Cleaning a Mattel Space 1999 Eagle ship

[johnmiic]

I have an incomplete one I am putting back together. Anyone have suggestions on what to use to clean it without hurting the plastic? I can get the dust off no problem but what about the yellowing after it's cleaned? Or is that a product of the plastic aging that I cannot fix?

[Sweep Secondhand]

John - you have a problem there that is no fun and as far as I know there is no simple solution. I have run into very similar problems with the white plastic of the G.I. Joe Sea Wolf submarine. I am not sure if that yellowing is a result of sun exposure or possibly chlorine from a pool but it is very difficult if not impossible to get out. I have had some luck with using a diluted solution of bleach to whiten it but you have to very gradually increase the bleach consentration. It will either improve the discoloration or you will eventually increase the solution to the point it will start to soften the plastic. You also need to let is air out for a couple of days after soaking it to get the smell out. Anyone else have any other ideas?

[megomonkey]

I have one cooking in the back shed right now with an inch of Goof-off on it.

I'll let you guys know how it turns out.....

[johnmiic]

Goof-off? That's what I'm doing at work right now!!!

I think I'll have to clean the dust and dirt off and paint it white. That's the only way to get it a near perfect clean white.

[YANOULI]

All you can really do is Paint it, that's what i did with mine

[Hulk]

Don't use Goof Off. It's destined to fall into the Hairspray category of all time stupid moves.

[danadoll]

Goof-off? That's what I'm doing at work right now!!!

I think I'll have to clean the dust and dirt off and paint it white. That's the only way to get it a near perfect clean white.

I blasted my dusty, dirty Mattel Eagle with a garden hose and then painted it when it was dry...LOL! It worked pretty good.

Dana

[david_b]

Being a diehard Eagle nut, that was the toy I HAD to have a couple of years ago. There are a few sites that specialize in restoring these, basically, opening up the main hull, adding detail inside, then painting it white.

There was a SUPER modeling decal site in Canada which had high-quality waterbased slide off decals for this ship scale, plus had decals for the life-support packs, etc. Excellent detail, down to different minute numberings, etc. A decal sheet was only about $10-20 US dollars, and you could customize your ship to Yr1 or Yr2 stylings (different colored Alpha insignias..).

I also did some hand-painting to the figures. The Sir Jers site actually did some good customizing in the cockpit as well. The main problem I had with doing more work on the ship (like interior work, repainting the red engine assembly in the rear..) was the overall shortcoming of the landing gear ~ They need to be more detailed and less-squat.

I'd check the web out.. There's plenty of sites which show some great customizing (adding the lab section, scale buggys, etc) and some sites offer restoration services.

david_b