Best bumper blackening product?

thecremeegg · 31 Mar 2010 at 16:03

My blac external trim is all looking a bit tired and needs to be freshened up. I've tried one or 2 things before but none have been any good

What do you guys use?

Cheers

Clarkey · 31 Mar 2010 at 16:06

Heat.

Prophet · 31 Mar 2010 at 16:07

Clarkey said:
Heat.

+1

Nothing works better than a heatgun!

paradigm · 31 Mar 2010 at 16:14

Orange Peel said:
Nothing works better than a heatgun!

Except a blowtorch.

Prophet · 31 Mar 2010 at 16:20

paradigm said:
Except a blowtorch.

They both deliver the same results. You just have less chance melting your bumper with a heatgun.

Kappa · 31 Mar 2010 at 16:21

I think it was Nick who recommended some GTechiq stuff, and also hear good things about Black Wow, check out detailing world.

Matt82 · 31 Mar 2010 at 16:34

or black shoe polish

ajstan · 31 Mar 2010 at 16:35

I got some Morrisons spray stuff super cheap which works surprisingly well

Confused · 31 Mar 2010 at 16:46

Blowtorch.

Steedie · 31 Mar 2010 at 16:48

Just out of interest, and it maybe a silly question

But how and why does using a heat gun/blowtorch work?

thecremeegg · 31 Mar 2010 at 16:48

Ah right, so heat seems the way forward. A bog standard £20 one do the job?

Confused · 31 Mar 2010 at 16:53

The heat from a heatgun/blowtorch will do something that no other product will.

Bring the natural oils in the plastic back to the surface.

By gently heating (ie, waving a blowtorch backwards/forwards over a length, and not focussing it on just one place) you can get enough heat to bring those oils back to the surface, and return the colour to the plastic.

Anything else simply places a film of coloured gunk over the plastic's surface, which will quickly be removed.

Of course - usual things apply - be careful, don't keep the heat source on one point for too long, use your brain and if it goes wrong, don't blame us!

Prophet · 31 Mar 2010 at 16:54

Steedie said:
Just out of interest, and it maybe a silly question

But how and why does using a heat gun/blowtorch work?

The heat changes the properties of the plastic trim. It brings out the oils in the plastic.

thecremeegg said:
Ah right, so heat seems the way forward. A bog standard £20 one do the job?

Yeah, that will be fine.

thecremeegg · 31 Mar 2010 at 16:55

Ok cheers guys, will be purchasing a heat gun

Prophet · 31 Mar 2010 at 16:57

thecremeegg said:
Ok cheers guys, will be purchasing a heat gun

As above. Don't let it get too hot or you may melt/warp the trim.

You'll see it start to change colour almost straight away so start at a distance and move closer..

Conscript · 31 Mar 2010 at 16:57

WD40 cleans up my black trim a treat. Not sure about keeping it black for a long time, but its cheap and cleans off things like wax and salt marks.

Confused · 31 Mar 2010 at 16:58

^ WD-40 is good for removing contaminants, prior to heating

The roof rails on my Galant/Legnum, however, come up best when T-Cut (they're quite a shiny black)

shauncr91 · 31 Mar 2010 at 17:00

Shoe polish.

Bennie-Mac · 31 Mar 2010 at 18:12

Simonez Back to Black was what i used when i had my old Ford Ka, that had black bumpers everywhere! A full can would last for two washes...

Third Opinion · 31 Mar 2010 at 20:10

I heard a mixture of smooth peanut butter and vinegar. Cant remember it exactley but a really good valetor told me about it.