Repairing Plastic Hatch Panels

Aaron

Dirt-Old 20+Year Member
Dec 5, 2003
93
35
38
Buffalo, NY
Hi, it's been a long time since I have posted anything in here. Anyway, I am wondering if anyone has successfully reconditioned the rear interior plastic hatch panels that make up the walls of the hatch area. My panels have some gauges in them, and I am wondering what the best method is to repair them. I've debated on sanding them down and painting over, filling them (not sure what to use on plastic panels) and sanding the filler down, etc. I am probably going to be selling my '87 GT with T-Tops and am trying to clean up any lose ends before I post it.

Any ideas?
 
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Few pics of these gauges in the hatch??
Me too. I'd like to know what kind of guages were installed behind the driver.

As to the repair, you can take a piece of plastic window screen and use it as a backer, and smear it w/ a coat of bonding.

But,..

You'll never get it to match the surrounding texture of the panel, and I'd imagine it will be pretty obvious.
 
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Sorry guys - gouges, not gauges. Here's what I'm talking about:

gouges.jpg
 
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Red panels might be pretty easy to find cheap as lots of guys ripped them out for grey or black interiors. You might get lucky and find a mint set somewhere. I know when I took mine out, they were pristine. Only got $100 for the while interior. Wish I held onto it a bit longer. I still have my original dash though
 
@Aaron
if you use the sem texture,ive only seen black,but if it is,your better off spraying it light grey first,if you dont it will take so many coats to cover,the interior paint is realy thin,and red is really transparent.
 
@Aaron
if you use the sem texture,ive only seen black,but if it is,your better off spraying it light grey first,if you dont it will take so many coats to cover,the interior paint is realy thin,and red is really transparent.

Got it. I ordered the texture stuff, along with the red interior lacquer. Wasn't sure how dark it would be. Guess I need to find some grey lacquer as well. Thanks for the suggestion.