Restoring faded plastic back to black?

[Brendan]

Anyone recommend something they've used? There are lots of products, but I'm not sure how long they last before fading again. Thanks

 

[highlander]

ime the off the shelf stuff stuff is all pretty much the same. i use back to black put on with a cloth for the plastic below the window wipers and renew it once a month but maybe someone has a perm solution?

 

[2b1ask1]

It is ultra violet damage, any oil or other wipe on treatment will be limited. On some parts you can abrade back to good material if you can accept a sanded finish. But the likes of a bobbley scuttle, this is not practical. It is possible to blow it over with a flame but again only temporary, although longer lasting, it takes real skill to get it even and you run a risk of damaging the part or adjacent parts. The only practical solution then is to spray paint with an appropriate paint.

 

[Brendan]

It is ultra violet damage, any oil or other wipe on treatment will be limited. On some parts you can abrade back to good material if you can accept a sanded finish. But the likes of a bobbley scuttle, this is not practical. It is possible to blow it over with a flame but again only temporary, although longer lasting, it takes real skill to get it even and you run a risk of damaging the part or adjacent parts. The only practical solution then is to spray paint with an appropriate paint.

Thought as much. I guess it's like anything you clean, it will get dirty again.

 

[allandwf]

I've just used off the shelf stuff, but if I have a rag for WD40 I find running that over is just as good.

 

[2b1ask1]

Black & grey plastics are basically pigmented with carbon black, the fading is the carbon being leached out of the surface. They don’t put any UV stabiliser into black or grey products as they are seen as stable. The stabilisers make the plastics brittle so it is a compromise.

In my industry there is a lot of bright colours used in plastics and always outdoors. Red was always the first to fade but all colours will go.

 

[alastairb]

Gtechniq C4 and Solution Finish come up a lot for this.

Ive got some Turtle Wax Acrylic Graphene stuff on some parts that seems to be holding up pretty well.

 

[Nibby]

Autoglym Rubber and Vinyl Care I found as good as any. Spray it on the cloth rather than the item you want to spruce up as it is a bit oily type stuff.

 

[cheshiremaserati]

GTechniq C4 is the best. stays good for a couple of years. degrease and clean with isopropyl alcohol. Apply exactly as per instructions. Expensive stuff at around £25 for 20ml and £40 for the 30ml bottle. Apply with the supplied applicator pads with a few drops only. All the other stuff is a complete waste of time. Save your money and use C4.

 

[Brendan]

Thanks for the replies

 

[Andyk]

I find this pretty good and seems to last but WD40 is always decent.

 

[Felonious Crud]

Try Perl. It's also good for tyre sidewalls.

 

[midlifecrisis]

Never understood why tyre black is a thing?

 

[Brendan]

Cheers

 

[Wack61]

Mr Fix worked on my car , small bottle but cheap compared to the geotechnic products

 

[mgtsroar]

I find this pretty good and seems to last but WD40 is always decent.

View attachment 114900

Hi I have found this to be pretty effective and cheap as well! One bottle lasts for ages and really easy to apply with a rag after washing and drying the car

 

[Brendan]

I used Back to Black a couple of weeks ago, but it’s starting to fade already

 

[alastairb]

C4 or Solution Finish for longevity. Others available, YMMV:

Textured Plastic Dressings & Coatings

Textured & Hard Plastic Restorers With the advancements in car care & detailing product technology, one area that has come a long way is dressings and coatings for your exterior hard & textured plastic surfaces. Often these are the first to fade making your car look tired and dated. I

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