Rear decklid panel

[carlg]

Do you treat the factory rear deck lid panel just like the rest of the car?

Do you clay it? Compound it if it has swirls? Apply polish? Wax it?

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[Labradog]

Just leave it alone. That gloss black abs scratches if you even think of looking at it. You can polish it if you want but it will show swirls the next time you wash and dry the car. I wouldn’t use something as aggressive as a compound on it though.

 

[carlg]

So I guess I cannot treat it the same as a car that is painted black?

 

[Labradog]

No, it's much softer than paint. You can wax it if you want (I've done mine before), just know that you're gonna have swirl marks. Not much you can do about that.

 

[Souldriver]

Putting ppf on it is your best option. Unfortunately the black around the lights will still swirl.

 

[itguy08]

I was wondering the same thing. My car is a week old and it has swirls and a few light scratches on it. We do use the trunk frequently so it's a pin in the you know what. It sure looks cool but one of those "WTF were they thinking" things for sure.

 

[aks0605]

I wouldnt touch it with a speed variable buffer, but i polished mine with a D/A polisher and it came out great. I also have experience with the buffer and proper techniques. You can do the exact same harm to your paint its just harder to see the light stuff in panels that face you the way the deck lid does. If you put a halogen light shining on your door you will probably see similar damages. You can use something like an AIO "all in one" wax that will get swirls out but its not very abrasive. You really should never need a compound though. If you use compounds you have to use polishes after because compounds will leave fine swirls that have to be polished out.

 

[Zenben]

Are any of the black aftermarket deck lids better, more resilient scratch-wise?

 

[socal2fast]

I had 3m paint protection film installed as swirls and scratches on that would drive me nuts

 

[GTP]

That deck lid panel is a problem. First, it is black so it shows swirls. Second, it is at the back of the car where the low-pressure air makes it collect dust. So when you clean it, you are rubbing the dust which causes swirls. Last, it is polished soft plastic so it scratches and swirls easily.

I have clear film on mine, but for some reason film does not adhere to that panel properly.

If I bought a new car again, I would just wrap it in gloss black vinyl. Yes, vinyl is not so durable either, but it can be replaced periodically.

 

[Souldriver]

Ppf should stick fine. Ive had mine wrapped and it never lifted or bubbled.

 

[FISHTAIL]

I hit the one on my 16 with a DA and a polish to get the swirls out that developed over time, and that worked fine. The panel on my 18 is still good, but I'm really careful to wash it gently and keep it waxed. So far, so good. If it ever gets bad, I'll just do like someone else here already suggested, and wrap it.

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