Should I apply VRT to splitter and side skirts?

[passwords]

I use Adams Polishes graphene VRT on the plastic side skirts, rear valance, and fender trim on my old daily driver Grand Cherokee. It works reasonably well but to be fair, if that car died tomorrow I would have no problem rolling it into a ditch and never thinking about it again. Today I am detailing my ‘19 GT350R and I’m noticing that the plastic splitter and side skirts are losing some luster. The car spends the winter under a cover in my garage and I only drive it when it’s sunny outside. If I had kids I’m pretty sure I would love this car more than them.

My question is this: Should I apply the graphene VRT to bring back some luster to the plastic, or will I end up regretting it in 2 or 3 or 4 years? In other words, does the VRT have a longer term negative effect on the plastic that will become apparent later on?

For context, I asked the manager of the company that did the PPF on the R about how best to take care of the exterior plastic and his response was to just wash it and keep it clean. He told me not to apply any other chemicals to the plastic. That was 4 years ago. Is that still the best advice?

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[Jackismydog]

For my plastics parts, I use Carpro Dlux with great succes ! And this product has a long term protection. Very easy to apply.

 

[kilobravo]

He told me not to apply any other chemicals to the plastic.

Colin: Total BS of the highest order and I was MOST surprised to read that a film installer told you not to protect it. UFB.

Just treat the film like paint, (but don't try to machine polish it.) Pick your favorite product and have fun then watch the water literally roll off the car. And it will shine up a little bit more than its natural sheen, too. PPF is pretty darn sturdy stuff as long as you don't cut it or burn it.

 

[DFB5.0]

Today I am detailing my ‘19 GT350R and I’m noticing that the plastic splitter and side skirts are losing some luster.

My question is this: Should I apply the graphene VRT to bring back some luster to the plastic, or will I end up regretting it in 2 or 3 or 4 years? In other words, does the VRT have a longer term negative effect on the plastic that will become apparent later on?

For context, I asked the manager of the company that did the PPF on the R about how best to take care of the exterior plastic and his response was to just wash it and keep it clean. He told me not to apply any other chemicals to the plastic. That was 4 years ago. Is that still the best advice?

I would ignore that advice on not using something on unpainted black plastic. If not protected, black plastic will degrade at a much faster rate as it doesn't have a clear coat to protect it from UV damage.

You have three options here -

Apply a trim dressing - For the record, the Adam's Graphene VRT is in fact a dressing, meaning it's effect will be short term and will require repeat applications. That's not a good or a bad thing, just something to know. Prior to coating my trim, I applied 303 Protectant after each wash as part of my routine, adding an extra few minutes to job in total, so very doable.

Treat with a trim restorer - something like Solution Finish will give you 12+ months of improvement. You need to be more methodical with the application compared to a dressing, being sure to clean it properly beforehand.

Ceramic Coat them - this is what I did using Carpro DLUX. In my case, I was dealing with like-new trim due to regular application provided by 303, but DLUX can revie faded trim too. Again, you need to be more thorough with the prep work to ensure a completely bare and clean finish prior to application.

There is only one caution I would note with this option, it's on there for life! Unlike paint, you can't polish off the coating in preparation for a new application in the future. I'm torn here because, technically, the coating is the longest-term solution, but what do you do when its time to recoat?

Personally, I think going forward, I will just use something like Carpro Reload on trim. You get 6-ish months out this option, it will protect and subtly enhance but doesn't have the potential down-the-track issues a full-blown coating would have.

 

[skinnyb]

For my plastics parts, I use Carpro Dlux with great succes ! And this product has a long term protection. Very easy to apply.

I did the same on my daily driver (Mazda CX5). DLux works great but is a more permanent solution, and prep is key . And word of warning, be sure to mask off the paint somehow, I used a thin piece of carboard to block off as I went across the trim close to the paint. I did Gyeon CanCoat EVO on the paint the following day so it was protected as well.

 

[passwords]

Thank you all for the responses, this is exactly the information I was looking for.

KB, I agree with your assessment. The film installation on my R was absolutely top notch - wrapped edges, no pre-cut pieces butted together, perfect paint correction prior to application - it was an all around amazing result. But I was caught off guard when the manager told me to just keep the black exterior plastic clean. I remember thinking at the time that I would need to revisit that question. Well, now is the time.

DFB, your attention to detail is amazing and I appreciate the comprehensive response. I’ll be adding another element to my detailing routine from now on.

Again, I appreciate the input from everyone on this topic.

 

[kilobravo]

Another good one, D. I did use Dlux on my trim early in Sarah's life BUT, never thought to try Reload afterward..excellent tip and one I should have thought of myself, thanks again.

 

[DFB5.0]

Another good one, D. I did use Dlux on my trim early in Sarah's life BUT, never thought to try Reload afterward..excellent tip and one I should have thought of myself, thanks again.

You can use Reload as a standalone or as a topper to DLUX. From my perspective, using Reload on top of DLUX will extend its durably massively.

 

[kilobravo]

Muchas gracias, amigo...I'll be doing perzactly that the next time I get the Kranzle out to give her a bath. :-)

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