Making Old Plastic New Again

[Cadillacmak]

Right after I signed up here, my buddy started texting me these pictures. This is his K2500 with the 8.1lt that I have done a bunch of work on. Showed him how to turn all that greyed out plastic back to black. He ended up hiring my son for his construction company and this is what they did in the slow times.

 

[someotherguy]

I see a lot of these trucks running around with the plastic just looking terrible. I know there's some products out there for it but many report some don't have lasting effects. Have y'all found something that works long-term? I've heard some use a torch(!) but obviously great care must be taken with that approach, or you could cause a lot of damage.

Richard

 

[ORVietVet]

I used to own an Avalanche and the plastic cladding did turn grey. There was some "rub on" stuff that would initially look pretty good but did not last. I also had a friend use a torch and got carried away and melted some panels. I think a complete clean and painting may be the only long time fix.

I recently almost bought a K2500 8.1 Avalanche but it went for too much on B.A.T.

The owner lived about 75 miles away in Florence, Or. and I drove over to see it before bidding on it. Was a very well taken care of vehicle BUT, if that crank sensor ever needed replacement, on that 8.1, it can be a nightmare if it will not coming out without breaking. The sensor is about 12" long. They can break in half. Then you have to go in thru the bottom inside the oil pan. Big big big job.

 

[Cadillacmak]

I see a lot of these trucks running around with the plastic just looking terrible. I know there's some products out there for it but many report some don't have lasting effects. Have y'all found something that works long-term? I've heard some use a torch(!) but obviously great care must be taken with that approach, or you could cause a lot of damage.

Richard

Is a plastic paint that dyes it black again, same as you use on the interior plastic. I will have to find a link and post it later!

 

[Cadillacmak]

There was some "rub on" stuff that would initially look pretty good but did not last.

This is plastic paint that dyes the plastic the color you want.

 

[Cadillacmak]

Is a plastic paint that dyes it black again, same as you use on the interior plastic. I will have to find a link and post it later!

I think this is it, have not made a trip to the garage yet. https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/MS_7268

 

[someotherguy]

I think a complete clean and painting may be the only long time fix.

I've seen a nightmare example someone did of color-matching the cladding on one. Looked like poor prep and poor material choice. Also poor taste. White truck, cladding painted white, and chipping/peeling away, I'll take a wild guess and assume they didn't manage to get whatever prior products had been used out of the plastic, and didn't use flex agent in the paint.

Richard

 

[Cadillacmak]

I've seen a nightmare example someone did of color-matching the cladding on one. Looked like poor prep and poor material choice. Also poor taste. White truck, cladding painted white, and chipping/peeling away, I'll take a wild guess and assume they didn't manage to get whatever prior products had been used out of the plastic, and didn't use flex agent in the paint.

Richard

If its not done right its terrible. I use a final wash (pre-wash) from the auto paint store and clean it really good. Heat is important also, about 80 is perfect. You know when its done right as you can see it soak into the plastic instead of lay on top, leaving the original texture as it was.