Rubber Moulding Staining Paint

[JReese]

Hi All,



I have an old white Ford Ranger and the rubber moulding at the base of the driver/passenger window seems to have left stains running down the doors. I think it`s from whenever the car gets wet, the water that touches the rubber rolls down the side of the truck and dries on the paint leaving a stain that makes the paint looks discolored and dull.



So far, I`ve tried using clay and that really didn`t do anything. I`m ready to move to the next step, but I want to use something that is not too abrasive, unless I really have to. It`s the original paint.



There seem to be a million polishes out there, but I`m looking to start with something very fine. Any suggestions on what to use and how to approach these stains? The rest of the finish is in pretty good shape so I think I`m ok just claying it and then waxing, but these stains...they`re killing me.



Thanks in advance!

[longdx]

I had a Ranger and had the same problems in that area. I would try a mild polish (Meg. SwirlX) by hand if it removes the staining, before stepping up to a more aggresive polish.

[Street5927]

I would try Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion. It is excellent at removing mild stains and contains microfine fillers, meaning it is not aggressive. It will fill minor imperfections that you may have on the paint. This is an excerpt taken directly from their website: "...It is designed to safely take off old wax, embedded road grime and pollution that washing will not remove. It prepares the surface for waxing by creating a clean, smooth, highly-reflective surface. This insures a uniform shine and maximum wax bonding."

[JReese]

Thanks for the suggestions. I never heard of Pinnacle before; looks like good stuff, but kind of pricey for me.



Did a little research on the Meguiars forums and it looks like SwirlX would be a good and safe thing to try first. And if it doesn`t cut it, I`ll step up to a fine polishing compound. Any other suggestions?



Thanks for the input.

[Accumulator]

A mild OTC product that might do the trick is Meguiar`s Deep Crystal Step #1 Cleaner. Even milder than the Swirl-X but with some chemical cleaners.



I`d give some thought to treating the rubber mouldings so this doesn`t happen again. Clean off all the oxidized rubber and dress with something "clean" like the 1Z (or better yet, Wurth) Gummi Pfledge stuff or Wurth Rubber Care.

[David Fermani]

If I`m reading this correctly, the molding you are referring to is called the "Belt Molding" and on Rangers this molding has a metal internal reinforcement that has a tendancy of corroding and rusting. Once this happens you can get a run down effect that could discolor paint. As long as the paint doesn`t require heavy swirl or oxidation removal, you can get away with using a paint cleaner like AutoGlym Super Resin Polish or M105. Both work great by hand.

[loco]

I would try something non-abrasive first - like Klasse All in One paint cleaner. I have a similar problem with some rubber moulding on my Miata and the Klasse takes the staining right off.



I believe it is some residue that is coming out from under the moulding in a couple places. It`s not as bad as it used to be but it still does it some when it rains.

[y3ll0w]

This sounds really weird and probably stupid, but some of the Honda guys would use peanut butter on their side moldings.

[Accumulator]

y3llow- Welcome to Autopia!



Yeah, peanut butter *is* used for that. The oils in it make for an OK-looking, if temporary, fix. Not something I`d do (for a boatload of reasons), but people do like using it.