Shinning up exterior trim and plastics

[mass-hole]

I have noticed that some of the black trim is not looking to hot. Specifically the black plastic shroud between the windshield and hood. It has a grayish white faded look like the sun has done some uv damage, does anybody have any recommendation on how to take care of this stuff?

 

Also this is a spec.B so whatever goes on there needs to be able to stay on when i turn

[scotopic]

I have noticed the same thing on my car while I was washing the windshield, though I didn't pay too much attention to it since I figured it was mostly dust/dirt. A while back I was able to just wipe that stuff off. Maybe it's actually faded now :/

[mustangendsley]

Mothers black shine is a very nice product.

[charlie_sheen]

^yeah but it doesn't work on what he's describing. i wish it was that easy. im starting to develop sun spots in the same area as the OP stated. i almost thing replacing it is the best thing to do

[.Catalyst.]

Mother's Back-to-Black works well for this. All the trim in my old Saab 9-5 was quite oxidized and this stuff rejuvenated it and held up for several washes - usually reapplied it once every other month or so. Highly recommend!

[Ballaholic]

Mother's Back-to-Black works well for this. All the trim in my old Saab 9-5 was quite oxidized and this stuff rejuvenated it and held up for several washes - usually reapplied it once every other month or so. Highly recommend!

 

 

+1 on what he said, I have it and it works great, makes the parts look like its brand new rubber. Also it last for a while.

[iNVAR]

You have a few options.

 

1) I use something called Aerospace 303. It provides excellent UV protection and you spray it on, and wipe it. This is a TEMPORARY solution and will eventually get removed after a few washings and weathering. BUT it works very well, and doesn't leave a greasy feeling and lasts a pretty long time. A303 is also good for your vinyl interior pieces and other plastics. Available on Amazon.

 

2) Back to Black - Is sort of like Aerospace 303. It's NOT permanent, and WILL eventually wear off just like A303. It's a trim protectant. I've never tried using this but I've heard it's pretty good too, but leaves a mess behind... (i.e. it attracts dust and dirt to it.)

 

3) Forever Black is an actual DYE and is permanent. This will work on damn near any trim, no matter how badly faded it is.

 

If you have badly faded black trim, I would suggest dying it first to restore the coloring and thereafter, using A303 to maintain it and prevent re-fading.

[PirateDuck]

Here's a completely different approach I ran across. The reason that bit of plastic looks like crap is that it's oxidized. I tried Poor Boys Trim Restorer and that works pretty well but it wears off eventually. I restored my trim using a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to gently remove the oxidized plastic. The eraser does not change the texture of the plastic, but it does remove the pale, blotchy oxidized part really well. Follow it up with 303 protectant to keep it looking new longer.

[OCDetails]

There is a new product out there that is absolutely awesome. It is a Wolfgang product called Exterior Trim Sealant. The durability of it is ridiculous. They sell 4 oz bottles of it on the Autogeek site because it is pretty spendy, but man does it do a great job. I used it on my tires just to see how long it would last and I gotta tell you... it is damn impressive. 4 1/2 weeks now since I've put anything on those tires and they are still nearly as black as when I applied them. That is even after a couple washes. If it will hold up on tires that well, then you know it is going to last forever on your trim and seals. I use it on wiper cowls and running boards and trim around sunroofs all the time. I will take a picture of my wiper cowl when I get home and post it. I applied this to my wiper cowl in November after I got back from SEMA and haven't put anything on it since. It is still black without any sign of fading. Definitely a worthwhile product. I think I posted something about it several months ago when they released it, but I didn't get a chance to try it till last fall.

[Heytiggr]

That sounds great. I'm thinking that might be the way to bring back the roof rails my wagon! They are three different shades of faded black/grey now.

[Gire]

That sounds great. I'm thinking that might be the way to bring back the roof rails my wagon! They are three different shades of faded black/grey now.

 

 

+1 fellow 2005 wagon brother.

 

My rails are faded as are my JDM rain guards.

 

Some nice plastic and rubber gel like what was suggested above is in order this summer.

[.Catalyst.]

Agreed with iNVAR on the 303 (love that stuff) - but I only use it on the interior as it's quite a bit of $/oz. to just wash off the next time you give your car a bath. Thanks for the tip on the Wolfgang product OCD!

[OCDetails]

All I did was wash the car this afternoon. This is what the wiper cowl looked like after I rinsed it. I love how the water still beads up on it just like the on the paint.

 

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/OCDetails/IMG_20120410_145024.jpg

 

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/OCDetails/IMG_20120410_145125.jpg

 

Still nice and black after at least 5 months with most of that being fairly neglected due to winter weather. It still gets dirty, but obviously nothing a wash doesn't restore back to perfect without a problem.

[soloz2]

Question... would one need to use a dye to get faded plastic black again before the Wolfgang sealant application, or will it darken faded trim as well as seal?

[OCDetails]

All this product will do is protect your trim. If it is damaged by polish or otherwise faded, then that would have to be cleaned up first. Most of the time it just needs to be cleaned (with something like a toothbrush and soap or peanut butter) but if it is faded and damaged by UV rays then that would have to be repaired first before you are going to get black results. There are other products on the market for that. Back To Black, Poorboy's Trim Restorer, and others.