Body panels - armor all?

[VehiGator]

New VX'er here. Anyone have good tips on preserving the body panels? Armorall? Nothing at all?

Also the front fangs, any good tips for keeping them fangerific?

-Dan
VehiGator

[Reg Hinnant]

I have just started trying Meguiar's NXT Tech Protectant.
It seems to be lasting well and the cladding has a good black appearance without attracting dust/dirt.

[Geoman]

I tried Mother's "Back To Black" last week...still looks great...no streaks either.

[WyrreJ]

How about a plastic dye?
I was reading one of those car doodad magazines that are like the sharper image, but for automotive stuff and they had a product that was designed for your dashboard and all that was a black plastic dye. They also had a version that was for your tires to keep them looking black.

The tire version was a lot cheaper (2x-3x number of ounces for the same price as the dashboard version). I was thinking the tire version might work well on our cladding.

So, anyone ever tried a plastic/rubber dye on the cladding?

Also got me thinking, my grey-on-black interior might look pretty snazzy if I changed it to electric-blue-on-black instead. Should be able to dye all the grey parts blue, I think.

[xdfarrx]

Use soap to clean the plastic then Black Magic 'Back to Black'. Tried many products and this remains the best.
good luck

[Maugan_VX]

I used the aforementioned McGuire's NXT or whatever. Comes in a purple bottle with a green nozzle.

Put it on two weeks ago. Application was fustrating, because it was easy to see streaks if you didn't apply liberally and evenly. But once I had it on, its held up great. Been through a couple of rainstorms, lots of morning dew and no streaking or fading.

looks great.

[VCrossfan]

Gald to here that Maugan, I just bought a bottle of it today. I was looking for some Meguiars Endurance Gold or Trim detailer but my local Auto Zone didn't have any. I thought about Mothers Back to Black (as people here have liked it) but it's a small size bottle and wouldn't last long. So I got the Meguiars "NXT generation Tech Protectant". My method was spraying it directly on the clean rag (not on the panels) taking long even swipes doing the entire vehicle. Then with a new dry clean rag go back around and remove any residue with the same long swipes following the curves of the Cladding. It looks great. The smell is alittle flower/sweet, but my 9 year old girl loves the sweet smell. No results on long term but as Maugan said,it's working for him.

:thumbup:

[V12BMW]

I use Turtle Wax 2001 Super Protectant w/sun spot,(bright neon green bottle) works great on the cladding/panels and on the interior plastic. I used to be a detailer and Turtle Wax 2001 stuff seems to atract less dust than any other product, when using it on the interior. Back to black is hard to use becuase it's a squeezy bottle (mine is a squeezy) and you have to use alot of it. Back to Black works well on my beemer though. I dont know about the NXT im guessing it's expensive becuase i just got the NXT Wax, and it was like 16.99 for a bottle. With 2001 dont spray directly on the cladding, spray on rag then apply. Hey you Meguiar's guys you have to try the new Meguiar's Glod Class Endurance High Gloss Tire Protectant Gel whoaaa buddy:cool: It's EZ to use, and lasts long, plus little/no mess;Dy;

[VCrossfan]

V12BMW.. I agree the Turtle Wax 2001 is great stuff that's what I always have used. I just came in from wiping off my cladding (did not apply anymore NTX) and I did have some "static" with a dry rag. Static = Dust collector. I'm still waiting to see how it last under rainy/messy conditions. More updates to come.

[Whaleboy]

I am very tempted to give this a try...

http://www.properautocare.com/cohifato.html

I was also debating about powder coating. Not sure how it would adhere to the plastic. Haven't even researched it.

[Raque Thomas]

If someone tries this - please post your findings!

[Chopper]

Meguires makes a product they claim was made for GM cladding(think Avalanche) You have to call the 800 number to get it. The name is "trim detialer" not the Endurance stuff. It's milky white (like Back to Black) without the alcohol base(won't dry the plastic out) About 3.50 a bottle...plus shipping. Get 4 at a time, the shipping is the same as a single bottle. You can maybe get it from their web site.

[Heraclid]

Meguiar's Gold Class Endurance High Gloss Tire Protectant Gel whoaaa buddy It's EZ to use, and lasts long, plus little/no mess

Yep, been using it for quite some time now and I definitely endorse the product. A bottle lasts a long, long time, too.

[WyrreJ]

Ok, I ordered the Forever Black dye (it was the same product I mentioned earlier when I could not remember its name). But I'm one lazy *** and its cold now so it might be a few weeks before I get both a chance and motivated to try it. Will post when I do though.

[VCrossfan]

I just ran arcross this. Haven't used it but might be worth a try...

http://www.properautocare.com/blacagextrim.html

Also when your at the site..click on "Exterior Car Care" on the left. They seem to cover alot of area's

[WyrreJ]

I saw that 'Black Again" and did a check on it before deciding to skip it. From what I read, it sounds like it is just another dressing like Mother's Back to Black, et al. The "Forever Black" is suppossed to be an actual dye all the reviews I could find in google were raving about it too. One guy said he loved it so much that when he ran out of trim to dye on his car he dyed his apple macintosh black.

[VCrossfan]

Well I quess if your Cladding or trim is real bad and discolored the die would be the way to go. I protect mine every other wash and it looks rich and black.

[Child's Play]

I also ordered some of these products. I ordered one can of Back To Black and one Kit of Forever Black. I figured I would try the Back To Black first, see how it works and how long it lasts. If that fails to do the trick, I'll try the Forever Black. The total price was only $34.00 with 3 day shipping, so I figured I'd give it a shot. I wonder if these products will work on the spoiler and roof rack? Any ideas or comments?

[WyrreJ]

Thanksgiving day was actually warm enough that I decided to try out the forever black dye that I ordered earlier in this thread. The results so far are mixed, but promising.

The regular trim dye is too watery and the applicator sponge is WAY too small.

I ended up draining a bottle of the dye into a paper cup and using a tire-cleaner sponge to apply it to the cladding. Even then, the main problem was that it was very streaky. For some reason, it likes to run from the top of each panel and leave vertical streaks - plus streaks from the sponge strokes. I gave it about two coats and it looked somewhat OK.

Later that night it rained a small bit and the next day the cladding was only slightly more streaky than it had looked before the rain. The extra streakiness might even have just been the result of fully drying out.

So, I took the tire-gel version of the dye and applied THAT to the clading. Using the gel works a whole lot better. It was still a little streaky, but two applications pretty much took care of it. Of course this is over two coats of the regular stuff, so it maybe it would take 3 coats of gel if you were starting fresh. But, the gel is really easy to put on, I can do one entire VX in about 10 minutes with the gel where using the regular dye took about an hour to do one coat, even with a big, tire-gel-sized sponge.

The both the gel and the regular dye dry to the touch in 20-40 minutes. Even after dry, the clading still has that "glistening wet" look.

I will report back in a few weeks to let everyone know how it holds up to new england winter weather. Given how well the regular dye handled the rain, I've got high hopes for this final gel-based coat.

But, if anyone else is contemplating giving it a try, my advice so far is to skip the regular dye and go with the tire gel 100%. Also, be sure to wear a latex glove, the dye will wash off your skin easily enough but it really sticks to your fingernails, particularly beneath your fingernails. My right hand still looks a little goth as I type this.

[Whaleboy]

Wyrrej, thanks for taking the risk on this and posting the results.. very helpful indeed!! ;Dy;

[WyrreJ]

Reporting in after over two months with Forever Black. Survey says...

This is THE STUFF.

I applied one more set of touch-ups, not an entire coat, with the tire-gel after the first week of December and since then absolutely no cladding maintenance at all. It has been through the (touchless) wash about 10 times since then, plus plenty of rain, snow and salt. But, after a wash, it looks GREAT, almost brand new.

The only downside is the slight streakiness, and it is more like "swirlies" not big streaks. The streaks did not get any worse with wear, and probably actually evened out a little bit. But, even with a days old application, the streaks are not visible from more than 6-7 feet away, and if you weren't anal you probably would not notice them unless you were looking for them.

So, to recap -- skip the regular version and go with the tire gel version. It works pretty well on the tires, but it makes a profound difference on the cladding. Do not apply either version to side-mirrors, spoiler or hood insert because on those pieces it is super-ugly streaky (my hood insert is definitely darker, but I probably put 10 coats on it and it still looks really weird and not in a good weird way). Door handles are good with the gel and you can use the thin regular stuff for trim and the arms for the windshield wipers. Avoid putting it on the gas cap, although you can wipe it off fairly easily if you catch it in time.

Plan on 2-3 coats, with the included sponge in the tire version, you can probably due an entire coat in 10-15 minutes and it will have dried enough for you to immediately start around on the second coat. You might want to do a third coat the next day depending on how it looks after completely drying. One bottle of tire gel should be good for about 6 coats.

[mrtew]

I still say the plastic doesn't need anything at all! My VX is three and a half years old in Detroit sun, salt, rain, ice, etc etc etc with no garage and the panels still look perfect with nothing on them whatsoever. I think those chemicals just ruin them if anything. I don't use lotion either!

[UNEVEN THOUGHTS]

The first thing on my list for spring projects is to Lightly sand the cladding and use black spray-on bedlining (LineX), I'll do the hood/trunk insert too just to keep it uniform.

[Tyler]

Give "Stoners Trim Shine" a try. I dont see anyone here mentioning it. Saw an ad in "Motor Trend" for it and gave it a shot. Sprays on like a can of spray paint and works really well, under $4 a can. Just sprays on with no wiping. Theres so much cladding you go thru it pretty quick though. Held up nicely to the IL winter/salt so far.

[WyrreJ]

Remember guys, this "Forever Black" is not a polish, wax or other dressing to make the caldding look glossy. It is a dye, it soaks into the cladding and embeds the dark black color in the plastic directly. So it isn't sticky, does not attract bugs or dust nor can it be wiped off after it has set.

You can apply one of those other dressing treatments afterwards to make it glossy, but in my case it made the cladding so much blacker that I did not feel the need to also make it glossy. My VX is painted black and from a distance of say, 15 feet or more, it is almost impossible to tell that the cladding is plastic and not just more painted metal body panels.

I am pretty sure that there is no other product like it out on the market.

[Whaleboy]

I'll be giving that dye a shot when it gets a little warmer, without a doubt.

thanks again WyrreJ for testin' it!

[Cyrk]

So WyrreJ is this the stuff I want?...

Forever BLACK silicone-free Tire Gel
http://www.autogeek.net/forblactirge.html

or this:

Forever Black Bumper & Trim Dye Kit
http://www.autogeek.net/forblacbumtr.html

[Jolly Roger VX'er]

As much as I like the Mother's Back 2 Black; once it does wear off my cladding has been looking dried out. I recently tried "Eagle One" long lasting Silicon Tire Dressing in a spray can on both my tires & cladding. I didn't wipe any off...just sprayed it on and left it air dry. It looks a little too "wet shine" at first but after about a day it looks great! I thought it lasted about as long as Back 2 Black but didn't look all dried out when it wore off. Didn't notice any streaking.

[WyrreJ]

So WyrreJ is this the stuff I want?...

Forever BLACK silicone-free Tire Gel
http://www.autogeek.net/forblactirge.html
That is the one.

[Cyrk]

Ok I just ordered a bottle of it... Thanks.

[Johnny Bravo]

I've tried nearly every type of product like that on the market and without a doubt the best is Zaino Z-16:

http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Z-16&Category_Code=Zaino

It's actually listed as a tire gloss, but it works wonders on plastic such as the cladding on VX's. I wish I had before/after pics from when I used it on my ex-RX7, but I didn't have a digital cam at that time. It's a bit expensive, but well worth it and it lasts forever. It doesn't give the super glossy sheen Armor All does, but makes it look brand new and fresh. Obviously it works well on tires too :D Just my $.02

[StormTROOPER]

Looks as though the cladding will always be a big issue since it such a big part of the VX and weathered cladding can be UGLY. When some idiots call the VX ugly I think thery're refering to the cladding. I'm considering painting mine in a couple years (when it's paid off) but then I'll have to worry about door dings, scratches, and chips. :confused: I'd appreciate feedback on those of you that have painted it.

[Rooster]

If your looking to turn your graying plastic back to black, use heat. Either a heat gun or a propane torch. Keep the flames 6-8" away and fan it back and forth. The plastic will turn black as it warms up.

This works, I kid you not!

(P.S.- I am not responsible for any damage done due to people NOT reading the 6"-8" rule)

[Anita]

I've tried nearly every type of product like that on the market and without a doubt the best is Zaino Z-16:

http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Z-16&Category_Code=Zaino

It's actually listed as a tire gloss, but it works wonders on plastic such as the cladding on VX's. I wish I had before/after pics from when I used it on my ex-RX7, but I didn't have a digital cam at that time. It's a bit expensive, but well worth it and it lasts forever. It doesn't give the super glossy sheen Armor All does, but makes it look brand new and fresh. Obviously it works well on tires too :D Just my $.02
I went ahead and bought a bottle because of your recommendation and the reputation of Zaino products. Having used Turtlewax 2000 and Mothers' I still get steaking after a rain and always got frustrated with putting the products on- it always took several passes to get it on evenly.

So today I cleaned up the cladding and put on Zaino. My first impression -- how EASY it went on - very even and quick, had a nice smell (although its not grape ;) ), didnt take a lot of it to do the whole job, and it wipes off easily if it gets on the paint. I also like the fact that it has UV protection, isnt super glossy, and doesnt attract dirt.

It looks like its gonna rain soon.. we shall see how it does with streaking. :D

[LITTLELAURIE]

Anita - Which Zaino product did you use on your cladding? Thank you!!

Laurie

[Raque Thomas]

It looks like its gonna rain soon.. we shall see how it does with streaking. :D

What's the verdict Anita?

[Moncha]

I've used the Zaino products and absolutely love them. All of their stuff goes on easy. Of course, the first thing you think is, it went on easy, it must come easy. Not so at all! Their Z16 Tire Gloss works wonders along with the Leather in a Bottle! The interior still smells like fresh leather after almost 5 years.

[Anita]

I got the Z-16 Tire Gloss. It started raining today so I will check how it looks tomorrow should the weather clear up.

A couple things I have noticed since putting it on. The product puts on a semi-gloss - very light on the shine. The bottle's instructions did say you could add another coat if you want more shine. A pleasant surprise is that dirt doesnt seem attracted to it.

I'll post on the streaking or lack of tomorrow hopefully.

[Green Dragon]

A pleasant surprise is that dirt doesnt seem attracted to it..

For that Road warrior look,I recommend DMS (Dirt-Mud & Snow). It's free & lasts all year unless you wash your VX

Looks especially good when the Dragon is parked along-side that Proton VX that is at Moab winning all the awards.

[Anita]

For that Road warrior look,I recommend DMS (Dirt-Mud & Snow). It's free & lasts all year unless you wash your VX

Looks especially good when the Dragon is parked along-side that Proton VX that is at Moab winning all the awards.
:smack: You are the expert! LOL

After the historical heavy rains we've been experiencing it was streak-o-rama on the cladding. However, something I should have done which I will do now is to scrub the cladding free of all products that I have put on it and try again.

[Francesco Rizzo]

I am very tempted to give this a try...

http://www.properautocare.com/cohifato.html

I was also debating about powder coating. Not sure how it would adhere to the plastic. Haven't even researched it.
i fell into temptation and just ordered this stuff.. if anyone thinks it's a bad idea please feel free to leave your "two cents." Once I get it I will be trying it underneat the cladding or even might remove a section and test the reverse side.

[Francesco Rizzo]

just got that stuff in the mail and it says it wil be good for up to 6 months, I'm actually going to apply the stuff now, I'll take before and after pictures and post them if anyone is interested, I'm hopeful, I almost want to just pain my clading white to match the rest of the truck but we'll see if this works first
later

[Tyler]

I'm telling you guys.....try the "Stoners Trim Shine". Autozone for $2.50. Its in an aerosol can and sprays on with very little or no wipping. Ive used it all winter and very happy with it. It acutally looks better after a few washes and rain. I tried the Zainos too, now I'm just using it up on the tires.

[Francesco Rizzo]

well, my cladding is finally all one dark, beautiful black.. I applied this stuff twice and it seems to be leaving a little bit of a streak, but well, I applied the second coat it really helped. I might go at it a third since my cladding was sooo bad to begin with. It seems as though I may have applied too much the first time. I left some spots along, hard to get to. If anyone wants, I'll send some before and after pics. From what I can tell is that is your cladding is as bad as mine was, this stuff might help. I forgot, I backed up into a couple of things too, having left faided looking rings where the plastic was a little stratched. It seems to have covered that up too.