Shiny Dash Section. A Fix For Scratches.

[Jack The Lad.]

Let me state straight off, that I would never post a "How To" without having tried it out myself and knowing that it works. As it should be.

Now £55 wouldn't have brocken the bank for a replacement Type R dash for the car, but the shiny one on my 2.2 Type S GT, is such a daft and off the wall idea by Honda, that I like it, albeit made from recycled rubbish and so prone to scratching. ( They really must have been on something, when thinking it up.)

Anyway to get to point.
I have used Brasso for many years now, for polishing many types of plastic, but have chickened out of trying it on the dash section, as with recycled plastics it can be iffy :- base plastic complete rubbish, surface coating, semi rubbish.
Today, I thought I would have a go, as the said dash section has had scratches on it since I picked the car up in Sept' 07.- 3 deep ones + surface ones. Been there and done it with taking cars back to the Dealers with one problem to be fixed under warranty and coming out with two more.

1. Thoroughly clean the shiny section with a micro fibre cloth, taking care to remove all dust around the control buttons etc and crevises.
2. Purchase a NEW tin of liquid Brasso ( Don't use the pull off cotton version, with the Brasso impregnated in it.)
3. Purchase or nick from your wife, some of those 50mm diameter, flat cotton wool wipes for removing makeup.
4. Using only a small amount of Brasso on the wipe, start work doing a small section at a time and always in a circular manner.
Polish off with a new cotton wipe and repeat if needed, until scratch has gone. Don't be tight with the wipes, keep using new ones.
I started on the deep scratch- about 2.5mm long first, as I was unsure of the plastic, as mentioned above.
Don't rush it, I have only spent less than half an hour and completed about a total of 90mm square. Yes you can pick up, as and when you like - it won't be patchy.
Next weekend, I'll do a bit more and mask off around the switches, air vent with low tack masking tape, so they don't get polished. Also the semi matt finish plastic which encases the shiny section. --No Rush.
Needless to say, DON'T try and polish the clear screen over the dials.
The result on the sections I have done are perfect and better than when the car rolled off the line, - not a deep or surface scratch to be seen and like a mirror.
As has been posted by others, if the Dealer supplies you with a replacement, it will come scratched.
I will post photo's when completed, for those who have any doubts.

[pjr]

Good find, and I may have been tempted to try it had I not replaced the dash with the Type R one. I do actually like the original, shiny dash, but the scratches were doing my head in.

As you said, new replacement bits of dashboard can already arrive pre-scratched (I know, I had two!) so this is a possible way round it.

I was told by Customer Care, that if a part arrived which was faulty (in this case scratched) then the dealer should send it back, to get a new one - although this didn't happy in my case - I know this because the 2nd one I had fitted is now sitting in the box that the Type R one came in!

[Dimplyred]

Great 'how to' Jack the Lad!!

[mikeydoo]

nice post pal, can you post some pics now for like a before and after?

[Dimplyred]

Originally Posted by mikeydoo

nice post pal, can you post some pics not for like a before and after?

That's a good idea.

[DB SGT08]

I presume you are not refering to the rev counter screen.

Due a new screen on 6 day old car next week!

[FWH]

Originally Posted by Jack The Lad.

Needless to say, DON'T try and polish the clear screen over the dials.

Originally Posted by DB SGT08

I presume you are not refering to the rev counter screen.

That would be a no.

[Jack The Lad.]

Certainly will post when completed, but now I know, it can be done "One Piece At A Time" ( Johnny Cash Song), I shall be doing it, as and when I have time.
Overloaded with work at the moment.

[robbo51]

Wont it have lost some reflective properties?

[Jack The Lad.]

Sorry robbo, you will have to run that one past me again. ???

[robbo51]

The plastic dash surround is designed to reflect light away from the instruments. If you polish it, it will be shinier and therefore work in the opposite way
Do you get that??

[Jack The Lad.]

No, I certainly DO NOT get that.
This section of the dash came out of the plastic injection machine shiny, so what's the problem.
The shine on what I have done and what I havn't is completely the same.

[Kremmen]

I'll give it a go next weekend.

I use Brasso for flattening paint touch-up's.

I did try some Meguiars ScratchX a while back but I've still got some of the spiders web effect when the sun hits it the wrong way.

[robbo51]

Originally Posted by Jack The Lad.

No, I certainly DO NOT get that.
This section of the dash came out of the plastic injection machine shiny, so what's the problem.
The shine on what I have done and what I havn't is completely the same.

Steady on..I'm not having a go
I have read here that VERY shiny will produce glare..Thats all
A picture will no doubt clear up this apparant misunderstanding
I did a search and found this quote:

Originally Posted by Crackers

Been there, done that. I rubbed it all away using Goddard's Silver Polish.
I see you've gotten rid of your scratches but the photos of your dash with the trees and God-knows-what reflecting in the plastic demonstrates perfectly what the blue coating was for, namely to eliminate reflections.
You may be able to live without the coating but I found I couldn't stand the distraction of objects appearing to float above the rev-counter and so quickly bought a replacement. £106 fitted. Damn near broke my heart after all that rubbing...

From this thread:
http://www.civinfo.com/forum/newrepl...reply&p=149195

[Kremmen]

I'm still going to give it a go on a small section.

I did notice that when I used ScratchX that I was taking off some of the blue coating.

I can see the final result being a TypeR with the blank cos' I haven't got the headlight switch.

[illegalhunter]

Its not the scratching it the way it attracks so much dust.

[Jack The Lad.]

I didn't set the camera for close up, but here are a few showing the reflections of my hand and fingers.
The area I polished is from the bottom of the panel to a parallel height finishing on the number 3 on the headlight adjuster.
The very deep scratch was in the corner, just below the start button.
I believe that you will see that there is no difference in sheen between the section that I have done and the part still to be worked on.
Very little blue /black came off on the wipes, as I kept cleaning it off to see how things were going. Object being :- No need to take it past removing the scratches.
I have never applied anything to this section of the dash before.

[Jack The Lad.]

I dusted it just prior to taking the photo's.
Look at the dust settled, in just a few minutes.

[Kremmen]

That looks quite good.

As I said, I'll give it a go, can't make it any worse.

[davee7]

Anyone know if it's possible to remove this section and put it back easily? I'm just thinking that it would make polishing a whole lot easier (especially with my big hands!).