How to refresh black trim
 

Hey guys, my trim is getting spotchy on the outside of my car. Any recommendations on the best way to make it look sleek again?

Thanks!

Your friendly neighborhood auto parts store should sell product to put the black back in your car. Most of it is trim safe, I think California gold and meguiars are the brands to look for. Most of them come with a pen style applicator, tape off your paint and apply carefully! Pretty easy if you take your time and do it right.

More great info haha. Thanks!

Chemical Guys Black on Black is the best I've used.

Some of the OTC stuff can be so oily and greasy that they become really messy. I'd check out detailedimage for their trim stuff. I've used Black on Black(works...but slighly greasy) and Poorboys Trim Restorer(not greasy...just needs a few applications over time to really work well).

Cosign Back to Black

Lol, don't laugh, I've heard from somebody that it's actually not a bad product. Although, I'd probably pick the ones other members listed

Nick C.

Chemical Guys "Bare Bones' Spray works miracles on black trim and aged black plastic:



I'm afraid to see the MSDS label for this one.

I've used Black on Black in the past and it is good. Be careful though, it is very slick! I made the stupid mistake of applying it to my all season floor mats and well, I had to throw them out because they were too slippery. Not a good situation for the driver.

Bare Bones is also good, this is what I use currently.

Whatever you use, make sure you use good degreaser, like Optimum Power Clean or Meg's APC mixed as Heavy APC, or even Grime Reaper (just don't spray it on painted surfaces).

Once you get your trim where you want it, seal it with some Ultima Trim and Tire Guard. Really nice stuff that lasts a long time.

Ultima Tire & Trim Guard Plus, tire & trim protectant, tire dressing, rubber protectant

Try Vinylex first. It's cheap and very effective on most trim.

Try black wow and black wow pro. great products used by professionals made by a Highend Detailer.

Necrothread bump...curious what I should use to PROTECT the black plastic trim at the base of my windows. I can see it fading quickly in the Texas sun. Still looks good currently but I can see it being a problem down the road without any protection. Any recommendations?

Consider a trim coating like GTechniq C4, CarPro DLUX, or 22ple VR1.

Product Review: CarPro DLUX Plastic and Wheel Coating by Zach McGovern
Product Review: 22ple VR1 Plastic and Trim Restorer by Kevin George
Trim Coating or Trim Restorer – Which do I need? by Kevin George



These products will produce a richer, darker look to even brand new vehicles and provide MUCH better protection than traditional dressings. Best of all, these products last years, not days.

Here in the midwest, I reapply the coating to my trim ever 2 years, but even throughout that 2 years the trim does not fade significantly like it would if it were left unprotected. My 7 year old trim still looks like new :)

Zach McGovern
Detailed Image Ask-A-Pro Blog Author
Attention to Detailing - Peoria, IL

Awesome, thanks Zach. My last infinit's trim (an FX) peeled badly mostly due to a cheap trim product but I also think it had a clearcoat whereas the IPL's trim is just some sort of hard plastic with no paint or coating. I'll give one of those a try!