking about doing this for a long time and i finally got the stuff to do it.
What is the paint thinner? Sintetic or celulose based?
How long does it last
Looks great. Do you know if this restores the flexibility to any degree? UV also makes plastics brittle so they crack easily.
For those stubborn spots, you might hit it again with a thinner solution. I know that helps for some applications.
Cool video. Do you still have your machine🤔
Damn fine lookin' Yak, Sir! Even if it is a Solid Axle one. Still the best quads ever.
I use sea foam deep creep and a gray scuff pad. Mine is yellow, but was chalked up white from sun bake. Made it look better. Not perfect but a lot better
Sorry if this has already been asked but did you try this on your black plastics as well? Like the front panel cover? I have a 08 Polaris Sportsman and the front panel is black and super faded. Would prefer not to spend $150 to replace it. Thanks!