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700/900 Series General Forum for the Volvo 740, 760, 780, 940, 960 & S/V90 cars

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Best stuff for reviving faded bumpers/general ext. plastics?

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Old Jul 16th, 2018, 10:12   #11
855 tdi
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Dunno about the bumpers on a 740 but using heat on a modern bumper can cause cracking as you dry it out, the bumpers on the 740 (and my 940) I had weren't faded but that's probably because they were able to use things they can't anymore when making them. I have used the old baby oil etc trick but it's very temporary, best bet is usually bumper dye, Wurth do some that works well. How long it lasts can depend on many factors but it will last longer than rubbing oil on the surface, if you wish to do go that route though I did have good results with tyre gel. Paint could be an option but I doubt it's worth the effort.

Here's an example:
https://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2502750
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Old Jul 16th, 2018, 10:22   #12
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Thanks all! I’ll try the WD40 first as I don’t have a heat gun to hand, but may well try the heat approach in due course.

Shoe polish isn’t a bad idea! I’ll test a bit on the underside of the spray guard and see how it looks. Could be expensive to do the whole car but it’s a good idea if the WD and heat don’t have the desired results.

Thanks again!
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Old Jul 16th, 2018, 10:27   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by volvoid View Post
anyone tried shoe polish ?

a luxury blend of waxes oils and pigments......la la la
Perfect for leather shoes, lousy on plastic bumpers though!
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Old Jul 16th, 2018, 14:07   #14
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to back up the C4 claims i made
my S40 before



washed, wiped C4 on then buffed as per instructions

After

and the black trim stopped like that for 2 years, nearly 3 , with a monthly wash and living outside , the drive gets the sun from sun up to 4pm .
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Old Jul 16th, 2018, 14:16   #15
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In my experience, wipe on products like Autoglym bumper gel lasts a few months. Forever Black Bumper and Trim kit last twice as long. Halfords Plastic Bumper Paint Black lasted a few years. I have never tried the hot air method.
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Old Jul 16th, 2018, 14:36   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by andy_d View Post
to back up the C4 claims i made
my S40 before



washed, wiped C4 on then buffed as per instructions

After

and the black trim stopped like that for 2 years, nearly 3 , with a monthly wash and living outside , the drive gets the sun from sun up to 4pm .
Another thumbs up for Gtechniq C4. I did my V40 when I bought it 3 years ago and still good and black. It uses nanotechnology to bond to the plastic, so it doesn't wash off.

If the trim is badly faded and has a whitish look - a little like cataracts - sand the plastic first using 1200 grit wet and dry, wet with a drop of washing up liquid added to the water. The old dead plastic will come off like a brown scum and when you are down to good plastic you will feel it under the paper - super smooth. Wash all the scum off and you will be left with smooth matt finish plastic, then give it two coats of C4 and you will have a concours job that lasts. Non of the cheap fixes will work for any length of time.
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Old Jul 16th, 2018, 16:03   #17
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Already mentioned but smooth peanut butter.
30p a pot - job done

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Old Jul 16th, 2018, 16:32   #18
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Swear by GTechniq C4 Bit pricey but does exactly what it says on the box. 30ml bottle did all the external plastics and the hard plastics on the interior, even had some to do the engine bay plastic covers. And trust me there's a lot of black plastic trim on a XC70...
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Old Jul 16th, 2018, 17:45   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jonnyf90 View Post
Already mentioned but smooth peanut butter.
30p a pot - job done

Cheers
https://www.aldi.co.uk/peanut-butter/p/042032003033800
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Old Jul 16th, 2018, 18:03   #20
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On my early 740s I find Autoglym bumper gel works a treat on the bumpers and exterior door trims, and good old Back to Black on the bumper side trims (the concertinary parts).

Jon.

Last edited by Prufrock; Jul 16th, 2018 at 20:09.
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