how to restore the black faded plastic?

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chris0147

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Hi all,

I need your help, I has been working on the spare part cam cover to removed the scratches, marks and some cuts when I have used wet and dry sandpaper 2500 and 3500 to sanded on the plastic.

This is what it was like before:

9PdpgEj.jpg




So this is what it looks like now:

AGYDJXR.jpg




I have tried to use the solution finish to try to restore to the original colour which it doesn't work, so I have tried it with AG rubber and vinyl care to polish it, but when I wiped with a dry microfibre cloth, none of them would help to restore to the original colour as it will return to faded plastic where it was before.


AfXIlmG.jpg


QNz9nur.jpg


sroY0Yo.jpg


IqZfTy2.jpg




I have tried everything at all I can do my best to try to make it like new again when I used these products in number of times, but it doesn't work so I don't think it will do anything to remove the faded plastic.

Do you know what I need to do now? :(


And I also need your help with this cam cover that I got on my car right now:

PA93o1U.jpg


vH62893.jpg


FC3lL0x.jpg



Do you know what I would need to do to make it look and new again?? :)

I don't want to ruin the cam cover on my car if I have to do some sand it with the sand paper to make it like that faded plastic in the picture like what I have got as a spare part.

I want to do some polish to make it look good and new again like where it was first started so I could move on to the next job without ruined the plastic. I have got solution finish and AG rubber and vinyl care product, so should I try solution finish first to see if it would help to remove the worn colour to restore to the original colour or should I try to use AG rubber and vinyl care??

Do you know how I could make it last forever if I have to polish one of them in each time??

Thanks in advance
 
OptimumAutoSpa said:
Ceramic trim coating should do the job...
Click to expand...

what kind of product that I need to get ceramic trim coating? do you have the link?

I want to see what other people say about this as I want to see what they think, opinion and comments about what kind of product I need to get without I could waste my money.
 
If Solution Finish did not work, I doubt if C4 will do the job. Your next best bet would be to use a heat gun.
 
OptimumAutoSpa said:
Ceramic trim coating should do the job...
Click to expand...


It might work. Gtechniqu makes great coatins.

The key to restoring faded plastic however starts with getting the plastic surfce UBER CLEAN as in removing at least some of the faded material and the only luck I've had is by scrubbing wit a good APC.



I taught a class at Mobile Tech Expo one year on restoring faded black plastic. I also wrote the below article using the pictures, products, plastic parts and techniques from my Power Point Presentation for MTE.


How to restore exterior black plastic trim


Question: But what about exterior trim that's been neglected and now looks horrible?


Answer: Well in some server case nothing you pour out of a bottle, scoop out of a jar or spray out of a pump spray is going to perform a miracle and undo years of neglect. The question I ask is who did the neglecting?

If you're detailing cars and a customer has neglected their car's exterior including swirls in the paint, water spots on the glass, brown tires, brake dust a 1/4" thick on the front wheels and of course exterior plastic trim that no longer looks like exterior trim, then the first thing you do is educate the customer and point out that it is due to neglected that the trim is in it's current condition.

Next, you under promise and over deliver. Let them know that you'll do your best but again, you're not a miracle worker and also consider what your customer is willing to pay for your services. Time is money and you can easily invest a lot of time into just trying to improve exterior trim for not much money. So educate your customer on the reality of the damage at hand and simply state that you'll do the best you can.

It's important to document on your Vehicle Inspection Form the condition of the trim and even take one or two before pictures so after the work in case your customer forgets how horrible the trim looked BEFORE you started you have documented evidence to set the record straight.

When trim has been neglected to the point that it is turning white, this is a sign of oxidation and just like car paint in order to restore the original black color you need to safely remove as much of the oxidation as possible.


Machine vs Hand
Now you can scrub the trim by hand using a brush, a wash mitt or even something more aggressive but here's a way to use a tool you probably already own and let the machine do all the work.

Black_Plastic_Trim_027.jpg


Black_Plastic_Trim_028.jpg


Black_Plastic_Trim_029.jpg




Here's is the plastic after just machine scrubbing... note by removing the dead, oxidized plastic it already looks 100% better, this is your goal. Try to get the trim looking better by cleaning first.

Black_Plastic_Trim_030.jpg



Here's the plastic trim after applying a trim sealant. Not I used a hand scrub brush to work the sealant into the cracks, crevices and the pebble textured surface.

Black_Plastic_Trim_031.jpg



Before
This is what oxidized black plastic looks like, the upper surface is actually turning white do to both exposure to the sun and breaking down. You need to remove this before applying a dressing or a sealant.
Black_Plastic_Trim_032.jpg



After
Compared to how this plastic trim started it is now 100% improved and will add the overall appearance to a freshly detailed car instead of distract from it.
Black_Plastic_Trim_033.jpg



Trim like you find on the back of a bumper is usually in pretty bad shape due to wear-n-tear and also exposure to the sun since it's a horizontal surface. For surfaces like these, machine scrub them using your favorite APC before you wash the vehicle and that way you can thoroughly rinse off the APC and dirt residue after scrubbing.

Black_Plastic_Trim_034.jpg



:)
 
Rsurfer said:
If Solution Finish did not work, I doubt if C4 will do the job.
Click to expand...

That's what I'm thinking... if Solution Finish didn't work probably nothing's going to work...

Hard to say without trying...



Rsurfer said:
Your next best bet would be to use a heat gun.
Click to expand...


That actually might do the trick. Just be careful you don't hold the heat gun in one place to long.

Also, the plastic will still turn ugly again over time so even if the heat gun works you're still going to have to find something to dress, seal, coat etc.


Is there an aftermarket dress-up part for this?


:dblthumb2:
 
Those cam covers are made from a molded composite. They cannot be sanded and polished as the material does not respond to heat (hence why it is used to make an engine component). Give it a good sand with some 600 grit sandpaper, clean it thoroughly, and finish it off with a high-heat oil resistant paint.

Most exterior automotive trim pieces that detailers come in contact with are made from PP (Polypropylene) or similar material, it is semi-flexible, melts & smears when grinding, and waxy or greasy feel. These types of plastics are weldable/repairable in the collision industry, and we can spruce them up and do a number of things to them as detailers to make them dark black and shiny fresh again.

Most underhood engine components/ancillaries are made of PBT (Polybutylene terphthalate) or similar material. These parts are very rigid and highly temperature resistant as the steel and aluminum parts that they are replacing this day in age. And as you experienced while trying to dress your cam cover up it is semi-rigid or rigid, and it sands finely. Components like these are not weldable in the collision industry and are typically considered structural. PBT is also described as a crystalline type of plastic with a low coefficient of friction (perfect for an engine part!!!!). Luckily for you, PBT can be painted!!!!!!!!

For future reference for dealing with different types of plastics here is a spreadsheet from an Automotive Bumper Repair Tool website that lists many of the different types of plastics used in the automotive industry and gives repair suggestions and characteristics of each type of plastic: https://www.polyvance.com/identify.php
 
JKDesign said:
Those cam covers are made from a molded composite. They cannot be sanded and polished as the material does not respond to heat (hence why it is used to make an engine component). Give it a good sand with some 600 grit sandpaper, clean it thoroughly, and finish it off with a high-heat oil resistant paint.

Most exterior automotive trim pieces that detailers come in contact with are made from PP (Polypropylene) or similar material, it is semi-flexible, melts & smears when grinding, and waxy or greasy feel. These types of plastics are weldable/repairable in the collision industry, and we can spruce them up and do a number of things to them as detailers to make them dark black and shiny fresh again.

Most underhood engine components/ancillaries are made of PBT (Polybutylene terphthalate) or similar material. These parts are very rigid and highly temperature resistant as the steel and aluminum parts that they are replacing this day in age. And as you experienced while trying to dress your cam cover up it is semi-rigid or rigid, and it sands finely. Components like these are not weldable in the collision industry and are typically considered structural. PBT is also described as a crystalline type of plastic with a low coefficient of friction (perfect for an engine part!!!!). Luckily for you, PBT can be painted!!!!!!!!

For future reference for dealing with different types of plastics here is a spreadsheet from an Automotive Bumper Repair Tool website that lists many of the different types of plastics used in the automotive industry and gives repair suggestions and characteristics of each type of plastic: https://www.polyvance.com/identify.php
Click to expand...

Thank you for your advise, this is a very useful information.

It sound like to me you are very expert with engine components, do you know what product I need to buy to restore the trim to the original colour to make it like new again?

Would C4 help to do the job?
 
Mike Phillips said:
Since you've already sanded the one part then take a look at either


CTechniq C4 Permanent Trim Restorer
Gtechniq C4 Permanent Trim Restorer, rubber trim sealant, trim restorers, gtech c4


CarPRo PERL
PERL Coat Plastic & Rubber Protectant, vinyl and rubber dressing, interior protectant



:)
Click to expand...

Thank you for your advise, it sound like C4 is good to go. I am going to try out and see if it would help to treat for fading plastic. If it doesn't work then what I need to do?
 
JKDesign said:
Those cam covers are made from a molded composite....

For future reference for dealing with different types of plastics here is a spreadsheet from an Automotive Bumper Repair Tool website that lists many of the different types of plastics used in the automotive industry and gives repair suggestions and characteristics of each type of plastic: https://www.polyvance.com/identify.php
Click to expand...

Hey, that was a really interesting and useful post and link, thanks!
 
chris0147 said:
Thank you for your advise, it sound like C4 is good to go. I am going to try out and see if it would help to treat for fading plastic. If it doesn't work then what I need to do?
Click to expand...

I think the guy who appears to have the most knowledge on the subject says to paint it with high heat oil resistant paint. Or did I miss something?
 
chris0147 said:
How I can find the right paint colour to match it with mine?
Click to expand...

I would find a picture of what the original looks like, gloss or semi gloss or flat. You have most of your prep work done as you have sanded it down to rough it up. Now just make sure it is oil free on the surface to paint. Spray with the paint and be done with it. If you go ahead and use a coating best of luck trying to paint after words the piece would probably fish eye like crazy. Just my thought I have spray bombed numerous car pieces with no issues.
 
chris0147 said:
Thank you for your advise, this is a very useful information.

It sound like to me you are very expert with engine components, do you know what product I need to buy to restore the trim to the original colour to make it like new again?

Would C4 help to do the job?
Click to expand...

For a factory look I would suggest: VHT High temp Black Wrinkle Aerosol SP201

Once that is applied and cured you could apply C4 over it.
 
JKDesign said:
...For future reference for dealing with different types of plastics here is a spreadsheet from an Automotive Bumper Repair Tool website that lists many of the different types of plastics used in the automotive industry and gives repair suggestions and characteristics of each type of plastic: https://www.polyvance.com/identify.php
Click to expand...

That's GREAT!

Thanx for posting the spreadsheet/info.

Bill
 
JKDesign said:
For a factory look I would suggest: VHT High temp Black Wrinkle Aerosol SP201

Once that is applied and cured you could apply C4 over it.
Click to expand...

Would they restore to the orgional colour when I spray on it or they would make it much darker?

How I can restore to the orgional colour when I spray on it as I don't want to make it much darker to make it looks horrible.

Can I use custom paint and how I can find the colour code to match to the original colour?
 
Trip said:
I would find a picture of what the original looks like, gloss or semi gloss or flat. You have most of your prep work done as you have sanded it down to rough it up. Now just make sure it is oil free on the surface to paint. Spray with the paint and be done with it. If you go ahead and use a coating best of luck trying to paint after words the piece would probably fish eye like crazy. Just my thought I have spray bombed numerous car pieces with no issues.
Click to expand...

Here is what the original looks like:

dash.jpg




The name of make and model is vauxhal corsa c 2003. It looks like gloss or standard colour but I am not too sure.

Do you know if it is gloss or not?

How I can find the same colour as the origional colour through on the paint code if it is possible if I could find out the paint colour code for the cam cover?
 
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