| |||||||
| |||||||
 | |||||||
 Faded headlamps and black plastic trim. Is there a solution? This is truly becoming a very expensive proposition to consumers who attempt to maintain or restore the appearance and value of their automotive investment. Consumers face a dilemma when this problem presents itself. One, do you spend the money and get new replacement parts? Two, will the money invested into the new parts guarantee that this problem won’t present itself again in the future? No way! Most aesthetic replacement parts are warranted for 0 to 90 days and the only guarantee your likely to get, is that within another couple of years you will find yourself confronting this same situation again. Look, if you lay out the money and buy new parts and go back to the same products you used the first go round, can you really expect different results? (Scroll over each photo to see before picture.) Let’s start from the beginning. Why are these parts failing in appearance? Plastic is a soft and porous material, and when softer materials such as headlamps, trim, or even plastic convertible-top windows are exposed to sunlight, headlamp heat, and cool days and evenings, they expand and contract a great deal easier than harder surfaces. Expanding and contracting plastic opens the door to a greater amount of exposure to harmful oxidation stemming from moisture, sunlight and extreme environmental conditions.  Typically, most consumers begin looking for solutions when they can no longer see at night, are told their vehicle will not pass inspection without new headlamps (as required in some states), or simply just don’t like the look of their faded headlamps. Most consumers have no idea that the fading of their headlamps is caused by oxidation on the outside surface of the plastic lens. When dealerships are asked how to resolve this problem they have no alternative solution other than replacement. Generally speaking you’re recommended to schedule an appointment to get new headlamps installed. This sounds great until you’re greeted with a repair bill starting at $500.00 for parts and labor, and more than $1,000.00 if you own a premium automobile. At that price, some folks will simply decide to fix the headlamps themselves and this can really lead to a problem. Most consumers think the damage is on the inside of their headlamps. Parts departments couldn’t be happier when consumers come to this conclusion. Plastic headlamp assemblies are contained or sealed units which mean they were never designed to be pried open for cleaning on the inside; do that and you’re absolutely guaranteed to buy a new or used headlamp.For the past ten years we have enjoyed teaching consumers how to resolve this dilemma with live demonstrations on their vehicle. When preparing to restore faded headlamps look very closely at the surface of your headlamp. If the surface is yellow or gold there is a good chance that your headlamp does not have a Teflon surface and will be very simple to restore with the ACRYLIC-WËRKS POLISH. If on the other hand the surface of your headlamp has a grayish or milky white appearance, or is peeling then there is a very good chance they were treated with a Teflon coating. If this is your situation we recommend that you contact a detail specialist who can use a buffer and abrasive to remove the remaining Teflon from your headlamps. At this point your headlamps will be prepped for an ACRYLIC-WËRKS POLISH application, protecting your headlamps from future damage.  When consumers notice that their black plastic trim pieces are fading the solution is almost always to apply a spray-on, wipe-on, or shine-up product which can be purchased at most retail outlets. The problem is these products are only a temporary solution. Most of these products contain a substantial amount of alcohol and when applied to the plastic trim it looks OK, until the sunlight hits it. It is common knowledge that alcohol evaporates and at this point a very nasty and greasy surface is left behind. And when it rains, you now have that “shine-up” product leaving streaks down the side of your vehicle from the residue washing off the trim and over time has the potential of damaging your vehicle’s painted surface. Also, be cautious as to the kind of shine-up product you use since some can cause permanent damage to your trim as well. Because of its low production cost and magnetism, improving the vehicle’s overall appearance on new cars, manufacturers are using more and more plastic trim. Unfortunately those savings are not passed on to the consumer since most replacement pieces are marked up substantially. When restoring or treating your trim, look for peeling surfaces. If there is no peeling you are ready to restore however, if you see peeling make plans to replace the trim. When replacing trim check with your local salvage yards first. If the piece can be located without any signs of peeling, but with a little fading, always offer less than what they’re asking because the piece is old and faded. Old and faded trim can easily be restored later with ACRYLIC-WËRKS POLISH.  Faded convertible plastic windows (BMW Z3, Mazda Miata, Porsches, etc.) or Jeeps with multiple plastic windows present a very expensive situation for owners. If the window plastic has sunburned to a dark yellow, gold, brown, or has become brittle, the top needs to be replaced. If the plastic window is cloudy or beginning to turn white you might still have a chance to restore and salvage the whole top, saving you money and allowing you to keep the current top. A new after-market part that has come to our attention is the Carbon Fiber Hoods which are installed but not painted so all can see the Carbon Fiber weaving. That’s nice until the hood completely fades and cannot be cared for with waxes because of the abrasive nature of the wax. We met a young man in San Diego, California whose Carbon Fiber Hood had regressed over a period of three years to the point that it appeared to look almost like gray primer. I asked him what he was going to do. He stated that all of his friends set aside money and generally have their hoods resurfaced once a year for about $300.00. He just didn’t have the extra money and only hoped that when he could afford it, the hood could still be refurbished. Happy to say, faded Carbon Fiber can be restored 99% of the time. To wrap it up and answer the question “…is there a solution?” yes there is, and it begins and ends with the ACRYLIC-WËRKS POLISH. Remember, if you feel compelled to replace your headlamp, trim, plastic window(s), carbon fiber hoods, etc., call us first and let us help you make a new start and possibly head off those costly expenditures. | |||||||
