Expert: Dave Norgardt - 8/26/2007

Question
My new Ridgeline had fewer than 100 miles and was less than 3 days old when a friend inadvertently put a nice scratch--OK a small GOUGE--in the interior plastic door panel, just below the handle. At least the "first scratch anxiety" is now over, but I suspect there is a way to buff this out of the plastic. The plastic may be ABS--pigmented throughout the material--so light abrasives could help, right? Already I have used some abrasive polish made for acrylic windshields and have taken the roughness off the edge of the gouge. I also have some SMD solder equipment which blows hot air through a choice of fine nozzles, and I wonder if just heating the area would soften the surface enough to blend it without further abrasive treatment. Problem is, the gouge is a few mils deep and narrow enough to make polishing a long project. HELP!

Answer
HI LK! Heating the area will probably cause you further grief. Especially if the panel is textured. Your best bet would be to go to your local upholsterer and see what advice they can give you on a repair if you would like to try this yourself. If not, depending on the severety, they can usually do a remarkable repair, textured or not.Hope this helps. Thanks