Cleaning Up Greyed Arch Trims

[philfingers 5]

my bumpers and arch trims are pretty faded and grey. How can i restor the roiginal look. I've used autoglym bumper restorer (or something like that name!) but it's still not great. don't want to get involved in painting it. Any ideas?

 

Phil

[Tom Fenton 1,525]

Get a hot air gun to them, god knows why it works but it does, somehow the greyed appearance disappears and you get a darker finish back. Try it with caution as you can melt them if you do too much.

[1 FAT PUG 39]

Get a hot air gun to them, god knows why it works but it does, somehow the greyed appearance disappears and you get a darker finish back. Try it with caution as you can melt them if you do too much.

 

 

my mate works at a garage and he told me this is how they do it aswell

[philfingers 5]

that's good news. i just bought a heat gun to do the decorating with but working on the car sounds a better use of it!

 

Phil

[Retro Pug 0 1 Cars]

Can't comment on the heat gun, not tried that. I use Mcguires Gold Class Trim Detailer, it works very well and lasts a few weeks usually......

[shooter mcgavin 37]

anybody got any before/after pics

[damien 22 1 Cars]

pull them off and get some ph2 trim??

 

the old ph1 trim

 

 

some nice ph2 trim

 

[philfingers 5]

Damien if my Ph1 trims looked liked that I be happy with them! Mine are about as grey as the fence at the back!

[toddydal 1]

my back bumper was also like that fence,i tryed the hot heat gun and it made no difference so i painted mine when i painted my car,now look brand new

[pugrallye 0]

I dont think hot air gun technique works on 205 bumpers due to type of materials they use in construction. Does work on majority of other cars out there though, another trick is linseed oil... yes I know cricket bats and worktops, but although initially you have an oily residue wipe it off and will normally darken bumpers for about a month

[paul_portsmouth 3]

just been reading auto glym do a thing in there trade range called black dye it dyes the bumpers back to black just trying to find a stockist

[Guest si-gti]

peanut butter!!! i swear this works i use it all the time! just get a jar and wipe it allover the trim, aparrently the oil in peanut butter helps to restore it, lasts longer that back to black and gives off nice finish, try it

Edited January 27, 2008 by si-gti

[Paintguy 0]

I dont think hot air gun technique works on 205 bumpers due to type of materials they use in construction.

 

Agreed. It doesn't seem to work on 205 plastics as well as it does on other cars.

[Rupertfinch 6]

peanut butter!!! i swear this works i use it all the time! just get a jar and wipe it allover the trim, aparrently the oil in peanut butter helps to restore it, lasts longer that back to black and gives off nice finish, try it

 

Yeah, but you have to put up with 6 year old kids licking your bumpers!

[philfingers 5]

I wonder if you could use a regular black nylon dye used for clothes?

[Pob 1]

I wonder if you could use a regular black nylon dye used for clothes?

 

I use Maguires tyre dressing gel on mine, lasts ages and works really well..

 

Dan

[GLPoomobile 958]

I wonder if you could use a regular black nylon dye used for clothes?

 

Clothes dye needs to be added to a bath of water or washing machine and the clothing left in it for quite some time. And I know when my sister tried it some years ago it didn't do a very good job.

 

So I'd say no, clothes dye won't work LOL!

[mrblonde 0]

has anyone used that plastic spray for there trim??.

[damien 22 1 Cars]

has anyone used that plastic spray for there trim??.

 

nope but i do have some, was going to try it on my doorcards but ive been too busy

[Andy_C 50]

Give Raceglaze Plastic & Rubber Protectant a try - restores and leaves a great non oily sheen. We've used it on one of our daily cars and it lasts ages too.

 

http://www.raceglaze.co.uk/wheels&tyres.html

[Paintguy 0]

has anyone used that plastic spray for there trim??.

I've used a variety of them.

 

Halfords Flexible Vinyl Paint is pretty good, although after a couple of years it's starting to wear off in places (interior and exterior). U-Pol's PlastX range is pretty good, as is Bradleys Liquid Plastic (alarmingly similar products! Maybe a bit of re-branding going off there, lol).

[paul_portsmouth 3]

have you used the autoglym one?

[pacey205 2]

Paintguy, the plastic sprays do they do a shade or grey thats the same as the ph1 trim as Id quite like to keep mine the same colour just new looking as it pretty well matches the colour of my wheels. My mate used to work in a bodyshop and said they had a massive range of them but hes left now so I never got to have a good look

 

Michael

[M@tt 77]

that halfords flexi stuff is good as long as its not on anything that gets knocked or touched as it tends to flake off quite easily, i have first hand experience of this from doing my old dash and interior parts.

 

It lasted a while but then really looked pants after a bit.

[ChrisB 0]

A guy at my local bodyshop told me baby oil works best.