Proof of how severely my cladding has faded!

[VX KAT]

For some reason I never noticed this area before, it's on the front cladding directly above the fake cladding bolt.
But it really shows how much my cladding has lightened, faded, whatever, since original.
Like to hear how this compares to others.

The first pic's color is more accurate, mine really has a bit of a bluish tint.

[PK]

For some reason I never noticed this area before, it's on the front cladding directly above the fake cladding bolt.
But it really shows how much my cladding has lightened, faded, whatever, since original.
Like to hear how this compares to others.

The first pic's color is more accurate, mine really has a bit of a bluish tint.

So, just to get this straight Sue -

Would you now say your cladding started out as -

Dark grey
or
Light Black
or
Bluey grey

PK

[VX KAT]

So, just to get this straight Sue -

Would you now say your cladding started out as -

Dark grey
or
Light Black
or
Bluey grey

PK

no, I think I'd just say it started out LOOKIN' GOOD!!!....now....not so much....

[Grif]

I'm starting to think that the only way to regain close to the original color is via an actual coating like LineX or possibly Gatorback. The refinisher products like R/R and TS-1 just don't add color. Those simply recondition the greying surface as opposed to creating a new surface with proper color.

[Ascinder]

You should definitely PM CrnCcc(Clint). He's right there in Arizona with you and the stuff he shot his cladding with was some kind of bumper paint. It looks better than new. He said it was extremely easy to do too. I don't know how it's held up so far, but I will personally vouch that it looked incredible even after almost a year. I was actually having buyers remorse since I had just bought the Gatorback stuff when I saw his

[Ldub]

Like to hear how this compares to others.

That compares favorably with my R. hand, I've got one just like it...

How inna hell didja get that angle?...I don't remember this being taken......

[VX KAT]

That compares favorably with my R. hand, I've got one just like it...

How inna hell didja get that angle?...I don't remember this being taken......

Yes, I believe that does match up with your hand. I'm tricky like that! Ya gotta watch out for me! I'm a stealth snapper!
I was just using my super zoom and when you turned your head to the left I snapped it. I can see your hair in the far left...or is that your beard??

[VX KAT]

I agree Grif, none of the perm products seem to add much color. That Bondo stuff was like a dye of some sort, but too hard to control evenness of application and Rick & Eric both said it was pretty bad anyway.

I'm getting more and more drawn to the GB.

Spent about 2 hrs the other day trying to blast that darn last 5% of R/R off...boy it's a bugger! Still have some left. Concentrated on the front & rear bumpers so I MAYBE I can do the GatorBack before I install the 2 skids.....just maybe it will all work out. Yes, I realize the skids will cover the area BTW.

I just remembered today I'd taken the chunk of cladding Dub cut out for the hitch...well, I've decided I'm going to use it to do some experimenting...going cough up the $20 or so for one can of GB hopefully avail at my local Chevy dealership. Just goin' play with it... scratch it, scuff it, patch it and see if it blends easy....etc... Let's hope.....

Beau- Do you have any cladding chunks you can experiment with also??

[Ldub]

You should definitely PM CrnCcc(Clint). He's right there in Arizona with you and the stuff he shot his cladding with was some kind of bumper paint. It looks better than new. He said it was extremely easy to do too. I don't know how it's held up so far, but I will personally vouch that it looked incredible even after almost a year. I was actually having buyers remorse since I had just bought the Gatorback stuff when I saw his

Here's the orig post, sans pics...

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...color+cladding

Here are a couple 0f pics from his gallery...

[vt_maverick]

FWIW, that same piece of "interior' cladding is nowhere near as dark on my VX as on Sue's, which doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense given that it should be fairly hidden on both rigs. Who knows...

I agree that a coating product (GatorBack or whatever Crn used) is the best long-term solution to the problem. On the other hand if your cladding isn't that bad and you're just looking to maintain, TS-1 is probably the best option.

[Ascinder]

Beau- Do you have any cladding chunks you can experiment with also??

I'm not really sure. It seems like I vaguely remember saving some when I made the cut out for the winch, but I have no idea what happened to it. I think my garage ate them.

Also, the pics for Clints VX do not look like how it looks in real life. It is a very flat, very even finish. Almost like a slightly matte/satin surface. I would do it in a second if I didn't already have a couple quarts of Gatorback waiting patiently on the shelf. I can only hope it turns out close to as well as his did.

[Ldub]

Here's some more product & advice to add to the cornfusion...
For more, goog: bumper black paint...

http://www.superiorcarcare.net/forblacbumtr.html

http://www.tcpglobal.com/spraypaintd...-coatings.aspx

http://www.ehow.com/how_5143210_pain...ers-truck.html

http://www.abc-bus.com/servicebullet...20painting.pdf

http://www.bodyshopbusiness.com/Arti...g_plastic.aspx

http://www.urethanesupply.com/bccincompatible.php

[Ascinder]

Don't quote me on this, but I wanna say he used duplicolor bumper paint from walmart. It wasn't any space age/highly technical/expensive product, and it didn't sound like it took a lot(if any) prep work. I wanna say he said he had it done in under an hour and that included masking it off. Hopefully he'll chime in here with the details. That was one of the great things about it-sold everywhere for cheap, quick, and easy touchups.

[VX KAT]

Here's some more product & advice to add to the cornfusion...
For more, goog: bumper black paint...

http://www.superiorcarcare.net/forblacbumtr.html

http://www.tcpglobal.com/spraypaintd...-coatings.aspx

http://www.ehow.com/how_5143210_pain...ers-truck.html

http://www.abc-bus.com/servicebullet...20painting.pdf

http://www.bodyshopbusiness.com/Arti...g_plastic.aspx

http://www.urethanesupply.com/bccincompatible.php

.....I hate you Dubster!!!!! You realize this will now drive me crazy!!!! And then I'll make a few other people crazy, and it just isn't pretty......

.....& my hubby really hates you!!!

[ZEUS]

Sue, isn't that just black paint applied to blend with the rad support? I have seen it on other vehicles too. The piece of cladding Dub cut out will be the original color of the cladding thru it's thickness and I don't think you will see much difference from the backside thru to the finished/textured side. That section was facing downward so should not have faded much. I would compare that piece to the front to see how different they are.

For some reason I never noticed this area before, it's on the front cladding directly above the fake cladding bolt.
But it really shows how much my cladding has lightened, faded, whatever, since original.
Like to hear how this compares to others.

The first pic's color is more accurate, mine really has a bit of a bluish tint.