DIY ATV Plastic Repair: Save Money and Fix Your ATV Yourself

Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland founded the first synthetic plastic in 1907, and today, plastic is everywhere in our daily life. Plastic is a lightweight material. Also, it has a low-cost price. Plastic is resistant to corrosion and moisture, and it’s very durable. That’s why most sports, offroad and modern vehicles have plastic body parts.

Our off-road vehicles have plastic parts around the machine, which helps protect them from damage and scratches while offroading. I love to keep my ATV as new without scratches. When Plastic scratches or cracks, I repair it myself. If you replace your ATV plastic parts, you can cost around $100 to $500 or more.

You don’t need to replace plastic parts for little cracks or scratches because these plastic parts can scratch anytime. I will share my experience repairing plastic on my ATV. ATV, UTV, and dirt bike plastic are the same, so you can follow this guide to fix your UTV and dirtbike plastic. Keep reading manual riders!

How to fix scratches on ATV plastic?

ATVs, UTVs, DirtBikes, and all offroad vehicles will always get scratches while offroading. Offroad trails have a lot of rocks and branches that can scratch the vehicle’s body. If you have a scratch on the plastic part, you can use 400 – 600 grit wet sandpaper for sanding it down. Apply the water continuity while sanding to get a smooth surface.

1. Start with the 400-grit wet sandpaper, or if there is more haze, you can use 200 wet sandpaper.
2. Apply the water to the plastic while sanding.
3. After the area is covered with 400 grit, get 800 grit wet sandpaper and rub the area again to remove haze areas.
4. After finishing with 800 grit, get 1200 grit sandpaper and give the finishing touch to remove minor scratches.
5. Finally, use a buffing compound on the surface.

You can do the same for deep scratches with wet sandpaper, but sanding off many more layers of plastic will weak. Use 200-grit damp sandpaper first and give the final touch with 1500-grit sandpaper. Always you should use wet sandpaper and use water while sanding. It will keep the sandpaper without gum up and provide a smooth finish for the plastic surface. You can use a plastic filler to repair deep scratches on the ATV plastic.

There are two tubes in the package. Take the 1:1 ratio and mix it well. After mixing, fill it into the deep scratch and wait 15 to 30 minutes to dry thoroughly. Lastly, use 400 grit wet sandpaper and sand it down.

How to fix cracked plastic on ATV?

I recommend using a plastic welder to repair cracked plastic. We will melt the broken plastic parts and rejoin them together by melting them. This method works more efficiently than supergluing cracked parts. If you can’t get a plastic welder, you can use a soldering iron for this process. You should apply the heat to the edges of the cracked parts until it melts and holds the pieces together until cooldown. It will make the bond tighter.

1. Clean the edges of the plastic parts before starting the process.
2. Use 400 grit wet sandpaper and sand the sides on the cracked side.
3. Plug the plastic welder and heat it as instructed.
4. Turn the underside of the plastic and heat the edges on cracked parts.
5. After the plastic edges melt, push and hold the parts together and wait until it cools down.
6. If the crack is big, get a part of Mesh according to the crack size, you need to cover the cracked line area and overlap the two sides of plastic parts to make it strong.
7. Put the Mesh on the cracked line and Use the plastic welder to heat it until the plastic melts and the mesh dip inside the plastic.
8. Keep repeating until the cracked area is covered with Mesh.

How to fix bending lines on ATV plastics?

Plastic parts can bend when they hit. When plastic bend, there will make white or discolored lines. Use a heat gun to remove this color patch. Be careful not to melt all areas. Apply the heat to the bending sequence and wait until the discolor melt. Finally, use 400-grit wet sandpaper and sand the plastic surface area. If you can apply wax and polish, it will give the best look to the fender.

How to use a heat gun to repair the faded color of ATV plastics?

Heat will remove the top layer of the plastic and bring the oil layer to the top. But remember, this process will weaken the plastic strength. You should be careful using a heat gun because plastic can melt in a few seconds if you hold it too long. You can try the first underside to test how the heat works and make a test trail before starting on the visible area. 

1. Set the low heat setting on the heat gun and blow the heated air to the plastic surface.
2. Keep the heat gun a few inches away from the plastic.
3. Select and cover the small area on the plastic.
4. You should apply the heat and quickly remove it to cool the space. If you use heat for a long, it will melt the plastic.

What are the reasons for fading color on ATV plastics?

Your ATV or UTV plastic body parts can change color or fade the color to dull color for the following reasons.

• Sunlight
• UV rays
• Heat

Plastics are made with refined oil. The top oil layer evaporates when plastic is exposed to sunlight for a long time. When this happens, plastic will lose its shine and color. You can notice a white coating on darker plastic when the color fades. Light-color plastic parts will become yellow when exposed to the sun for too long.

All refined oil will evaporate when plastic is exposed to sunlight directly for more time. When all oil evaporates, plastic is dry and loses strength, and there is a chance to crack quickly when hit or bent.

How to protect ATV plastic from fading?

You can avoid parking your ATV or UTV in sunlight for a long time, and it will be best to protect the plastic from fading. You can use a cover to protect from sunlight. There are a few ways to treat and bring colors back to faded Plastic on ATVs. Let’s try those, and I recommend washing and cleaning your ATV before starting the process.

How to Use linseed oil and paint thinner to remove the faded color from ATV plastics?

Plastic includes refined oil, and when it evaporates, its color fades. So now we are going to add this oil back. We can use linseed oil to process. You can use linseed oil directly, but if you mix it with paint thinner, it will dry quickly. Linseed oil will remove the oxidization on the plastic surface and bring back the color. You can follow this step to remove the faded color from your ATV.

1. Remove the plastic body part from the ATV.
2. Wash and clean the plastic part and remove all water before the start.
3. Mix Linseed oil with paint thinner in a 3:2 ratio to make it dry quickly.
4. Apply a thin mixture layer to the plastic part with a dry cloth/ rag.
5. Wait 30 minutes until the mixture dries on the plastic surface.
6. Wipe and clean the surface with a cloth/ rag.
7. Wait for another 30 minutes.
8. After thoroughly drying, assemble the parts.

Linseed oil will restore and keep the color for 4-6 weeks at least. You can repeat the steps and treat the plastic parts when the paint starts to fade.

How to use Plastic restore to remove the faded color from ATV?

You can use plastic restore to remove faded color on plastic. Plastic restore is liquid, and there are many products and brands on the market, and you can choose the best one from them. After applying the liquid, it will keep the color and protection for a few months, depending on your use. Read the use instructions before use, which will guide you on applying the product to the plastic parts.

How to Use liquid wax to remove the faded color from ATV plastics?

We all know waxing is the best way to keep the shine on our vehicles. It will give protection to the plastic parts. You can use liquid wax to bring back colors to faded plastic on your ATV. And this will keep the plastic protected and shining for a few months.

1. Wash and Clean the ATV first.
2. Use the 400-grit wet sandpaper with water and sand the plastic part.
3. Select a small area of Plastic and Apply the first layer of liquid wax with an applicator.
4. Leave that area until dry.
5. Move to the next space and apply the wax.
6. Repeat the steps until all areas are covered.
7. Polish the plastic with a clean rag.
8. After finishing the first wax layer and polishing it in all areas, you can try a few more coats to get the best result.

How to paint faded ATV plastic?

The best method to restore ATV plastic is to repaint it. You can use spray paints on plastic body parts. Remember to apply the primer coat first and leave it to dry. After completely drying the first coat, apply another layer to get a nice look and shine.

The bottom line

You don’t need to buy and Replace ATV, UTV, or Dirt bike plastic parts is not necessary now. I showed a few options for repairing cracked ATV plastics and how to treat faded plastics to bring back color. You can follow the instruction and save money. Lastly, keep out your ATV from direct sunlight for a long time and clean and wash the machine after you offroading. It will keep the plastic part without fading. Thanks for reading the manual riders.