Aron9000

Truck in question is a 2004 Tacoma, base model. The front bumper has three parts, the top plastic part, which is faded to light grey and looks like ****. Then there is the painted grey part, which is all chipped to hell, peeling off, I'm replacing the middle part of the front bumper with a chrome piece. Then there is the flat black bottom plastic part, which while not looking brand new, still looks pretty respectable, its not nearly as faded as the top part.

Anyways, is there anything that can get those raw plastic parts looking better???? I've been thinking of a light sanding then repainting that top plastic part of the bumper with flat black or maybe semi-gloss. Maybe doing the same for the lower part of the bumper, but I'm afraid rock chips would kill the paint on the lower part of the bumper.

Anyways, this is the results I'm looking for, but I want a permanent solution, not some sort of stupid treatment you have to apply every couple of weeks when you wash the car.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Unfortunately there is no "permanent" solution... as you can see, even the OEM finish can't hold up to the test of time. Everything is subject to weathering/wear over time.

With that being said, there are some options that will hold up much better than a typical dressing.

I would recommend either a trim dye like Solution Finish or a nano coating such as CarPro DLUX or GTechniq C4.

Product Review: Solution Finish Trim Restorer by Zach McGovern
Product Review: CarPro DLUX by Zach McGovern


-Zach

Coleroad

What I did on my Land Rover lr3 was plasti dip. I still had the same look as the plastic when it was new. I had it on for four years and still looked great when I sold it this summer. Even if you need to peel it off and redo it for some reason it's pretty cheap and easy to do. Imo it's the best way to go. I found other products and heat gun method too difficult not to look streaky.

k20trick

iTrader: (3)

+1 for Solution Finish, reapply every year, even the small bottle goes a long way. Once the plastic cracks its too far gone, but you can save it by using these often.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

Of all things, I ended up with Rustoleum Trim and Bumper paint. It's been a year and the trims still look very good, even with Socal UV beating down on it. The finish is between matte and semi-gloss. Obviously application isn't going to be easy as some of the products mentioned since it's an aerosol spray paint. But good thing is I never have to worry about streaking or soap washing it off. It sprays on thin so you can do multiple layers if you want a darker finish.

I'll try to snap a photo.

TRD_Power

My friend did this to his girlfriend's Nissan Xterra (literally every single bit of exterior plastic), and it looks great. He only did 3 coats, and it's held up surprisingly well, even with 4-wheeling it through the brush and woods. I've got 7 coats on my wheels of the anthracite gray, and so far I haven't had any issues. Definitely a good option; however, I'd probably go with one of the other coatings mentioned. Plastidip is VERY cheap, however....

Aron9000

I don't know why I didn't think of plasti-dip, do they make it in a sort of semi-gloss black color that is similar to the finish of the original plastic????

parula

I have an older RX with some of the plastic whitening. I just now applied ArmorAll OUTLAST to the bottoms of the mudflaps, the cowling below the windshield wipers that had turned a light grey, the platen around the antennae holder, wipers, and a few other places that seemed to be plastic. I gave two applications to the most discolored pieces and really liked the results. At some of the plastic areas that were light grey the OUTLAST restored them to a nice black color. Believe it was about $10.00 USD or less.

TRD_Power

I'm sure they do. You can order their black, then get a can or two of the "glossifier" to shine it up a bit. There's also a spray-on coating that you should use every month or so, just to keep it nice and clean, it also makes it less tacky feeling. Maybe buy one can of each and test them out on some cardboard, hold it up to the car and see if it's what you're looking for. IF you decide to do it, post up some pics

Coleroad

This is a picture of my 07 Land Rover lr3 around May of this year. The plastic trim on bumper, fender flares, and side skirt with black plasti dip on them. Just straight black from the can.

Aron9000

Thanks for the advice Coleroad. Plasti-dip it is.

BTW how do you scrub the bugs off it??? My standard technique is to wet the front down, use regular car wash soap/water and one of those yellow mesh sponges you buy at Autozone, etc. Works like a charm on clear coated paint, chrome, plastic trim, etc.

Coleroad

I used super clean in the aerosol can. Softened them right up. I don't think the bug sponge would tear it though, as long as you don't push as hard as you can. It really is pretty durable. I put four coats on. You definitely don't want it to thin, that's what creates problems with plasti dip.

TRD_Power

You should absolutely buy the protective spray. It'll take the tacky feeling away, also it'll protect it from UV damage. Use it every month or so.

Here's the stuff:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/DipYourCa...&wl13=&veh=sem

Aron9000

$29 for a spray bottle's worth is ridiculous. The trim I'm going to plasticoat is right next to several other pieces of trim, painted metal, black plastic, chrome, so that would be a PITA to apply without getting it on the other trim. This is the front bumper in question, I'm going to plasti-dip that top part and lower part, that middle grey part is getting changed to chrome.



Honestly the front bumper(and kind of the front grill setup) is the only real part of this truck that I'm disappointed in. That whole top part of the bumper being plastic is a stupid design, make it chrome or painted steel like the older trucks. Also the whole way that front end is done makes an aftermarket bumper look kind of silly/stupid IMO. On the older, squared off trucks, aftermarket bumpers worked with the body lines, not against them.

TRD_Power

It does seem a bit spendy, but I made the mistake of not using it the first time around with Plastidipping my wheels, and they went from a nice, dark anthracite, to a blue-ish, light gray... And that was with Seattle's 2 days of sun every year Haha. Had to re-dip my wheels, and now they've been the same color for about 6 months, no issues. Only used the spray 3 times, and the bottle will last forever.

I'd also suggest doing 4-6 thick coats on that area, mostly because it will be taking constant abuse while driving. Should hold up like a charm though.