Ford Escape on Monday, Quick question?

[03COBRA]

Hey Guys/Gals:



On Monday I am doing a Ford Escape, black!:cool: Anyways, for those of you that are not really framiliar with them, they have a lot of the plastic trim around the bottom of the vehicle. (Front/Rear Bumper, sides) My question is, what should I use to clean this trim? Regular car wash soap, Meguiar`s APC? But my real question is should I dress this trim or not? there is a lot of trim and I am worried about it attracting dirt with it being dressed. Also worried about when the rain comes, it streaking down the side! What would you guys do? Check out the pic!



Thanks,

Kyle



http://photos2.ebizautos.com/3301/564578_4.jpg

[White95Max]

When I did this black Tribute, I washed the plastic with the normal wash soap and water. My uncle (the owner) told me not to worry about doing anything with the plastic because he was kind of in a hurry. So I just worried about the paint. I would think the 303 would work well for dressing it.



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v627/White95Max/TributeRearPass.jpg

[03COBRA]

Well for dressing I have the following products!



--Adam`s V.R.T.

--Poorboy`s BnB

--Meguiar`s Hyper Dressing

[White95Max]

I`ve never tried any of them...sorry. All I`ve tried is NXT Tech Protectant and 303. Maybe somebody else can help with the decision.

[LouisanaJeeper]

wash it when you wash the car



finish it with AIO or zaino



303 would be my second choice

[03COBRA]

The trim is not shiny or painted. It`s rough and texturized!

http://photos2.ebizautos.com/3301/564578_1.jpg

[shaunthebadboy]

i cleaned the trim with meg`s apc then used nxt to top when i did a saturn vue the other day and it came out excellent

[LouisanaJeeper]

yes, i know

[imported_mirrorfinishman]

Originally posted by O4cobra

My question is, what should I use to clean this trim? Regular car wash soap, Meguiar`s APC? But my real question is should I dress this trim or not? there is a lot of trim and I am worried about it attracting dirt with it being dressed. Also worried about when the rain comes, it streaking down the side! What would you guys do?





This is a classic question. I just detailed a relatively new Ford Escape a few days ago and used regular car wash soap for washing. Since this vehicle was less than a year old and the trim looked extremely good, I left it alone. No protectant.



In most cases I will apply a protectant on exterior trim, such as Stoners Trim Shine, only after the vehicle is a couple of years old. That is usually when the trim starts to look a bit faded and lifeless. The key is, once you begin to use an exterior protectant, you will usually have to re-apply it on a regular basis.



One other note. It is a good idea to only use exterior protectants made for use on exterior trim. The use of interior protectants may cause exterior trim to turn white and streak prematurely.

[stilez]

Hi Kyle,



It may only need car wash soap to clean. If it needs more, use APC diluted 10:1 in a high volume sprayer. I would use a terry towel for a little more bite. Spray off and dry as usual.



Any of the dressings you have will work great. I would only do a water-based (all of them are) since they are less likely to attract dust.



Good Luck.

[White95Max]

The Tribute I did had smooth painted trim, not rough. Maybe the Mazdas have the smooth trim. :nixweiss

[hftw Audi 6]

Hey 04 Cobra how do u like the meguiars hyper dressing?!?!? i was thinking about ordering some!

[JeffM]

Thats not a pic of a Ford....

[LouisanaJeeper]

Originally posted by JBM

Thats not a pic of a Ford....

read much?

[NavindraLR]

i see multiple pics of fords...



anyways... i dont think you`ll have a problem with streaking if you apply, let it sit/absorb, then buff off residue. any of those dressings should work. let them sit as long as the directions specify, and make sure to buff off, b/c i know when i use 303 and you dont buff off, it will streak on certain surfaces when it rains