exterior black plastic / trim cleaner ?

[joesdayjob]

i saw a guy on youtube use a orange gel / cleaneing solution to brighten the black wheel trim and bumpers what is your best product recommendation to keep the black from fading


thank you

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[BillSirloin]

I tried this product from Maguiar’s today for the first time: https://amzn.to/3M2tn2f

It seemed to work pretty well at making the plastic look new again. I want to try it on the plastic/rubber piece just below the windows as I’ve noticed this area fading a bit. Likely due to the summer sun here in AZ.

 

[TeslaKen]

i saw a guy on youtube use a orange gel / cleaneing solution to brighten the black wheel trim and bumpers what is your best product recommendation to keep the black from fading


thank you

303 protectorant is what I use and have had good luck with it for 20+ years now on a variety of cars.

 

[Seribus]

303 protectorant is what I use and have had good luck with it for 20+ years now on a variety of cars.

Doesn't it run off onto panels when it rains? Seems to for me.

 

[TeslaKen]

Doesn't it run off onto panels when it rains? Seems to for me.

I don't expect anything to stand up to a good rain or car wash. I've tried all the gels and various sprays, coatings, etc. and none of them stand up to rain / car wash over time. I re-apply the 303 after I wash the truck, just standard procedure for me. I suppose you could somehow wrap or clear coat the black plastic bits but that seems excessive. I'd gladly replace the black fender pieces with real carbon fiber, but not doing a vinyl carbon fiber wrap on those pieces as they are too rough. At some point maybe we will get replacements. Until then I keep using 303 whenever the plastic needs another coat to look good.

 

[The Tumbler]

C4 ceramic worked great on the trim. Made it look new with a little sheen and now is much easier to clean.

https://a.co/d/3DEr10J

 

[tmeyer3]

i saw a guy on youtube use a orange gel / cleaneing solution to brighten the black wheel trim and bumpers what is your best product recommendation to keep the black from fading


thank you

Here's the secret: the trim is very easy to remove, the front bumper is the most annoying and even that is easy since it's so light. One person job.

Just get some raptor liner, remove all the plastic exterior trim, line all of it. Permanent perfect black, scratch and rock resistance, and a great textured matte look.

I've done it on 3 trucks now, turns out great every time.

 

[TeslaKen]

Here's the secret: the trim is very easy to remove, the front bumper is the most annoying and even that is easy since it's so light. One person job.

Just get some raptor liner, remove all the plastic exterior trim, line all of it. Permanent perfect black, scratch and rock resistance, and a great textured matte look.

I've done it on 3 truck now, turns out great every time.

Pics?

 

[WheresMyCybertruck]

+1 for 303. I've used it on everything for years now

 

[tmeyer3]

Pics?

Sure, this is on my personal truck, very dirty after a desert overland camping trip yesterday night. Can hardly tell TBH

FYI, this is Rust-Oleum bed liner on ALL exterior plastic. Deep matte black, no rock chipping, no fading, rough texturing. I've used raptor on other trucks and it is very similar, but imo it isn't worth the cost for it's improvements over Rust-Oleum. Raptor is a better product no doubt, but not so much better that it's worth 3x the amount, if that makes sense.

 

[tmeyer3]

+1 for 303. I've used it on everything for years now

303 is my interior go-to also. Works like the premium stuff without the premium price.

 

[tmeyer3]

I don't expect anything to stand up to a good rain or car wash. I've tried all the gels and various sprays, coatings, etc. and none of them stand up to rain / car wash over time. I re-apply the 303 after I wash the truck, just standard procedure for me. I suppose you could somehow wrap or clear coat the black plastic bits but that seems excessive. I'd gladly replace the black fender pieces with real carbon fiber, but not doing a vinyl carbon fiber wrap on those pieces as they are too rough. At some point maybe we will get replacements. Until then I keep using 303 whenever the plastic needs another coat to look good.

Try just using bed liner on them! I've had no fading, scratching, and no rock chipping since doing mine. They're going on 2 months now, 6k miles.

 

[Stickercity]

I don't expect anything to stand up to a good rain or car wash. I've tried all the gels and various sprays, coatings, etc. and none of them stand up to rain / car wash over time. I re-apply the 303 after I wash the truck, just standard procedure for me. I suppose you could somehow wrap or clear coat the black plastic bits but that seems excessive. I'd gladly replace the black fender pieces with real carbon fiber, but not doing a vinyl carbon fiber wrap on those pieces as they are too rough. At some point maybe we will get replacements. Until then I keep using 303 whenever the plastic needs another coat to look good.

Check out these DIY kits that make it easy to protect and restyle the plastic panels of your Cybertruck:
DIY Fender Flare Kits for Cybertruck
These kits not only safeguard the plastic from inevitable scratches but also enhance the appearance by giving the grayish plastic a richer, more intense black tone. It's an easy-to-apply solution that transforms the look of your vehicle while adding a layer of protection.
If you’re interested in learning more or have any questions, feel free to reach out! I’d love to hear your thoughts.

 

[TeslaKen]

Try just using bed liner on them! I've had no fading, scratching, and no rock chipping since doing mine. They're going on 2 months now, 6k miles.

I would imagine the spray on bedliner is much less expensive than the $250 peel and stick vinyl pieces that give a bedliner texture. I concur that the fender pieces are pretty easy to remove, just have to mask off the cameras I imagine.

 

[tmeyer3]

I would imagine the spray on bedliner is much less expensive than the $250 peel and stick vinyl pieces that give a bedliner texture. I concur that the fender pieces are pretty easy to remove, just have to mask off the cameras I imagine.

Correct. If you go the Rust-Oleum route it should cost you about $80

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