P38A How do I make it black again?

300bhp/ton said:

Thanks. Can people post some pics of your success. Because I just can't see most of these things working on this bit of trim. I'm not 100% sure if it some kind of coated aluminium or if it is pure plastic. The bits on the doors have a white powder on them that you can mark scratch off with a nail. Surely part of the bonding or underlying product if aluminium. The bit on the boot window looks similar, but the white isn't powdery at all and looks like the black has maybe worn away.

I think powder might be caused by some kind of corrosion, which I doubt a heat gun or bumper products will improve at all.

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They are white plastic with a black coating on my 99, typical cheap and nasty rather than use self coloured plastic.
A heat gun will have no useful effect IMO

I think there some sort of metal

Just a note on plastic coloured parts. Very few things are sold as self colour when they are used as trim pieces. I used to work in the finishing industry and I was amazed how many things that I thought were bare plastic were in actual fact painted. Plastic is difficult to match colour wise, but paint is mixed to the desired colour. That's why you will have a difficult time polishing scratches from bumpers, dashboard, internal trims, etc

I don't know if you could get a RAL or paint colour, but the issue you would have is the paint would have faded or worn anyway.

Good luck with your task.

M

Bagshot said:

Still trying to work out how the rear corner pillar covers come off if anyone has an answer, mine are to do yet.

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The exterior E-pillars? Just screws inside the top tailgate and it comes off at where the lifter-ram joins on.

@Datatek is right, the top and side trims on the windows are plastic coated metal that are bonded. Not much you can do with these, but they don't fade much, just rust from underneath. The bottom trim is painted hard plastic,(when you break them, as I did, the colour shows through). These can be primed and spray painted with satin black. As a side note, the front and rear trims at the top of the front and bottom of the rear screens can also be painted, but these are painted alloy...very bendy.beware.!
Grey faded door handles are more tricky. Don't try to paint these, heat gun or black treatment is the only way unless you get new. One good option is tyreblack. The paint on stuff, bit messy but dries ok, good for side steps and lower trims that don't get handled. (Used on a mini cooper plastic wheel arches and came up like new)

RangeRoller dt said:

The exterior E-pillars? Just screws inside the top tailgate and it comes off at where the lifter-ram joins on.
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The rear plastic trims next to the tail gate are nigh on impossible to remove without breaking the glass in the rear quarter windows as the locating tangs get stuck to the bonding agent that holds the glass. Ask me how I know

I used stuff called forever black ,its about £16 a bottle amazon ,ebay .....ect.... on the grill n under the front lights ,it needing redone,but its been 4or5 years ,it a dye for plastic ,it dyes every thing ,so be careful,near painted bits