Plastic exterior trim

9296 Views 16 Replies 10 Participants Last post by tonyt44, Jun 11, 2020

jeremybingham

Discussion Starter · Sep 12, 2016 (Edited)

I had my wheel arch trim damaged by someone rubbing a huge oil hose past the car.this left superficial scuffs. Rather than buy a very overpriced new arch i rubbed the plastic with farecla scratch remover then paint restorer (tcut).this got rid of the scratches while leaving the plastic looking prettymuch the same in terms of texture BUTthe process after cleaning with solvents seemed to age and bleach the plastic ie discoloured so since then ive been trying different treatments with findings as follows;

Peanut butter,cheaplooks good for a while but soon fades with rain or washing eg needs doing every2 WEEKS.

Autglym trim gel. As above but initially looks even better but again two rainstorms and it is streaking.£8 wipe on and leave or buff off.

Bmw /mini plastic trim cleaner,nice understated finish lasts about three weeks or three or four rain showers/washes agajn 8£ rub on buff off or leave

Poorboys trim cleaner smells great looks great initially lasted about two weeks £12 nicer inside!

Gtecchnique crystal serum. £40 for a tiny pot but supposed to last. Well it does best yet on my tricky surface 8 weeks. At this point bits appear to flake off so you get teeny dull or pale spotsbut at this price not justfiable imo. The cleaner the plastic(with solvent too) the better .rub on leave to dry.

Valet pro black to the future. £8 for a pot that will do five or six trestments. Rubs on like a very soft wax leave to dry then buff of. So far easily the best FOUR WEEKS IN STILLL OOKING PERFECT. THE BEST PRICE/ PERFORMANCE /Looks COMPROMISE SO FAR.

I do want to try black wow. Not cheap and now ive found the valet pro product i may well not bother!

PLEASE BARE IN MIND THIS APPLIES TO DAMAGED/AGED LOOKING PLASTIC. FINDINGS ON PERFECT PLASTIC ARE DIFFERENT IN THAT ALL OF THE PRODUCTS LAST A BIT LONGER.

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8balls

· #2 · Sep 12, 2016

Thanks for the info Jeremy, I have slight streaking on all my wheel arch trims and already tried Autoglym but streaks returned after 2 - 3 weeks so was looking for something a bit more permanent.

I purchased my car from a previous owner and have no idea what has caused the white streaks, maybe a exterior cleaning solution that was too strong?

Cheers

jeremybingham

Discussion Starter · #3 · Sep 12, 2016

Yes highly likely. I find the streaky ness very annoying but drew the line at£70 for a new arch! So far small pot of the valet pro black to the future £7 on ebay is lasting best and great value too! Loads left.

Reactions: 1

Migomes

· #4 · Sep 12, 2016

I use Gtechniq C1 for plastic exterior trim with good results. One car has it applied for over an year now, still going strong. Worth a try imho. Preparation is very important though.

Reactions: 1

jeremybingham

Discussion Starter · #5 · Sep 12, 2016

Yes as i stated didnt work for long for me but of course the surface of my trim is compromised!

Blue al

· #6 · Sep 12, 2016

When my arches go past best before date, I will colour code the lot
Job done

Reactions: 1

fradaj

· #7 · Sep 13, 2016

Try Black Wow. Once you put it on it is hard to get off, so as not to be too greasy.

jeremybingham

Discussion Starter · #8 · Sep 13, 2016

Black wow is really the only treatment i want to try but at £18 for a tiny amount compared to £7 for a decent pot i may well be using black to the future for the foreseeable future!

bjblyth

· #9 · Jun 5, 2020

Sonax Plastic Trim Restorer gel! I’m really impressed with it, especially now it’s rained too. Beads nicely!

jeremybingham

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jun 5, 2020

Might give that a go now that my c4 pot has run out; bit pricey but it lasts well- black to the future is pretty good but not permanent /! or as long lasting as c4-be interesting to see how long sonax lasts.

Robby Vrs

· #11 · Jun 5, 2020

I used Auto Finesse revive the other week - very pleased with the results, doesn't streak after getting wet like some others and hasn't faded/worn off yet

nsm3

· #12 · Jun 6, 2020

I just use Carplan Original Black - £4.50 from Halfords. Seems to last for about 3/4 washes? Originally got it for the textured plastic, lower door side blades on my Macan, which, however well you wash the car, always dry to a light, hazy brown (why they would design it that way is beyond me?).

Last wash, the Mini front arch trims were exhibiting some 'waxy' runs at the joint between the bonnet and wing shutlines (now suspect some leftover Autoglym Polar Seal in the joint area?) and I made the mistake of going at them with a plastic kitchen scouring pad. Not a good idea as the direct area went a hazy grey! Seems to have corrected with Turtlewax Black Polish (I know that coloured car polish does not work on paintwork, but it is good marketing!) and a couple of applications of Carplan OB.

I'm not a huge fan of black plastic trim on cars (seems very 1980's), but on the Mini, it is such an integral part of the design/look, the painted versions shown in another thread don't seem right imho, so I am resigned to the additional maintenance?

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bjblyth

· #13 · Jun 6, 2020

nsm3 said:
I just use Carplan Original Black - £4.50 from Halfords. Seems to last for about 3/4 washes? Originally got it for the textured plastic, lower door side blades on my Macan, which, however well you wash the car, always dry to a light, hazy brown (why they would design it that way is beyond me?).

Last wash, the Mini front arch trims were exhibiting some 'waxy' runs at the joint between the bonnet and wing shutlines (now suspect some leftover Autoglym Polar Seal in the joint area?) and I made the mistake of going at them with a plastic kitchen scouring pad. Not a good idea as the direct area went a hazy grey! Seems to have corrected with Turtlewax Black Polish (I know that coloured car polish does not work on paintwork, but it is good marketing!) and a couple of applications of Carplan OB.

I'm not a huge fan of black plastic trim on cars (seems very 1980's), but on the Mini, it is such an integral part of the design/look, the painted versions shown in another thread don't seem right imho, so I am resigned to the additional maintenance?

Our Macan has the carbon fibre inserts so thankfully don't have that problem

I did see someone who had the black plastic trim painted in matt black. I though it was genius! Doesn't detract from the look and nor does it fade. Could be an alternative option?

Reactions: 2

nsm3

· #14 · Jun 6, 2020

bjblyth said:
Our Macan has the carbon fibre inserts so thankfully don't have that problem

I did see someone who had the black plastic trim painted in matt black. I though it was genius! Doesn't detract from the look and nor does it fade. Could be an alternative option?

Mine is coming up 3 years old, so learnt to live with it now, but if I was to 'go again' I would definitely opt for the painted or carbon versions?

Jelster

· #15 · Jun 8, 2020

My arches have been crap from day 1 (well about 6 weeks in). They turn grey the day after cleaning no matter what I use, and I've used a lot of different products on them in the last 3 years.

I have considered getting them all wrapped in either gloss or matt black, haven't got around to it.

Robby Vrs

· #16 · Jun 9, 2020

Jelster said:
My arches have been crap from day 1 (well about 6 weeks in). They turn grey the day after cleaning no matter what I use, and I've used a lot of different products on them in the last 3 years.

I have considered getting them all wrapped in either gloss or matt black, haven't got around to it.

Wrap wont stick to them properly as they're textured
I've applied some Auto Finesse Revive on mine, had it on 3 or 4 weeks now and it still looks good

tonyt44

· #17 · Jun 11, 2020

i've been using autoglym tyre gel on my external plastic trim. works really well. doesn't streak at all. leave it on for a day then give a gentle wipe over and it stays looking good. I think anything that is of a petroleum based gel / liquid will work well. I know this may sound silly but have you tried vaseline. cheap easy product

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