“Oh, shit!” I screamed as precious 93-octane gas gushed from the flexible filler neck of my SureCan tank. The spilled fuel landed on the glossy black plastic cover of the left side mirror of the 2021 Sea-Doo RXP-X 300 featured by Water Sports Magazine, causing the cover to instantly discolor and become opaque in seconds.
I attempted a dangerously balanced top-off while the Sea-Doo was still running, to keep the engine ticking for 5 hours, which is half the RXP-X’s break-in period. While this may have saved me a few minutes of work, replacing the damaged part would have cost me a pretty penny.
Above: Pro tip: Don’t spill gasoline on your Sea-Doo. Anywhere will do. The soft, smooth plastic is very sensitive and can fade and discolor in seconds.
To save precious weight, Sea-Doo uses various decorative plastic surfaces on the deck. It’s not actually painted; the glossy black plastic (like the one I broke) is molded that way. Same goes for the colored parts. Everything is in the process of being molded.
While we have discussed a more thorough method of restoring severely faded and sun-damaged original (dull or rough) plastic surfaces, restoring these glossy parts is a losing proposition for most hobbyists. In most cases, people decide to replace the damaged parts entirely after discovering that regular cleaners and waxes cannot restore the former shine of these panels.
Above: After dozens of polishing methods, compound combinations, and waxes, these are the two most successful polishes we’ve come across, and the most essential tool list for making damaged plastic look better than new. the real thing. We’re serious.
I had the same thought. I have had cars damaged by fuel spills, excess sunscreen, water, and regular UV rays that no amount of spray cleaner, soap, detergent, wax, or polish could fix. Several different automotive grade abrasives cut too hard into the soft surface, leaving noticeable scratches that were impossible to remove.
So I repeated the process in vain, cleaning the gasoline-bleached rearview mirror cover. No XPS product could repair the damage. No amount of boat cleaner or my extensive collection of car wax could fix the situation. It had to be finished.
Above: The blue foam sponge won’t scratch the surface like the harder red sponge. Power Cut Compound Professional Abrasive is also a softer abrasive specifically designed for gelcoat and fiberglass that won’t burn through plastic as quickly as paint-specific abrasives.
In desperation, I ordered a matching mirror cover from the RIVA Racing OEM catalog (PT# 269502427LH) and began researching how to properly replace it. I was shocked that the Sea-Doo required removing most of the top deck to get to a single retaining screw; I didn’t want to have to take apart that much of the new RXP-X, so I doubled down: How could I fix this problem?
At first, I used plastic polish. You know, the kind you use to polish headlights. They’re not as sharp, but they open up the possibility of using other cutting materials. I used Meguiar’s One-Step Cutting Compound to remove some serious scratches on my purple acrylic that were left over from shipping with the lid on. Unfortunately, things got a little tense again.
Above: After a high speed polish with Power Cut Compound and a wool pad, you might think you’re done, but you’re not! There’s one more step to go.
I do, however, have a bottle of Meguiar’s Marine/RV Power Cutter ($22.99) that I’ve barely used. The manual process seemed promising, so I pulled out a Ryobi two-speed drill and a soft blue foam pad. (Color matters when it comes to paint and polish. Blue is one of the least aggressive colors. Red is one of the most aggressive. Let’s stick with blue for now.)
A quarter-sized drop of putty and a drill set to the lowest speed easily went over the mirror’s surface, breaking up and lifting the damaged layer, leaving a clean, fresh surface that could be sanded. To keep the putty from drying out, we used a soft yellow wool buffing wheel and set the drill to the highest speed. We didn’t apply any pressure and let the buffing wheel do the work.
Above: After cleaning the blue applicator (or using a different applicator), apply Scratch-X 2.0 to the plastic surface by massaging the surface thoroughly, first on low speed, then switching to full speed for a few seconds. Do not apply any pressure! Let the applicator do its job! Then simply wipe it off with a microfiber cloth.
Within seconds, the shine is completely restored. By this time, a new cap has arrived, and I use it to compare my progress. At this point, I’m pretty close to perfect. It’s not perfect, but it’s close. At this point, I go back to my collection and pull out a bottle of Meguiar’s Scratch-X 2.0 ($9.99). It’s more of a swirl remover than anything else, and it has enough grit to remove the porous surface I’d created with the Power Cut Compound.
Likewise, Scratch-X 2.0 includes a very lightweight polymer backing layer that worked very well when I used a drill with a foam applicator (which I cleaned after the first use). Wanting to repeat the process, I went back to the wool pad and quickly unraveled the last step.
Above: Want to know if this is better than the original? Check out the reflectivity of the rear and the OEM replacement part (foreground) we ordered from RIVA Racing. Our refurbished panels have a deeper black and sharper reflections than the original panels.
Yes, the wool pads had dulled the plastic and left some serious scratches. So I cleaned the plastic cover with XPS All Purpose Cleaner and repeated the first three steps, opting to hand wipe the plastic with a clean microfiber towel instead of the wool pad. Lo and behold! The plastic cover is shiny again!
To test my work, I compared it to a replacement RIVA panel – mine was better! Using an old car care trick, I got out a 500 lumen Mycanic LED bulb and shone it on both panels – the reflection of the bulb on my mirrors was much sharper and more detailed than the original parts.
Above: Are you looking at the mirror reflections?! Come on, this is a really impressive material and anyone can get this type of finish – heck, don’t wait until you ruin your plastic like we did, just go ahead and follow this process on your Sea-Doo and watch it sparkle in the sun!
Again, I’ve tried dozens of different polishes, compounds, waxes, and polishing methods, and this method has proven to be the best. See the photos above and the video below. I’m talking about the mirror effect. It’s unlikely that Sea-Doo will switch to a more durable plastic anytime soon, so the more cautious among us will have to find the best ways to keep our skis looking their best.
In the video I joked that the wool pads would leave felt on the Sea-Doo, and that was not an exaggeration. I found some in the glove box, which was never opened during the process. Other than that, there are few complaints, and if you follow the instructions, there won’t be any.
Just wanted to make a note for anyone looking for Scratch X2.0. It’s a unicorn. No, it’s actually a scratch and stain remover. The current product is SCRATCH X# G10307 7 oz. As far as I know, several online sellers use Display 2.0 for older art, and the current ScratchX should do the same great job that Kevin discovered and demonstrated.