MikekiM

I was originally going to post this in the What Was Done to Your JK This Week thread, but this doesn't really qualify for something I did "this week"....

There are tons of posts on the subject of how to maintain the black plastic trim pieces on our JK's. Chatter about using motor oil on the bumpers, peanut butter on the fenders and I think I saw one about using owl piss.. or maybe that was another site....

When member Red Wings made the suggestion for someone to try Carworx Refinish Restorer on the black trim and was pretty excited about how well it worked, I figured I would give it a try..

There were a few YouTube vids on the stuff, but other than that all I knew was what the website said.. "For renovating faded colours on plastic components as well as for removing traces of polish"

Bear in mind, I had neither faded trim nor traces of polish.. What I had were pristine fenders I wanted to keep that way.

I downloaded the instructions from the vendor and followed Red Wings suggestions on how to prep and apply, but my first attempt at treating the small trim between the front bumper and grill turned out to be a horror. Though I let the Refinish Restorer cure for a few days, the first time the trim got wet and muddy, it showed white stains all over it.

At first I declared it a failure but I decided to give it another try.

I first washed with Dawn dishwashing detergent which is know for stripping wax, grease and most detailing products. Rinsed well. Then wiped the trim down with isopropyl alcohol. Once that dried I applied the Refinish Restorer using and Eagle One Tire Swipe and let it cure for a few days.

Once cured, I reinstalled the trim and shortly after it rained.. for four straight days. This kicked up a ton of mud, leaves and road gunk. With the rain cleared and I inspected the trim, it looked exactly as it did when I applied it. AeroSpace 303 and ArmorAll never lasted this well (I doubt peanut butter would either). It held up so well that I threw caution to the wind and repeated the treatment on all the exterior black. All of it....

I did the fenders; front and rear bumbers; tail light housings; caps on the rear window hinges; covers on the rear gate hinges; side view mirror housings; caps on the windshield wipers; door handles; gas filler neck and hood latches.

That was a few weekends ago and all look a luscious, rich, deep, even black. It rained yesterday and again tons of leaves and road debris kicked up all over the trim yet it all washed off leaving the trim pieces looking like they did weeks ago.

Upside? All the trim looks awesome. The trim on front bumper & VDP stubby caps looks more even. Gunk seems to wash off with no problem. Doesn't seem like the trim is vulnerable to stains as it was prior to treatment.

Downside? Cost. The litre bottle was $42. Not cheap for a detailing product. But I used so little of the product that the litre bottle could potentially last ages. That said, it appears to be some kind of lacquer product and if not properly sealed, the bottle could, potentially, turn bad. We'll see. Also, once it cures it's a bit glossier than I would otherwise prefer. But glossier or stained ashen grey..? Glossy wins.

Short story.. This stuff works and looks great. The trim looks great. If you are diligent in the prep and application, it seems to be a great product. Thank you to Red Wing for making the suggestion.

Red Wings

After your first PM I got I was nervous that they had changed the formula. I am glad that you are happy, and when you don't have to do another application for a year or so you should be even happier.
If you have someone in your area with faded trim you should do some before and after pictures.

MikekiM

Glad I gave it a second try.

This is about two or more weeks old.. at least four days of rain and one 200 mile road trip...

Immediately after a wash with no detailing product applied...

Though it looks wet, it isn't. Dry and smooth. No sticky greasy Armor-all like mess and it won't run or drip. (AeroSpace 303 ran off the fenders when it got wet and stained my brand new wheels)








If anyone on Long Island wants to give this stuff a try, let me know!!

Red Wings

Looking good, if I get around to washing mine this week I will post some new pictures. I have not reapplied in 3-4 months and it still looks great.

BTW, I am very envious of your Jeep, Mango Tango was my first choice but the wife hated it.

Nomadr

Good write up, and the fenders look awesome Hope they make it available in smaller sizes - I don't do well with cleaning products that sit around for a long time.

MikekiM

I hear that... I have a wall full of detailing products..

Hook up with some other JK'rs and split the bottle. If it lasts as long as I am expecting it to, the bottle would easily provide enough for three or four JK's for two to four applications. I found the sponge was the best way to apply it evenly and when done I dropped it in a zip-lock baggie so no product went in the garbage..

husker_fan

I used to use that stuff on my chevy avalanche and it made the faded plastic look better than brand new. I noticed after a few years it kinda started to flake off. I'm not sure its so much of a cleaning product as its a coating. With the flaking aside it still was great and much better than something that just washed off. I reapplied I think maybe about twice a year or so. I still had the container and checked it a few months ago, but it was all dried up. I had the bottle for about 4 years so it doesn't surprise me that it dried up.

Looks great, i always wondered what it would look like on something else.

MikekiM

From my research and in handling it, I believe it to be some kind of lacquer coating. But it doesn't dry hard on the sponge so I can't say for sure exactly what it is.

It does clean with paint thinner, so if it starts to look crappy, it's just a matter of wiping down to remove the old and reapplying.

I am going to keep a log on how looks month-to-month..

Red Wings

That is how I learned about the product as well. I have put 2 coats on my Jeep in the last 14 months and my fenders still look better than new. My can is about 4 years old and I have always kept it closed and sealed in a ziplock bag, but sadly I have to replace it because there isn't enough to do another coating.

FYI, the sponge will eventually harden, my microfiber towels that I applied with and then put in ziplock bags would always harden, so now I just throw them out when I am done.

MikekiM

Eagle One Tire Swipes.. two for like $3... Cheap enough to chuck, but I am looking for other things to treat with the RR before the sponge is unusable! Going to do the trim on my wifes Mazda.