Originally Posted by joejet
I to have a 2007 Black base coupe. When I got my car I thought that trim was normally matte in color.
When I realized that the windshield surround was supposed shine, I started to ask and look around for a cure. I tried everything including peanut oil, back to black,ect. Finally someone on here mentioned Scratch X20 (Meguiars) I couldn't believe it. It shines just like the rest of the car. Just do a small portion of the surround at a time. It seems to come off a little bit at a time. You have to rub fairly hard but it works. I did mine 3 times before I was satisfied, but it was worth it. I waxed it with Meguiars NXT tech wax 2.0. that was about 2 months ago still looks great.
Let us know how it works for you.
Remember Black Crossfires are fastest.
Joejet
2007 Black Coupe base (with a shiny surround)
I have yet to see one of these in person so I can't say with 100% certainty how their finished, but I'm be amazed it they weren't painted. I know the silver surrounds on the Limited and SRT6 are painted. The finish is key here - if they're painted you need to use a product designed for paint, like ScratchX 2.0 or similar instead of something designed for vinyl, rubber and plastic, like Back to Black. Back to Black is a great product, but only when used on the right surface, and paint ain't it.
Joejet, did you notice any black paint transferring onto your applicator when using the ScratchX 2.0? If so that tells me the surround is single stage paint, not clear coated like the rest of the car. That would also account for the rapid oxidation of the finish. But I must say I would be surprised to find that the windshield surround is covered in a single stage paint - that just sounds odd in this day and age.
In any event, since ScratchX 2.0 worked well for you, I would suggest regular use of a paint cleaner and wax - in fact, just a decent cleaner wax (Meguiar's and Mother's both make readily available cleaner waxes) would keep the oxidation at bay and protect the finish. Seriously, I'd do a quick application once a month. No need to use a lot of pressure, just treat it like a regular wax, but do it every month.