[BXL4]

So had the eBay black lip on my 328i for about 8 months now and starting to notice that the color of the unpainted lip is starting to fade a bit. Armorall seems to bring it back for a while. Is there a better treatment that I should use instead? I'd rather not paint it.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts.

[snj49er]

You might want to try Carpro DLUX. They refer to it as semi-permanent and that has been my experience with it. My wife's mini has acres of textured black plastic on the exterior and it looks pretty much the same today as when I applied it a year ago despite being outside the entire time. It's $40, but IMO it beats screwing around with with other products every couple of weeks. Works well on rubber trim as well, but it's not meant for tires.

Don't know if the Armorall formula has changed in the 30 yrs since I've used it, but I found that continuous use on textured plastic eventually changed it to a smooth satin finish.

http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...wheel-coating/

[Fronzdan]

The old armor all also tends to turn it a nasty gray with streaks when it dries up. There are lots of black restore products that would do better but try it out on the underside...they might be too glossy looking. I would bet if you're really ambitious you could sand off the oxidation with the proper cutting agent.

[BXL4]

I'm sure that I could bring down the oxidation with rubbing compound. Not that ambitious. I will try the dlux. That was the type of recommendation I was hoping to get.

Thanks to all.

[Fronzdan]

Let us know how it works out....my front splitter was left "natural" too.

[BXL4]

Well, it will be a while. The instructions for dlux says to apply it on a perfectly dry surface and then keep it dry while it cures for a couple of days.

I live near Seattle. It will be May before we have that kind of weather. ?

[BXL4]

Originally Posted by BXL4

Well, it will be a while. The instructions for dlux says to apply it on a perfectly dry surface and then keep it dry while it cures for a couple of days.

I live near Seattle. It will be May before we have that kind of weather. ?

So we got some good weather and I put the dlux on. I prepped the unfinished lip with isopropyl alcohol just to be sure there was no wax or other contaminants.

I am very happy with the results. I would suggest to others to do their dlux treatment as soon as they get their lip rather than wait for the oxidation to set in but it was pretty easy to correct with the dlux.

[BXL4]

Well, time to revise my last post. DLUX didnt work worth a cr@p. Within 6 weeks, things were as oxidized as ever if not more. Going to try "Forever Black" this weekend and hope for better results.

[thatryan]

Check out the Super VRT ( Vinyl, rubber, trim ) from Adams, http://adamspolishes.com/shop/exteri...-dressing.html

This stuff is awesome I use it on all external plastic/rubber after wash it cleans and protects from sun. Dries matte, so no glossy or slippery look and feel

[martsro]

I'm surprised the DLUX did not work for you. I used CQuartz DLux on mine and it still looks as good as the day I put it on after 6 months. The other chemicals you've used previously must've done something to cause it not to work. In case you're interested this is what I use. I'm sure it's basically the same as the one you tried, but you never know.

http://www.autogeek.net/cquartz-dlux.html

[BXL4]

Originally Posted by BXL4

Well, time to revise my last post. DLUX didnt work worth a cr@p. Within 6 weeks, things were as oxidized as ever if not more. Going to try "Forever Black" this weekend and hope for better results.

Back to Black was the answer. Totally fixed the oxidation and is holding up fabulously for months now.

[John in VA]

Originally Posted by BXL4

Back to Black was the answer. Totally fixed the oxidation and is holding up fabulously for months now.

You mentioned Forever Black (a dye) in an earlier post - which did you use?
Back to Black is a trim restorer.

[BXL4]

Originally Posted by John in VA

You mentioned Forever Black (a dye) in an earlier post - which did you use?
Back to Black is a trim restorer.

Oh, sorry about the confusion. I used Forever Black and am still delighted with the results. In case anyone is wondering, in applying it, I did get a little bit on the underlying white paint but it easily wiped off without any residue.