Detailing the Plastic

[visconte]

is better than Maguires, just mho

[Sheik-YurBooty]

Its a toss up between meguires & 303. If you want more shine , go with meguires. Now if you want a cleanier look for the long run, I believe that 303 works best. Meguires tends to pick up more lint & small debries. I use em both , yet I mostly use Meguires

[Heraclid]

Meguiar's Gold Class Endurance High Gloss Tire Protectant Gel. Applied correctly, it won't look greasy, and it won't streak if you let it sit for a day after with no rain before getting wet. Has a lot of longevity. A little goes a long way - I've had my VX over a year now, the same bottle of Meguiar's just about the whole time. I used to apply it a bit more often, but now that I have the hang of it, I don't need to. I just now need to get another. Haven't tried the Mother's because I haven't had any reason to switch.

[migil]

I remember reading lots of posts where other VXers warned about cladding protection products containing alcohol as it "dries up" the plastic and eventually would lead to cracks.

Guess what: I was yesterday reading the back label of a Back to Black bottle and it has a warning that clearly states "This product contains alcohols". Needless to say that was enough for me to put it back on the shelf.

[t2p]

.
I feel terrible ........ my cladding is not even four years old ......
.
sniff .......
.
easy on that stuff, kids ! .........
.
Migil - Thanks - I will look into the warning ........... maybe try Meguiars ..... ???
.
(and how in the heck do you spell Meguiars anyway ?) ........
.
but so far, I'm sold on this Back to Black stuff ......... alcohol and all .......
.
sniff ....... sniff ......... kids ! ......... enough !

[johnnyapollo]

Endurance is almost pure silicon, I believe. I think that's why it lasts so long.

-- John

[Chopper]

My only deal with the endurance stuff is that it never dries. Used it a few times on my tires and put it on the shelf. The Stoner tire stuff works better....so does the Meguire's spray stuff. Call them and get the trim detailer...white liquid, 4 bucks. Gotta buff it off about an hour later so the fuzzies don't stick. My .2

[tomcat837]

My vote is for Meguiar's (this is the correct spelling), NXT generation Tech Protectant for vynil, rubber, plastic. This stuff is made of engineered synthetic polymers.

Creates shine and richness to dashboards, tires and trim.
Helps restore original color to older, weathered surfaces.
Patented antiozonants help prevent premature aging and deterioration
Protects using UVA/UVB inhibitors to help reduce fading and cracking

You can always call 1-800-347-5700 for free, expert car care advice

www.meguiars.com

[migil]

Originally posted by Chopper
My only deal with the endurance stuff is that it never dries.

I noticed the same thing when I started using it, however I reduced the amount of product used - Granted, you'll need more elbow grease to properly distribute it. After applying Endurance to the whole cladding I then eliminate the excess with a clean cloth leaving the cladding surface a lot less "greasy", which attracts less dirt and dust.

[Heraclid]

That's exactly the trick with Endurance. Use less of it, make less go farther. Like you said, that requires a bit more elbow grease. That will make it less greasy, but probably still a little bit so. So go back over it with a clean cloth to take away that extra sheen. It'll look great the next day and stay nice for quite a while and after a few washings.

That said, I am not a fan of using it on the tires, either. I always use spray-ons, either Armor All Tire Foam or the Meguiar's product (not sure of the exact name). If you prep the tires first (spray, wash with soapy water and scrub real good with a tire brush, rinse), regular Tire Foam does quite nicely. One I stay away from is Black Magic.

I have been curious about NXT and did some research recently. It gets very lukewarm reviews. I'm going to finish up my bottle of Zymol and then switch over to Zaino Bros. As for rubber and plastic trim, plus the rails/rack, wing, wiper arms and plastic under windshield - I've used the Meguiar's Endurance on that as well with nice results. Same method as described above for cladding. Just keep it off the glass and wiper blades.

Something I just tried and highly recommend is Meguiar's Gold Class Rich Leather Foam Cleaner/Conditioner for the Recaros. WAY better than wipes, works in nicely and it makes them look great without being greasy. I like them to look cleaner and for the color to be richer, but I don't like the wet look, and this stuff gets it done. Some wipes actually seem to DRY OUT the leather and make it LOSE color vibrance.

[Tyler]

Like many of you I tried tons of products to clean the cladding. I never liked the look of the cladding shiney or glossy and was getting frustrated. But..........I did find, much by accident, the perfect cleaner. Windex "multi-surface". You will have to do it many times to remove all the oily products that were used before but once its all cleaned off the Windex works perfect, dosnt streak and leaves the cladding a nice dark grey flat color.

[jimbo]

I use 303 now and it lasts the longest of any products I have used and gives a nice deep grey.

[Leah]

Originally posted by Tyler
Like many of you I tried tons of products to clean the cladding. I never liked the look of the cladding shiney or glossy and was getting frustrated. But..........I did find, much by accident, the perfect cleaner. Windex "multi-surface". You will have to do it many times to remove all the oily products that were used before but once its all cleaned off the Windex works perfect, dosnt streak and leaves the cladding a nice dark grey flat color.

How long have you been using Windex? What happens when the cladding is left in the sun? Will the cladding fade?

I know from past experience that using certain 'treatment' products that weather causes the product to turn white. Someone on this site had said they had never used any sort of treatment on the cladding and they never had trouble with fading. I've used Mother's Back to Black per suggestions on this forum and I've been thrilled with the outcome. I'd much rather use nothing - if that's possible.

[Hanalei]

What a bunch of dedicated little VXers we are!

I used the Meguires Plastic and Rubber Protectant and Shine and it works beautifully. Very, very easy to put on, no rubbing at all. The cladding looks new and it lasts for quite a while. Highly recommended. I would spray it on a towel and then apply it so as to not get it on your paint.

[Maugan_VX]

Go to your local boating/marine store. Pick up a bottle of the cheapest teflon wax you can find. Apply as if you were applying it to a boat.

It'll shine, and repel at the same time.