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. For this process, you need to know the correct processes of paint removal from your ATV or the plastic would get severely damaged. The other common scenario that often occurs 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 colour 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 then the plastic would deteriorate and might also require to be replaced.

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.

For self-operating, you would need to have a great deal of patience and protecting kits. Strong chemical solvents are required in the process and a casual spill might take you to the hospital if a protection kit is not worn during the process. The mineral-based spirits that will be used can be very harmful to the eyes, so using goggles and gloves are also necessary. If the paint is a Spray paint type then the following set of steps would be able to 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 in addition to making you exhausted. You need a Brush for scrubbing purposes and should be in fine condition for working on the losing paint coming off the plastic surface. If you are not having 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 with precision.

You also have the task of cleaning the plastic surfaces before using chemicals and therefore get 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 any remainder dust clots to remain.

Most of the objects being mentioned here would be required more than once and have similar supplies for it around you. The unique object that you would require next is soap, if the warm water doesn’t do justice is losing the paint, then mix some of the soap and 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 anyways so that 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.

Removing Paint From Atv Plastic — Removing paint from 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 everytime you ramp up the proportion of the plastic thinner chemical. After the spray paint has finally come off you need to wipe the surface with care and use as many paper towels as you need as leaving portions of the solvent on the surface can be harmful. Pressure washing can also be used if you are not comfortable using plastic thinners but it won’t be that effective.

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

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

The ATVs which had fusion paint on them, owners have claimed that only raw scrubbing with sandpaper came of use. 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 on the plastic surfaces on which the paint got removed. But ATV owners have also recommended using this technique only by removing the plastic parts from the ATV otherwise the soda can damage so parts of the vehicle when settled or swept into the actual machine. ATV owners have also used a heat gun in addition to the soda blasted for the complete removal of the paint. But the plastic won’t be shiny and smooth like it had been before and this 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 colours might not be able to hide the roughness of the plastic surface that well.

Some ATV owners also recommend using Laquer thinner for having spray paints removed from the ATV plastic. This type of thinner is also known as cellulose thinner and is basically a strong mixture of multiple solvents. The advanced lacquer thinners need to comply with regulations on low VOC and need to 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 needs to 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 the use of paint thinners and instead resorted to the use of heat guns. At a moderate temperature setting that will not directly put a hole in the plastic, you need to 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.

There is another process that 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 the chemical had got absorbed then you need to pressure wash the entire plastic. Most ATV riders have suggested that the mineral spirits had successfully scattered the paint off the ATV plastic.

The Permatex Brand Product

Many ATV experts including mechanics have recommended the use of Permatex Paint Stripper. This product comes in compact spray packaging at an affordable price. The product is basically a solvent that has been dedicatedly made for paint stripping purposes. If you buy this product then it will be the only thing you need to get the paint off from 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.

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The physical labour a person had to put for the sandpaper scraping and pressure washing purpose gets eliminated when you use this Paint Stripper from Permatex. After applying it you need to leave it to get soaked on the surface for about fifteen minutes. This product is also capable of removing and working on multiple surfaces including bumpers, windows and even windshields. Many people struggle with an attached sticker, if they use this Paint Stripper the sticker would come off in just a few seconds without leaving any fragments of it on the surface.

Conclusion

There remain many techniques as mentioned here to remove the paint from your plastic. Based on the cash you are willing to spend behind the task the right choice can be made as there are also techniques involving objects already sitting in your house. Try to apply only deep and dark colours after you strip off the paint with black being the ideal choice.