What's best on the exterior black plastic?
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iwashmycar (07-24-2017)
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Another vote for this stuff. I'll smear a decent coat on all the black trim after I wash the car, and it keep it looking decent for a longer time than if I didn't apply it.
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back in my early Miata days there was plenty of discussion about preserving the top which was vinyl ... the two recommended products were 303 and Zymol Vinyl .....
After playing around with both I settled on Zy and have been using it on rubber, vinyl, dark plastic ete etc for years. I sold my Miata at 12 years and the top looked like new ..... and the dash had no cracks (a Miata issue)
I use it still today ..... not cheap, but a little goes a LONG way. Not a gloss finish and prefered application is when the surface is HOT!
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recent issue of MiniWorld has a comment on the topic in the Q&A section .... they recommend shoe polish!!!!! In a by-line titled RUBBER REVIVAL: "Renovating boot polish is very useful for re-colouring plastic and rubber components."
They do continue to mention that 'renovating shoe polish' is not the same as standard shoe polish and therefore more difficult to find. BUT it has been found to last SEVERAL YEARS between applications . . . examples were Land Rover bumper caps and dash switches .....
After playing around with both I settled on Zy and have been using it on rubber, vinyl, dark plastic ete etc for years. I sold my Miata at 12 years and the top looked like new ..... and the dash had no cracks (a Miata issue)
I use it still today ..... not cheap, but a little goes a LONG way. Not a gloss finish and prefered application is when the surface is HOT!
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recent issue of MiniWorld has a comment on the topic in the Q&A section .... they recommend shoe polish!!!!! In a by-line titled RUBBER REVIVAL: "Renovating boot polish is very useful for re-colouring plastic and rubber components."
They do continue to mention that 'renovating shoe polish' is not the same as standard shoe polish and therefore more difficult to find. BUT it has been found to last SEVERAL YEARS between applications . . . examples were Land Rover bumper caps and dash switches .....
#14
I am no material science engineer. The biggest threat to plastic and rubber (and just about anything) is UV, and common car caring snake oil products, especially wax. Garaging a car makes incredible difference but not everyone has that option. I keep my outside vehicles covered especially in the summer sun.
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For instance, I've been using a waterless wash system (which has a small amount of paint sealant in, and of course doesn't really get rinsed away) and noticed that Black Wow wasn't sticking to the trim like it used to - it would kind of smear over the surface. Pre Wow took care of that.
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For OP's question about preserving black trim, I'd say 303--hands down. I've used it on everything from VWs to Mustangs to Porsches, and it has the best UV protection and natural-looking (i.e., low) sheen. It's also awesome on tires, IME lasting and looking better than tire-specific products (unless you like the super-shiny, almost greasy look, then you're probably better off with Armor All or whatever).
For restoring black trim, over the years I've tried everything/looked everywhere, then finally posed the question on a body shop owners forum earlier this year. They told me about this stuff, and on my car it has been amazing. It turned my sun-faded trim a uniformly deep black, and easily removed the baked-on streaks of wax left on the wheel well moldings by the PO. It also made my slightly faded lower valance and grill look like new. https://lmr.com/item/AT-01008/Auto-Tech-Trim-Re-Nu. YMMV, but I love this stuff. (Note, there is a product with a very similar name that is unrelated, make sure you know what you are buying.)
I think on our cars clean, new-looking trim is one of those subtle things that really make the car pop, so it's worth it to keep it, or get it, looking good. Just my $.02.
For restoring black trim, over the years I've tried everything/looked everywhere, then finally posed the question on a body shop owners forum earlier this year. They told me about this stuff, and on my car it has been amazing. It turned my sun-faded trim a uniformly deep black, and easily removed the baked-on streaks of wax left on the wheel well moldings by the PO. It also made my slightly faded lower valance and grill look like new. https://lmr.com/item/AT-01008/Auto-Tech-Trim-Re-Nu. YMMV, but I love this stuff. (Note, there is a product with a very similar name that is unrelated, make sure you know what you are buying.)
I think on our cars clean, new-looking trim is one of those subtle things that really make the car pop, so it's worth it to keep it, or get it, looking good. Just my $.02.
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The recommended method is to put a tiny amount (the size of a pea) onto a foam applicator pad at a time. That much will cover most of a wheel arch on a Mini, believe it or not. If the plastic is faded, you'll have to use more, but one bottle will last for many, many applications.