Freshen black plastic parts

[montmil]

I've been using Mothers Back-to-Black on my 1986 VW Cabriolet and 1995 F-150 for some time now. It does a good good bringing back the soft luster of the original black components on the vehicles. The truck's black plastic case on the exterior mirrors, rubber trim strips, etc. The Cabriolet has lots of black bits on the exterior so it's an on going exercise for me.

I just finished treating the R65s taillight housing with the Mothers. There was a "shadow' from an old sticker of some sort plus the entire case was getting a bit gray... like some of us!

My favorite application technique is a one-inch wide disposable foam brush. Lay on the product fairly heavy (not dripping, but a full coat) and smooth it out as best as you can. Let it dry, then buff with a clean cotton towel. No streaks. Looks a lot better. Some components will benefit from a second application, depending on condition of the item. You may be able to see the difference compared to the un-treated turn signal housings.



You may notice I have shortened the chrome stalk with the turn signals on the ends. Reduced its width by about half or a bit less. Kind of tightens up the rear lights. I had been knocking into them as I was working on the bike. May do the same to the front if I work up the energy.

[Spinachpie]

Looks good Monte. Thanks for the info. I have been looking to "clean up" using something other than Lemon Joy on the plastics.

BTW,  I used that Simple Green cleaner you mentioned in an earlier post and that worked wonders on rims, forks, final drive case, etc. Highly regarded stuff and not so bad for the environment. I have yet to really clean the block and underside.

[MrRiden]

Monte,
you always seem to have a handy tip that werks. I'll give the mothers a try. right now my BMW luggage is a bit slimy from that other popular protectant.
rich

[montmil]

Monte, you always seem to have a handy tip that werks. I'll give the mothers a try. right now my BMW luggage is a bit slimy from that other popular protectant. rich

I've pretty much given up on ArmorAll myownself. A victim of Richard Petty's advertisements 'back in the day'. Advise you do a good Simple Green scrubbing before applying the new coating. Be sure to buff off the final coat with clean toweling.

The Mutha's stuff is an actual coating. There's some alcohol in it plus it's water clean-up if you get a drip where you don't want it. Goes on milky-looking but drys clear. Supposed to be an exterior use product but may make my Cabriolet's dull black dashboard look fresher.

Similar products are available at the big box stores in gloss and semi. They all look like thinned Elmer's Glue during application but dry to a clear durable finish. Several years ago, I used a similar product from Valspar -known as Duramax- on a large brick area inside my home. The finish really made the colors "pop" out of the brick plus helped keep dust from attaching itself to the stone. It's another latex-based finish that I may try on a car bumper.

To quote my wife, "Monte's always got to have a project."   Hey, works for me!