Black plastic trim (now white) restoration - any tips?

[nyjetfan]

Hey all - I'm going to be working on my wife's car and doing some trim restoration and hoping to get some decent results. Was wondering if there are any helpful tips or pointers? I have attached a pciture of the trim and you can see one small piece that is almost white. So any recommendations or tips to try to restore this? I have solution finish black plastic & vinyl restorer, as well as some detailers pro cleanse-all exterior cleaner, but if I need something different I can pick it up.

Also, would scrubbing this with a bathroom scrub brush normally used for tile/hard surfaces help (I would do a test spot to ensure its not marking the surface)?

Thanks.


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[addysdaddy]

Solution Finish Black Plastic & Vinyl Restorer, black plastic restorer, trim restorer (http://www.autogeek.net/solution-finish-restorer-12oz.html)

give this a try

[parttimer]

Solution Finish will probably be your best bet. Clean with APC, let dry and apply.

[nyjetfan]

Awesome, I already have some solution finish in my arsenal ready to use.

Thanks for the quick replies!

[swanicyouth]

What you have there, IMHO, is a mix of oxidation and embedded dirt in the plastic. Plastic is somewhat porous, and will "absorb" some dirt. Plastic panels (like running boards) that are low to the ground will suffer more from this phenomena.

Also, plastic pieces that lay horizontal will experience more oxidation due to the simple fact they sit perpendicular to the sun's rays.

The long term fix is CarPro DLux. The coating is BETTER than Solution Finish, because it creates a hydrophobic barrier on the plastic that will resist future "dirt staining". It also has some UV protection associated with it. This will make the plastic stay cleaner, become easier to clean, and generally look better.

The way I recommend attacking this is:

1. Clean the plastic using Tuff Shine Tire cleaner using a stiff brush along with a cotton towel.

2. Rinse well

3. Wipe plastic down with Eraser

4. Coat with DLux using a small piece of sponge so the applicator can conform to the raised and lowered areas of the plastic.

You will be good for two years doing it this way.

[TroyScherer]

To build on what swanicyouth has said.

I have found that SolutionFinish will re-dye and restore the color very well. And that is my vote for the color restoration. But after it cures for a week I have found that coming back with Dlux to seal it in and be a long term protection works extremely well.

[DRO220]

Please let us know how it turns out, my buddy has a wiper cowl that is completely white like in your picture and I was just going to Plasti Dip it. I've been wanting to pull the trigger on DLux or Solution Finish.

[Jaretr1]

Black WOW Exterior Trim Restorer, black trim dressing, restore black rubber trim, Mini trim (http://www.autogeek.net/black-wow-trim-restorer.html)

I really like this product on faded trim. It has a different composition, so it gets absorbed and really rejuvinates the trim. But, unlike many coatings or topical products, the absorption is even, so it leaves a uniform finish. Also, a little goes a long long way. AND, it can be used on any color plastic trim, not just black. Smells great to!

This is a little guy with a small business with a great specialized product that works really well.

[MPBGT]

Is that trim supposed to be black or grey? My mom has an older escape and all the lower trim is grey.

If the trim is grey what do people do to restore color? Just coat with UTTG?

[nyjetfan]

Well I did a test today with the solution finish. I did one side of the car (just the bad pieces) and used the other side as the "control". So here's the results:

The front cleaned up pretty well - now I need to note I did the driver's side and a couple of weeks ago I actually tried some wolfgang black trim protectant on top half of passenger's side (piece closest to tire). So the before of the frontwas closer to the middle section of the panel on the right (milky white area). I was pleased with this section, but will probably hit it again with some APC and apply another coat in a week or two, as if you look really close you can see some color differences (I think its related to surface preparation and the way dirt/grime was kicked up by the front tire over the years.
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The rear is a completely different animal. You can see the test piece on the left which maybe picked up a shade or two of color, but really didn't change much. I attribute this more to trying to cut through 10 years of neglect and grime and not a reflection on the solution finish product itself.

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I have to find something better to prepare this surface to actually accept the product. I was tried using a pressure washer and detailers pro series cleanse-all exterior cleaner. Anyone have any suggestions? I have seen a tire cleaner mentioned above, so might try that with my next AG order. Anything else I can try?

I'm considering ordering a scrub brush to put on my GG - something similar to here but probably a little stiffer than this carpet brush:

White Standard Carpet Brush (http://www.autogeek.net/whstcabr1.html)

Thanks guys, appreciate the assistance.

Well if anyone has any ideas, please advise. At this point I think I need to find a way to prepare that plastic to accept hte product, as when I put on the solution finish, as I wipe I'm just moving the product around on the surface. I even tried "dabbing" it on to get coverage, and then let it sit for 10 minutes, and the product just wiped right off without penetrating the plastic.

Thanks for any ideas.

[conman1395]

Mothers Back to Black heavy duty trim cleaner is what I prefer.

[nyjetfan]

Mothers Back to Black heavy duty trim cleaner is what I prefer.

Wow, thanks conman1395 - I stopped by my local auto store today and picked up some mothers. Here's a test spot I did real quick tonight and I can see a big difference without even putting any solution finish on it. Note: This was a quick test spot done outside in the dark by the light of my phone, so I can say I see improvement but I have more prep work to do prior to applying solution finish onto this piece, but based upon this quick test, I think this will be what I need to get me back to (or at least close to) factory colors on this trim. Thanks again!

So on the left you can see how it looked after only solution finish (and as mentioned earlier, surface prep wasn't as good). On the right is after some quick scrubbing with the Mother's (its a gel that comes with an "oversized" toothbrush). I still have some more cleaning/prep to do with mother's but I am liking what I see from the quick test spot with Mother's.

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[The Guz]

Follow that mothers with wolfgang's exterior trim sealant. It's a good combo.

[nyjetfan]

Morning update: Was able to spend a few minutes this morning to do a better test spot (daylight instead of working in darkness).

I have attached two pictures showing the top 1/3 where I did a decent scrubbing (the piece on the right just in front of the tire).
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And just for reference point - here's the starting point (This is the other side but this piece looked just like it when I started):
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So I can say that the mother's is definitely great for preparing the surface and removing the years of grime and neglect. From there the solution finish does help bring the color back. Will probably be next weekend when I get a chance to do the entire car (and this trim runs around the entire car, but most places it is in much better shape). I will try to post some follow up pictures when everything is completed.