faded bumper

[ed ritti]

My 2004 ST is great since the new shocks have been installed. Now to tackle the exterior's flaws. The #1 complaint is the faded black areas. I was watching the SPEED network yesterday and they were pushing a product that actually goes into the plastic (instead of just coating it) and turns it black again. Has anyone used Black Magic and can confirm the results?

 

[James Kerr]

Some guys here at work have used that. I believe they said it goes back to the way it was after about 6 months.

 

[David Gonzales]

I use Mother's Back to Black. I do it about once a month, when I really get detailed and clean the heck out of the truck. And it looks like new every time.

 

[swshawaii]

Haven't found any conditioner that holds up long term, yet.

Seriously thinking about painting the bumpers and cladding.

 

[swshawaii]

 

[H D]

I recently painted and am very happy with the results. You can search for my thread on it. I don't think a conditioner can be a long term solution.

 

[Marc Quintin]

IMO painting plastic stuff like bumper / cladding is not a good idea , it's not a long time solution and you'll loose value on your truck. Vinyl wrapping maybe



Marc..

 

[Rodney Leary]

Hugh, are the pics in your library before and after painting the bumper black? Ive been thinking of painting mine.. yours looks pretty good.

 

[H D]

Rodney, yes, both before and after pictures are in my library.



Marcq, just curious...how would you think painting the cladding would decrease the value? It certainly looks better than before, but if faded gray is somehow more valuable than smooth black, I guess I messed up. And it's certainly more long term than conditioners. I never considered vinyl. I guess that could be an option for some.



Doesn't matter to me anyway. This is MY truck and I couldn't care less about resale. I don't plan on selling it. It looks better than it did and that's what matters to me. You'll really think I'm crazy when I throw the front suspension in a recycling bin.

 

[Matthew Runals]

I painted mine as well. easy to do and fine good paint that will last long, when i used back to black stuff it lasted about a week.

 

[Tyler Fields]

Krylon Fusion is what i used on my plastic cladding. It's supposed to dye the plastic like you described. And IMO it makes all that icky gray cladding look great. I painted mine about a month ago, and had a guy back into my bumper and it stuck right on. Where Im from we are having some crazy weather too, and the paint is staying right on there. I have pics over on the explorerforum. Silver truck with the sexy black trim. Just take your time with tapping off and all the prep work and it'll stick. Do it right and it'll look factory and wont lower truck value.

 

[Chad Merry]

I use the dupli-color bumper paint on my cladding. It looks great, all the time. If I get a scratch break out a can of paint and touch it up, and it looks new again in a few minutes. I do not understand Marcq's comment at all.

 

[Rodney Leary]

interscope8, what kind of Krylon Fusion did you use? Was it flat or satin?