Ron,
Yes, the front end and back end of your car, (and actually almost all cars today) are plastic and they are painted with the same paint as the rest of the car..
There may not be as much paint on the plastic parts as the metal parts, but I dont have a thickness gauge expensive enough to tell me that is true, but from what I have seen and learned from decades, I think there is less paint on those parts, unless it is repainted by a body shop after the fact..
So with those parts being plastic, you need to know and remember that they will Not conduct heat worth a darn compared to the metal parts of the vehicle, so you have to watch how long you stay on one spot and get it too hot, because, as already said, the heat wont conduct/transfer from that spot to the rest of the panel as in the way metal does, ok ?
The plastic parts will correct to whatever level you want them too, and will take a good wax or sealant, or coating just fine and look as beautiful as the rest of the paintwork...
There are specific pad cleaners available here at the Store on this website, and the one that I have used for over 10 years is Snappy Clean -
Snappy Clean Pad Cleaning Powder 3 Pack - Link
This product works great for cleaning the pads and getting all the gunk out of them easily while not hurting the foam or the backing.. These come 3 to a pack, I only use half a pack at a time in say 3 gallons of water, so that would be 6 times you can wash your pads if you want to experiment with my method..
Just be sure to wear some nitrile, etc., gloves when doing this because Snappy Clean will remove all the oils out of your skin and could leave it really dry..
While Using the pads, I like to keep a nice clean white detailing cotton towel handy, and just wipe off all the product on the pad, about every pass so that the pad is free of spent compound and gunk from the paint pores, before I go over that spot again, or go to a new spot on the panel...
You can also use a plastic brush to help clean them off but be careful that you don't tear the pad up doing that..
I like to use a dedicated Pad Conditioner on my pads so they dont dry up and wear faster, and it also has the benefit of helping the compound/product work longer and more completely..
The one here at this store is this ---
BLACKFIRE Advanced Pad Conditioner
I have never used this one, but I am sure it is great..
The one I use and have used for years is Chemical Guys Pad Conditioner.. It also works great and I see no need to change it.
Link to retail site removed
You know, I actually Love the challenge, Love the work, and most of all Love seeing a vehicle come from dirty everything to perfectly clean everything, and then lastly, seeing that beautiful car in that beautiful color drive away reflecting the sun so perfectly, the Interior, the engine, the trunk all spotless, no dirt to be found, all conditioned and clean...
And having the mindset and attitude you have come to have, Ron, I say you are going to have an absolute great time, learning, experimenting, and in stages, increasing your knowledge and making that beautiful car even more beautiful..
Great job !
You got this !!
Dan F
