Auto Detailing question

[dankeenan]

I have a F-150 with the standard OEM black plastic bed caps, mirrors, and door handles. Every time I detail it I put a protectant on the plastic. No matter what I use, it seems the first good rain I have white streaks running down the body from the plastic parts. What do you guys use for black plastic?

 

[oldno3fan]

clean real good with alchol and use mothers back to black.... done

 

[TipsyMcStagger]

What do you guys use for black plastic?

303 Protectant.

Tipsy

 

[ilovevocs]

The 303 is a great product. I use it on my snowmoblie tracks during summer storage.

For automotive applications such as this my prefernce is meguiar's #40.

 

[DHCrocks]

ultima tire and trim guard plus, best trim product I have used so far. its gives a nice darkened finish and will last quite a long time without streaking. Not so good for tires, doesn't seem to last very long but on trim it's a winner.

 

[Schleprock]

ultima tire and trim guard plus, best trim product I have used so far. its gives a nice darkened finish and will last quite a long time without streaking. Not so good for tires, doesn't seem to last very long but on trim it's a winner.

X2 Ultima has some nice products and easy to use.

 

[jlmotox]

TRUST ME!!!!! stuff is made by BONDO called Restore Black I got mine at Pep Boys and is the best stuff by far I have tried hands down!!! I am a clean freak when it comes to my rides and have tried about everything out there, this stuff is amazing!
It soaks into the plastic and you can wipe you finger on it after it dries and it is dry not greasy and looks new! A friend of mine told me about this stuff about 6 months ago and all my plastic looks new still after only one application! after mudding my truck many many washes even with my pressure washer!
I will say it is messy to apply and you NEED to wear gloves and taping off paint/anything you don't want treated but it is well worth it!

 

[fdtrucks]

http://www.chemicalguys.com/GEL_Trim_Restorer_High_Shine_Forever_Black_p/tvd_108_16.htm

A little goes a very long way. All they're products are amazing!

 

[ambenz]

I like easy. I use Ice wax on all my plastic...last a long time and is safe for plastic.
I use Ice wax on my Mustang in a pinch and when I got some on the plastic, it looked good, so I tried it on the Ranger plastic areas, like you have, and it's awesome...even if it's not made for plastic.

 

[Matt M PA]

303 is very good. The secret is to buff after application to avoid it from running off or leaving trails.

 

[Temaweaver]

Griots Garage bumper and trim reconditioner. It's lasts for years not months.

http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/bumper+and+trim+reconditioner+8+ounces.do

 

[Justin C]

Wizzards Black Renew works awsome.

 

[cbracer]

for protection after each wash 303 is great. Wipe on, rub on, then buff off. If you need the black color restored then get restore stuff from Griots. But that restore stuff isn't to use after every wash, shouldn't need to if you use 303.

 

[topp64]

I would have to agree with 303 Aerospace Protectant. Chemical Guys Black on Black works great too.

 

[Jsf721]

If you want to permanently fix the issue, wash it really good and wipe it down with Iso Alcohol or Prep Solv to get all the grease off the surface and use a permanent trim restorer. Good one is :
http://www.detailersdomain.com/Wolfs-Chemicals-WM-1NT-Trim-Coat_p_531.html

You can also ask around in Detailingbliss.com a car detail forum I spend too much time on-LOL

These say permanent but in reality they last a very long time through rain and such. Plan on re-applying 3-4 times per year to keep it looking nice.

There are also dyes that you can use but I have no experience with those.

Good Luck

 

[Jsf721]

DHCrocks, nice to see you over here as well as on Fresh Alloy. Yes, Ultima tire and trim is a great product for trim.

ultima tire and trim guard plus, best trim product I have used so far. its gives a nice darkened finish and will last quite a long time without streaking. Not so good for tires, doesn't seem to last very long but on trim it's a winner.

 

[thrillho]

I use Stoner's Trim Shine on both interior and exterior. Works fantastic, doesn't streak or whiten and lasts for months even through rain. I also like how it brings back the life to faded trim without that greasy/overly shiny wet look. I also appreciate that it doesn't collect dust after you spray it on.

Huge fan of all the Stoner products (insert punchline here).

You can order online http://www.stonersolutions.com/ but I just normally pick it up at the local Auto Parts store.

 

[shoot summ]

What you are seeing is the difference between a product that is water based, and a product that is solvent based. Water based obviously wont last long, look for the solvent based products.

 

[Matt M PA]

There's another trick for black textured plastics. Heat. Using a hair dryer or (carefully) a heat gun, you can often get the parts to go black again. Lasts longer than any topical dressing too.

 

[JimVonBaden]

clean real good with alchol and use mothers back to black.... done

That is my preferred plastic product for exteriors.

Jim