TW560’s display has become very dull after 25 years and reading data is difficult in direct sunlight. It has started to become a real problem.
Not only for everyday reading but also for me during my trips I have been writing about on my blog – a recent one from my trip to Portugal below.
What can be done?
A quick Google search later, it turns out that buffing plastics can be exceedingly easy (toothpaste, cloth) but can also yield the exact opposite of what one would like to achieve – more scratches – or very difficult, including lots of tools and specialist abrasives.
Determining the right kind of abrasive is a Google rabbit hole of its own.
However, it turns out that I have a professional/specialist abrasive that meets the exact requirements for soft plastics! The one i use for reconditioning my plexi hood!
Let’s start! First I get my usual abrasive and with some vigorous shaking the paste is ready for use.
Here we go. A small dollop of the paste is more than enough to start with.
Apply the abrasive in a circular motion without too much pressure. Continue until the white paste has turned transparent. Get a part of the cloth that is dry and buff with the same circular motion until the surface is dry and completely clean.
Repeat multiple times.
In my case I did 3 rounds of the above to get to this point: a sheet of plastic that looks fantastic. It was very much worth the time invested.
Should my display break, I still have an old-new replacement in stock – let’s hope I don’t need it anytime soon!
There is another small project waiting for me – the black plastic cover has become very brittle and has started breaking off on one of the corners of the dashboard. On the other corner 25 years of heat and cold have completely broken down the adhesive of the black cover, allowing it to flap around.
I’m still searching for an adequate solution for this problem – stay tuned.
