Awhile back, (not sure if it was on this forum) someone was asking about a source for a specific brand of 'polish' to really make plastic parts black.

There were a good handful of replies and someone who uses this stuff showed his engine bay and it looked terrific.

If this sounds familiar, could you give me the name of it - and if difficult to find, good sources?

I'm also open to suggestions for a good wax that really works well on the XF's paint.

Biba

 

I use Meguier's Endurance Tire Gel for the plastic stuff ( grille ), the hoses and anything else black in the engine compartment and the black tape where the top ( roadster ) meets the body.
I recently started using Zaino wax, it's great !

 

This is what I use :

 

Mother's "back to black" is awesome for unpainted black plastics.

 

what does everyone use on the dash????
find that thing is the hardest to clean.
thanks

 

I should have mentioned that I'd picked up and tried Meguiar's Ultimate Black plastic restorer and wasn't all that impressed.

I tried it on the side glass forward plastic triangles and it helped, but wasn't what I'd call an ultimate black. I did two coats as suggested.

Perhaps I'm putting too much stock in the photo I saw, but that engine bay's black plastic was definitely an ultimate black.

Several others all agreed that whatever the brand was, it was hands down the best.

While I doubt it, the owner might have actually used SEM plastic paint which I use a lot when restoring older Alfa's. I prefer to keep the plastic un-painted but be able to get that really deep black.

I'll check into Zaino wax.

Biba

 

If it was the engine compartment.....was it CD2 Engine Detail spray?

 

I don't believe it was CD2 nor that it was a spray, but I might be mistaken.

 

I respectfully disagree. Yes, it looks good for a day or two, but it just doesn't last. I gave mine away.

 

That is odd. Applied once per year, it keeps the black plastics on my cars looking good. Does you car park outside all the time? Were you trying to use it on badly oxidized plastic?

 

I just bought the Turtle Wax "Black Box" Jet Black finish kit. It was the most expensive trim restoration kit at Advanced Auto Parts and I got it on sale for the price of the lesser Turtle Wax kit (that i've used with moderately succesful results in the past). I'm hoping to get around to doing my window trim and front grill today, but if not today sometime this week for sure. I'll be sure to post before and after pics.

 

If it was an engine shot and looked black, it was probably CD2. It is the only stuff I have ever seen that actually cures into the plastic when used properly - leaving a very black appearance with no oily film like most.

I have used it on other parts of the car, but without the setting in heat of the engine bay, it does not last as long. I only do my bay 1-2 times a year and with a simple wipe down, it always looks like the photo below.

The only problem is that CD2 is very difficult to find, not sure if it is en eco-terrorist or if the company stopped making it. The company gunk offers an engine shine replacement that is petroleum based and no good, in my opinion. If you can find CD2, I would put it as the best out there for engine bays....

 

ebay has CD2 14.95

 

Yeah, probably plus shipping. It is not impossible to find, but I am not going to pay 5x market value for it.

I ordered 6 cans before it became hard to find for $7-$8 each, so I am set for a while, but others may need to pay through the nose if they want it.

 

I've got 3 cans of it on my garage shelf.

 

I've had excellent experience with Black Again, best stuff I've used so far... and I've tried a lot.

BLACK AGAIN - Makes Rubber and vinyl look new! Black Again is a rich 3-in-1 polymer formula that is unmatched in the industry in its ability to clean,

 

I really like the Trim Shine wipes from Stoner. Think of them falling somewhere between Armor All wipes & Back to Black. They do a much better job at restoring trim to it's natural black color than an Armor All wipe....but they aren't as potent and messy as Back to Black and comparable liquids. If you accidentally get it on your paint when applying it, no biggie. I use them on my window trim and the little black plastic trim pieces around my door handles regularly.

 

I use autohaus tyre shine and works really good even with plastic trims and rubber.

 

Have any of you guys tried PIG SPIT?. It works just as well.

 

So many options when it comes to plastic trim. By now most of you may have seen the TV commercial for this new product.

Trim & Plastic Restoration | Armor All

The 100+ car wash cycle sounds like big talk so I decided to give it a try but, not on my Crossfire which lives in my garage. My daily driver '99 Cherokee has never spent a night indoors since I brought it home 15+ years ago. So Saturday I went to work by applying the lotion to the door handles, bumper caps, tail light guards, mirrors, off road lights and the roof rack using one of the 2 6x6 micro fiber cloths that come in the box. The instructions say to apply evenly using the supplied damp micro fiber cloths. Wait five minutes and gently wipe with a damp terry cloth or micro fiber towel. The product goes on easily and you can see it transform the black. After you wipe it down with the damp rag there is no greasy film. Two days later everything looks great but, as we all know most of these products fail the first time it rains. Tomorrow there is a good chance of thunderstorms so that will be the first real test. I will let you know how it does.