Trim restorers.. what works what doesn't ? recommend me one

2

2000firebird

New member
I was going through some pictures and I had realized just how badly my hood cowl trim was..(under the shiny blue tools) it has a very greyish look compared to the deep black paint and it kind of sticks out pretty badly now that I think about it. I've been reading poorboy's was a good one for example, but alot of complains of "it washes off in the rain" so I'm just not sure if it's going to help me. Is a dye the only way to go? How do those hold up?

oh feel free to make fun of how dirty my engine bay is too but that's almost a lost cause

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Try looking into Solutions.
2000firebird said:
I was going through some pictures and I had realized just how badly my hood cowl trim was..(under the shiny blue tools) it has a very greyish look compared to the deep black paint and it kind of sticks out pretty badly now that I think about it. I've been reading poorboy's was a good one for example, but alot of complains of "it washes off in the rain" so I'm just not sure if it's going to help me. Is a dye the only way to go? How do those hold up?

oh feel free to make fun of how dirty my engine bay is too but that's almost a lost cause

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2000firebird- The cowl piece in my Crown Vic is about that bad...I'm not gonna do it right until after all the mechanical stuff gets done, but *some* day when I don't have other stuff to priorize I'll use the ValuGard ETR (Exterior Trim Restoration) kit. Very, very good stuff, and so far it seems Accumulator-proof.



Eh, pull it off and do it right with that stuff and I'm pretty confident you'll be happy. And yeah, it'll last, just don't abuse/neglect it too badly.



And hey, that engine comparment is *NOT* a lost cause by a country mile!! I start with stuff that's a lot worse than that most every time I buy a used vehicle. And I do mean a *LOT* worse, like... looking like rusty stuff spraypainted black (the black being due to all the grime). It took me a lot of hours just to get the Tahoe looking as nice as yours is now, and these days it's looking really swell. Just keep at it, think "incremental progress"; don't try to get it Autopian all at once.
 
Go to Valugard.net and the "training video" section to see the method used to apply the ETR.

There are also Manufacturer's Technical Service Bulletins on the site regarding the product and it's use by car manufacturers to do a "permanent" warranty repair for discolored plastic trim.

Grumpy
 
Accumulator said:
2000firebird- The cowl piece in my Crown Vic is about that bad...I'm not gonna do it right until after all the mechanical stuff gets done, but *some* day when I don't have other stuff to priorize I'll use the ValuGard ETR (Exterior Trim Restoration) kit. Very, very good stuff, and so far it seems Accumulator-proof.



Eh, pull it off and do it right with that stuff and I'm pretty confident you'll be happy. And yeah, it'll last, just don't abuse/neglect it too badly.



And hey, that engine comparment is *NOT* a lost cause by a country mile!! I start with stuff that's a lot worse than that most every time I buy a used vehicle. And I do mean a *LOT* worse, like... looking like rusty stuff spraypainted black (the black being due to all the grime). It took me a lot of hours just to get the Tahoe looking as nice as yours is now, and these days it's looking really swell. Just keep at it, think "incremental progress"; don't try to get it Autopian all at once.
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i'll check it out. i guess it's not as bad as it could be. my shock towers seem to be the worst, caked in.. something. and there is some rust already cracking (at the very border of the picture you can see it). i'll save a new thread and ask here, should I use an anti-rust spray paint on it? I'm sure it wouldn't match but i'm not sure which is worse. leaving it untreated or spraypainting it. Don't want to end up with the same problem you're describing either.
 
I've tried the rust spray and it works ok for surface rust. Still think if I had the energy I'd go back to taking it back to metal and primining it etc. Are you sure how deep the rust goes?
 
He'll know when he sands or grinds the rust deposits off.

That's when the real decision of what path to take is known.

Grumpy
 
Just used HD poxy on faded ford black plastic textured trim last night with amazing results. It looks brand new again. Has a nice deep satin finish and is dry to the touch, cant wait to see how it holds up.
 
FordFan2009 said:
Just used HD poxy on faded ford black plastic textured trim last night with amazing results. It looks brand new again. Has a nice deep satin finish and is dry to the touch, cant wait to see how it holds up.
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Seeing this and remembering Leadfootluke's (IIRC) trim test, it seams that just plain old sealants may be the way to go these days. But it makes me wonder - if they are really discolored - why would a sealant work? Sorry to hijack but might provide an answer I just don't understand why with my little brain.
 
so solutions is $30 for 1 oz and i'm not sure if that's any different than the shoe polish equivalent products. meanwhile I can't find anybody distributors selling the valugard but Im reading it's around $90 or something. blehh





cptzippy said:
I've tried the rust spray and it works ok for surface rust. Still think if I had the energy I'd go back to taking it back to metal and primining it etc. Are you sure how deep the rust goes?
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see http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/140449-repairing-rusted-areas.html
 
wascallyrabbit said:
you can buy it direct from valugard.
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....yep. That's where I bought mine.



Legacy99 said:
Solution Finish Black Plastic & Vinyl Restorer, trim restorer, black plastic restorer
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I'm surprised you didn't mention G/Techniq's C4. Have you steered away from that product? I recently emptied my current bottle and was going to purchase another when I discovered it was completely sold out everywhere (heard there was a new formulation in the works(?)). It's was holding up quite well on my Challenger with the exception of the chin spoiler and fairly well on my wife's Forester. I was going to do the cowling on the mother-in-laws Scion xA we just bought for her but only got through the top portion before I ran out.



While (IMO/IME) I'm still not overly impressed with it's "restorative" abilities on some surfaces (i.e. "patchy" finishes that could do with some additional prep vs. a simple wipe-down as directed), I still like it. ....especially the durability.
 
Do you have C1? You can use C1 in place of C4. Still like C4, but Solutions is easier to work with.

Kean said:
....yep. That's where I bought mine.







I'm surprised you didn't mention G/Techniq's C4. Have you steered away from that product? I recently emptied my current bottle and was going to purchase another when I discovered it was completely sold out everywhere (heard there was a new formulation in the works(?)). It's was holding up quite well on my Challenger with the exception of the chin spoiler and fairly well on my wife's Forester. I was going to do the cowling on the mother-in-laws Scion xA we just bought for her but only got through the top portion before I ran out.



While (IMO/IME) I'm still not overly impressed with it's "restorative" abilities on some surfaces (i.e. "patchy" finishes that could do with some additional prep vs. a simple wipe-down as directed), I still like it. ....especially the durability.
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A little "side note" regarding the ValuGard ETR.

Years ago, when Hyundia was deciding to use the ETR for major warranty concerns on thousands of new vehicles, they did look at ValuGard's testing data, but decided that since this concern was a "multi-million dollar" fix, to run their own testing, using a certified lab.

The test was done with 5 new parts, untreated, and 5 damaged parts.

They were put through an "accelerated" weathering/UV test protocal that was equal to 5 years of real world exposure.

The results astounded Hyundia for when the results of test were published, the "ETR repaired" parts had held up superior to the "new" parts.

I don't know of any other "product" that has had such testing, etc done and can state that the product is accepted by not one, but three major vehicle manufactuers.

Hyundia, Mazda, Mitsubisi.

Grumpy
 
Legacy99 said:
Do you have C1? You can use C1 in place of C4. Still like C4, but Solutions is easier to work with.
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....no, I don't. I've been looking for a replacement for C4 in the meantime though (or a permanent replacement if there is something better). I just liked the way C4 worked on the trim of my Challenger. While it does eventually wear off, it is quite durable. I thought about Opti-Coat (which I have used on the paint and some trim bits of the wife's car), but the permanency still worries me for this application (my trim is textured and would not be easy to polish if I decided to try and remove the product).
 
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