What to use on faded and splotchy bare plastic bumpers and side cladding?

[atikovi]

Got a '94 Grand Cherokee and the grey bumpers and trim are faded. What treatment would last more than a few days?

[Detailing by M]

Re: What to use on faded and splotchy bare plastic bumpers and side cladding?

Trim Dressing, lol.
I'm not a fan of them. But anything is better then what you have there.
Go get some Ultimate Black, no dyes in it just a trim dressing. It will work just fine. And keep using it.

There are 2 major "Trim Restorers" on the market that are better at restoring plastic than trim dressing.. Black WOW and Solutions Finish.
I'm leaning towards Black Wow Pro and will get some next week.

[atikovi]

Re: What to use on faded and splotchy bare plastic bumpers and side cladding?

Are those not just for black?

[h_bomm]

You can use it on your bumpers just fine. Ultimate Black might be a bit misleading. It won't turn your bumpers black and the best thing is, is that you will probably be able to pick it up locally at a wal mart or o'rielly or something like that! It would be a good idea to use an all purpose cleaner on them first to make sure they are clean and give the dressing a better surface to bond to as well

[Detailing by M]

Re: What to use on faded and splotchy bare plastic bumpers and side cladding?

T........Ultimate Black, no dyes in it just a trim dressing. ....

........ "Trim Restorers" ........

Are those not just for black?

They are for ALL PLASTIC TRIM. I don't know of a product that is specifically for black AS IN it has BLACK DYE in it. The only **** I've seen that has black dye in it is Turtle **** Black Wax.

[The Guz]

Re: What to use on faded and splotchy bare plastic bumpers and side cladding?

You can use it on your bumpers just fine. Ultimate Black might be a bit misleading. It won't turn your bumpers black and the best thing is, is that you will probably be able to pick it up locally at a wal mart or o'rielly or something like that! It would be a good idea to use an all purpose cleaner on them first to make sure they are clean and give the dressing a better surface to bond to as well

Good info right here.

[Top Gear]

Re: What to use on faded and splotchy bare plastic bumpers and side cladding?

Ultimate Black by Meg's (not the tire dressing, but the trim dressing) is the best thing since sliced bread. Think of it as saddle soap for plastic. Tire Foam also works, say for plastic wheel wells, and many of us probably grew up with Amour All Protectant that evaporates away, but Ultimate Black will soak in and bond with plastic for a very long time. It can smear on paint and be hard to clean up, so be careful with it, but on the plastic trim itself it's magic!

[mis3]

Re: What to use on faded and splotchy bare plastic bumpers and side cladding?

I have some experience on Ultimate Protectant which I believe is the same product as Ultimate Black.

For this product to work, you have to clean the surface thoroughly. I use just household cleaner for the cleaning. Then apply a little bit of product and rub...

[Top Gear]

Re: What to use on faded and splotchy bare plastic bumpers and side cladding?

No. Ultimate Protectant is a good product, and I use it, but it's not the same thing. Ultimate Black is a bonding moisturiser for hard plastics and rubber only! It will smear and almost ruin paint/clear, glass, fabrics, etc, and is very hard to remove if you let it dry where it doesn't belong. However, on plastic and rubber trim, particularly where the sun hits, UB is absolutely amazing.

[The Guz]

Re: What to use on faded and splotchy bare plastic bumpers and side cladding?

Ultimate protectant and ultimate black are indeed the same product. I read that long ago when I was researching both products. The only difference is one is formulated for a spray bottle and another is in the squeeze bottle. If I remember the reason is because the average consumer does not believe in having a squeeze bottle for interior protectant because they are so used to using a spray bottle.

[Blueline]

Re: What to use on faded and splotchy bare plastic bumpers and side cladding?

This heat gun solution looks interesting.

http://wn.com/restore_faded_grey_or_black_plastic_bumpers

Then watch the next video for a chemical solution.

[h_bomm]

Re: What to use on faded and splotchy bare plastic bumpers and side cladding?

Ultimate protectant and ultimate black are indeed the same product. I read that long ago when I was researching both products. The only difference is one is formulated for a spray bottle and another is in the squeeze bottle. If I remember the reason is because the average consumer does not believe in having a squeeze bottle for interior protectant because they are so used to using a spray bottle.

I read the same thing as well. Consumers have it stuck in their head that spray products are for interior only and shouldn't be used for exterior dressing.

[Top Gear]

Re: What to use on faded and splotchy bare plastic bumpers and side cladding?

Well, I'll safely ignore what someone read years ago as fourth-hand hearsay. I've used these products, have them in hand, and I know directly how different they really are. While a similar ilk as "detailing dressings", they are definitely not the same in strength or purpose.

Ultimate Protectant is a UV clear coat much like Armour All Original Protectant, only better. It is safe for a lot of surfaces if you overspray, and is best used on the interior, as it does not last very long exposed to the elements.

Ultimate Black is a much stronger, different product, and must be used with care, as it will definitely leave residue you won't forget trying to clean off. I use it for exterior trim, engine bay plastics, and no where else, really. For example, I use it with a toothbrush to get into the rubber drip rails, spending more time cleaning up the excess than applying the product. The restorative effect is like nothing a mere protectant can create. Obviously, you haven't used Ultimate Black, because you would not confuse this stuff with anything else. It's more like an oil than a clear-coat.

Sure, you can certainly use the Protectant spray on your exterior plastics and be happy for a few hours, just as you would using Armour All spray. The UB product will last weeks, even months, depending on weather and washing. I've not used the "tire dressing" version being talked about recently, so I'm not including that one here, just the products linked above in blue.

Give UB a try. I'm sure you guys will rave about it as much as I have!

[The Guz]

Re: What to use on faded and splotchy bare plastic bumpers and side cladding?

I have some experience on Ultimate Protectant which I believe is the same product as Ultimate Black.

For this product to work, you have to clean the surface thoroughly. I use just household cleaner for the cleaning. Then apply a little bit of product and rub...

This is a good point. APC works good in cleaning up the surface.

Ultimate protectant and ultimate black are indeed the same product. I read that long ago when I was researching both products. The only difference is one is formulated for a spray bottle and another is in the squeeze bottle. If I remember the reason is because the average consumer does not believe in having a squeeze bottle for interior protectant because they are so used to using a spray bottle.

Well, I'll safely ignore what someone read years ago as fourth-hand hearsay. I've used these products, have them in hand, and I know directly how different they really are. While a similar ilk as "detailing dressings", they are definitely not the same in strength or purpose.

Ultimate Protectant is a UV clear coat much like Armour All Original Protectant, only better. It is safe for a lot of surfaces if you overspray, and is best used on the interior, as it does not last very long exposed to the elements.

Ultimate Black is a much stronger, different product, and must be used with care, as it will definitely leave residue you won't forget trying to clean off. I use it for exterior trim, engine bay plastics, and no where else, really. For example, I use it with a toothbrush to get into the rubber drip rails, spending more time cleaning up the excess than applying the product. The restorative effect is like nothing a mere protectant can create. Obviously, you haven't used Ultimate Black, because you would not confuse this stuff with anything else. It's more like an oil than a clear-coat.

Sure, you can certainly use the Protectant spray on your exterior plastics and be happy for a few hours, just as you would using Armour All spray. The UB product will last weeks, even months, depending on weather and washing. I've not used the "tire dressing" version being talked about recently, so I'm not including that one here, just the products linked above in blue.

Give UB a try. I'm sure you guys will rave about it as much as I have!

I took this as a challenge and found this information for you .

Post #2 in this thread. http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums...ate+protectant

OK, we're going to share a bit of "insider information" with you here.

A couple of years ago we introduced Ultimate Protectant as a polymer fortified, water based dressing suitable for both interior and exterior use. It's a great product that immediately met with glowing reviews. But the big problem was the packaging - we put it in a squeeze bottle, and it turns out the consumer marketplace regards products in squeeze bottles as being for exterior use. That may sound a bit crazy to a detailing enthusiasts who spend every waking moment hanging out on detailing forums, but it makes a difference to the masses. To them, a squeeze bottle means exterior use, and a spray bottle means interior use.

So we made some changes. First, we renamed Ultimate Protectant as Ultimate Black, keeing it in the squeeze bottle. The term "black" seemed to resonate better with the masses for maintaining exterior trim, which is almost always black in color. We then slightly altered the formulation for better delivery via a spray bottle and used the name Ultimate Protectant in that variation. Again, it's the terminology that resonates with the masses, in this case "protectant" being a product for protecting the interior plastic and vinyl. So basically it was us adapting to the marketplace.

This also is an example of a key difference between "marketing" and "marketing hype". "Marketing" deals with giving the masses what they want, in the way they want it, that will do what they want it to do. "Marketing hype" deals with just telling people what you think they want to hear, making grandiose claims about the effectiveness of a product, or flat out misrepresenting what a product can do. There's a fairly broad line between generating excitement for a product, and making unsubstantiated claims for it. Some people try to narrow that line...... and then blur it.

So, to address your direct question - "Which one is recommended more for trim?" Ultimate Black is marketed toward use on trim, but both will work. We know that as a detailing enthusiast you'll understand that. It's the masses, the folks who will never even look at a detailing forum, who will only buy the product that states it is intended for the purpose that customer is looking for, who will choose one over the other, or ignore one or the other.

Post #2. http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums...ate+protectant

We aren't 100% clear what products you're talking about here. Did you apply our Ultimate Black to the exterior trim and now you're asking if you should apply our Ultimate Protectant? If so, they're basically the same product but in two different packing formats. People seem to really like a spray product (Ultimate Protectant) for interior use and a lotion product (Ultimate Black) for exterior trim. As crazy as it sounds, the consuming public has this so set in their heads that they will rarely even consider a lotion type product for interior use, no matter how good it might be.

So, the very short answer to your question is: No. Once you've applied Ultimate Black to the exterior trim, you're done.

Post #3 http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums...ate+protectant

Viscosity is different so that one can be sprayed a bit easier, but that's the major point between them. Either product is great for both interior and exterior use, but we've actually found that the general public has a general mindset that interior products are spray products and exterior products are in a lotion format, so they won't buy a product - no matter how good - if it's not in the correct form. They also look for certain tell tales in the naming of the products (like ScratchX when they want to fix just a small scratch) so we package accordingly. It's a very unique situation in our lineup, but it's a whole lot easier for us to adapt to people's buying habits rather than try to change those habits. And so we don't mind being pretty open about it when someone asks.

[The Guz]

Re: What to use on faded and splotchy bare plastic bumpers and side cladding?

I prefer to use either one of these.

D45 Detailer Vinyl and Plastic Coating

http://www.meguiars.com/en/professional/products/d4510-vinyl-and-plastic-coating/

D163 Detailer Tire & Trim Gel
http://www.meguiars.com/en/professional/products/d16332-tire-and-trim-gel/