Best way to clean plastic that covers speedo, gauges

[tidmarshsmiths5]

Have some sort of "stain" on there - have tried everything to get it off but it's in the plastic.

There's a local guy that will clean these but I'd rather do it myself and save the money.

How do you get the plastic to look like new - with sunglare its hard to read the gauges.

 

[tidmarshsmiths5]

http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotive/products/g12310-plastx-clear-plastic-cleaner-polish/

supposedly, this is the stuff that should work...will find out tomorrow...

 

[tidmarshsmiths5]

Worked ok; much better than what it was but armor all made a mess out of my plastic gauge covers...my brother did his entire 79 Chevy gauge cluster while I messed around with the Bronco II - his came out much better.

It also works great on headlights if you have plastic covers (did my daughter's while I was at it).

 

[tidmarshsmiths5]

I must say, the more I look at how much better the gauges are to read and clean (just a couple of spots that didn't come out) I am starting to really appreciate how much better they are.

No more glare during the daytime where I can't read them because of the glare.

And tonight driving home from mowing some grass I was very impressed! Had my son reach over and take a pic (it's nowhere near as grainy as this pic makes it look - crappy phone) but they are so much more clear and brighter.:icon_thumby:

 

[Jim Oaks]

I collect old lightbars (police / fire). When I bring them back to like new condition I wet sand the lenses, and then buff them with a buffing pad on an electric drill. They look like new again. Even lenses that look real milky can be brought back with a more aggressive grit paper and then moving up to a finer wet sand.

I don't think the plastic gauge covers on the dashes are as think, but the same idea applies.

Just whatever you do (or anyone reading this), don't try and wipe the gauge surfaces off with a window cleaner (windex), you'll mess up the print.

 

[JerryC]

I used the Plastx on my gauges and it made almost like new. That was with them in the truck. I think they would look even better if I had them worked on them out of the truck. I had bought the Plastx years ago to clean up a set of headlights and it did a good job on that too.
I also used it on the radio faceplate. There was smear on it that glass cleaner could not get off, like you etched it with a solvent. Plastx did great on that, cant tell it had ever happened.