Restoring black plastic trim with a heat gun?!?!?!

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TerryG
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Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 1:54 pm
Location: East Midlands

Restoring black plastic trim with a heat gun?!?!?!

#1 Post by TerryG » Wed Apr 20, 2016 8:00 am

The grill for my RR is showing it's age. It is a faded grey colour rather than a sharp black. My original plan was to paint it with black rubberised paint (plastidip) but when I was asking one of the guys in the factory if i could use the paint booth to do it, he suggested running a heat gun over it instead.
Youtube seems to have some videos of it being done
eg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9tDq1oRy9U

I am just having a hard time believing that it actually works.
Has anyone on here tried it?
Understeer: when you hit the wall with the front of the car.
Oversteer: when you hit the wall with the back of the car.
Horsepower: how fast you hit the wall.
Torque: how far you take the wall with you.

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JPB
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Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2011 3:24 pm

Re: Restoring black plastic trim with a heat gun?!?!?!

#2 Post by JPB » Wed Apr 20, 2016 9:28 am

Hmm, it could work but as it does its job by effectively melting the surface of the plastic, it would be a short lived result.
The only lasting method I've yet found for restoring the surface of plastics is the peanut butter though I'm informed that linseed oil does a similar job, albeit more messy as the oil runs everywhere.

I've posted the peanut butter before and after pic before, but here it is again:
Image

And, before some witty person asks the question they usually do whenever I put this image up to a forum, the answer is smooth!
I guess that the chunky variety would work, but you would find your car being licked by dogs afterwards..
J
"Home is where you park it", so the saying goes. That may yet come true.. :oops:

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TerryG
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Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 1:54 pm
Location: East Midlands

Re: Restoring black plastic trim with a heat gun?!?!?!

#3 Post by TerryG » Wed Apr 20, 2016 3:43 pm

I suspect I'll just paint it as I really don't like cleaning and polishing cars, having to make black trim black again every month isn't my idea of fun.
If someone had said that heating it works and the result lasts for 10 years, i'd have given it a go but I don't trust youtube videos with miracle fixes unless there is some serious evidence to back them up.
Understeer: when you hit the wall with the front of the car.
Oversteer: when you hit the wall with the back of the car.
Horsepower: how fast you hit the wall.
Torque: how far you take the wall with you.

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JPB
Posts: 10319
Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2011 3:24 pm

Re: Restoring black plastic trim with a heat gun?!?!?!

#4 Post by JPB » Wed Apr 20, 2016 6:37 pm

That 205 was treated longer ago and its front bumper is still shiny and grey, just as its left half appears in the picture, overcome your arachibutyrophobia and give it a go. What could possibly go wrong? OK, apart from causing a canine riot what could, etc..
:lol:

Or you could try some Duplicolour plastic primer, which is solvent based but stable when dry and leaves the surface looking clean and of uniform colour but not too shiny as plastics can appear when they've been done to death with Dash Dandy or a similar plasticiser, which also makes these things horribly slimy to the touch.
J
"Home is where you park it", so the saying goes. That may yet come true.. :oops:

sierra3dr
Posts: 439
Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2011 10:20 am

Re: Restoring black plastic trim with a heat gun?!?!?!

#5 Post by sierra3dr » Mon Apr 25, 2016 4:10 pm

TerryG wrote:I suspect I'll just paint it as I really don't like cleaning and polishing cars, having to make black trim black again every month isn't my idea of fun.
try forever black

52classic
Posts: 26
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2011 3:35 pm

Re: Restoring black plastic trim with a heat gun?!?!?!

#6 Post by 52classic » Tue Jun 14, 2016 10:06 pm

Terry,
My P38 grille was originally the same grey colour as the bumpers AFIK. I had an aerosol of vinyl compatible paint mixed to match the bumpers and painted the grille with that. The result looks like new! The door handles had faded likewise so I have used the same on those.

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TerryG
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Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 1:54 pm
Location: East Midlands

Re: Restoring black plastic trim with a heat gun?!?!?!

#7 Post by TerryG » Wed Jun 15, 2016 5:22 pm

I'll post some pics when the weather drys up enough for me to want to walk down the garden, i used plasticote black and after cleaning the grill and giving it a bit of a key it is sprayed and looking new :)
I just need to finish the car so i have something to attach it to :S
Understeer: when you hit the wall with the front of the car.
Oversteer: when you hit the wall with the back of the car.
Horsepower: how fast you hit the wall.
Torque: how far you take the wall with you.

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