Tire & Trim Restorer on 12 year old Forester =\

[steelwindmachine]

I have one of those 2005 Subaru Forester's where the lower body panels and front and rear bumpers are unpainted plastic. They've faded quite a bit over the years and I tried the BFTTR on the top section of the rear bumper where the worst of the fading exists. Unfortunately, it didn't make any change.

I only applied one coat. I can snap a pic soon to share, but any other suggestions on whether or not there is a product that will kill the fading for a bit would be appreciated!

 

[blkSRT]

Did you clean the area first?

 

[The Guz]

Clean the trim. I would consider getting solution finish to restore the trim and then seal it in with either a trim coating or a trim sealant like Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant or the blackfire product you currently have.

 

[Rsurfer]

Solution Finish.

 

[Mantilgh]

I don't think Solution Finish will look right because the plastic is naturally gray on these, not black.

Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant(WETS) should help it look better.

 

[The Guz]

I don't think Solution Finish will look right because the plastic is naturally gray on these, not black.

Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant(WETS) should help it look better.

Works fine on grey. Used it on my 02 Camaro which has grey trim.

From the Solutions Finish FAQ

Will Solution Finish work on gray trim?

Solution Finish does work great on gray and charcoal colored trim, but please note: The trim will remain gray, but will be two or three shades darker

 

[Mantilgh]

Sorry.

Good to know.

 

[Eldorado2k]

Is it non porus hard smooth plastic trim? If so, I had great results using Mckee's Coating Prep Polish to clean the plastic.

http://www.autogeek.net/coating-prep-polish.html

Turned the nasty old faded trim back to factory new.

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[steelwindmachine]

I cleaned with the BlackFire APC that came with the Trim Restoration kit.

It is smooth, non-porous plastic trim.

Photo is of the type of plastic bumper/trim I'm dealing with. It's not from my car, but it's from the same type of car and is in the same type of worn condition.

@ Eldorado2k, I'd love to get those type of results, but obviously haven't had any luck with the products I have. Maybe I need to try again with the BF kit or get the stuff you used.

 

[steelwindmachine]

I ordered 1oz of Solution Finish to try. I'll let you all know if that works out.

 

[Eric@CherryOnTop]

Poorboys World Trim Restorer works great on faded plastic trim.

 

[Eldorado2k]

Tire & Trim Restorer on 12 year old Forester =\

I ordered 1oz of Solution Finish to try. I'll let you all know if that works out.

I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer, but I doubt simply applying Solution Finish will solve your problem.. For 1, from what you've described it's smooth non porus plastic trim, so the Solution Finish probably won't be able to soak into it like it would textured trim. 2nd of all you really should fully clean/prep the surface in order for any product to achieve optimal results, and if all you're armed with is Solution Finish or even some APC, it simply won't cut it.

I tried many methods and many products over the past couple of years to restore or at the very least clean this trim and failed everytime...

Super Degreaser wouldn't budge it. Magic Eraser sort of put a dent in it but never fully produced results. Even Mothers Heavy Duty Trim Cleaner did absolutely nothing to clean it..

I tried coating it with TW Endura Trim Coat [which is usually gold] but it turned out a streaky mess [due to it being smooth plastic + oxidized surface] and didn't last anywhere near what it usually does.. I tried Meguiars Ultimate Black Plastic Restorer Aerosol and it looked really bad + was a PITA to try and remove.. Meguiars Ultimate Black Trim Lotion works ok, but doesn't last nearly as long as you'd like + it tends to attract dirt + you're applying it over the oxidation which is never a good thing.

It wasn't until fly07sti gave me a tip about using Mckee's Coating Prep Polish and I tried it to find out it worked 100% to clean and restore that hard non porus trim back to brand new condition.

It won't wipe off without putting up a small fight, but with the proper passion it will fully restore. My advice is start off with the prep polish and a somewhat course terry towel to get the majority of oxidation off, then finish off with terry applicators. Be prepared because there's going to be alot of oxidation coming off.

You'll get a feel for the nuances as you go along and if you're like me you'll get the job done 100% because why not?

My last bit of advice is don't forget to fully clean along the border lip too. And follow with a thorough wipedown with Megs D114 or Mckee's N-914 until all the sticky residue is fully wiped off, then you'll know it's fully clean.

The results even before applying any product will blow your mind.It's worth the effort. Good luck, hope this helps.

http://www.autogeek.net/coating-prep-polish.html


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[mwoywod]

Not sure if you have any of those DA attached brushes but I can deep clean and restore the stock appearance to all types of textured trim, bumpers, and cladding with a good APC/degreaser. I prefer OPC or M37 APC+ BUT the blackfire APC you have is an incredibly powerful cleaner/degreaser but in my experience it can almost it stain plastics if left on for too long and not diluted to at least 1:4. If you don't have any of those brushes I highly recommend getting the grey ultra soft brush. It has been the most versatile in my experience.

Once you thoroughly clean with a brush and cleaner for the textured plastic (for smooth cladding I prefer a non-abrasive scrub pad) but once you scrubbed the plastic 2-3 times depending on the severity of the oxidation, the best time to apply the trim sealant is immediately after. If the bumper still has a chalky oxidized appearance, polishing with either optimum hyper polish or poli-seal on low speeds can clean the trim up without knocking down the texture.

 

[The Guz]

Re: Tire & Trim Restorer on 12 year old Forester =\

I ordered 1oz of Solution Finish to try. I'll let you all know if that works out.

Looking forward to your results.

I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer, but I doubt simply applying Solution Finish will solve your problem.. For 1, from what you've described it's smooth non porus plastic trim, so the Solution Finish probably won't be able to soak into it like it would textured trim. 2nd of all you really should fully clean/prep the surface in order for any product to achieve optimal results, and if all you're armed with is Solution Finish or even some APC, it simply won't cut it.

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A little harsh there. You would be surprised how well solution finish works on various plastics. Did you ever try solution finish on the tacoma trim?

 

[Eldorado2k]

Re: Tire & Trim Restorer on 12 year old Forester =\

Looking forward to your results.



A little harsh there. You would be surprised how well solution finish works on various plastics. Did you ever try solution finish on the tacoma trim?

Didn't mean to sound harsh at all, I'm just suggesting it might be a good idea to clean as well as possible prior to applying his choice of product. Does Solution Finish clean and restore? Or is it more of a restore by way of dying the trim similar to the way Endura works? If it works somewhat similar to Endura I think it would have a hard time bonding over the layer of oxidation.

If he's dealing with the same sort of mess I just cleaned off I can say that it comes off unlike the typical plastic trim when it finally does come off.. APC won't do it the same way it does on textured trim. This stuff came off like molasses, slow and sticky. Based on my experience APC would've never done it. But if Solution Finish alone can do it, that would be super impressive.

 

[Eldorado2k]

Based on this picture OP showed:

It looks very similar to the trim on the Tacoma.

I still have to do that front bumper, and for all the times I've tried to clean it with APC/Degreaser/trim cleaner/etc. it won't even budge. I got so frustrated once that I took a steel bristled brush w/APC and it still didn't begin to remove the oxidation. I did however manage to instill a small patch of permanent scratches into the plastic. Lol.


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[The Guz]

Didn't mean to sound harsh at all, I'm just suggesting it might be a good idea to clean as well as possible prior to applying his choice of product. Does Solution Finish clean and restore? Or is it more of a restore by way of dying the trim similar to the way Endura works? If it works somewhat similar to Endura I think it would have a hard time bonding over the layer of oxidation.

If he's dealing with the same sort of mess I just cleaned off I can say that it comes off unlike the typical plastic trim when it finally does come off.. APC won't do it the same way it does on textured trim. This stuff came off like molasses, slow and sticky. Based on my experience APC would've never done it. But if Solution Finish alone can do it, that would be super impressive.

You made it sound like he had to use the Mckee's coating prep polish and that his purchase of solution finish was a waste of money.

I also did not say that cleaning is not involved. Any trim product needs to be cleaned prior to using anything on it for it to last. Just like tires and paint.

It's best to follow the prep that Chris West recommends to prep the trim. Solution finish is a semi permanent trim restorer that penetrates into the plastic. TW trim Coating does not penetrate into the plastic as it's a trim protectant. Two different products. Check out the auto detailing podcast audio on youtube where Chris West goes into detail on plastics. It's an eye/ear opener. It's not a miracle product but a product that works very well to restore plastics.

We don't know how the op's plastic will respond. It may look the same but that doesn't mean it is the same. Could be a sourced from a different manufacturer or made up of a different blend of plastic.

Based on this picture OP showed:

It looks very similar to the trim on the Tacoma.

I still have to do that front bumper, and for all the times I've tried to clean it with APC/Degreaser/trim cleaner/etc. it won't even budge. I got so frustrated once that I took a steel bristled brush w/APC and it still didn't begin to remove the oxidation. I did however manage to instill a small patch of permanent scratches into the plastic. Lol.


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I saw that photo. It's just a photo that the op posted for reference as I searched online for his exact model and saw the same image. Again we don't know if it is the same type of plastic or same manufacturer as what is on the Tacoma. So it may behave differently.

I am interested in seeing the results from the op when he receives his items.

 

[Eldorado2k]

I've listened to that podcast, however it's irrelevant in regards to the pieces on the Tacoma because this smooth plastic trim is non porous. Neither Solution Finish, TW Endura, not Ultimate Black, Armor All, or anything else is going to be able to penetrate it at all.

Anything that's applied will simply lay on top, and if the surface is oxidized or contaminated it'll wear off in short order.




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[steelwindmachine]

I appreciate all the advice, really! I intend to clean the plastic with IPA and then try a test spot with the Solution Finish.

I've noted the other methods and products suggested and will work my way through them until something works.


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[DBAILEY]

Klasse AIO can also clean smooth trim up quite well. The DP Prep polish seems to be doing the same type of thing with the chemical cleaning.