Faded Grill?

Any ideas on how to restore a faded grill? I like the Cerakote wipe products but it's near impossible to get them into tight spots like this. All other products don't last long-303, Solution Finish, etc.

 

Try mothers back to black

 

I have tried that on other similarly faded parts and it didn't seem to last too long.

 

I haven't really looked at my grill that closely. But, would it be possible to remove the black parts and spray paint them?

 

I was thinking about that. Not sure how hard it is to remove.

 

It's probably worth a look. Maybe it's doable, or maybe not. I'm curious now. I'll have to look at it when I get a chance.

 

I’ve seen people use a small handheld propane torch to quickly pass over the faded plastics. It heats the surface just enough to slightly melt the surface which makes it shine again.

 

Interesting. I may look into that.

 

I wonder if a heat gun would work.

 

https://youtu.be/B-X3to9t8Qg

 

I think the effectiveness of Mothers Back to Black may depend on the type of plastic in question. I’ve seen it work wonders. But I’ve also seen it fail miserably. My nephew has an Xterra, which is famous for black plastics that turn light gray in a few years. Mother’s failed on that occasion. Then we tried the heat technique. It requires a tremendous amount of concentration, with a high likelihood of overheating the plastic and destroying any pebbled texture. Even if the plastic can be made darker it’s next to impossible to get a uniform color and texture across the entire piece. Ultimately we abandoned the attempt.

 

Yeah, this is a no go for me.

 

Adam's In & Out aerosol?

 

I've had really nice results on the grills w Griots Engine Bay Dressing. (does wonders on a clean engine bay also!) https://www.griotsgarage.com/engine-bay-dressing-12-5-ounces/
For the other fading black parts; bumper trim at the back, front of the window trim by the side view mirrors, and the black caps on the rood rails, etc.. AMMO Trim Coat worked wonders! I was so surprised. https://ammonyc.com/collections/exterior/products/ammo-frame-pro-trim-coat

 

I used to use back to black on my explorer and it worked well until a few washes then it came right off.

The plastics these days are just cheap. Sort of like headlights.

How much would a grill piece be to buy a new one?

I had the headlights as an example on my accord replaced because they would not stop oxidizing. I could not stand the look of yellow on them and they impacted performance