Repair acrylic table top

Hi. I picked up this Henkel-Harris table at an auction for 40$ but the acrylic top is scratched down to the wood so I can't just grind it down to restore the top. I've never worked with acrylic before and I'd like some pointers on how to proceed.
Is all 'clear' acrylic equal or do I risk introducing a different shade to the table top. As always, Thanks!

 

The damage appears to be more than that one worst gouge. If it were mine and I planned to use it as a utilitarian table, I would strip the finish from the top and side edges only, and probably use oil based polyurethane to coat. I've done this on a small cabinet top to use it as an aquarium stand. Varnished the rest. I tend to use stripper, rather than a sander.

Otherwise, I'd repaint poly or varnish or whatever the table is finished with - into the scratch only. I wouldn't much care if it showed that it was once a gouge.

 

I mentioned oil based, only because I haven't used the water-based poly.
I haven't refinished furniture in decades.

 

Some modern acrylics (catalized) are nearly impervious to even the harshest solvents. I would be inclined to try and lightly sand the top with special attention to the damaged areas, adding color as necessary, and recoat the entire top with a poly. It may not end up looking perfect but it is not the mess you could get into by trying to do more.

 

.......but it is not the mess you could get into by trying to do more.

Yep, this is my worry. Should I try to fill the gouge with acrylic then poly the entire surface or will the fill not blend with the existing surface?