faded bumper trim s40

[navanman]

hello everyone,,

i'm not long after getting m hands on a 98 volvo s40 t 4.
as expected after 11 years out in the elements the plastic trim and side mouldings have faded.
would it be better taking them off and spraying them, has anyone tried this,

[quantum_man]

I use Meguiars tyre shine on plastic trim, it's great stuff. You can buy it from Halfords. I'd recommend using an applicator pad for the best results.

As for any painted areas that have faded, I'd suggest getting them machine polished and waxing - might be an alternative to getting it sprayed.

[dannytherev]

navanman said:

hello everyone,,

i'm not long after getting m hands on a 98 volvo s40 t 4.
as expected after 11 years out in the elements the plastic trim and side mouldings have faded.
would it be better taking them off and spraying them, has anyone tried this,

In my experience best thing to do is paint them up usually one aerosol from your local motor factors will do f+r strips and side skirts (don't get the textured paint though as it's rubbish)good make I find is Upol dark grey for the best look, also If you want it to last a few years get some plastic primer (clear)also upol hth

[cmr2payne]

I know this sounds strange, but peanut butter is the best stuff a car garage told me it years ago and it works better than any of the black to black stuff.

[angus54]

cmr2payne said:

I know this sounds strange, but peanut butter is the best stuff a car garage told me it years ago and it works better than any of the black to black stuff.

That works as does:

Linseed oil

Or my favourite:

Morrisons £1.39 liquid black shoe polish with sponge applicator (2 coats)

Works perfectly and has lasted black for over 1 year.

Forget all the c**p they sell in Halfords etc...

Cheers

[navanman]

thanks for them,, heard the peanut butter thing before but i work in a school so have decided to paint them to see how it comes up,,,

[boxofbits]

I had the same problem on my 98 S40, I decided to paint them a few months ago with Halfords spray paint, they do a "Volvo dark grey" colour which is a spot on match for trim. Looks great once done and doesn't fade after a few months like the cleaners/polish stuff does.

[SkinnyBoy]

As a qualified panel beater my trick is to use a heat gun and gently heat the plastic until it returns to the original colour. works great and no polishes or waxes are required for a long time. Just don't go crazy with the heat gun or you will ruin them!