How do you treat this trim piece?

[BiggenF15]

I searched the forums and have watched lots of videos, but I've never seen any tips for the trim pieces between side windows like the ones in the picture.

What do you do in these areas? Polish them like paint?

[Blackthorn One]

Those are usually covered with a vinyl tape, or, that IS black vinyl tape you are looking at. I treat it like vinyl or rubber trim. Formula 303 Aerospace is an excellent choice, I think. I have seen those areas where the tape has actually peeled off of the door, so you can see it is a tape or film, and not painted.

[Setec Astronomy]

Yeah, that's definitely vinyl wrap, be careful with that, I've seen them peel up around the edges. You just can't seem to win with those door pillars, they are either the vinyl wrap which has its problems, or the shiny black plastic with some sort of clear that eventually peels, or matte black SS paint, or some combination.

[Blackthorn One]

I would go very light with any dressing, because I would be concerned about too much being absorbed and possibly compromising the adhesive. I would be especially careful not to get the edges of it too wet.
I suppose one could try trim sealant or wax, as well, but wax and many sealants would make it look more shiny.
It's an example of how many new cars aren't made to last more than 10-15 years, because most people get new ones by then.
Other things like this are glued in headliners and plastic radiators. Not meant to last.

[oldmodman]

If it is your own car you can always do the same thing I did on my 20+ year old Explorer.

I removed the stick on trim piece, cleaned off all the old goo, sanded it then painted it gloss black.

[Setec Astronomy]

Other things like this are glued in headliners and plastic radiators. Not meant to last.

Yow, plastic radiators not meant to last? Obviously you are not a GM man from the days before plastic radiators...you could guarantee that the upper radiator connector would leak where it was soldered to the tank by the time the car was 5 years old.

Plastic ones never leak at that joint, mostly because there is no joint, it's molded in one piece. It may be that Aluminum core/plastic radiators can't be repaired (or that they could be, but there are no radiator shops anymore, and it's cheaper to replace than repair because of Chinese replacements), but I've never HAD to have one repaired.

There may be a lot of cheap stuff in cars today, but some things I don't miss are:

Brass/Copper radiators
V-Belts
Distributors (and timing adjustments, point/dwell adjustments)
12,000 mile tuneups
Hoses that would blow if you didn't change them every 4 years
Steel exhausts that would rot out every 3-4 years
Transmissions without drain plugs
Chassis lubrication
Worrying about changing PVC valves
Overheating in stop-and-go traffic because there were no electric fans
2-valve heads where the plugs went in on the side and "sure I could change that back plug if the engine was out of the car"--and finally getting it out and it doesn't match the rest of the plugs and you realize the last guy didn't bother
Oh yeah...carburetors and having to warm up the car so it wouldn't stall...for that matter...how about having to get out the can of ether if it got below 5°F?

/rant

[Blackthorn One]

Yow, plastic radiators not meant to last? Obviously you are not a GM man from the days before plastic radiators...you could guarantee that the upper radiator connector would leak where it was soldered to the tank by the time the car was 5 years old.

Plastic ones never leak at that joint, mostly because there is no joint, it's molded in one piece. It may be that Aluminum core/plastic radiators can't be repaired (or that they could be, but there are no radiator shops anymore, and it's cheaper to replace than repair because of Chinese replacements), but I've never HAD to have one repaired.

There may be a lot of cheap stuff in cars today, but some things I don't miss are:

Brass/Copper radiators
V-Belts
Distributors (and timing adjustments, point/dwell adjustments)
12,000 mile tuneups
Hoses that would blow if you didn't change them every 4 years
Steel exhausts that would rot out every 3-4 years
Transmissions without drain plugs
Chassis lubrication
Worrying about changing PVC valves
Overheating in stop-and-go traffic because there were no electric fans
2-valve heads where the plugs went in on the side and "sure I could change that back plug if the engine was out of the car"--and finally getting it out and it doesn't match the rest of the plugs and you realize the last guy didn't bother
Oh yeah...carburetors and having to warm up the car so it wouldn't stall...for that matter...how about having to get out the can of ether if it got below 5°F?

/rant

I have a 57 Chevy and a 72 Suburban that does not have that radiator leak problem. I don't know what to say about that.
There have definitely been technological advancements of course, but that isn't the same as using cheaper materials. My 57 and 72 have steel dashboards, not plastic, and chrome plated metal door handles and window cranks. They are plastic now because of cost. Do you see plastic handles on a Rolls Royce? Nope.

My 57 Chevy is really easy to change the plugs on. Plenty of room in there to move around. With all of the modern smog equipment you can barely get a hand in newer cars engine compartments.

I did not know new cars didn't need chassis lubing. That is new to me. New cars don't have grease fittings for the suspension?
My 57 Has a headliner held in place by metal rods that never sag over time. over 50 years old now...
Anyway, Alot of modern car parts are designed to be cheap enough to be replaced instead of being maintained, so a lot of modern mechanics are just parts changers.
Hence the plastic radiators, which in the case of the 91 Camaro, already had to be replaced because it cracked open, and it can't be fixed. That was more expensive than fixing a brass one.
Of course, pointless ignition systems are better, I agree, but then an electric motor would be even less maintenance, and those have been around since the 1930s or before. Anyway, the point really is that costs have been cut and as a result so has long term viability of cars. Why do you think that headliners are made with cloth glued to foam on the average car if it isn't to cut costs? Rolls Royce isn't like that.
Only the high end cars that cost 100k or more generally are made with metal door cranks and quality interior trim.

Some things gave improved on new cars, but a lot of things just aren't as well made, and the best explanation for that is that most people don't keep their cars long enough for those things to go bad.I think basecoat/ clear coat is another example. Cars look shinier longer with less maintenance with clearcoat than with SS, but SS is far easier to touch up and work on, as well as keep long term, not to mention that it shows scratches less. By the time clearcoat failure occurs, a lot of people have gotten rid of that car and bought a new one already. I like a car designed to last a lifetime, whereas car manufacturers like the big 3, Toyota, Nissan and Honda seem to just want a car to be very functional for 10-15 years.

[Setec Astronomy]

Blackthorn, obviously you are an old car guy and I'm a new car guy, and that's ok, we can be different. My last car I kept for 16 years, so it was hardly new when I dumped it, not like I trade them in when the ashtrays are full (except cars don't have ashtrays anymore, nor do they have suspension lube points).

Some things gave improved on new cars, but a lot of things just aren't as well made, and the best explanation for that is that most people don't keep their cars long enough for those things to go bad...big 3, Toyota, Nissan and Honda seem to just want a car to be very functional for 10-15 years.

You're kidding, right? You're out of a different era than I am, I was a GM man and I'm mostly talking about 70's-80's cars, and I even worked at a GM dealer for a short while in there. Cars are so much better built and last so much longer now...before unleaded gas and hardened valve seats, if you got a car to 100K without a valve job it was a miracle, now any idiot can get a motor to go 200K. Maybe people don't keep cars as long these days, but it's because they get in an accident and with all the airbags the ins. co. totals, the car, not because cars don't last.

When I started driving, if you looked at a 10 year old car with 100K, it's life was pretty much over. The engine and trans were sick, the paint was shot and the body had rust perforation. Today that car is ready for a second 10 years and 100K.

[BiggenF15]

Those are usually covered with a vinyl tape, or, that IS black vinyl tape you are looking at. I treat it like vinyl or rubber trim. Formula 303 Aerospace is an excellent choice, I think. I have seen those areas where the tape has actually peeled off of the door, so you can see it is a tape or film, and not painted.

The piece looks just like oxidized black paint so I couldn't resist running my DA polisher with an orange pad and Megs 205 across it just once. It turned the pad black and really made the trim look nice after only one pass.

Could I damage that trim by doing that?

[Blackthorn One]

The piece looks just like oxidized black paint so I couldn't resist running my DA polisher with an orange pad and Megs 205 across it just once. It turned the pad black and really made the trim look nice after only one pass.

Could I damage that trim by doing that?

Well, you removed the oxidation from the surface of it, which revealed the original color underneath. The vinyl is only so thick so you can't keep doing that forever, but I don't think any major damage was done after doing it just once or twice. Now you need to protect it with something.