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How to restore side plastics. [cladding]

25K views 42 replies 25 participants last post by  Mick Hatzo 
#1 ·
Hi everyone! :) I'm new to the forum and all the way from Costa Rica...

I would like to restore the plastic sides on my rav4, however I'm not sure what product could I use. They're discolored due to the sun + rain over here and I'd want to have them look as new :).

Any recommendations?
 
#27 ·
How to restore side plastics

I have two Ravs a three door 1994 J model and a 5 door 1998 L model and neither one of them have plastic over the mudgards. The 3 door model has ordinary plastic trim on the sides which I use silicon spray on that usually lasts for a couple of months.
The 5 door model has painted side and bumper trim that certainly looks much better
 
#29 ·
I'll have to read through, but I think a possibility is being missed here.

I remember reading the forums about that guy (UK) doing his wheels in black with that plastic stuff. If it is designed to last on wheels, then I would think it would work on the body panels if it would bond/attach well.
 
#30 ·
Paint solution

I painted mudguards on a 2000 Rav that were turning white with Dupli-color trim paint (black) worked great has been 6 months since with no fading cracking or chipping off. The key is prep work, scuff any thing you want to paint with 3m scotch pads first then apply thin coats of trim paint and follow can directions. Good luck
 
#31 ·
Painting RAV cladding

Hi Brett.

I have painted all the cladding on a 1999 Rav4 I rebuilt for my wife . It did not turnout perfect but for a Daily driver I find it acceptable. I actually removed all of the bumpers (the front needed replaced anyways) and cladding built a spray booth in my shop and sprayed all of them by hanging them in the booth. I had to spray them in the winter time which meant cooler temperatures. The only complaint is the paint is a bit softer than original. I used the products supplied by Urethane Supply Company - Plastic Repair and Plastic Welders. The products are pretty good. Low VOC solvent based products. They have some specialized plastic prep products that help with adhesion. My wife's RAV is the Mystic Teal with grey cladding. I chose a darker grey over the original silver.

Hope that helps
Kootfly
 
#32 ·
This product (Black Again) is the best I have found over the years. It was off the market for a long time, but is back. Short of painting, this will likely be the best there is. It cures with sunlight, so the more sun it gets the blacker it gets. Of course, like all products you may have to do the process over again after time, but this will last more than a couple washings.

Amazon.com: 8oz. Black Again ~ Includes applicator: Automotive

Make SURE that you do not get it on painted surfaces. It is generally there to stay.
 
#34 ·
Don't laugh but Peanut butter (smooth not crunchy lol) is supposed to be very good on black plastic......if it does not work you can always eat it....lol...look it up,alot of car guys use it.
 
#35 ·
I've used this stuff on my Jeep's plastic fender flares called Penetrol and had great results, I will soon be trying this on my RAV4 and will post the results. I'm surprised to see no mention of it here, it seemed quite well known on the Jeep forums. Maybe the RAV4's plastic doesn't fade as quickly?
 
#36 ·
We just got through winter (I think) here in the mid-Atlantic region of the US, and now it's time for my Rav4 spring cleaning. I just got her in November 2013. The cladding is faded, so I'm not sure if it's black black or more charcoal gray. Someone told me that Armor All attracts dust, so I'm not sure if that's what I want to use. That's why I'm back here at the forum. Looking for opinions on the best product to use on the cladding. Thanks !
 
#37 ·
Not a fan of Armor All. For interior work, I've found that Lemon Pledge works best -- gives a great shine, protects, and even repels dust -- Armor All attracts dust and I've seen it cause more cracks than using nothing after time.

For the exterior BLACK trim, I absolutely love the product I listed above. Many have not seen or tried it because it came on the market about 10 years ago, then struggled to gain market share over the big name products (that work no where near as well) and so went off the market for a time. Well, it is back, and it is called "Black Again."

For colored trim, I'd definitely use some other product or even try the peanut butter (which just oils the surface with peanut oil).
 
#38 ·
Old thread, but still relevant. I tried using a heat gun on my OEM grey-black fender flares and rear mud flaps (I had installed them new in ~2004), but didn't get significant results with the heat and time I was willing to use. So bought and tried the Mother's Back to Black product; took about a third of the ~$7 bottle (Walmart). The stuff worked well, but the warnings here about its effect not lasting that long are backed up by a Consumer Reports article I found on-line.
 
#40 ·
A new product since this thread began in 2008 is Wipe New.
Interesting. I've just read the reviews on walmart.com. Expensive, detailed instructions must be followed, but most had great results. Did you have to sand the surfaces? These RAV4.1s' plastic fender flares have rough surfaces that wouldn't work well if sanding is a must.
 
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