How to restore exterior black plastic trim

**Big Boi** · 01-13-2013, 09:44 AM

Subscribed!

**Johny B** · 01-13-2013, 09:59 AM

Subscribed too. Can't wait to see the final results.

**Bamafire** · 01-13-2013, 11:19 AM

Mike can't wait to attend your class, planning on attending all 6 class's Road trips are always fun to the playground (junk yard)

**slapshot** · 01-13-2013, 11:31 AM

Perfect timing!!! Waiting patiently for the results.....

**BryanH** · 01-13-2013, 08:49 PM

This is relevant to my interests.

**Fishincricket** · 01-13-2013, 09:06 PM

Originally Posted by BryanH

This is relevant to my interests.

Lol, yeah I own a Wrangler.. I can't afford not to tune in!! lol

Mike Phillips · 01-14-2013, 11:51 AM

Okay, now that the weekend is over, here's a few pictures of the cars and the locations these trim pieces were taken from...

These center window pillar trim pieces came from this area on the average passenger car.

Center Window Pillar Pieces...

Roof Trim Pieces
Here's a common place to find black plastic trim and that's running down the length of the roof line from front to back.

The rubber trim that runs down the A-Pillar and over the roof line...

Same type of trim on the Volkswagen only the trim actually runs all the way down the A-Pillar next to the windshield.

Below Side Window Trim

Door Side Protection Trim
These large rubber trim pieces are commonly found on the sides of the doors to protect the door from door dings and the paint from being chipped by doors and shopping carts.

Side of door protectors

Front and Rear Bumper Plastic Trim

This is another common place to find black trim and that's across the face of front car and truck bumpers like this Ford F150 XLT

And you'll also find a lot of black trim on the back bumper of trucks and S.U.V.'s

Running Boards

Fresh Air Grill Plastic at front of Windshield
These plastic components are really common on all new cars including entry level passenger cars all the way up to the most expensive Mercedes-Benz, BMW and even Maserati.

Here I'm using a different camera setting that really shows how bad the plastic looks before dressing. It was even worse before cleaning.

Side Mirrors

Mike Phillips · 01-14-2013, 12:02 PM

The Secret
The secret to keeping black plastic trim looking new is really simple but most people miss out on the secret because when they buy a new car everything looks really nice.

The appearance and physical condition of exterior trim goes down hill slowly over time, so slowly that you don't recognize the damage until it gets to the point where the damage has become so unsightly that NOW you see it.

Here's the secret...

"Find something you like and use it often"

That is, while your car is still brand new and all the exterior plastic trim looks GREAT! Take the time to do some research on a forum like AGO, ask questions, get feedback and then purchase a quality exterior trim dressing and/or sealant and use it often.

Maybe not OFTEN but as a part of REGULAR MAINTENANCE. For example, use the trim dressing or sealant after every time you wash and dry your car or after every other time you wash and dry your car.

Just the act of rubbing some type of beneficial liquid over the surface has a cleaning and rejuvenating effect all by itself. That is the action of either a foam or microfiber applicator pad being pushed over the surface will remove dead, oxidized particles off the surface and push the product of your choice over and into, (to some level), the surface being treated.

It's pretty obvious that doing nothing at all will not maintain your car's exterior trim.

"Find something you like and use it often"

If you like it than this usually means you like, or at least don't mind the procedure for both applying the product and removing any excess and you LIKE how it makes the trim look to your eyes.

Using it often just ensures the surface get some regular attention and that's really all it takes to maintain and preserve exterior trim.

Here's a product that's easy to use and lasts a long time. --> You <-- still have to clean the surface really well and then apply this product or whatever product you like on a regular basis or your trim will simply turn ugly again.

For a trim dressing and protectant after you get your trim clean, and something that is easy and fast to use so chances are good you'll stay on top of the care and maintenance of your trim, check out the Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant, it's what I used on the trim in the above article.

Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant 4 oz

Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant 16 oz.

Before I met my new bride the plastic trim on her Honda was dull and faded. I cleaned it really well and started applying this product and now REGULARLY APPLY IT after each wash and the trim looks like brand new.

Mike Phillips · 01-14-2013, 12:25 PM

Question: But what about exterior trim that's been neglected and now looks horrible?

Answer: Well in some server case nothing you pour out of a bottle, scoop out of a jar or spray out of a pump spray is going to perform a miracle and undo years of neglect. The question I ask is who did the neglecting?

If you're detailing cars and a customer has neglected their car's exterior including swirls in the paint, water spots on the glass, brown tires, brake dust a 1/4" thick on the front wheels and of course exterior plastic trim that no longer looks like exterior trim, then the first thing you do is educate the customer and point out that it is due to neglected that the trim is in it's current condition.

Next, you under promise and over deliver. Let them know that you'll do your best but again, you're not a miracle worker and also consider what your customer is willing to pay for your services. Time is money and you can easily invest a lot of time into just trying to improve exterior trim for not much money. So educate your customer on the reality of the damage at hand and simply state that you'll do the best you can.

It's important to document on your Vehicle Inspection Form the condition of the trim and even take one or two before pictures so after the work in case your customer forgets how horrible the trim looked BEFORE you started you have documented evidence to set the record straight.

When trim has been neglected to the point that it is turning white, this is a sign of oxidation and just like car paint in order to restore the original black color you need to safely remove as much of the oxidation as possible.

Machine vs Hand
Now you can scrub the trim by hand using a brush, a wash mitt or even something more aggressive but here's a way to use a tool you probably already own and let the machine do all the work.

Here's is the plastic after just machine scrubbing... note by removing the dead, oxidized plastic it already looks 100% better, this is your goal. Try to get the trim looking better by cleaning first.

Here's the plastic trim after applying a trim sealant. Not I used a hand scrub brush to work the sealant into the cracks, crevices and the pebble textured surface.

Before
This is what oxidized black plastic looks like, the upper surface is actually turning white do to both exposure to the sun and breaking down. You need to remove this before applying a dressing or a sealant.

After
Compared to how this plastic trim started it is now 100% improved and will add the overall appearance to a freshly detailed car instead of distract from it.

Trim like you find on the back of a bumper is usually in pretty bad shape due to wear-n-tear and also exposure to the sun since it's a horizontal surface. For surfaces like these, machine scrub them using your favorite APC before you wash the vehicle and that way you can thoroughly rinse off the APC and dirt residue after scrubbing.