A better plastic restorer or paint with plasticcoat?

[Samiamthemustangman]

My mustangs plastic is in very bad shape. What is the best way to bring it back to life? I had the car painted kona blue. It has metallic and looks beautiful when the sun hits it.
Now the rubber looks far from par compared to the paint. The window crow looks almost white. The rubber underneath looks gray and around the window looks bad also. I use to have a product called detail dr and it was amazing. I can't find it online. Has anyone else delt with this? Is my best bet a restore or go with a plastic paint?

Sponsored

 

[Fastrthnu5.0]

i have used meguires ultimate black to some success. The problem i find is none last more than a few days and revert back to faded look. Ive found the cheapest and quickest way is a quick wipe from a rag lightly coated in baby oil. It lasts about as long and looks just as good. But it does collect dust faster if you drive on a dirt road

 

[MAGS1]

@skinnyb and @DFB5.0 can help with options

 

[skinnyb]

Armour detail supply trim coating. Dye infused and works awesome. Solution finish works amazing too but doesn't have any protection built in.

 

[NGOT8R]

Armour detail supply trim coating. Dye infused and works awesome. Solution finish works amazing too but doesn't have any protection built in.

I used this product recently on my truck’s window trim and it only lasted for a few weeks.

 

[whatarush]

I’ve had good results with cerakote wipes

https://cerakoteceramics.com/cerako...iqFuosbxWFhANNPp96LouqMe6QOBFhbT1dWmc5O1gt4oV

 

[Jaymar]

Mine hazed right away after ceramic coat an nothing made it better. Meguiars only lasted a few days where it worked on previous cars. I found this has so far lasted months and hasn't faded: https://www.turtlewax.com/collectio...333DsG40ZJ0fdwnib2qyhxZ3MZDn84aGCmDe71KmWrORe

Edit - Make sure you scrub all the residue away first.

 

[skinnyb]

I used this product recently on my truck’s window trim and it only lasted for a few weeks.

I just applied it a few weeks ago myself, it is a brand new product, only been out a couple of months. Time will tell but I have had no issues. Yet. Definitely with this product, prep is critical as it's a ceramic infused product. My daily driver is my torture tester.

 

[NGOT8R]

I’ve also heard that using a heat gun to bring the oils up to the surface will restore the color of the trim plastic, but this method would obviously require exercising extreme caution, so as to not melt the trim pieces.​

 

[SCP440]

I will second the Cerakote, top product and seems to last. I used it on my van and after 12 months its still looking good.
The problem with painting them it will peal off and look even worse.

 

[PVAMT]

My mustangs plastic is in very bad shape. What is the best way to bring it back to life? I had the car painted kona blue. It has metallic and looks beautiful when the sun hits it.
Now the rubber looks far from par compared to the paint. The window crow looks almost white. The rubber underneath looks gray and around the window looks bad also. I use to have a product called detail dr and it was amazing. I can't find it online. Has anyone else delt with this? Is my best bet a restore or go with a plastic paint?

I have used Cerakote trim restorer

My mustangs plastic is in very bad shape. What is the best way to bring it back to life? I had the car painted kona blue. It has metallic and looks beautiful when the sun hits it.
Now the rubber looks far from par compared to the paint. The window crow looks almost white. The rubber underneath looks gray and around the window looks bad also. I use to have a product called detail dr and it was amazing. I can't find it online. Has anyone else delt with this? Is my best bet a restore or go with a plastic paint?

I have used Cerakote trim restorer on my 99’F-250 with great success. You have to do it once a year but being a 99’ I can’t complain too much. It comes on wipes, just follow the instructions. $17 on Amazon. I have used this on my Mustang also and I have no complaints.

 

[Nightmonkey]

Try a hot air gun, proven to work best regarding long term result.

Or get it painted gloss black.

 

[Samiamthemustangman]

I have used Cerakote trim restorer

I have used Cerakote trim restorer on my 99’F-250 with great success. You have to do it once a year but being a 99’ I can’t complain too much. It comes on wipes, just follow the instructions. $17 on Amazon. I have used this on my Mustang also and I have no complaints.

Just wanted to double check that this is the correct stuff?

 

[Nightmonkey]

@Samiamthemustangman
No, that's not a hot air gun nor a gloss black paint job...

Don't waste your money and time on snake oils, that are only designed to get you to buy them again and again and keep applying them. All it does is filling the pockets of the producers and polluting the environment.

The only other useful option is replacing the trim pieces with new parts, as long they are available.

I guess they even did it with a heat gun in ancient Greece on their horse carriages, long before there was a automotiv detailing industry.

Just one month ago , in July 2025 a guy in the UK had success with a heat gun...


...exactly one of your use cases in 2019...


...in 2014, a Jeep guy did it with kind of success...


...and another Video from a old VW in 2008:


...even found a photographic record from ancient Greece (c. 500 AD):

 

[Paul McWhiskey]

Aerospace 303. Use it on tires, too. Needs to be reapplied occasionally but is not super shiny and doesn’t sling all over the body panels.

Sponsored