Touched up trim, happy so far.

Some of my black plastic trim on my tonneau eau was looking a little oxidized. I remembered I had some trim restorer my son gave me which came from one of his suppliers as samples. Tried it out last weekend and I am pretty impressed so far. We’ll see how it wears over time. It did a great job on my tonneau, but did an even better job on my wife’s JK top. This product came from Solution Finish. It’s an ounce or so of product, but it goes a really long way. This stuff looks like India Ink, and reminds me of when I was a draftsman working in ink on Mylar. It seems to work well and that small bottle did my small area on my tonneau and the JK’s entire top, plus the mirrors and door handles. The JK had a lot of oxidation on top and anything I ever used only brought it back moderately. This stuff brought it to a deep black. It looks better than new. I pressure washed, then soap cleaned everything I treated. Then it was all wiped down with rubbing alcohol as per manufacturer’s instructions. I applied it with a small pad working it in thoroughly, let it sit, and wiped any excess.
This stuff can be a little messy, So gloves are a must and it should be applied from the top down or center out so you don’t drag any clothing across it.

 

Solution Finish is good stuff, and I have used it on my 08 Sport with decent results, but it will fade over time. It is definitely better than any type of "dressing". Last year I tried Cerakote Trimcoat and was blown away. It's super easy to apply, and the packaging says it's good for 200 washes. So far it's out performing Solution Finish.

$17 CERAKOTE® Ceramic Trim Coat Kit - Quick Plastic Trim Restorer - Ceramic Coating Black Trim Restoration to Last Over 200 Washes – A Ceramic Coating, Not a Dressing

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SHJVK4G/?coliid=I2E9W4ZFJ7D9JF&colid=1GCM1RES280OS&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

 

Good to know, I think I’ll try that next time. The roof on my wife’s JK is hard to keep looking good. The plastic on my OR seems to be holding up well so far, the Jeep top seems to be more prone to oxidation.

 

Has anyone tried painting the factory hard tonneau, mine is fading and thinking about painting it.

 

I was debating the same thing. I was thinking of Using a spray on Bedliner on it though. I have the Tacoma hard cover from Toyota and its already a textured surface. Its either bedliner or CERAKOTE Ceramic Trim Coat that i'll use. still debating.

 

If it is plastic, bed liner does not adhere well to it. From my understanding, it has to be encapsulated to keep from peeling. If you look at the Jeep in the first post, I had the (plastic) fenders line-x sprayed. They are encapsulated. They look really good and I have had no problems with them. They stay shiny black and clean up easily. Jeep should have made the fenders like this.

 

Will adding a ceramic trim coating over the Solution Finish make it durable or will trim coating will not bond well to the dye?

 

I have no idea, but Solution Finish does have a topper product available.

 

I sure wouldn't do it for the reason you mentioned (or at the very least double check with Solution Finish and Cerakote). Those "permanent" style trim coatings (i.e. ceramic, nano polymers, etc.) are meant to bond directly to the original substrate surface (plastic). I would try my best to ensure that the Solution Finish is cleaned/removed before applying.

 

Solution Finish topper coat must bond to a dyed surface.

Just look at The Rag Company website. The top coat doesn't seems like a ceramic based product. Ceramics are picky to what they bond to.

It's kind of expensive $25 for 4OZ.

 

I read on detailing forums that people are using ceramics over Solution Finish. I never followed up on their outcome on durability. I read Solution Finish last around a year untreated. I also read that some people are using 303 Protectant, or Ceramic spray wax to help with longevity.

If have to use Solution Finish, I would like to try GTechniq C4 trim coating as a over coat.

 

Do you all know if this works on the rubber trim around the rear window or just on plastics?

thanks in advance.

Dave

 

According to The Rag Company description it does.

Copy and paste from Rag Company website

Solution Finish Black Trim Restorer restores black surfaces to a deep, rich finish, without any "wet look" or shine. This unique formula combines ancient ingredients with advanced polymer technology to provide a spectacular, long-lasting, black, protective finish. Use it to restore, condition, and protect bumpers, pads, trim, mirrors, mud flaps, window trim, seals, running boards, truck bed caps and covers, handles, wiper blades, etc. Another big plus with Solution Finish is that it is formulated for professional use, meaning it is a silicone-free solution that uses all natural oils and is VOC compliant. If you are looking for a great

 

I used Solution Finish on my 2008 Sport. I did two applications about 3 weeks apart. It was ok, but I wasn't completely satisfied with the look although it was worlds better than what it was. After about 6 months, I put Cerakote Trimcoat over it and it was fantastic! It's been over a year now and it still looks like the day day I put it one, and it's still beading water.

 

I tried magic eraser on trim before for a good cleaning. While it didn't restore the new look but it was a lot better.

My neighbor has a 1st Gen Tacoma. The flares are badly sun damage. It doesn't matter what he tried it don't last. Painting it will be his last option.

 

Outstanding. Thank you. Funny that they're using "ancient ingredients". I wonder what that secret sauce is.

Will be ordering some today. Just took the cap off my 07 and the back window trim is all jacked up.

 

I guess ultimately my whole take on this is if you ever use (which I have) any of these "permanent" trim coatings like a GTechniq C4, Cerakote, Wipe New, etc. you'll quickly realize all of the other temporary dressings are just a waste of time. Also, those permanent coatings are meant to be applied to a clean & degreased surface, so I'm having a hard time understanding why anyone would want to put something like Solution Finish, which is loaded with oils, on the surface beforehand.

 

GTechniq C4 is a restorer by itself. It doesn't darken as much as Solution Finish.

This video may help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzOz88Lh8_8

 

Yes, coatings like GTechniq C4, Cerakote, Wipe New, etc. are indeed trim restorers. Their end result finish appearance can differ in darkness and like you mentioned they're not as dark as Solution Finish with its black dye (or whatever is in its "proprietary formula"). That being said, I was always more than satisfied with the finish of those aforementioned trim restorers, which is why I was shunning the temporary dressings earlier. But I guess what you're getting at (and was probably lost on me earlier) is for the particular case where you're wanting that darker black appearance using SF, but also wanting to extend its longevity by applying a ceramic coating over it.

 

From reading online. This is what I gather.

Ceramic products penetrate the surface. This is why they last longer than sealants. If a plastic has dye on the surface and doesn't let the ceramic product penetrate into the plastic then they'll be issues. This is why a clean surface is important.

Their more to this than I know. It's been years since I read up on how ceramic detailing products works.