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Get your car's trim looking brand new with our favorite plastic restorers on the market. Plastic Molding Tools
When it comes to car restoration, not only do you have to think of your car's paint, body and leather but also its plastic. A car's plastic can become battered just like the rest of your car, but it can also fade and look old after increased exposure to the sun. Thankfully, there is a fine selection of plastic restorer products that can make it look new again. These products restore the faded plastic to a dark, deep black color reminiscent of how it looked when it rolled off the production line. We've collected the best products out there that are capable of beating that unattractive gray plastic look.
Read more: Best Rust emover in 2022
But it doesn't have to shake out that way. Read on below for CNET Cars' top picks.
Cerakote makes big promises. Number one, this is not a dressing for exterior trim. Instead, it's a coating to restore faded plastic trim on the exterior of a vehicle. Number two, Cerakote calls this a ceramic coating to combat faded car plastic and provide UV protection. Big, fancy buzzwords, for sure.
However, these little car trim restorer wipes pack a big punch. Like it says, this isn't a dressing, but a protective coating that restores the plastic trim. I found the plastic restorer works well on grainy exterior plastic parts, but isn't the best for smoother plastic trim. That might be better with an actual dressing. But, overall, the results of this protective coat are amazing when you follow the directions exactly and give it time to cure.
I like both the dressing and this spray version of Meguiar's Ultimate Black Plastic Restorer, but I chose this version because it works perfect for faded trim areas like a vehicle's grille. Grilles often feature tricky trim piece patterns that it would be impossible, or at least tedious, to apply a dressing to. Using a plastic trim restorer spray product provides better results.
The only downside with Ultimate Black is its staying power. It's definitely not permanent and you'll need to reapply it on black trim after some time. However, at $12, Meguiar's Ultimate Black is an exterior trim restorer that's worth its price.
I dig Carfidant's Trim & Plastic Restorer. Foremost, it's nice the folks at the company include an applicator. It's just one less thing to worry about if you're not a hardcore detailer and don't have tons of them lying around. But the trim restorer product itself works well and it's super easy to apply to parts of the car some of the other picks on this list don't do well with.
Specifically, plastic trim rubber around windows is perfect for Carfidant's product and it's an area the sun's UV rays like to damage. Right now, it's $8 off, so grab it while you can.
This trim restorer stuff is flat-out expensive, but I enjoyed the results. A little does not go a long way and it took more than I'd like to use from the bottle. However, the results on black plastic and black trim are spectacular.
The deep, dark black look Lithium Trim Restorer & Protectant provides is unlike anything else on this list. It's also versatile and will work on many areas you want to use it. Side mirrors, door handles, rubber, vinyl, black plastic trim on bumpers -- it works everywhere. Again, it's pricey, but you get what you pay for here.
I mentioned Chemical Guys Vinyl, Rubber and Plastic Dressing, or VRP for short, when I talked about the best tire shines, however, as the name implies, this stuff is versatile. While I personally wouldn't apply it on a car's interior, it works wonderfully well on exterior plastic trim.
The best part is, I didn't notice any slinging after a rain shower. That's a big stress factor when it comes to these kinds of products, but VRP holds up in my experience.
Ultimate Black is great for areas just like this.
Types Of Injection Mold It's the little things that matter when it comes to making a car look clean and well maintained . Car plastic exterior trim is one area that's easy to overlook, but with one of these, you will have a great looking car guaranteed.