Suggestions for old black trim?

imported_Gears

imported_Gears

New member
I'm doing a detail on a 1987 Caddillac Allante. The paint isn't too bad considering its age but the black plastic trim is really going to need some work to make it look good.



The black rocker panels came back to life with 303 but the door handles are my big problem. They don't seem stained from wax just faded to a light gray. The 303 just seems to soak in and doesn't do anything. What will work on these door handels?
 
With out seeing the trim it is really difficult to say weather or not it could/would come back to life with any products! However ... I would highly recomend Poorboys Trim Restorer. If its too far gone you might have to use a product like back to black or something that re-dyes the trim! Although im not really positive that Back to Black is the right product for that job!
 
Back to Black isn't very strong and would require tons of elbow grease to get a good result on really old weathered trim. I've heard good things about PB Trim restorer.
 
PB's Trim Restore might do the trick, if not you need a dye kit. The dye kits really work miracles, but they are not cheap. Mine cost me 75 bucks or so, for two colors, and its been money VERY well spent, so far. I figure that I can get atleast 20 cars out of the kit, and if you charge 15.00 per dye job, it pays for itself very quickly.
 
Are these door handles plastic or matt black paint? If they are painted then you must need to either find a way to polish them out or repaint them. My assumption is that they are painted since the 303 does not help.
 
Jetskie, nope the handles are unpainted plastic. Like I said in my first post the 303 just gets absorbed and the handles stay gray.



MDRX8 posted a link to a inexpensive dye I may try. Thanks.
 
Gears said:
Jetskie, nope the handles are unpainted plastic. Like I said in my first post the 303 just gets absorbed and the handles stay gray.



MDRX8 posted a link to a inexpensive dye I may try. Thanks.
Click to expand...



Clearkote vanilla moose will strip all the oxidation straight off and return them to a nice matt black finish

Will need some other product for protection.
 
I've tried a product on some similar door handles: Kiwi Black Shoe Dye (not the polish...the dye). I used the dauber on the handles and it has held up for the last couple of weeks with no problems.



I also used this process on the underhood liner of my show car Mach 1. It had some water streaks and someone gave me the idea. It lasts about 1 year on the underhood liner.



The dye is available at most hardware stores and mass merchants and costs about $2. Might be worth a try.



I'll try to get some pics to post.
 
kiwi shoe dye works very well and lasts a long time, but the best thing i have ever used on my gti bumpers, trim, etc. is a propane torch. it sounds intense but works miracles. the trim will turn black again WAY BEFORE it melts it or has time to affect the paint.
 
A torch? Hey, even if it would work there ain't no way I'm using a torch on these handles.

These cars have been out of production for 12 years and the total produced was less than 30,000 cars. The only place to get replace body parts or glass is a junk yard.

I think I stick with the idea of dying the handles.
 
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