What do you use for trim?

Before being initiated into the world of proper auto detailing, I was one of those silly individuals who trucked down to the local KMart and got some dreaded Armor All. After being enlightened through sources such as Autopia, I went out and purchased a product called 303 Protectant. It was highly recommended and I was very pleased with the results. It provides a high level of UV protection--reportedly the most UV protection of any product for rubber/vinyl. The second nice feature is that it is water based and leaves a nice enhancing matte finish--rather than an oily, glossy shine. Just used it on my wife's new Passat--did all of the exterior plastic and rubber surfaces and it looked great. Even my wife commented on it and she rarely comments on these things since she has become somewhat complacent with my efforts to keep the cars in great shape. It is a little expensive--320z for $18 at carcrazy.net (best price I found and free shipping for orders over $20.00) The 303 website is 303products.com--you can buy directly from them or search to see if you have a retailer near you. Good luck!:xyxthumbs
 
I recently got some Meguiars Gold Class Trim Detailer and it works great. It is much thicker than Mothers B to B and seems to last longer.
 
303 Aerospace Protectant. :xyxthumbs. It can be purchased locally at most Marine supply stores. 16oz ~ $10-$11. A little goes a long way. :wavey
 
Would 303 be a good product to put on my sidesteps of my MDX?

They are plastic, and I'd like to apply something to make them look good, but it can't be greasy or slippery, obviously....any ideas would be great! I haven't used 303 yet......thanks
 
swhtech said:
Would 303 be a good product to put on my sidesteps of my MDX?

They are plastic, and I'd like to apply something to make them look good, but it can't be greasy or slippery, obviously....any ideas would be great! I haven't used 303 yet......thanks
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swhtech,

303 really is not very slippery ( water-based) and would do a great job in terms of appearance and protection, but I do not apply any to my pedals or steering wheel. I would consider the sidesteps as equivalent and a place not to apply. Nevertheless, give it a try and buff really well and see if conditions are safe. :wavey
 
I alternate between 303, Pinnacle Vinyl/Rubber protectant, & Z-16. I'd like to try Meguiar's #40 soon. I normally apply with a foam paint brush right before waxing (prevents wax stains on trim).



As for the side-steps, I would think that you should not apply any dressing on it. Although 303 isn't solvent based, it still adds a degree of slipperyness. But like BlkZ28 said, it might not hurt to experiment a little.
 
No one uses Vinylex for trim? I think this is an excellent product too. Has high UV protection and is water based too. Leaves a natural matte finish and doesn't look oily either. I was doing my interior plastic trim today and it worked great and enhanced the color of the plastic. Now I decided to try it on a shiny black plastic part of the interior where my speedometer is and got some streaks. You can see this under bright daylight. How can I remove those streaks? Just buff with MF towel?
 
Buffing with an MF towel should take care of them. If not, wash the area with water, or a mild Dawn/water mixture. That'll remove the Vinylex and the streaks.
 
I use the old Black Again Exterior formula and the old Meguiar's #42. Both are no longer produced anymore.
 
I use Valugard's Trim N Molding renewer. I apply it to rough/textured trim with a toothbrush, then I come back around and buff.



Works well, doesn't streak, and leaves no residue.



Jason
 
I've tryed several products, but the best I've found to date is

Stoner TrimShine. It sprays on but isn't greasy and seems to

last as long or longer than other's I've used.



You can find it a pep boys and many other stores.



Here is a link to their site

http://www.trimshine.com/



:)
 
I've been trying a variety of products my 850 Volvo is a 1996 model, so the trims are definitely weathered -- I used Wurth's Rubber Care first - but wasn't happy with the application and it streaked badly after rain/washing.



I felt the Vinylex was much easier to apply, but also streaked when wet.



The Meguiar's Trim Detailer is kind of messy, IMO, and you have to be careful to not get it on the paint (my 850 has tons of rubber and plastic trim - '96 was before they changed to mostly painted trims) but it does come off easily with a MF.



I felt it penetrated into the trims very well, leaving them new-looking, very dark. After my first wash, I had to MF off some residue below trims, but there was no apparent streaking on the trims like with Wurth's and Vinylex. (Which looks absolutely terrible!!)



So far, this is my favorite trim treatment -- but still like vinylex for the inside of the car. Haven't tried 303, but I'm hoping to order their samples and compare. :xyxthumbs
 
I've tried 303, Vinylex, and Gold Class Trim Detailer. However, IMHO, there is no perfect trim detailer for all cars. Each car's rubber appears to be slightly different. Mine is cheap and/or suffers from ten years of neglect. The #40 seems to condition it better. Over time, the rubber has acually started in improve.
 
IMO 303,Vinylex,Klasse lvr,Stoner trim shine are all very good, for diff. trim -diff. product and it is also personal prefference.
 
When I was using wax it was always a pain to try to keep it off the trim. And then whatever I was using on the trim I had to keep off the wax. Now I use Zaino.



Zaino works great on the paint and one of the really nice things about it is that it's also excellent on the trim. No more dry wax in the crevices, no more smudges on the paint. The only place you can't use Zaino is on rough surfaces.



Note, I do use Zaino only on the outside of the car. It's 303 for the inside plastic, leather conditioner on the leather and a damp MF towel on the wood and glass.
 
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