Black trim is driving me nuts.

[bull996]

Now then, my van has black trim all round and its got LOADS of polish ground into it. Frankly its driving me nuts. I have used some back to black stuff, but its no good!

So gurus, whats the answer.

Thanks

[diesel piston]

2 good products come to mind, Black Wow is very effective and the excellent Gtechniq C4 which is longer lasting but more expensive

[PJ S]

Bilt Hamber Surfex HD with a toothbrush will sort out the polish residue, then seal with Bilt Hamber Auto-balm, C4, or Dodo Juice Supernatural Trim Sealant.
All will darken and keep the trim from fading further.
Another alternative is 303 Aerospace Protectant, but it will need replenished more often than the others.

[Laser Sag]

Have found those £1 magic erasers great for removing polish etc from plastic trim

[Balmoral Green]

PJ S said:

Bilt Hamber Auto-balm

I found this very good, considering it's a paint wax and not a specific bumper black product. I used it on a base model Panda with black handles, mirrors and bumpers. It went over the white marks from previous polishes and sort of 'repaired' them. They look like new now, with a slightly waxy coat that's not overly shiny or greasy. It's done the job much better than the products that are designed and supposed to do the job.

Edited by Balmoral Green on Sunday 17th October 13:38

[CaptiV8ted]

Back to black is cack, as is any other black stuff I've used. The best I've come across is Autoglym bumper care. The stuff is actually green, but it does a tremendous job of rejuvenating black trim. Tops.

[trix-a-belle]

peanut butter rubbed over with a microfibre and/or vinegar applied & scrubbed with a toothbrush
you may think i'm mad but its worked on bits where I have had problems, it may take a few applications

S

[Defcon5]

WD40 to clean it. Blowtorch/heat gun to make it black again

[Balmoral Green]

CaptiV8ted said:

Autoglym bumper care.

That's pretty good stuff, and I'm no fan of Autoglym products. But then you'd expect their bumper care to be good, as their SR polish is the cause of the problem in the first place

[E21_Ross]

PJ S said:

Bilt Hamber Surfex HD with a toothbrush will sort out the polish residue, then seal with Bilt Hamber Auto-balm, C4, or Dodo Juice Supernatural Trim Sealant.
All will darken and keep the trim from fading further.
Another alternative is 303 Aerospace Protectant, but it will need replenished more often than the others.

this exactly. bilt hamber surfex HD is a really, really good degreaser.

also, gtechniq C4 is your answer. it's a bloody good trim restorer which gives a dark matt finish (not glossy!) and lasts approx 2 years. not like back to black crap which runs when it rains and lasts a couple of weeks.

[anonymous-user]

After much searching on the net for ideas I tried using the apparently common solution of Kiwi black liquid boot polish on the hugely faded black plastic bits on my Eunos, brought them up a lovely deep black.

[jas xjr]

JimSuperSix said:

After much searching on the net for ideas I tried using the apparently common solution of Kiwi black
liquid boot polish on the hugely faded black plastic bits on my Eunos, brought them up a lovely deep black.

+1 been using this for years

[diesel piston]

I used to use `Cherry Blossom` boot polish on the black vinyl roof of a light blue Granada Ghia I had in 1976.
It used to leave black streaks down the paintwork when it rained after getting warm.

[AndyMI16]

C4 really is the shizzle - best product I've used.

The pic below is C4 at 2 years - no fading, streaking or lack of protection apparent. Well worth the higher cost and slightly more fiddly prep/application method.



And a gratuitous shot of the car it's attached to!

[E21_Ross]

AndyMI16 said:

C4 really is the shizzle - best product I've used.

The pic below is C4 at 2 years - no fading, streaking or lack of protection apparent. Well worth the higher cost and slightly more fiddly prep/application method.



And a gratuitous shot of the car it's attached to!

agree - just used some gtechniq C4 on my car a few days ago, easy to apply and left a fantastic finish. i also use C2, C3, C5, G1 and I1 all gtechniq products are simply superb.

[blueg33]

CaptiV8ted said:

Back to black is cack, as is any other black stuff I've used. The best I've come across is Autoglym bumper care. The stuff is actually green, but it does a tremendous job of rejuvenating black trim. Tops.

^^^^ This, I use it on Mrs Blue's Outback. Plus get a polish/wax that does not leave a white residue, you will pay a bit more but save yourself grief