After reading the review in this thread, I decided to test it myself. Only place I could find it locally was a truck accessory shop.
I've used 303, Black Again and Vinylx previously. Black Again has worked the best at restoring black but eventually fades. None of these are paints or dyes however. (Note the BA was in an old, black bottle and smells like coconuts if I remember correctly. The newer version may be a different formulation, in a different colored bottle, etc. I've had the old one for years as a little goes a long way.)
First, you mix the cleaner with water. I elected to mix up only one liter of soln instead of the whole gallon. Next, you need to wash & dry the car. Apply the cleaning soln to plastic trim, rinse off, then thoroughly dry. Then apply the product and repeat if necessary.
It did work well and overall I'm pleased. However, a few things bear mentioning. First, wear gloves as the product is a dye and though not too difficult to remove from your skin with water & detergent, it's best to wear gloves to begin with. Second, it pays to mask off the area with tape to protect your paint. On my white car, mistakes are glaringly obvious. I used 3M's general purpose adhesive remover to remove them. This product is safe for cured paint, but it will remove wax/sealant/silicone etc.
Third, I achieved better results on old, glazed, faded rubber trim, such as the upper windshield seal, by lightly wiping it with a green scrubbing pad to remove the oxidized glaze and expose new material underneath.
Fourth, paint it on using long smooth strokes to minimize streaking and use multiple coats, allowing each to dry. The product is a deep, flat black dye and benefits from being built up in layers.
Fifth, most likely it will badly splotch on faded black metal like windshield wiper arms, and metal trim so I don't recommend it on these surfaces.
It's only been on for a few weeks and not in any significant rain, so I'll have to report back after it's weathered a bit and the Tx Sun has beat on it a few months....
I've used 303, Black Again and Vinylx previously. Black Again has worked the best at restoring black but eventually fades. None of these are paints or dyes however. (Note the BA was in an old, black bottle and smells like coconuts if I remember correctly. The newer version may be a different formulation, in a different colored bottle, etc. I've had the old one for years as a little goes a long way.)
First, you mix the cleaner with water. I elected to mix up only one liter of soln instead of the whole gallon. Next, you need to wash & dry the car. Apply the cleaning soln to plastic trim, rinse off, then thoroughly dry. Then apply the product and repeat if necessary.
It did work well and overall I'm pleased. However, a few things bear mentioning. First, wear gloves as the product is a dye and though not too difficult to remove from your skin with water & detergent, it's best to wear gloves to begin with. Second, it pays to mask off the area with tape to protect your paint. On my white car, mistakes are glaringly obvious. I used 3M's general purpose adhesive remover to remove them. This product is safe for cured paint, but it will remove wax/sealant/silicone etc.
Third, I achieved better results on old, glazed, faded rubber trim, such as the upper windshield seal, by lightly wiping it with a green scrubbing pad to remove the oxidized glaze and expose new material underneath.
Fourth, paint it on using long smooth strokes to minimize streaking and use multiple coats, allowing each to dry. The product is a deep, flat black dye and benefits from being built up in layers.
Fifth, most likely it will badly splotch on faded black metal like windshield wiper arms, and metal trim so I don't recommend it on these surfaces.
It's only been on for a few weeks and not in any significant rain, so I'll have to report back after it's weathered a bit and the Tx Sun has beat on it a few months....