Registered: Mar 2008
Location: Daphne, AL
Posts: 6

OK, I know how to keep the paint clean, shiny, and protected...I know how to keep the glass spotless and beading with Rain-X....I know how to keep tires and wheels clean and shining....

but what to use on the plastic pieces between the windows, and what to use on the headlights, tail lights, etc.?

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08 Ody Touring - Automatic - Leather - 9,000 miles
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Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Northern California
Posts: 4378

There are products on the market especially designed for plastics. Mother's has one, called Power Plastic, which I use on our headlights. It seems to work very well, with little effort.

Jerry O.

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Registered: Nov 2007
Location: Richland,wa
Posts: 493

quote:

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Originally posted by bnavarre
OK, I know how to keep the paint clean, shiny, and protected...I know how to keep the glass spotless and beading with Rain-X....I know how to keep tires and wheels clean and shining....

but what to use on the plastic pieces between the windows, and what to use on the headlights, tail lights, etc.?



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Brad

08 Ody Touring - Automatic - Leather - 9,000 miles
03 Accord EX - Automatic - Cloth - 71,000 miles
97 Saturn SL1 - Automatic - Cloth - 170,000 miles

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Last edited by mwe2121 on 12-07-2008 at 06:29 PM

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Registered: Oct 2005
Location: Blue Springs, MO
Posts: 27

If your clear plastic - such as headlight lenses - has gotten cloudy - I suggest Meguiar's Plast-X. It does perform a similar task to the Mother's product listed above.

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Registered: Mar 2008
Location: Daphne, AL
Posts: 6

I use PlastiX on the headlights, but I'm talking about the plastic near the windows. It's black & shiny. Do I treat it as paint, glass, or plastic? What's the best product for protection from UV & scratches?

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Brad

08 Ody Touring - Automatic - Leather - 9,000 miles
03 Accord EX - Automatic - Cloth - 71,000 miles
97 Saturn SL1 - Automatic - Cloth - 170,000 miles

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Registered: Nov 2004
Location: Logan Utah
Posts: 33

Are you talking about the black plastic in the wiper wells?

Cheers,
GREG

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Registered: Mar 2008
Location: Daphne, AL
Posts: 6

No. I am talking about the black plastic that runs vertically between the front door window and the sliding door window. There is a piece on each door.

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Brad

08 Ody Touring - Automatic - Leather - 9,000 miles
03 Accord EX - Automatic - Cloth - 71,000 miles
97 Saturn SL1 - Automatic - Cloth - 170,000 miles

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Registered: Nov 2004
Location: Logan Utah
Posts: 33

Gotcha ya.

I don't apply any dressings to that plastic. If you have a R/O machine you can polish them a bit and just apply a LSP sealant.

Everytime I try to apply some kind of plastic dressings its just looks worse after time vs. a good polishing and simple lsp.

Cheers,
GREG

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Registered: Dec 2008
Location: Albany, New York
Posts: 202

In the 09 Ody, that black plastic between the front and side doors has been replaced iwith a black surface that can be waxed with no problem. Thank God, that black plastic on my 03 Ody drove me nuts.

I'm also glad they got rid of the black plastic below the doors and replaced with painted plastic. I used a lot of duct tape over the years to cover that plastic so I wouldn't get wax on it . It was a real pain to remove that wax once it dried.

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Registered: May 2009
Location: MD
Posts: 48

My accord has a black surface between the front and rear doors. I have always used meguires scratch-x on these and waxed them afterwards. I noticed if I don't do this, they tend to look cloudy like they have a haze on them....

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Registered: Jan 2002
Location: Madison, AL, USA
Posts: 2113

I Zaino just about everything paint, glass, or shiney plastic. Mine all still looks brand new!

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Registered: May 2009
Location: Salisbury, Maryland
Posts: 35

Every "Car Guy" has his own favorites. Meguires scratch-x mentioned earlier is good, but I use Groit's Garage products. Link below:

Groit's Garage

I am not affiliated with them at all, but have used their products for years.

I highly recommend their Glass Polish for windows and "plastics"



I have a PT Cruiser Show Car (also a daily driver) with the same type of plastic between the windows. First, NEVER wax it, use window cleaner. Second if it has water spots or is dull, use a plastic polish or glass polish like shown above, then only use a window cleaner like you would on glass.

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Registered: Dec 2001
Location: Chandler, AZ
Posts: 9

On the black plastic between the front door windows and the sliding doors I just use, Mother's Back to Black: http://www.mothers.com/02_products/06108.html
It has always worked good for me.

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Registered: Mar 2009
Location: So Cal
Posts: 432

I've used Fade2Black from chemical guys and makes it a nice deep rich black.

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Registered: Jul 2010
Location: cheyenne
Posts: 3

I've used that plast-x on my 95 Odyssey black mirrors, and it worked great. Should work on those trim pieces.

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