Am wondering why they are turning gray in the first place??? How old is your car, and how many miles? I would see if the warranty would cover replacing them.
I haven't noticed turning grey - but they do seem to be rough and pitted. Kind of like stone damage, but that can't be or the paint on the car would be damaged. What's up with that?/ubb/smilies/frown.gif
I have to agree with Kirk about Armor All. It looks great at first but over time it kills plastic. And acts like a dirt magnet on leather seats. At least that has been my experience. I quit using it years ago because it just didn't cut it.
I haven't used Pledge on plastic. However, I do use Pledge for keeping my tinted windows clean. It is non-abrasive and provides a bit of moisture which prolongs the life of the window tint.
[This message has been edited by MiZ06 (edited 02-02-2001).]
MiZ06 -- Thanks for the tip about Pledge on tinted windows (I just learned something!). Come to think of it, my father uses Pledge on the plastic windows of some of his older cars. Seems to counteract the hazing that can form on those windows. Never thought you could use it on tint!
Good tip!
-Kirk
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2001 Z06
MY w/Black
Memory, Mirrors, Mats, and Moldings!
Originally posted by AmishVette: I haven't noticed turning grey - but they do seem to be rough and pitted. Kind of like stone damage, but that can't be or the paint on the car would be damaged. What's up with that?/ubb/smilies/frown.gif
Mine are doing the same thing at 1,200 miles. Not turning grey, but rough and pitted. It looks like they have been pelted with gravel from the sand trucks, even though I don't drive mine in the snow. My only possible thought is that since the ducts stick out farther than the rest of the car they are taking a beating from pebbles even though the body of the car doesnt appear to be.
NEVER use Armor-All on rubber/plastic trim pieces! Never, never, never! /ubb/smilies/rolleyes.gif If you've used it already, and notice that the pieces are turning grey, then I'd bet that that's WHY they're turning grey. It's been my experience that Armor-All makes things look swell right off the bat, then WRECKS the finish(es) over time. I will never use this on any black rubber/plastic trim pieces again.
For reference, I have a '97 Jeep Wrangler that I put larger tires on, necessetating wide (aftermarket) flares. The flares are a strong, flexible, molded PVC, and are a dark grey color. Well, after a few years of never using Armor-All on them, they still look new after washing. You can see who in the Jeep club I belong to has used Armor-All on his flares, as they've turned a milky white and are blotchy. Armor-All's terrible.
I'll tell you what I use (and had it "confirmed" by a guy who shows his VW Bug in shows, and without soliciting his comments on it) -- PLEDGE! (Yes, the furniture spray stuff.) It is excellent. The oils in it (and whatever else is in there) apparently guard agaisnt sun damage. It's great -- I highly recommend it.
It might sound like I have a personal "beef" with Armor-All, but I don't. I suppose I'm angry that I used it on my Cobra's window sills and trim pieces, and it wrecked them. I'm trying to keep you guys from making a mistake with this crap.
Try the Pledge! Try it somewhere inconspicuous if you're skeptical. It's apparently a "detailers' trick of the trade".
Kirk - I'm not sure what the answer is here. I generally use Armor All only on exterior rubber such as the tires and window seals, and have never experienced any deterioration problems. Same goes for black plastic exterior moldings such as air dams. I use it diluted with distilled water 50/50, which leaves more of a satin rather than shinny finish, and apply it with a rag on small features or a natural bristle paint brush on the tires and air dam. I have to apply it after every wash because water washes it off.
It's definately no good for interior vinyl, and I would never use Armor All on vinyl. Like you, I use Pledge. Pledge is an emusion of carnuba wax in a petroleum distillate, and it will seal vinyl to prevent it from outgassing, which is what causes vinyl to shrink and eventually crack. For leather I would use a specific leather preservative, but Pledge is probably good for clean leather, too.
I believe the fading of black plastic is due to UV light exposure, so any kind of surface coating - silicone or carnuba wax should slow it down.
I sounds like the Z06 rear brake air ducts are going to get pretty beat up from the sand and small debris kicked up by the front tires, so maybe it's just a part you'll have to replace every few years if you really want the car to appear in tip top shape.
I'll try Pledge on the Cosworth's seat belt guide. The last time I washed it I noticed they were turning milky again.
I think Armor All gets a bad wrap. I definately don't recommend it on VINYL - that's were you use Pledge - seats, dash pad and door panels, but Armor All works well to restore the natural satin finish on black plastic. I've been using it on my Cosworth Vega for 25 years. In particular, the seat belt guide at the top of the seats turns milky and Armor All restores the natural black satin finish for several months.
One problem with natural plastic finishes is wax residue which tends to turn plastic white. The only thing I know of to remove this is bug and tar remover of Prepsol.
(I think I read your post correctly, but I may not have...) It sounds like the Armor-All'ing that your most happy with is inside your car (on the seatbelt do-hicky) that's laregly NOT hit by the elements. I will say that I've used Armor-All INSIDE my car in some places and have not been unhappy with its effectiveness...
...BUT, again, I'd caution anyone against using it on external parts that are exposed to the sun (and rain, I suppose). I'm not a chemical engineer, so I can't back up my experiences with any factual data, but it would appear that continued use of Armor-All on parts that are directly exposed to the elements just get wrecked over time. I sure as hell won't use it on external parts anymore.
I always thought the opposite about the "bad rap" thing, too -- I always felt that Armor-All gets mentioned favorably as the cure-all for vinal/rubber restoration, while, in the meantime, I'm thinking "What?! This stuff is the worst!"
To each his own! /ubb/smilies/smile.gif No qualms with your post here! You (Duke) should keep using it if it works for you. (Hell, I'd still be using it if it worked for me! /ubb/smilies/wink.gif ) I just thought I'd share an alternative that you'd never think about using (Pledge) unless you heard that it works (and, yes, trash a product that I think is too widely accepted based on its marketing/advertising alone)...
-Kirk
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2001 Z06
MY w/Black
Memory, Mirrors, Mats, and Moldings!
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