Any recommendations for renewing the body molding trim?

Post by **jpr0204** » 12 Jun 2013, 10:11

Hi All,

Does anyone have any recommendations for renewing the gray body molding trim back to "black"?

I've seen the commercials for "Wipe New", "Back to Black", and a few others, but which one works best in your opinion?

Thanks as always for the suggestions.

- Joe

Post by **wheelsup** » 12 Jun 2013, 10:21

Krylon Fusion black worked on my VW.

Any sort of wipe on/dye is not going to work long term and will probably just make a mess.

To do this properly you need to mask off the area and paint it.

I've heard others had good luck with Duplicolor bumper paint as well, but I have not tried it.

Post by **cn90** » 12 Jun 2013, 11:18

Duplicolor bumper paint works very well for bumper plastic.
I have done it and it looks good.
Use "Gloss Black" (don't use Semi-Gloss Black).

obayha · Post by **obayha** » 12 Jun 2013, 11:41

Some have done the heat gun thing. I tried it on the wiper stops for the front lights and they turned black. It's a talent to keep in looking right and need to be careful around the paint. Probably tape and paint is best.

Post by **JDS60R** » 12 Jun 2013, 12:15

Creamy peanut butter put on with a microfiber cloth. Then rub off. Then coat with turtle wax ice liquid polish.
You can wash the car after the peanut butter if you want. I don't

Nope - not kidding !!!

instarx · Post by **instarx** » 12 Jun 2013, 13:34

The best I've found is Back to Black. It doesn't look any better than the other restorers, but it lasts a lot longer.

I tried the blow torch idea and I would not recommend it. It destroys (melts) the surface texture.

Post by **JRL** » 12 Jun 2013, 14:46

Back to Black sucks.

Your bet bet is to paint them, it's essentially permanent
Bumper paint is the right color and texture (buy at any automotive store) but if you want darker any good plastic spray paint will do.

As with everything, prepwork here is the key.
A lot of masking has to be done and make sure everything has been wiped properly with prep along with a light scuffing

Post by **kahl** » 12 Jun 2013, 16:06

I use a product by Bondo called Restore Black. It is a dye. The first time I used this product I put on two coats. It has lasted about 9 months. I just put on another coat it looks great. Any slop on the paint can be wiped off with a damp rag. I got the product from Advance Auto.

Post by **Ben850** » 12 Jun 2013, 18:57

I used the heat gun on the Sedan. It worked well, but it is tedious and can go wrong in a few ways.

I tried Meguiars "Ultimate Black" to maintain the Sedan and it seems to work nicely but lasts only a few weeks at a time. It is easy to apply.

: G15812_Ultimate_Black.jpg (56.59 KiB) Viewed 1625 times

When I picked up the wagon a few weeks ago, I used only the Meguiars with no heat gun and it looks good but took a couple applications.
I don't want to paint moldings, it looks tacky when it starts coming off. It will start coming off with the first scratch or bump.
I don't mind the re-applications so much since it does look even and consistent.

I like the Peanut Butter idea. I'll try it on the next car.

Post by **jreed** » 13 Jun 2013, 04:59

I wanted to chime in and agree with the above: spray paint can last a long time with the right prep work, but bumps or scratches will cause it to flake off. I used Duplicolor spraypaint on the black plastic part of the bumper on my '97 855 GLT and it looked great for three months and then started to flake off whenever there was an impact from rocks (front bumper) or abrasion (back bumper). You might get better adhesion if you use the Duplicolor adhesion promoter first.
I decided to get some liquid Rustoleum oil-based enamel, dilute it with paint thinner and brush it on. The combination I chose was 5 parts flat black : 1 part gloss black : 4 parts paint thinner. This makes a very thin paint that self levels when applied with a foam brush. Prep consisted of sanding down with 150 grit sandpaper. I've only had the enamel on the car for about 2 months so far so I can't comment on the long term adhesion or durability. So far on the front bumper the normal wear and tear from rock impacts has not caused the black paint to chip or flake off, but only time will tell.