Black: Trim + Weather stripping, how to get black again? Clean windows too?

I

integraoligist

New member
1. the black plastic trim on my '97 is fadded... i.e. the "water runners" on the roof, and the large piece under the windshield wipers...



i tried useing Vinylx (sp?) on it, which is what i use on the interior, but it didnt do anything...



what do you all sugguest?







2. also, for my black rubber trim around my doors... what whould i use to black'en it? i was thinking the "wet tire shine" that you put on your tires?





3. how do you clean your windows and make them look like they are freshly waxxed? i hear rainX is pretty good... but i dont know.





sorry for all the questions, i'm just trying to get my on-line order ready so i can order everything all at once ;)



Thanks all!
 
You'll probably want something that lasts.



There are two semi-permanent product kits I'm aware of that ought to do the trick.



There are kits made by Trimonex and Auto Int/Valugard (the ETR-II Kit)



I believe the products in these kits can also be purchased individually.



RainX is ok if applied successfully. Aquapel is longer lasting. It's a different chemistry.
 
Meg's NXT glass cleaner is good for windows. Cleans and protects.



For the trim, try PB's trim restore first, and if it doesn't get the job done, dye it. Dying is a little more hassle, but sometimes its the only way to go. Top of the Line sells a great dye kit.
 
ok, i got you both on the windows...



Timmy, i was thinking about dying it... but just to do that single piece is kind of a waste of a whole bottle lol

Does PB Trim restore just clean... or give it a wet-look or what?



Bill, Auto Int/Valugard (the ETR-II Kit) Exterior Trim Repair Kit for around $90 yikes lol... and i can't seem to find the Trimonex, do you have a site?



is'nt Back-To-Black a dye? any experiences?
 
Those products are available individually. Unless you think you need them all, they still could be an option. TOL and Trimonex.com are the two other sites.



Nope, Back to Black isn't a dye. It's a sort of syrupy dressing. I hate it. It could make the trim look glossy but look out if it is exposed to rain. On a pervious car,no matter what I tried : cleaning the trim, applying it ultra sparingly, etc, it still ran off and made some stubborn stain lines on my paint if exposed to rain. :down. Worse, when it did wash away, spots of the trim were white!. It sure seemed like the solvent system of the product damaged or otherwise attacked the trim. Aside from ditching the Back to Black altogether, reapplying it made it look better but I had to follow the cycle: if it rained, had to take time to remove the stubborn stains on the paint, clean off the trim, cover the white spots by reapplying Back to Black again.



These other products above are supposed to perform a lot better, last and do no damage.
 
megs gold class trim restorer...one or two heavy apps...wipe off excess...my 95 jeep had all kinds of faded black plastic and the gold class brought it back to life....I did top with nxt protectant as well, it rained shortly after applying and the nxt cleaned it up....
 
Save yourself the headache for the trim on the roof. It's cheap and readily available from the dealer. It also happens to be easy to install yourself. Once they start to turn nasty they pretty much wont turn around. If you have some VM it will buy you some time if they aren't cracked at all. If they have cracked, get new ones.
 
lol, so NOOOO back-to-black...



SpoiledMan, it's about $160 for that piece of trim near the wiper blades... so i dont think i'll be getting a new one :D





as far as Dye, what about "Forever Black"? i hear that it's good for about 6 months before it starts to fade again?
 
The products I mentioned claim they last double that time if not longer. All depends on how often you want to re apply, quality and price you're looking for.
 
integraoligist said:
1. the black plastic trim on my '97 is fadded... i.e. the "water runners" on the roof....
Click to expand...



I was referring to this. VM will also work wonders on the stuff at the bottom of the windshield too.
 
Thanks Bill, i'll have to inquire about the single item's Triminox has and see what they run.



SpoiledMan, what is VM?



and i guess Forever Black is out of the question too :o
 
it may sound strange, but I'd tape 'em off and spray the pieces with flat black trim paint... duplicolor makes stuff specifically for this purpose in rattle-can form. I've used it before, and it actually works quite well.
 
integraoligist said:
Thanks Bill, i'll have to inquire about the single item's Triminox has and see what they run.
Click to expand...



Aside from Trimonex's GR-40 cleaner, they have Trim-A-Shield in clear plus ten other colors I'm guessing varying in degree of gloss.





As for the Valugard ETR-II products, they have Color Guard, UV Guard and Toner as well as New Car Prep ( I just used it, a solvent like Prepsol) to initially clean the trim. All of those are single items as well.



Valugard's claim to fame is successful OE use by many of the big name auto manufacturers.
 
Shiny Lil Detlr said:
it may sound strange, but I'd tape 'em off and spray the pieces with flat black trim paint... duplicolor makes stuff specifically for this purpose in rattle-can form. I've used it before, and it actually works quite well.
Click to expand...



i didnt even think of this... i just bought a 5oz color-match for my stock paint from Dupli-color... would the paint stick and HOLD to the trim?





Bill, the Trim-A-Shield is the same color dye that themightytimmah sugguested as well... I'd have to mask everything off using this to make sure i dont get it on Paint or the windshield... right?
 
I would try and hit it first with some Poorboys Trim Restorer or AIO which I had really good luck with on mine and my wife's trim.

It removed alot of oxidation and made it look black again. I hate doing trim and most products like dressings make it look good for a short time or quickly wash off with rain. I like the AIO cause it cleans and protects. As far as durability too soon but it made it look great again. This was on all the rubber/plastic weatherstripping and top roof rack. If that doesn't help go for one of the dye Bill D mentioned. But being a 98 and if it was neglected the dye may be your only choice but AIO and PB trim restorer are two great products to have in your arsenal.
 
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