Restore Interior Plastic Parts

[diArdi]

When I removed my center console last night I discovered that it is more scratched up than I thought. That and the cupholder. I have a beige interior and there is a painted or plastic coating that is coming off or is worn through in places. The plastic underneath is a slightly lighter color.

What have you all done to restore these parts? Have you sanded and repainted or simply stripped off the worn, scratched or peeling "paint"? Other suggestions?

Thanks.

[Eaglesail]

When I removed my center console last night I discovered that it is more scratched up than I thought. That and the cupholder. I have a beige interior and there is a painted or plastic coating that is coming off or is worn through in places. The plastic underneath is a slightly lighter color.

What have you all done to restore these parts? Have you sanded and repainted or simply stripped off the worn, scratched or peeling "paint"? Other suggestions?

Thanks.

I am in the refinishing trade for boats, (polyester-polyflake-gelcoat clearcoat, high end freshwater bassboats..but not BMW cars, but I think I can shed some idea on this. My 03 325 also has a beige interior too but has spent more years inside of a garage, horse barn to be exact, so there is a minimal amount of ultraviolet deterioration present on it today. I have noticed on other 325's of the same vintage that ultraviolets have deteriorated the beige colored plastic interior parts more so than other colors and quite severely. If for example you scratch or dent the beige plastic it leaves a lighter mark behind. Early eighties Mercedes Benz plastic interior parts..colored 'beige' also suffered the same. It is my belief that this is the nature of the plastics used and lighter color that allows more light to penetrate deeper.. The surface area of the plastic, 5 to 10 mils, has deteriorated. I do not believe there is a surface coating on this plastic. A refinish could be possible but costly.

Black plastic cable-ties live longer than 'white plastic cable-ties when exposed to sunlight.

Plastics used elsewhere for the interior, generally satin black, such as around the gear shift console and glasses holders with door above, use black plastic that is coated with a satin black finish that easily wears off.....and while we are on this interior subject, never spray anything on the beige ceiling or roof material! The fabric will begin to fall away unglued.

There is no easy resolve here. Park your BMW out of the sunlight during the daytime.

[TonyAngel]

I think there is some sort of coating over the plastic, intended to make the pieces appear and feel as though they are something other than what they are. It either begins to peel away like paint, or it turns to some sort of glue like substance. If it bothers you, you could try removing the pieces in questions, and repainting them. What you really have to watch out for is that most of these pieces have become brittle with time and trying to remove them could cause a bigger problem than you're trying to cure.

I've had good luck painting plastic pieces with Krylon Fusion. I made some mock light sabers for my grand kids using pvc pipe and painted them with the fusion paint and the paint has survived many battles between the forces of good and the dark side.

[dhurley34]

That coating is polyurethane and called "soft touch".

[diArdi]

I may just strip off the current "coating" and see if I like it ok. The color is really not that different, just a shade lighter. If I don't like it, I'll find something like Tony Angel suggested. If it can survive lightsaber battles between good and evil it may do alright with a seat belt buckle hitting it every so often!

Thanks for the tip, Tony.

[Eaglesail]

Let us know if there is an over-coating on the plastic, that you can strip away, in order to prepare for a new coating...Steve

[legoman67]

the cupholder is quite cheap new and not worth screwing around with. The center console your best bet is to go dig around a wrecking yard and find a good one.

[TonyAngel]

BTW, on my E90, I had a similar issue too. I just scraped away the peeling stuff. The plastic doesn't bother me and the color is a close enough match. I've never been much of one for having a "fancy" car. The BMW's appeal to me is in the way it handles. All else is secondary.

[TonyAngel]

And....I've also used this stuff called Duracoat. It's actually a metal coating. I usually use it on firearms, but have also used it on gun stocks, etc. The stuff ain't cheap (compared to paint) and it won't stop plastic from dinging, but once it cures, damaging the finish is pretty difficult. I sprayed my beater AR-15 with it about 10 years ago, and although the aluminum parts have dents and dings in them, the finish hasn't broken through.

My point is that you have options. If you're really patient, you could try a carbon fiber wrap. I'd imagine that would look pretty cool. You could even try plastidip. It's easy to work with and will peel off if you decide to get more adventurous with the color scheme.

[Eaglesail]

Got your recommendation TonyAngel..My Winchester 1894..built 1902...still retains 'blueing' and I'd bet for sure it had been maintained with 'blueing' since! ... I mentioned ultraviolet deterioration upon plastics used in our German cars. None of the many German cars I have owned from over the past 40 years, including 4 MB cars, dating from 1967 thru 1987..also a 1972 Lincoln Mercury 'Capri'...all suffered interior degradation as a result of ultraviolet sunlight! Many and if not all American cars I've owned up to that point had not suffered as badly...Also I owned a 59 Rover P5, a 59 MGA Twin-Cam.....Point I make, European car makers were different when compared together or when compared to American.

There is no coatings applied over most plastic interior parts...I'm not 100% sure, but I really do doubt it.

The beige color in three of my previous German cars, an 83..300D, an 87 300D, the 72 Capri, now the 03 BMW, now 14 years old, also suffering....You see, light colored plastics allow sunlight to penetrate deeper into the plastic..thus degradation of the plastic occurs deeper. (whiting from light mares and slight dents..abrasions etc.) I mentioned a known...black plastic cable-ties..they seldom decay and become weak unlike 'white plastic' cable ties. White allows unfiltered sunlight to penetrate deeper into the plastic and cause it to become weak and brittle.....Darker plastics used in German cars lives longer.

My suggestion: park your car out of direct sunlight..when possible!

[dhurley34]

For the second time, the coating is called "soft touch" and its used in automotive interiors to enhance the feel of plastic parts.