How to restore exterior black plastic trim

['03 Ram 5.9]

Routine maintenance = find something you like and use it often.

Mike - I know you always say find something you like and use it often but are there some products out there that actually dry the trim out over time due to being water based? If so, can you name products to stay away from or specific ingredients to look out for?

[timsatx]

Is this the brush that was used?

White Standard Carpet Brush

[gcollins]

Mike,

I am getting a new truck and plan on using Opti-Coat which says it can be used on plastic trim. Should I be doing something like this to the trim before I coat it.

And, after I coat it would the Opti-Coat protect it well enough that I wouldn't have to maintain it like this. Or is there some maintenance I would still have to do? (other than washing of course)

[builthatch]

Mike,

I am getting a new truck and plan on using Opti-Coat which says it can be used on plastic trim. Should I be doing something like this to the trim before I coat it.

And, after I coat it would the Opti-Coat protect it well enough that I wouldn't have to maintain it like this. Or is there some maintenance I would still have to do? (other than washing of course)

i am confident in the answer for this so i'll step in...

you don't want to do anything other than clean the new trim in preparation for Opti-Coat. any treatment past that will inhibit the coating's ability to bond to the trim.

if the truck is new, you shouldn't need more than a strong Dawn wash (allowing it to dwell during the wash) and then when dried, an IPA solution wipe down. at that point the trim should be ready for the Opti-Coat.

the coating will provide UV protection and also a physical barrier between the trim and the environment so other than washing, as long as you keep abrasives away from it...and acids...you should be a-ok and not have to give it any special treatment.

[akj]

I just got my first bottle of ultima trim and tire guard.. I love it!! Although it seems like it goes quick.

Sent from my SCH-L710 using AG Online

[BrutalNoodle]

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.

Hard to believe a method as simple as APC & carpet attachment would yield such an amazing result! Talk about unbelievable transformation. If it wasn't for the photos, I would be highly skeptical.

I'm going to give this one a try tomorrow. Thank you very much!

[Mike Phillips]

May I ask what it was that you used in this demo?

Used,

Meguiar's G110v2
Black Cyclo Brush
Blackfire APC
Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant

Thanks for this info. I am very interested in getting exterior plastic restored. Where do you find aerospace 303?

You can find it on the AG Store. 303 is a good product too...

the brush that is showen in post #17, is it one of the Cyclo brushes?

Yes it's the black one...

Cyclo Polisher Brushes

Mike - I know you always say find something you like and use it often but are there some products out there that actually dry the trim out over time due to being water based?

If so, can you name products to stay away from or specific ingredients to look out for?

Water-based doesn't really tell the entire story. I'm not a chemist and never pretend to be. I'm not sure that just because a product is water-based this automatically means it will dry out plastic. Maybe go with a brand name you know and trust that the chemist creating the formulas has done their homework.

Is this the brush that was used?

White Standard Carpet Brush

No it is the black one seen here...



There are 4 different brushes available so you can choose the aggressiveness of the brush bristles for your scrubbing job...

Hard to believe a method as simple as APC & carpet attachment would yield such an amazing result! Talk about unbelievable transformation. If it wasn't for the photos, I would be highly skeptical.

I was surprized too... but that's how it looked. I really think the reason why the plastic came out looking so good is just that the brush on a machine that never gets tired pretty much cleaned off all the dead, gray plastic and got back down to fresh plastic, so to speak...

[/QUOTE]


Here's another way you can use your DA Polisher...


Best darn tire cleaning brush I've ever used!

[BrutalNoodle]

Here's another way you can use your DA Polisher...


Best darn tire cleaning brush I've ever used!

You, sir, are awesome.

[Desertnate]

I have a question regarding the smooth plastic around the base of a side-view mirror. From the pictures it would probably similar to the B-pillar trim in this example.

Last Spring I hit the plastics around the mirrors with Klasse AIO while detailing out my car. At the time they looked great, but soon turned hazy and oxidized looking. I've since learned this is proabably due to the chemical cleaners in the product.

In this situation, would the APC scrub down still do the trick, or will I need to polish those areas with something like PlasticX? If an APC will work, will a soft tooth brush fit the bill? The areas are tight and I have no desire to remove the mirrors from the car.

The damage is done and I'd like to make them look better without making the problem worse, i.e. further damage to the plastic. I have 303 lined up for protection, so I'm just focused on correction of my mistake at that point.

Thanks.

[ThomasonCarCare]

Does the brush not do any damage on the white part of the tire? Also, is it advised to take the trim pieces off of the vehicle if you want to use the PC or can you just be careful and use it while the trim is on?