Rubber bumper guards

[Isabelle Tibbitts]

I`m currently cleaning up a 1979 Lincoln Continental Mark V Bill Blass.

Back in the 70`s we had these big thick rubber bumper guards / stripes around the car.



They tend to become grey-isch white-isch.



Does anybody know how to get these back to their original shiny deep black glory ?

And what sort a products do I need to do so ?



thanks !

[wfedwar]

I`ve had good luck with Prime on hard, exterior rubber.

[Isabelle Tibbitts]

I`m over here in Europe and have never heard of prime...

Is that a specific BRAND or so ?

anybody has a link to the product ?

[wfedwar]

If you`re in Europe, try to find Klasse AIO, CARLACK 68 Premium Systematic Care (Nano Systempflege). I was referring to Werkstat Prime, which is similar and I think only available in US.

[eyezack87]

Have you tried Black Wow? I used it on a 1994 Dodge Caravan`s roof racks. They were whitish gray and it brought them back to black :)

[Jscort98]

+1 on the BW. I just used it and it is amazing. It`ll make the trim look better than new.

[wfedwar]

BW is specifically a plastic dressing. I don`t think it works too well on rubber.

[99blackSE]

I wonder how Megs #39 Heavy Duty Vinyl Cleaner would work for this.

[Isabelle Tibbitts]

I think I will try the Black WOW...I`m going to SF for vacation and will pick up a bottle there...(it`s not available over here)

Even if it would not work...I`m sure I can use it on my other cars.



I`m picking up 303 Aerospace Protectant tomorrow (thanks to their website I found a dealer who stocks it just over the border in Holland) and I will give that a try as it will work great on my vinyl top (read the raving reviews here) as well as the rubber guards.

I`ll post my findings !

[wfedwar]

303 sucks for exterior applications.

[Isabelle Tibbitts]

oh ! How very weird...

I posted another question on what to do with my vinyl roof, and though I did not get any replies there .. underneath the article is a link to this tread :



http://www.autopia.org/forum/guide-detailing/80227-convertible-top-care.html



where DavidB recommends the product for the protection of vinyl roofs : I quote :

" Although vinyl doesn`t need waterproofing, vinyl tops do need protection. Using a good vinyl top protectant, you can prevent discoloration damage from road grime, pollution, salt deposits, leaf gum and bird droppings. The two products I recommend for vinyl top protection are Raggtopp Vinyl Protectant and 303 Aerospace Protectant. Both offer excellent UV protection. Vinyl tops should be treated monthly.



Before you spray your soft top with protectant, it must be clean and dry. Use a scrub brush and a full .75-ounce dose of top or car shampoo to deep-clean the top. Applying the canvas top protectant is best done in conjunction with waxing. Your pre-wax cleaner or polish will remove any potential overspray. "

[mvw2]

Well, it`s simply oxidation, so anything that can clean/remove the oxidation will help bright out the original look. In the past, I`ve used Mothers 3-step process which includes a pre-wax cleaner. It`s purpose is to get rid of old wax, oxidation, and such. It works wonders on old paint and rubber trim.



After that, there should be a good variety of products available to condition the rubber. I`ve never gone this far though. Most of what I`ve done is simply wax the car as well as trim pieces. This generally gives a good shine, but that may not be what you`re shooting for, lol.