always test in an inconspicuous area!

[etlsport]

just a warning.. when trying a new product.. make sure to test it first... i found a new product for my cladding made by bondo that claimed to last for 6 months... so naturally i bought it and in my excitement i forgot to test... as soon as i started applying i realized it was more or less black paint in a fancy bottle with a sponge brush renamed 'applicator'... long story short... my drivers side fender is going to be streaky and black for the next 6 months or so... maybe its time to look into line-x... will post pics of devil product soon so you all can see what to avoid

[Zorak]

I saw this stuff at Autozone...glad I checked here first before buying/using it.

Your post was six months ago...has it worn off yet?

[etlsport]

glad i could help.. about a month ago someone looking at it asked me what had happened to the fender, so it lasted awhile... if you want your cladding to be black id go with the stuff that was on here recently, because even where i used the bondo stuff, it still looked pretty faded

when i first did it, even putting polish (similar to mothers back to black) wouldnt cover the streaking completely, now the first week or so after polishing its not noticable, then after about a week the streaking starts to show through

[VX KAT]

Hey Eric- looking over this old thread got to thinking.....you mentioned it's almost like a black paint....wondered if you thought it might be worth trying on mine to really darken it??

What did the surface texture look like after application...i.e. glossy, satin, matte? Since I've succeeded in blasting off all the R/R, my cladding has a gray, dry, matte velvet look.

I realize you said the streaking was horrible so application would probably be really hard to get it streak-free.

At this point I think I want "darker" more than I want "rich" cladding......suddenly dry matte cladding is lookin' real good to me about now!

p.s. -Don't worry Luna, I won't put anything on it until we meet up and discuss.

[etlsport]

Sue, I was actually thinking of giving the stuff another shot. The initial shock of it freaked me out but the idea of darkening the cladding with it would probably work. Even a year later I could see the streaks. They didn't change anything but the color. Might be worth a try, but I would attempt a test on the half moon or something first.

[Scott Larson]

I still find the best stuff to use is good ol' WD40. Apply it liberally, let it soak in a few hours out of direct sunlight and wipe of the excess. It darkens, it evens out and it provides a consistant sheen. Easily applied, doesn't harm paint or plastic and protects from drying out, perfect! Works great on tires, trim, rubber, vinyl, aluminum, everything! Haven't tried it on my breakfast cereal yet...

[VX KAT]

I still find the best stuff to use is good ol' WD40. Apply it liberally, let it soak in a few hours out of direct sunlight and wipe of the excess. It darkens, it evens out and it provides a consistant sheen. Easily applied, doesn't harm paint or plastic and protects from drying out, perfect! Works great on tires, trim, rubber, vinyl, aluminum, everything! Haven't tried it on my breakfast cereal yet...

Wow, somehow I don't recall reading about that idea...I do recall somebody treated it with Windex, but hadn't heard about WD-40. I guess it does make some sense, but I'd think it might have a bit of a sticky residue which would hold dirt like a magnet. Scott, does it attract dirt?

[RamAirZ]

huh, I might try that WD40 idea. I used some of the Mequiers Gold Class Endurance High Gloss Tire Gel today, I had it in a "detail" box from years ago. I used to use it on my Camaro's tires and it always worked great. I applied it to the cladding and afterwards I went across it with a dry cloth to get all the excess "grease" off and it still looks good after a trip in the rain to work and driving down my dirt road.

[sloop]

just a warning.. when trying a new product.. make sure to test it first... i found a new product for my cladding made by bondo that claimed to last for 6 months... so naturally i bought it and in my excitement i forgot to test... as soon as i started applying i realized it was more or less black paint in a fancy bottle with a sponge brush renamed 'applicator'... long story short... my drivers side fender is going to be streaky and black for the next 6 months or so... maybe its time to look into line-x... will post pics of devil product soon so you all can see what to avoid

We used the Bondo stuff on my Friends Avalanche it really works good on a small area and looks great, BUT when you do a large area you get what looks like paint streaks. So after testing on a small area You would of tried a large one (If that makes you feel any better). We used Purple power to get it off it was a pain in the arse>>>>>> but after several experiments he claims to have it down on how to apply. #1 wear gloves this stuff sticks, stains, whatever. He said to use a wax pad not the silly APPLICATOR( AKA) Little sponge. and follow the directions on the bottle put the wax pad in a plastic bag and seal after using. His Truck looks Great and it was really Faded! I have not tried this stuff except for that one time with him, so I am going of his words But I will vouch for the look of his cladding it really looks good

[Luna X]

The more and more products put on the cladding may look good for a little while... right up to when you wash your VX or get caught in the rain.

Additionally, all that's happenening is you're causing all this stuff to be "baked right in"

The way I see it, we have a few options...
** Use the dressing of your choice and just keep using that as part of your routine wash.
** If you're always going through the "rough" or doin' lots of wheelin' then I can definately see where Rhino Coating or LineX would be a good option. And NOT the store bought stuff... most people don't have all the neccessary products to truly promote good adhesion.
** Lastly, as a street machine, I will be painting my cladding with a basecoat/clearcoat system. I plan on matching the original matte finish (not sure of color yet, black, off black, dark grey) this way, I will never have to worry about fading again... The clearcoat has built-in UV protection, so I can just wash'n-go...

I'm sooo lookin' forward for this summer to be over!... Once the heat breaks, I'll be out there gettin' good 'ol Luna ready for her new look...

[Scott Larson]

Wow, somehow I don't recall reading about that idea...I do recall somebody treated it with Windex, but hadn't heard about WD-40. I guess it does make some sense, but I'd think it might have a bit of a sticky residue which would hold dirt like a magnet. Scott, does it attract dirt?

Well Kat, yes and no...If you let it soak in and then wipe off the excess, dust sticks no worse then on untreated cladding. If ya soak it down and then hit the long dusty, then it attracts dust pretty good; but it wipes right off. The really nice thing about WD40 (besides it's 1001 uses) is that it does not dry out plastics. As a matter of fact it helps protect it from drying out and cracking or fading. I've been using it for years on all kinds of vehicles on just about every surface imaginable and I'll swear by it! It's a fantastic detailer for under the hood and the entire chassis too. Makes tires look brand new without that high gloss look. The only tools you ever need to apply it with are a spray bottle (if ya buy it by the gallon like I do), a clean rag or towel, and an old (or new) paint brush. The brush works great for working it into crevices and such. Don't be afraid to experiment, it will not harm paint, plastics, wiring, upholstry, anything. It won't stain your hands and it doesn't smell bad either. Geez, I sound like I own the company or something...Did I mention that it dries out wet ignitions, removes grease and sticky-stuff, shines dull paint, lubricates, prevents rust.........?

[RamAirZ]

** If you're always going through the "rough" or doin' lots of wheelin' then I can definately see where Rhino Coating or LineX would be a good option. And NOT the store bought stuff... most people don't have all the neccessary products to truly promote good adhesion.

This is my future solution, gonna do the whole truck, use a colored "smooth" version on the metal and the black on the cladding.

[Luna X]

This is my future solution, gonna do the whole truck, use a colored "smooth" version on the metal and the black on the cladding.

I've always wondered how a vehicle would look completely covered with that material... you wouldn't have to worry about sctratches anymore!

Quick question...
Does the newer version of that stuff have better built in UV protection? I remember when the colors first came out, they looked great at first, but a couple years down the road, they would get that chaulky look. Just like cladding... you don't want to have to deal with that on the whole truck.

[RickOKC]

This is the stuff I inherited with my VX. The previous owner had put it on and gave me the remainder. I think Bondo Restore Black is horrible and should be avoided.

A lot of it wiped off the front when I was removing the bugs I collected on my trip home leaving the front uneven and blotchy. The cargo door was extremely streaky. Remember the fake black wood grain on the back of a Lincoln Blackwood - looked a lot like that. In addition to big swirls all over the cladding, there were some bare places here and there where the Bondo just wouldn't stick. It looked like it could use a 2nd coat all the way around.

I spent a week or two trying to even out the front and make the blotches, streaks and swirls disappear. Those bare spots on the sides continued to inexplicably repel it. Everything I did made it look worse... and worse... and worse. I'd wipe it across a bad area; it would remove the old streaks and leave new ones in a slightly different pattern. And it would leave an obvious thin area around whatever spot or panel you had just tried to fix.

Good news, it can be removed with SuperClean. Bad news, that is some evil stuff and you need to be very careful with it! WEAR GLOVES unless you purposely want to remove a layer of skin. Also, avoid getting it on your gas filler door. I accidentally squeezed the trigger as I picked up the bottle and the spray left light dots in the filler door paint.

[Mile High VX]

I've always wondered how a vehicle would look completely covered with that material... you wouldn't have to worry about sctratches anymore!

Quick question...
Does the newer version of that stuff have better built in UV protection? I remember when the colors first came out, they looked great at first, but a couple years down the road, they would get that chaulky look. Just like cladding... you don't want to have to deal with that on the whole truck.

There was a VX in Colorado Springs that had been completely Rhinolined in black...owner was a hardcore offroader. It came up for sale last year and, while not my taste, was not bad for a rig designed to go through the harshest and toughest offroads that CO has to offer.