Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
- 51,004
- 6
Fixing Zebra Stripes in Black Plastic Trim with Solution Finish
Zebra stripes in the wild - looks cool!
Zebra stripes in your car's plastic - not cool...
See them?
Now do you see them?
Here's a close-up...
See the Zebra-like stripe effect?
What causes Zebra Stripes in Plastic Trim?
Great question and to get the answer I called the man, the myth, the legend... Chris West!
As you read this, remember I'm not a chemist. Chris has been down the Rabbit Hole and did a great job of doing a Brain Dump on the topic, how well I've done at converting his words to text will be close, so apologies ahead of time.
From the manufacturers of plastic automotive components via Chris West
When plastic comes out of a mold, brand new, the color is uniform. Over time as a plastic component expands and contracts, the weakest portions of the plastic, which are the stress bands, (the bands are how the molecules band or join together to form a uniform matrix of plastic material, some areas are more stout than others due to physical change via temperature and outside forces), begin to fail first.
So the white stripes in black or grey plastic are the stress band areas and these areas turn white first. Part of the reason why is the stress the other reason why is via expansion and contraction, the physical molecules that make up plastic are pushing the PBk6 Carbon out of the plastic matrix. In other words, the lines you see are and/or have become the weakest points in the component.
The first visual indicator that the plastic on your car is degrading and turning into sh*t are the white lines or Zebra Stripes.
Misc comments from Chris, which are also in the video
Plastic doesn't oxidize, it is the impurities in the plastic that degrade and oxidize. Once oxidation starts it cannot be stopped. It can be slowed down, masked, camouflaged, etc. but not stopped. The best practice is to protect and preserve brand new plastic while it's brand new to stave off oxidation in the first place. This means preventative maintenance.
To make PBk6 Carbon gray you must add white. The white pigment used to make black gray in plastic is similar to the metallic white zinc substance used in Sun Blocks, like you would see on the nose of a Life Guard on the beach. It's called PW4 Zink White
PBk6 Carbon weighs on average 40 pounds for a 5 gallon container.
PW4 Zink White weights on average around 75 pounds for a 5 gallon container.
Interesting stuff for sure.
Now lets see what Solution Finish can do for the Zebra Stripes?
AFTER first washing the car really well and then drying the car, next I used a Carrand Microfiber Applicator Pad to apply the Solution Finish to the zebra striped faded plastic trim.
Look how nice the treated side looks!
Now lets finish the job...
And of course, work around your car and treat all the faded plastic trim surfaces...
Solution Finish instantly restores a deep, dark black rich color to the faded plastic.
AND... if you get any Solution Finish residue on nearby paint, simply take a clean microfiber towel and wipe the paint - the residue will wipe right off.
Much better, protected and the factory new look is restored.
My comments...
Once time in my life, I was asked to teach a class on how to restore plastic trim at Mobile Tech Expo, which I did. I'll never do it again. In the context of all the other areas for car detailing, like paint correction, it's a tick on the boring side and while the class was well-attended, it's simply not what you would call an exciting topic.
BUT - when I taught the class, instead of simply showing how to restore black plastic trim I focused on the root cause, not the final solution. What I shared was this;
When you buy a new car, if it has any exterior black plastic trim it looks great. Of course... it's brand new. Because it looks great - car owners don't do anything. Now the plastic trim doesn't turn ugly in a few months or even a few years, but after that? If you don't do anything, one day you're going to look at your car and what used to look good now stands out like a sore thumb. Now the once dark black plastic trim looks dull and faded. And in some cases, you see the Zebra Stripes. As you see from the above pictures, "yes" you can fix it. But a better approach is RIGHT NOW - when your car is brand new,
Find a product you like and use it often
And by this I mean, find a trim product that you like and start applying it on a regular basis. This is called PM's or Preventative Maintenance. And by doing this you'll keep the plastic trim looking new and this will keep your car looking good. It will also maintain it's trade-in or re-sell value.
And the good news? Solution Finish is really easy to use. You don't have to be a seasoned detailer expert.. anyone can wash and dry their car, apply the Solution Finish and then wipe-off any excess.
To get your Solution Finish, get your wallet out and get on up to Autogeek.com!
On Autogeek.com
Solution Finish Black Plastic & Vinyl Restorer - 12 ounce bottle
Because a little bit goes a long way, there's a tiny bottle available and as long as you don't waste it filling up a huge foam sponge applicator Solution Finish says you can treat up to 3 cars.
Solution Finish Black Plastic & Vinyl Restorer 1 ounce bottle
ANY foam applicator will work. Here's some THIN and inexpensive foam applicators that I normally use and then toss after use. And if you're going to get some - might as well get a bunch. You can use these for so many things and it's such a hassle to be out of them and then what? Drive to an auto parts store just for these?
Pinnacle Foam Wax Applicators - 6-Pack - $9.99
Pinnacle Foam Wax Applicator - 12 Pack - $17.99
Or for 2 bucks - here's the link to buy one applicator.
1 - Pinnacle Foam Wax Applicator
Zebra stripes in the wild - looks cool!
Zebra stripes in your car's plastic - not cool...
See them?
Now do you see them?
Here's a close-up...
See the Zebra-like stripe effect?
What causes Zebra Stripes in Plastic Trim?
Great question and to get the answer I called the man, the myth, the legend... Chris West!
As you read this, remember I'm not a chemist. Chris has been down the Rabbit Hole and did a great job of doing a Brain Dump on the topic, how well I've done at converting his words to text will be close, so apologies ahead of time.
From the manufacturers of plastic automotive components via Chris West
When plastic comes out of a mold, brand new, the color is uniform. Over time as a plastic component expands and contracts, the weakest portions of the plastic, which are the stress bands, (the bands are how the molecules band or join together to form a uniform matrix of plastic material, some areas are more stout than others due to physical change via temperature and outside forces), begin to fail first.
So the white stripes in black or grey plastic are the stress band areas and these areas turn white first. Part of the reason why is the stress the other reason why is via expansion and contraction, the physical molecules that make up plastic are pushing the PBk6 Carbon out of the plastic matrix. In other words, the lines you see are and/or have become the weakest points in the component.
The first visual indicator that the plastic on your car is degrading and turning into sh*t are the white lines or Zebra Stripes.
Misc comments from Chris, which are also in the video
Plastic doesn't oxidize, it is the impurities in the plastic that degrade and oxidize. Once oxidation starts it cannot be stopped. It can be slowed down, masked, camouflaged, etc. but not stopped. The best practice is to protect and preserve brand new plastic while it's brand new to stave off oxidation in the first place. This means preventative maintenance.
To make PBk6 Carbon gray you must add white. The white pigment used to make black gray in plastic is similar to the metallic white zinc substance used in Sun Blocks, like you would see on the nose of a Life Guard on the beach. It's called PW4 Zink White
PBk6 Carbon weighs on average 40 pounds for a 5 gallon container.
PW4 Zink White weights on average around 75 pounds for a 5 gallon container.
Interesting stuff for sure.
Now lets see what Solution Finish can do for the Zebra Stripes?
AFTER first washing the car really well and then drying the car, next I used a Carrand Microfiber Applicator Pad to apply the Solution Finish to the zebra striped faded plastic trim.
Look how nice the treated side looks!
Now lets finish the job...
And of course, work around your car and treat all the faded plastic trim surfaces...
Solution Finish instantly restores a deep, dark black rich color to the faded plastic.
AND... if you get any Solution Finish residue on nearby paint, simply take a clean microfiber towel and wipe the paint - the residue will wipe right off.
Much better, protected and the factory new look is restored.
My comments...
Once time in my life, I was asked to teach a class on how to restore plastic trim at Mobile Tech Expo, which I did. I'll never do it again. In the context of all the other areas for car detailing, like paint correction, it's a tick on the boring side and while the class was well-attended, it's simply not what you would call an exciting topic.
BUT - when I taught the class, instead of simply showing how to restore black plastic trim I focused on the root cause, not the final solution. What I shared was this;
When you buy a new car, if it has any exterior black plastic trim it looks great. Of course... it's brand new. Because it looks great - car owners don't do anything. Now the plastic trim doesn't turn ugly in a few months or even a few years, but after that? If you don't do anything, one day you're going to look at your car and what used to look good now stands out like a sore thumb. Now the once dark black plastic trim looks dull and faded. And in some cases, you see the Zebra Stripes. As you see from the above pictures, "yes" you can fix it. But a better approach is RIGHT NOW - when your car is brand new,
Find a product you like and use it often
And by this I mean, find a trim product that you like and start applying it on a regular basis. This is called PM's or Preventative Maintenance. And by doing this you'll keep the plastic trim looking new and this will keep your car looking good. It will also maintain it's trade-in or re-sell value.
And the good news? Solution Finish is really easy to use. You don't have to be a seasoned detailer expert.. anyone can wash and dry their car, apply the Solution Finish and then wipe-off any excess.
To get your Solution Finish, get your wallet out and get on up to Autogeek.com!
On Autogeek.com
Solution Finish Black Plastic & Vinyl Restorer - 12 ounce bottle
Because a little bit goes a long way, there's a tiny bottle available and as long as you don't waste it filling up a huge foam sponge applicator Solution Finish says you can treat up to 3 cars.
Solution Finish Black Plastic & Vinyl Restorer 1 ounce bottle
ANY foam applicator will work. Here's some THIN and inexpensive foam applicators that I normally use and then toss after use. And if you're going to get some - might as well get a bunch. You can use these for so many things and it's such a hassle to be out of them and then what? Drive to an auto parts store just for these?
Pinnacle Foam Wax Applicators - 6-Pack - $9.99
Pinnacle Foam Wax Applicator - 12 Pack - $17.99
Or for 2 bucks - here's the link to buy one applicator.
1 - Pinnacle Foam Wax Applicator
