Faded door handles

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Wasaabi

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Hey everyone, this is my first post on the forum so I'm hoping this is in the right place. I have an '03 Saab 9-3 that has door handles that have faded grey. Just the handles themselves, not the surroundings. I've seen some products on here that might work, but of course the dealership says nothing can restore them and I have to get all four replaced. I was just looking for some insight on what product(s) I could use or any methods I could use to restore them. I've tried Meguiar's Ultimate Black and it only worked for a few days then they turned grey again. Thanks for the help!
 
That's really weird that only the handles turned grey and none of the other plastic trim seems to be faded.
 
Are the handles a harden plastic that seem like them may expect a liquid to cling to it?

Have you thought about maybe painting them yourself?

If the handles look like they would accept a liquid here is my process and product...

I just did this to my little brothers car yesterday. I use Poorboys Trim Restorer. Simple wipe it on ( I use a soft paint brush from Menards) and continue around the car until done. Then go back and wipe off with a cotton cloth. This trim restorer is my go-to and is always on hand.

Item links...

Poorboy's Trim Restorer: Touching up the trim with Poorboy’s Trim Restorer provides the final polishing step in your quest for the perfect finish.
1" Foam Paint Brush at Menards
 
Nicholas@Autowerx said:
That's really weird that only the handles turned grey and none of the other plastic trim seems to be faded.
Click to expand...
1. Different plastic?
2. Natural oils from hands?
If you can get them to look black with what you used, try sealing it with Ultima Trim and Tire Guard Plus (UTTG+)
I've used Poorboys and it looks great when you get it on but it comes off in the rain. The Poorboys is also the consistency of mineral oil. I hate working with it.
 
I thought it was weird too that only the handles faded. You'd think the whole surround would have faded too, but Saab's are quirky like that. It does seem to accept liquid and they are a hardened plastic, so I'll give the Poorboy's trim restorer a try before resorting to painting them. Thanks for the tip! I'll let you know how it goes.
 
Wasaabi said:
I thought it was weird too that only the handles faded. You'd think the whole surround would have faded too, but Saab's are quirky like that. It does seem to accept liquid and they are a hardened plastic, so I'll give the Poorboy's trim restorer a try before resorting to painting them. Thanks for the tip! I'll let you know how it goes.
Click to expand...

Outstanding, yep please let us know how it goes.

Maybe we can get some close up pictures of the handles, it may help other members help you more.
 
Honestly from the pictures it looks like you might need to dye the plastic to get the factory black look back. I've never used trim dye before; however, I have seen the results and that's what I would be looking into if I were you instead of a temporary fix that needs to be reapplied all the time.

Something like this maybe:
Forever Black
Black WOW trim restore kit

Anyone tried this stuff? The Black Wow kit looks promising.
 
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