DIY: Fuel Tank Restoration

[canonball1971]

Not sure if there is an easy way to restore scuffed or chalky plastic tanks but i did the tank on my 400E using 80grit sand paper on a randem orbital air sander to bring the color back ( the tank had a  white chalky finish and lots of deep gouges in it).
The rough paper just rips the surface of to reveal the true color underneath as well as removing the deep scratches. i probably took 1.5mm - 2mm in places. I then changed the paper until i got to 400grit. It was then a matter of wet and dry by hand to smooth out the smaller scratches the the rough paper had left and then finally finishing with cutting compound and a buff. This may sound like a lot of plastic was removed but the tank is still very sturdy and does not feel thin where  the deep scratches were. I was very surprised how well it improveed the appearance of the tank and it  was easy with the air sander.
 Does anyone have any other tips that i may not have tried.

Stuart

[Brooksie]

Hey Stuart, Go easy with the sanding man! 80 grit is a bit harsh. The coarser the paper you use at the begining means more sanding to get the scratches out.
 I've been playing with tanks and plastics for over 10 years and tried everything. At the moment I am doing an IT tank that has gone chalky. I use some 800/1000 wet & dry then some steel wool with Maguires paint cleaner. I finish with 1200 wet & dry and Maguires Wet look. The tank comes up really well. There is a product on the market called plastic renew which is meant to be really good. I haven't tried it yet.
  I wander if anyone else has? 

[dar373]

+1 on the steel wool..does a great job if not in real bad shape to begin with

[Brooksie]

Here's a pic of my IT250 tank that I have started. This was just using steel wool and Maguires Paint Cleaner. Plenty of work to go.

[dar373]

here,s mine i have been fiddling with  i,ve been trying steel wool,paint cleaner,t-cut,polyglaze cut and polish...but not wet and dry...seem to be getting best results with cut and polish
cheers dean

[dar373]

bad pic  >:(i,ll get one with my camera

[dar373]

this should be better

[1983IT490K]

Looking Good!  Can I book you in for doing my 3 tanks?

Arthur

[Brooksie]

Awesome job Dean. Looks really good. Unfortunately IT's suffer badly from discolouration over the years because the plastic actually breathes and the fuel comes through. Most It's tanks turn that green colour while YZ's go yellowy brown. Suzuki tanks are pretty good. My PE tanks still look good. KX's tanks aren't to bad either.
  Keep up the good work. Adam.

[ws6transam]

The tank is looking good, mate.
Today I spent an afternoon working on a white side cover for the WR. I used 3M clear plastic cleaner and 3M clear plastic polish to buff out the worked-in grime and light scratches. then I had a problem where the plastic felt "soft". I could mess up the finish by just rubbing it with my thumb. The trick, I found, was to use Zaino tire and plastic dressing. It took the plastic and buffed it up, and made it look and feel slick.

Now, like you, I will be turning my attention to the tank. First I need to remove the old graphic, and then give it the same polish treatment. I hope mine turns out as well as your has.

[MIDLIFE 250]

On my Tank I dragged a new Stanley blade over it to get the scratches out and then went to a 400 wet and dry, 800,1200 to finish it off. To get the shine up I used a car buffer that Super cheap has for $30 at the moment with kitten cutting compound. After that I used mothers plastic polish to bring up the shine. Will post pics of it later for viewing. Took 6.5 hours all up including experiments.

[MIDLIFE 250]

Here are the pics, not quite finished yet but it's getting there.

[IT400C]

hmmm, I tried some of that Plastic Renew last night..  It's not the perfect solution, but it's pretty damn good...  It even gets rid of those white oxidation patches..

[vintage_addict]

Some nice restoration tips on this site (if you haven't already come across it)
http://hom...ricks.html