How To Remove Paint From ATV Plastic?

You might already own an old ATV that runs with great power but has got much weary in appearance. This would lead to the requirement of getting your ATV painted. But for the paint to sustain and have an even finish over the surface, you need to remove the patches of paint still left on the surface.

You need to know the correct paint removal processes from your ATV, or the plastic will get severely damaged. The other common scenario is when an old ATV gets sold to a new owner.

The paint might not be suitable for the new ATV owner, and the person might be willing to change it, not only for the sake of color style but also for making the ATV look better with new paintwork.

The spray paint removal from an ATV is rather complicated. If the wrong chemicals are used, the plastic will deteriorate and might require replacement.

Many websites might recommend using cheap paint thinners, but they won’t work safely and damage the ATV plastic.

For a paint removal job, most people won’t prefer handing the task to a professional garage and spending a large sum of money.

You would need a lot of patience and protection kits for self-operating. Strong chemical solvents are required, and a casual spill might take you to the hospital if a protection kit is not worn.

The mineral-based spirits can harm the eyes, so goggles and gloves are also necessary. If the paint is a Spray paint type, then the following steps would help you remove it from the ATV plastic. 

Tools for Spray Paint Removal and the Process 

This is important to remember once you start the process, you cannot go looking for something in the middle. The spray paint removal process needs to be quick and precise.

Not having all the tools and objects would create a large mess and make you exhausted. You need a Brush for scrubbing purposes, and it should be in fine condition for working on the losing paint from the plastic surface.

If you do not have such a brush in a medium size, then look for a putty knife in your garage or storeroom that can serve a similar purpose if used precisely.

You also have the task of cleaning the plastic surfaces before using chemicals and getting some warm water ready.

The warm water would help in removing depositions from the trail rides in additional use of cleaning clothes. Paper towels also work fine for cleaning and scrubbing purposes and avoiding remaining dust clots. 

Most of the objects mentioned here would be required more than once and have similar supplies around you. The unique object that you would require next is soap.

If the warm water doesn’t do justice if losing the paint, then mix some of the soap, create a soapy mixture, and apply it all over the paint. If the paint still holds strong, then don’t worry; your soap-water efforts didn’t go to waste.

The surface would get further cleaned anyway, so you can scrub more easily and make it effective.

Use a paint thinner or paint remover from the market if none of the simple processes works. Mixing the chemical with some portions of water is a good option for keeping the plastic safe from damage.

Make use of the proportion of paint thinner is around twenty percent or less when you pour it into clean water. Do not consider applying paint thinners directly, as it won’t bring any good to the ATV plastic. 

Experts suggest the first check by applying it to a small portion of the plastic and then applying it to the entire paint ATV plastic.

If still, the paint is stubborn to get off, increase the proportion of it and keep increasing until the effect can be witnessed.

But do not forget to test it on a small area every time you ramp up the proportion of the plastic thinner chemical.

After the spray paint has finally come off, you need to wipe the surface carefully and use as many paper towels as you need, as leaving portions of the solvent on the surface can be harmful.

If you are uncomfortable using plastic thinners, pressure washing can also be used, but it won’t be that effective. 

The other techniques which ATV owners and experts have used with information being shared in multiple ATV forums

Many ATV users have the chemical Acetone and elbow grease, which worked well for them in removing the paint from the ATV. The vehicle they mostly used on it was from Yamaha. 

The ATVs had fusion paint on them, and owners have claimed that only raw scrubbing with sandpaper was used. After that, using a good quality wax helped in reshaping the rough scratches of the ATV plastic surface. 

Some ATV owners have placed their trust in soda blaster tanks and used an active soda solution to precisely hit the plastic surfaces on which the paint was removed.

But ATV owners have also recommended using this technique only by removing the plastic parts from the ATV; otherwise, the soda can damage such vehicle parts when settled or swept into the actual machine.

ATV owners have also used a heat gun in addition to the soda blasted to completely remove the paint.

The plastic won’t be shiny and smooth like before, which is why a plastic restorer polish can be used before applying fresh paint.

But try to apply only black after you use this process, as other colors might not be able to hide the roughness of the plastic surface that well. 

Some ATV owners also recommend using Laquer thinner to remove spray paints from the ATV plastic.

This type of thinner is also known as cellulose thinner and is a strong mixture of multiple solvents.

The advanced lacquer thinners must comply with regulations on low VOC and be handled very carefully by users with self-protection kits in use. 

Many ATV riders have also claimed to have used brake fluid on plastic surfaces. After applying it to ATV plastic, the oil must be given some idle time to do its action and get soaked inside strongly.

Then you can wipe it off from the surfaces that will easily remove the spray paint that had been sitting for a long time. 

Many ATVs have not recommended using paint thinners and instead resorted to using heat guns.

At a moderate temperature setting that will not directly put a hole in the plastic, you must apply it all over the paint surface on the ATV plastic.

Use a knife or similar object in sharpness to scrape off the paint that might already come off due to the heat. 

Another process requires the ATV plastic parts to be taken off first. Some ATV riders have recommended using the conventional easy-off typical oven cleaner.

The process is to spray it all over the plastic, and then it settles down on the surface for around twenty minutes.

After absorbing the chemical, you needed to pressure wash the entire plastic. Most ATV riders have suggested that the mineral spirits had successfully scattered the paint off the ATV plastic. 

Permatex Paint Stripper

Many ATV experts, including mechanics, have recommended using Permatex Paint Stripper.

This product comes in compact spray packaging at an affordable price. The product is a solvent that has been dedicatedly made for paint stripping purposes.

If you buy this product, it will be the only thing you need to get the paint off the ATV plastic. The ATV owners who had used it on the plastic have recommended using it in low quantity and not concentrating on a single spot.

You might also like the below product, which removes the decals, stickers, and other adhesives.

The physical labor a person had to put in for the sandpaper scraping and pressure washing purposes gets eliminated when you use this Paint Stripper from Permatex.

After applying it, you must leave it soaked on the surface for about fifteen minutes.

This product can also remove and work on multiple surfaces, including bumpers, windows, and even windshields. Many people struggle with an attached sticker.

If they use this Paint Stripper, the sticker will come off in just a few seconds without leaving any fragments of it on the surface.

FAQs

Conclusion 

As mentioned here, many techniques remain to remove the paint from your plastic.

The right choice can be made based on the cash you are willing to spend on the task, as there are also techniques involving objects already sitting in your house. Try to apply only deep and dark colors after you strip off the paint, with black being the ideal choice.