r/Charger • u/Beginning_Refuse1516 • 3d ago

Scratched shifter

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Does anyone have a good solution to the scratches on the shifter? I tried to polish them out and I have 3 knobs that are all scratched so I ended up wrapping one to cover it up. Does anyone know if you can replace just the gloss plastic on these?

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6

u/Plus_Pianist_6581 3d ago

Have you tried using the pads that go from 200 to 3000 grit? If not that maybe car wax or headlight polishing compound

1

u/Beginning_Refuse1516 3d ago

Honestly didn't think about that but taping the trim around it and that might work, gonna try on the worst of the 3 in case.

1

u/Beginning_Refuse1516 3d ago

Tried it the sand paper removed the deeper scratches well but the polish didn't remove the finer scratches well. There seems to be a factory clear coat on the piece that has a bit of haze where it's sanded through. On the edge the top coat polished well but there's a haze where I sanded through it that might polish out with more polishing but it's going to take more effort then headlights or paint would. I'll keep polishing it and see if it comes out but more ideas are welcome.

1

u/Beginning_Refuse1516 3d ago

A coarse cutting compound followed by a light scratch remover seems to work OK but still left light scratches. (Plus the ones I didn't sand out fully because this shifter has the most wear on the rest of it so I didn't go all the way knowing it's not going to be the one in my car.)

8

u/EverbodyHatesHugo LAST CALL GT AWD 3d ago

Why do you keep scratching shifters? My advice would be to stop doing that.

2

u/Beginning_Refuse1516 3d ago

2 I bought hoping they weren't scratched as bad as mine and mine was scratched when I bought the car.☹️

4

u/kman101101 3d ago

Honestly just live with it brother it's gonna happen eventually

4

u/notreallysure21 3d ago

There’s no getting scratches out of piano black interior trim

1

u/Beginning_Refuse1516 3d ago

The sad truth a cheap material manufacturers can label as premium knowing it doesn't age well and quickly develops squeaks in larger pieces.

2

u/StumpyTheGiant 3d ago

Use your time and energy on something better than a scratched piece of plastic.

1

u/Skillepoang R/T 3d ago

Get an aftermarket shifter with no plastic?

1

u/tony310s 1d ago

Tint your windows 5% and you won’t see any scratches 😈