How to make your black plastic stay wet looking

[I Shine]

Re: How to make your black plastic stay wet looking

looks great.

Please, periodically give us a update on the durability.

I used satin black. Fusion paint is basically self etching paint in a spray can.

I did some wheel wells and body molding over a year ago on a daily driver and it still looks great.

[Andrew C.]

Re: How to make your black plastic stay wet looking

Awesome job! I am interested in this... Couple questions:

- Did you do any sanding? (I assume not, so the texture isn't ruined).
- If you did 3 coats of paint, wouldn't the clear be bonding with the pain and not the plastic?

I have some clear, and might try to clear a scrap piece of plastic I paint... although I'm not sure when I might get to it. Great info! thanks for posting!

1. Nope I didn't sand, it says just to apply the paint to a completely clean plastic surface.
2. What Xantonin said

I took some sun pictures today and it looks great. I'll post them up when I get home to upload them!

[Andrew C.]

Re: How to make your black plastic stay wet looking

Ok so here are some pictures in the sun today:

a little dust on it from sitting outside






Some areas may still look faded but that is just the light of the sun reflecting off of it. It was bright out and the gloss was reflecting so the camera didn't pick it up too well.

[dope92cc]

Re: How to make your black plastic stay wet looking

wow! that really looks good.
I wonder how the satin black would look.

[Ganesa]

Re: How to make your black plastic stay wet looking

nice forever wet looks on your plastic trims hehe

[Eddie6th]

Re: How to make your black plastic stay wet looking

Hi Andrew,I done this aswell.i've heard of krylon.The stuff i used was called 'pinty' specifically for ABS plastics(unpainted).I posted a pic aswell,in arecent thread,nearby.I found that it has saved me a lot of hassle always trying to keep up with these parts,especially on older vehicles. Anyway,your parts came out really nice.Oh,the one i used is a little more satin in its finish.As soon as i get some time,i'll back it up with some pics. The best part was my homemade diffuser on the back bumper which has a plastic unpainted grill/mesh.Now,i don't even need to do anything with it,whereas before it was always fading a horrible grey.This wasn't easy to detail being a mesh.

[10degreesbtdc]

Re: How to make your black plastic stay wet looking

That is certainly a great way to make it look new. Nice job! My truck does the same thing, but when I wash and wax it if it needs something I use accent spray or similar product. Use a piece of cardboard or towel to keep if off the windshield and hood and just spray it on. I love the stuff. I use it on the front air dam, grill, front of the radiator where I can't get to with anything else, rear bumper trim and cowl as well as inside vents and under the dash on exposed fan/air cond housings. Works great near the door hinges too if you have rubber and plastic in there. Just wipe off any excess and you're good to go for awhile. Local auto parts stores also have some sort of spray dressing and it's not bad either. FYI.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: How to make your black plastic stay wet looking

Just to chime in...

While painting your trim can make it look new, as the sprayed-on paint dulls over time how to restore the 'new look' again?

A. Re-clean and paint the plastic.
B. Apply a dressing.


Northing's permanent, that's why Meguiar's puts the focus on regular maintenance. Painting is another way of maintaining, for some it may be more complicated than applying a dressing, for others it may be the best option for the plastic on their car.

[Eddie6th]

Re: How to make your black plastic stay wet looking

Hi Mike,I've sprayed a few ABS plastics on my car about 2-3 years ago and they are holding up pretty good so far.I had to do the inside of my side mirrors aswell,but i'd rather wait 'till I upload some pics as they are not conventional side mirrors and can be akward to explain.They are actually fibergass construction,not plastic.I sprayed them with a tin of primer,then colored satin black and they are still in very good condition.

A lot of this might not be a practical solution for many hobbiests though,as it involves removing(in some cases),cleaning and of course painting.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: How to make your black plastic stay wet looking

Hi Mike,I've sprayed a few ABS plastics on my car about 2-3 years ago and they are holding up pretty good so far.

In some cases a dressing is the best answer and for some situations painting will be the best solution.

[Eddie6th]

Re: How to make your black plastic stay wet looking

In my case,my car is fifteen years old and some of the plastic was practically beyond detailing.If it's a new car and/or the plastic is in good condition,I wouldn't bother.I would prefer just to go over it with trim detailer,as I do with my other car.

The case with the side mirrors was different as they weren't finished properly when I bought them,but to save a lot of hassle,I just repaired the fibreglass and it came out fine.But that involved quite a lengthy process of removing the mirrors(electric) from their casing and then re-riveting them back in place after.Not really detailing?

[10degreesbtdc]

Re: How to make your black plastic stay wet looking

My truck is 13 years old and dressing still works wonders and lasts. It sits in the sun and rain 24/7! Just a compliment and recommendation on dressing regularly where applicable. It's EZ!

[Eddie6th]

Re: How to make your black plastic stay wet looking

My buggy is outdoor always aswell.The problem is I neglected the plastic trim way back then(I never had much time because of my job).Also,Meguiar's was nowhere to be seen where I was fifteen years ago.The kind that were available to me at the time weren't that good.

Yes,sure.If you keep on top of it-----no problems.

[Make 'em Last]

Re: How to make your black plastic stay wet looking

The black plastic on my truck's cowl is somewhat faded. I typically use GC trim detailer on it, but with time it wears off and gets back to being dull and faded.

So today I manage to completely remove my cowl and wipers. Cleaned them all of with a soft brush and APC+, then hit them up with 3 coats of Krylon Fusion Plastic Paint. Here are the pics: ...

Now that your cowl has been painted and looked new, what do you (or plan to) use to maintain it? GC trim detailer? Seems you want a product for paint now, instead of plastic?