About 8 years ago there was a shop in Arizona called Aesthetic Creations and they offered black plastic trim covers for MINI door handles, fuel filler caps and F/R MINI badges. They closed up shop few years back but many folks purchased those covers as I did.

They came with a black satin finish which looked great as was or could be painted. I left mine black but over the years they have become a PITA to keep looking nice, much like the roof gutter trim.

Today I decided I was going to paint these pieces using Duplicolor products. Grease/wax Remover, Adhesion promoter and then Black Bumper Paint.

But since I couldn't remove the pieces from the car, I never got past the first step of prep and saved $$$$$.

I folded blue shop towel into small 2" square and decided to prep the handles while in the car using the Duplicolor Wax / Grease remover, then immediately wiped the area down with a dry blue shop towel. What I discovered was that the Grease/Wax remover restored the finish even better than new making these parts shine. I ended up doing the roof trim and the side view mirror bodies as well....everything shined up beautifully.

Use rubber gloves, it's strong stuff.

Can was less than $8 dolllars from Advance Auto Parts.

Here are some photos....





Mirror Body Before.


Mirror Body After.


Door handle done.


This is how the plastic looks now even before wiping down with Back to Black ect.

Worked just as well as on the gutter trim. With that trim after one wipe down and buff with paper towel, I wet another clean square area of a blue shop towel with the remover and then gave it one long even swipe from end to end without stopping. Then a quick buff with a clean blue towel to finish off. Shined right up.

 

Nice and shiny, how well do the handle covers stay on? I've been looking to get a set but don't want a cheap feel to my handles.

 

Couldn't get these off and been on for years...hahahah.

These Aesthetic Creations covers came with 3m glue strips....I purchased some of this glue strip on the internet because I was impressed with how well it worked and I had some uses for it from time to time....expensive stuff so only got a few feet. Costly and very sticky. Feel is good as these strips are all 100% glue so no foam as a medium in between.

These days I only see covers made in china, not sure what they use for adhesive but could be they only use the foam style 3m double backed type of tape...

 

Very nice trick....
Guess wax, etc must buildup on the surface giving stuff a bit of the grubby look!
Might need to try it on my roof trim....

 

You'd think but I never use wax, just ZIANO. I think it just removes all the weathered oxidation, towels gunked up black. I went back over roof trim with a trim sample from goodie bag at last Toys for Tots run, trim looks better than new. Nice rich look finish, took 3 coats.

 

Dave.O just turned me on to this stuff from Home Depot. It's pretty amazing.

 

remember that these products strip EVERYTHING ...

all that old crud gone is GOOD

BUT you'd better cover it FAST ...... a good wax immediately is important.

just like sanding down a rusted part .... getting good metal is fine .... but you better get some primer down FAST

exposed metal corrodes FAST ... not hours ... MINUTES allow the seeds to plant

 

Yeah....everyone he mentions it makes me think the commercial for "wipe-new" is that exact same stuff, just at a 500% markup....
Seen pics of it...does an amazing job...keep meaning to give it (penetrol) a try...

 

But......its plastic.....

 

So, on what exactly are you proposing to use the penetrol? I have quite a bit of oxidized plastic on several vehicles and that would definitely be an economical alternative if that is the recommended use.

 

Penotrol on the plastic...wash, dry, apply lightly in a dust free area...
Dave-o here, now on the other sites loves it...his car looks great...it works!!