Plastic panels damaged whilst cleaning - advice please!

[MattyS]

I recently had the misfortune of parking close to a building site on a windy day. My car was covered in tiny specs of what I presume to be paint spatter.

A neighbour of mine is a "professional" valeter and he agreed to clean the car thoroughly obviously for a price.

Unfortunately, having used Diamondbrite Tar Away, it appears to have damaged some panels ( see pictures)

I contacted MG who refused to even see the car stating they aren't a body shop.

Any idea where I might find replacement parts with part numbers to perhaps cut down on cost or wether MG should replace?

 

[MG Clive]

This is your Indicator trim, not bad at £40.

This is the best used side trim I can find, there are cheaper ones but they're as bad as yours, and I can't find a new one for sale anywhere, but I'd seriously consider popping both sides off and wrapping them in gloss black vinyl for about a fiver.

 

[jamakr4]

I recently had the misfortune of parking close to a building site on a windy day. My car was covered in tiny specs of what I presume to be paint spatter.

A neighbour of mine is a "professional" valeter and he agreed to clean the car thoroughly obviously for a price.

Unfortunately, having used Diamondbrite Tar Away, it appears to have damaged some panels ( see pictures)

I contacted MG who refused to even see the car stating they aren't a body shop.

Any idea where I might find replacement parts with part numbers to perhaps cut down on cost or wether MG should replace?

Just look on eBay. Or Maybe wrap it

 

[jamakr4]

This is your Indicator trim, not bad at £40.

This is the best used side trim I can find, there are cheaper ones but they're as bad as yours, and I can't find a new one for sale anywhere, but I'd seriously consider popping both sides off and wrapping them in gloss black vinyl for about a fiver.

Interesting that your link goes to the eBay.uk site (same part and same dealer) but mine on the German sites is 50% the price of yours

 

[MattyS]

Thanks! Is there a technical manual to find out how to replace them?

 

[jamakr4]

Thanks! Is there a technical manual to find out how to replace them?

Based on the looks of the parts it seems they are just clipped in (pretty much the complete car is just clipped together- making replacements very easy). Just buy a prying tool.



This video deals with the removal of the bottom panels (from 0:26) but the upper parts should be the same

 

[MattyS]

AHH ok. Might still have to get someone to do it as I wouldn't be able to physically remove them due to disability. Thank you though

 

[gary333]

If you are planning on replacing anyway you could try Brasso (liquid version) this might be able to remove the offending damage completely.

Brasso is excellent at polishing acrylic, not sure what type of plastic MG use on those panels.

Do NOT get Brasso on the paint though!

 

[jamakr4]

AHH ok. Might still have to get someone to do it as I wouldn't be able to physically remove them due to disability. Thank you though

Maybe the indicator trim is screwed in place (see bottom right) but it could also be for the blinker. So that would mean that you have to take off the complete front bumper to replace them. The technical drawing from the eBay listing also shows that there is something but I am not sure what it is.

 

[Chrisdriving]

Try polishing them even with something like Autoglym super resin polish.

The gloss black plastic panels behind rear door are a nightmare for marks and also like yours get stained easily from dried chemical marks etc.

I have machine polished mine a couple of times, they come up well.

Also please do not let your ‘professional’ neighbour near it again.
They will 100% polish up fine.
Just one of stacks of videos.

 

[MattyS]

Thank you so much

 

[Diggsy]

 

[Chrisdriving]

Another one, i use the Gyeon stuff myself and as the plastic marks so easy as shown in the video i ceramic coated mine but even then TBH it still stains and marks easily.

 

[MattyS]

Try polishing them even with something like Autoglym super resin polish.

The gloss black plastic panels behind rear door are a nightmare for marks and also like yours get stained easily from dried chemical marks etc.

I have machine polished mine a couple of times, they come up well.

Also please do not let your ‘professional’ neighbour near it again.
They will 100% polish up fine.
Just one of stacks of videos.

Thank you again. To say I'm furious with the guy is an understatement. Mistakes happen though I guess. He still wants payment

 

[MG Clive]

He still wants payment

Really ! ! ! ?

 

[Chrisdriving]

The staining is a pain, he should have been aware of that and tested it first or made sure the product was safe on that surface.
Either way it will clean up.

 

[MattyS]

To be fair to him, he contacted Diamondbrite and they told him it was fine to use. Still a bit annoyed though.

 

[MattyS]

Really ! ! ! ?

The rest of that side of the car came up lovely tbh, so I can see his point of view. He did one side only so it's be max 50% of what he quoted

 

[Paulie68]

They just need resurfacing, not replacement. The hand use version of Farecla G3 will cut that back to a good state. Then finish off with Farecla G10.

If you neighbour really was a professional valeter, he'd know exactly how to rectify that and would have done so!

 

[Tuareg]

Can't you just get them sprayed piano black?