Fender flares restoration question

**timevns** · 02-12-2021, 02:01 AM

Hi everyone. I. Just getting into detailing and having a lot of fun. I'm trying to restore the look of my fender flares but it seems as though they are unevenly faded. There is striping or banding within the plastic that shows through even after applying Ceratrim. I prepped them by washing and then cleaning them with an apc and brush. Any advice? Thanks in advance!

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

**Eldorado2k** · 02-12-2021, 08:45 AM

Try a heat gun. You’d be amazed.
Just make sure to test in a small spot 1st, but that looks like the perfect candidate.

**timevns** · 02-12-2021, 09:06 AM

Ok, I can do that. Are you suggesting heating it before application or after the product has been applied?

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

**Eldorado2k** · 02-12-2021, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by timevns

Ok, I can do that. Are you suggesting heating it before application or after the product has been applied?

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

Before. There’s videos on youtube showing how it works. It’s super simple.

**timevns** · 02-12-2021, 09:19 AM

Thanks, I'll try it.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

**muaddba** · 02-12-2021, 12:48 PM

I would advise against the heat gun. It's going to prematurely age that plastic, and make it more brittle. I assume what you have there is a textured finish, so sanding is right out, because it will make it smooth. I would recommend a black or dark grey colored trim paint. Tape it off and either brush or spray it on after good cleaning. Use a couple of coats and it will even out the color perfectly and it will hold up for a good long time. I had plastic body-panel trim in similar shape on my 2004 Volvo S60. I taped and sprayed grey trim paint on it and it held up outdoors for 6 months and then I sold it. It's probably still holding up just fine.

**The Guz** · 02-12-2021, 02:23 PM

My first choice would not have been cerakote. It would have been solution finish to see how that does to restore trim.

As mentioned above the heat gun will turn plastic brittle. One time would be ok. There is a video that I recently saw of brittle plastic after using the heat gun. If I find it again I will post it. I think Chris West of Solution Finish showed this as a demonstration.

**Eldorado2k** · 02-12-2021, 08:14 PM

Please show the video of brittle plastic... I’ve used a heat gun on a couple different vehicles including my fathers Toyota Tacoma and all it did was make the trim look like brand new and I can attest there isn’t even a slight indication of it becoming brittle.

**The Guz** · 02-12-2021, 08:42 PM

9 min in Chris West mentioning it. There is another floating around somewhere. I am not going to go back and watch all of the videos again lol.

**Eldorado2k** · 02-12-2021, 09:34 PM

Sounds like the only way it could happen would be with repeated use/overheating. And even he admits to using that method in the past.

But the need for doing it repeated times would only even be necessary if one were to leave the surface bare and unprotected after making it look good again, which would be highly unlikely for anyone on this forum.

The best thing to do would be to restore it Then protect it. Which is why I’d give consideration to using the heat gun followed by Solution Finish or another plastic trim protectant of your choice.