I use Vinylex and very happy with it.

 

I've been using Mother's "Back to Black" and am NOT happy with it, dulls in about a week in Nevada, I was going to try something else and will try the Vinylex. I've used 303 on a Miata vinyl top and it lasted pretty well but had a film which transferred to the window when the top was folded. Don't know if it would attract dust.

 

3M Adhesive remover to remove white wax marks from black trim.


Trim Shine to shine and protect black trim.

Rain - X for rims to prevent brake dust from sticking

 

I like the Rain-X idea.
Dust be a pain.

 

You can also use wax on your wheels for similar results. I am not sure if Rain X may harm the wheel's finish in the long term.

 

Another vote for Meguiar's #40 cleaner. Great stuff.

 

I've used a number of items on the textured trim:

Peanut Oil- for the price, it works. But it stays oilly, and attacts dirt.

Vinylex- Looks great, but washes right off.

303 Aerospace Protectant- removes wax and protects. But won't clean embedded dirt.

Autoglym Bumper Care- the best of the bunch. The gel cleans out the toughest dirt and wax. Leaves trim nice and dark. Lasts for a while--water even beads up on it.

 

I want to thank you all for having this discussion. I was going crazy with the freaking white wax that was all over my fender flares and trim from the sloppy detailer (that was disguized with Armor All when they finished my car).

I tried the peanut butter with a damp sponge and I was AMAZED by the results. It was so easy....so cheap...so brilliant. In 10 minutes I was done with the peanut butter and then just washed the Mini and detailed like normal.

Thanks again...this is why I love reading the posts on NAM. My Mini looks great!

PS...chunky works great too...it's like having some extra pumice to get at the wax.

 

Peanut butter works, but I've found peanut oil really gets into the cracks. Flood it with the stuff, wipe it away, no white

 

Just remember to wash off the butter or oil residue REALLY well.

Unless you like squirrel footprints on your car, that is.

Three guesses on how I know of this, and the first two don't count..

Cheers,
Matthew Z.

 

In a MINI, it's not the squirrels I worry about with the peanut oil.


It's all of the elephants! I figure Sam could out run one, but why chance it? (ESPECIALLY during mating season! There's a mental picture that is NOT pleasant!)


Just tried Vinylex. Goes on good and looks great, but am not sure how long it lasts...

 

For the past year I've used Z1 Tiefenpfleger Vinyl/Rubber Care on my trim. It works very well and lasts a long time. The only drawback is that Z1 products are not available locally, which is too bad because their glass cleaner is also extremely good. I'll be trying other products mentioned here, but if you happen across some Z1...don't worry, it's very good.

Another thing...I use the Klasse twins (All-In-One and Sealant Glaze) on my MINI. It leaves no white residue on the trim at all....never.

 

I sprayed 303 on some snow tires (stored outside under the sun) to protect them over the summer, then got rid of the car. It's been fifteen years since then and they are still shiny black! Of course one washing with soap and it comes off the car but whaddya expect? Most recently saw it for sale at Daiei.

Rain-X was originally developed for Lexan airplane windshields but the consumer bottle warns against using on plastics (it has apparently caused clouding on some motorcycle windscreens). I've used it on plastics for years without issue.

 

I've been using RainX windsheild washer fluid for the last year. Both the winter and summer mixes.
The winter mix is GREAT. The summer mix seems to be only slightly better than the cheap stuff.

 

OT: The discontinued "STP Vision Blade" was by far the longest lasting Rain-X type glass coating but now can only be found on ebay. Came in single-use ampules. Not useful for black trim though.

 

I used to have a jeep with black plastic flares...don't know if the MINI stuff is the same, but here's what we would do:


http://www.creeperjeepers.org/FenderFlareFix

This is a quick and easy fix. It looks great (on my jeep) and last 6 months to a year.

ymmv

sprung

 

The Mother's Back to Black fades pretty quickly in Massachusetts, too. I definitely regret the purchase. It's no more effective than using peanut oil, corn oil, motor oil, massage oil...

 

never tried any massage oil, at least not on the black plastic, but VinylX works great, cleans off any white residue and leaves them jet black for weeks

 

VinylX does not remove the wax. However, I tried 3m Adhesive and wax remover. It's great. You can actually see the embedded wax being pulled from the grain. Follow the instruction (don't rub). Whole car takes about an hour.

When finished, then use the VinylX for protection. :smile: :smile: :smile:

 

Agreed.

 

I have been detailing since the beginning of time and I have never had the results like with FOREVER BLACK Dye! My car looks better than the day I got it. Love it!

 

I have been using Meguiar's Professional Vinyl and Rubber Cleaner/Conditioner for some time on my cars. It is water based as well. Anyone used it and the Vinylex?

One benefit I accidently discovered with the Meguiars product is on the wheels. I use the stuff on the tires and one day I accidently lost my balance (hey, I am old!) and squeezed off a full trigger swath across the wheel of our Lexus (my MC will be ordered next month). I quickly cleaned it up. Noted it did not seem to harm the wheel's clear coat and moved on.

Next time I washed the car, I notcied the wheel I had sprayed just needed to be sprayed clean. The brake dust washed right off. Since then I have been using it in the wheels as well and it has made keeping them clean much easier.

By the way, what the heck does 'OC' stand for?

 

Holy thread revival people! But since we're talking about it, what about Prima Nero and Octane-Guy's-yet-unamed-super-special-sauce?

 

Well, slap me silly! ParrishBlue got me on that one.

**makes note: parishblue is on the list as a bumpty, which is only slightly better than a numpty...check**

 

Whatever you use on the exterior vinyl, afterwards wax it with Ice from Turtle wax. It keeps it black and relatively clean for a LONG time.