Scuttle rejuvenation?

[Blink]

Here's part of my front scuttle lying on top of a pollen filter frame to show the contrast in colour.



The scuttle gets all the weather and has faded (or maybe even oxidised), whereas the filter housing never gets the sun and is still as black as the day it left the factory.

The question is: what's the best way to rejuvenate the scuttle? Someone must have found a something that actually works.

[Lee T]

Heat! a hair dryer or a carefully used hot air gun will work, I did mine a while back and just use a smear of olive oil to keep it that way.

[Yorkshire GOC]

I have used groundnut oil and olive oil to get the shine back and it seems to work - but needs re-applying every few months.

[kelvo]

I washed and cleaned mine down and used black bumper spray paint, it came up well and hasn't faded at all. Probably did it a couple of years ago now.

[COLVERT]

Originally Posted by kelvo

I washed and cleaned mine down and used black bumper spray paint, it came up well and hasn't faded at all. Probably did it a couple of years ago now.

I can see that your solution is the best way to go. Trying to rejuvenate the faded plastic I think will be difficult to get it back to an original black colour.--

[clf]

this was posted elsewhere, recently, but has been posted on this forum in the past. Seems to be the 'most permanent' solution (1-2 years realistically between applications)

https://www.gtechniq.co.uk/shop/auto...trim-restorer/

[Mickyboy]

Having used Gtechniq I can say I was rather impressed with it, actually surprisingly good after some time, easy to apply and gives a nice finish, just a shame the bottle was small.
Mick

[MacRob]

Wash the car as normal and then use Autoglym Bumper and trim on all the outer plastics. Will turn them back to factory colour straight away and lasts a good few months before it starts to fade out again. When that happens its just another application of it. Takes nothing more than a cloth and a wipe to apply, don’t even need to rub it in.

[Blink]

Thanks all - quite a few different solutions/methods there. I'll give one or more of them a try and see what happens. The scuttle is off the car at the moment so at least it'll be easy to treat.

Originally Posted by Lee T

Heat! a hair dryer or a carefully used hot air gun will work, I did mine a while back and just use a smear of olive oil to keep it that way.

Originally Posted by Yorkshire GOC

I have used groundnut oil and olive oil to get the shine back and it seems to work - but needs re-applying every few months.

Originally Posted by kelvo

I washed and cleaned mine down and used black bumper spray paint, it came up well and hasn't faded at all. Probably did it a couple of years ago now.

Originally Posted by COLVERT

I can see that your solution is the best way to go. Trying to rejuvenate the faded plastic I think will be difficult to get it back to an original black colour.--

Originally Posted by clf

this was posted elsewhere, recently, but has been posted on this forum in the past. Seems to be the 'most permanent' solution (1-2 years realistically between applications)

https://www.gtechniq.co.uk/shop/auto...trim-restorer/

Gtechniq seems popular but very pricey (£22 ish for 15ml).

Originally Posted by Mickyboy

Having used Gtechniq I can say I was rather impressed with it, actually surprisingly good after some time, easy to apply and gives a nice finish, just a shame the bottle was small.
Mick

Originally Posted by MacRob

Wash the car as normal and then use Autoglym Bumper and trim on all the outer plastics. Will turn them back to factory colour straight away and lasts a good few months before it starts to fade out again. When that happens its just another application of it. Takes nothing more than a cloth and a wipe to apply, don’t even need to rub it in.

Autoglym seem to have two different versions - Bumper & Trim Gel and Bumper & Trim Detailer. They've also got Black Dye Spray but it's got mixed reviews.


I did wonder about thinners mixed with satin black paint and rubbed on but I haven't had the nerve to try it due to risk of dissolving the plastic.
(Thinners & boiled linseed oil crops up on the internet.)

[clf]

Originally Posted by Blink

Gtechniq seems popular but very pricey (£22 ish for 15ml).





Autoglym seem to have two different versions - Bumper & Trim Gel and Bumper & Trim Detailer. They've also got Black Dye Spray but it's got mixed reviews.

The GTechniq is incredibly expensive per ml. It is my issue with getting it lol. But it is supposed to be very long lasting by comparison to the others.

AG bumper gel is what you need for this task, but buff it off, if you dont, it can leave streaks when it rains. I hate using it, and hate doing the plastic, but it still is the best I have tried so far. I do intend to get some of the Gtechniq stuff in the new year though, simply because I do hate to do the plastics.

Overall if the GTechniq stuff lasts two years, it is probably the same value as the AG bumper gel. per ml (for the same effect). The GT is around 40 times more expensive, but if it did truly last two years, and it meant only having to apply it once every two years (even a year) I would be happy to pay it.

The trim detailer is primarily for interior plastics. It will do the exterior plastics, but it will not last a week in the rain. I use a similar product for the tyres in a spray bottle (Carplan trim shine), spray it on, wipe excess off wheels, and leave to soak on the tyres. At £15 a gallon, it is cheap. I find it as good as the AG version though for interior plastics.