BF3TS Vs. UTTG+ Vs. WETS on Extremely Faded Trim

[Angus]

For this comparison test I’m going to see if the severely faded front grill on my 1998 Honda Civic can be revived with BLACKFIRE’s new Total Trim & Tire Sealant (BF3TS), Ultima Tire & Trim Guard Plus (UTTG+), or Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant (WETS).



Now it should be known, none of these products were obtained for this specific application nor are they promoted for such an extreme case. But since I had them, why not give it a try? Miracles can happen right? (Spoiler alert – Nope!)

My front grill, cleaned with DP’s Cleanse-All and ready for its close up:



I know, it’s seen better days. But for a 16 year old daily driver, with 184K miles, that sits outside 24/7… I’m ok with it.

First up, UTTG+ applied to the passenger’s side of the grill:



Then WETS applied to the center trim inside the “H” Honda logo:



And finally BF3TS to the driver’s side of the grill:



All 3 products are quickly absorbed by the trim pieces and dry to the touch after 10-15 minutes.

But here’s the thing, I actually think my trim looks worse because now the uneven weathering is highlighted:





Hmm, ok lets add more and see if that helps?

Coat #2 of all three products:



Maybe a little?

I decide to let the car sit over night and see how it looks in the morning:





Yeah, not any better. At this point, adding any more products would be a waste.

In conclusion, if you have severely faded trim these are not the products to use. They were not designed nor are they intended to work miracles.

Hopefully in the future I’ll get my hands on a better suited product from Black Wow, Forever Black, or Solution Finish and give my front grill another go at restoring it back to black.

Stay tuned!

 

[mnehls86]

Wow. Not sure what to say. Dumb question but did you buff the product off after spreading? I've never seen anything like that just eat the product and not improve it.

 

[Angus]

Not a dumb question at all. Thanks for asking it. Yes, I did buff the products 10- 15 mins following each application in hopes it would help. But it didn't. On the second application more of the product was left on the surface so I knew the first application was doing something.

What I did notice however was the inside part of the trim did darken in color, dramatically more than the front facing parts:



Given it's position in the grill, I suppose it hasn't receive the same sort of daily abuse the rest of the piece of trim does? The level darkening was equal on both the UTTG+ and WG3TS sides.

I mainly wanted to share this experience so others in the same situations would know these products aren't the right choices. You really need to get a product containing black dyes.

Could I simply replace the whole part? Sure. Do I want to? Not really. That's less $ for detailing projects

 

[TroyScherer]

Based on how "faded" you trim is I would guess a trim dye would be a better solution. I would guess something like Finish Solution would help to even everything out. Then I would use one of your trim protectants to seal it in and maintain.

 

[The Critic]

I've seen this issue before - my dad has a 92 Toyota Previa with bumpers that are in that condition.

CarPro Dlux basically did nothing. Blackwow Pro actually worked great on it for about a month or two at a time.

 

[Angus]

Based on how "faded" you trim is I would guess a trim dye would be a better solution. I would guess something like Finish Solution would help to even everything out. Then I would use one of your trim protectants to seal it in and maintain.

I was wondering about using a product like Finish Solution and then coating it with a trim protectant. That seems like it would give me the best longevity. I wonder how well BF3TS/ UTTG+ will adhere to a surface already coated with another product?

I've seen this issue before - my dad has a 92 Toyota Previa with bumpers that are in that condition.

CarPro Dlux basically did nothing. Blackwow Pro actually worked great on it for about a month or two at a time.

Cool, thanks for the info. Good to know Dlux isn't a good choice either. I know Dlux has a lot of fans and I have yet to be disappointed in a single CarPro product.

 

[Ronkh]

Disappointing outcome

 

[Klock]

Bummer dude. Thanks for sharing!

 

[The Guz]

I read over on AGO about Mike Phillips stating that using an application of WETS could restore trim that has seen better days. You may want to to give the turtle wax jet black black endura shine trim coat a shot. I have been doing a side by side comparison with WETS and TW is holding it's own. The reason I'm saying to use it is because it is black in color which is sort of similar to solution finish.