Restoring center console

My center console has a ton of scratches and was curious if there’s a way to restore it. I’d assume sanding it all down and repainting is an option. But is there any other way besides painting?

 

Hear me out:

Heat/Hot Air Gun. It melts the plastic and leaves it looking brand new. I used it on the shift console trim that was all scratched and tarnished, and after a few minutes with the heat gun it was all gone and blended.

 

Yes I second this. Go slow though and don't overdo it. You can melt or warp it pretty quickly.

 

Good to know!

 

I’ve done this but for me it left the area with a high gloss finish where I used the heat gun.

 

Keep the heat gun moving in a 4"x4" area about 4-5 inches away on low. If an area gets too hot it will get glossy and there's no going back after that. Once an area gets hot enough to start seeing small scratches disapear, let it sit and slowly cool. The area will keep its heat for a while and the heat will keep working on the scratches. Repeat this several times until you get the results you want. This worked best for me. The heat gun will not take out deep scratches, it would get way to hot to melt those out and the plastic would melt and warp. Just light scuff marks.

 

One of the best things that I did to my console was to take the lid apart, and insert/sandwich a piece of sheet metal in under the top. Mine had gotten very soft, and likely would have cracked soon, but this stiffened it right up. Maybe not everyone digs their elbow in to that to hoist themselves into the seat!

 

Go on.... elaborate. My 98 was severely dented from my elbow.

My 04 in the one year I've owned it is getting there quickly.

Did you just wedge it under the lid and it stays in place?

 

You're taxing my memory a bit, as it's been three or four years since I did it. I believe that there are a couple of big screws/bolts that hold the lid on. Then some around the perimeter holding the cover to the base. Once apart, I believe I had to remove a bit of a plastic webbing. Any way the key is to fit a rectangle of fairly heavy metal in there. Something a bit heavier than sheet metal, maybe 1/16 thick, then just screw back together. Once you get in there you will see why they break. That web doesn't support it all over, just in a spot or two, and that's where it fractures. It's easy-peasy. Just need to be able to size the metal. GL

 

Thank you.

 

Any chance you have any pictures of that? The black plastic base of my console lid has a crack in it and that sounds like the repair I need to make.