[Harry Ford]

I noticed last night that the black insert on the rear bumper already had a chalky-white streak down along one side. I have a bottle of STP silicone spray and used some of that on an old washcloth to remove it. While I was at it I treated the whole insert with the spray to protect it against the elements. Been using this on my cars for years with no problems, but now I wonder if there's an alternative that might be better.

Harry

 

[Audrey]

There's a few good ideas in the So Fresh, So Clean forums...

 

[AlanBDahl]

Meguire's Mirror Glaze #40 or any non-silicone-based spray will work fine but stay away from the silicone-based ones like Armor All. I've used #40 on my Miata's top for years and it looks great.

 

[Harry Ford]

Thanks! Appreciate the link/info. I think I'll just wait for the STP stuff to wear off and then try the Meguire's product instead.

Harry

 

[Hoonu]

Mother's "Back to Black." MINIs have a ton of black trim, and that works well to keep it black. I think there's another product out there called "Black Wow" that some of the MINI crazies like, but it's not available at retail.

 

[Harry Ford]

Mother's "Back to Black." MINIs have a ton of black trim, and that works well to keep it black. I think there's another product out there called "Black Wow" that some of the MINI crazies like, but it's not available at retail.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll check into this too!

Harry

 

[Redlight]

First things first, get away from anything that has silicones and step up to a waterbased dressing. Not only is it less of a hassle, it's safer for the trim.

I use Adam's Super VRT and have had excellent results with it.

Adam's Polishes - Adam's 16oz Water Repellent Super VRT

dave.

 

[Chan]

Good ole regular Armorall cost effective and does a good job. Cut it 1:2 water/armorall and you'll still get good results.

 

[Hoonu]

Not a fan of armor-all. When it comes off, it seems to streak, especially on rubber. Now, I've used it for years, so...

 

[Redlight]

The silicones in armor-all dry out the natural oils in plastics, rubber, and leather where as water based dressings replenish the natural oils.

The long term damage done by armor all is worth the extra money to just buy a quality water based product.


If you don't want to put a topping on the black plastic, you can order some Forever Black. FB is a black dye that is a permanent solution to dull trim. One word of caution...if it gets on the paint, you must use acetone to get it off, but other than that, it's a great product.

dave.