Davalos Posted June 24, 2006 Share Posted June 24, 2006 I got one for ya … might be not just Subaru related. My Loyale spent a lot of time in San Antonio, according to the badge on the back hatch that I can’t get off no matter how hard I try. Anyway, the sun in San Antonio must be on steroids, because it sure did a number on the vinyl in terms of fading. Both sides in front, and the rear plastic on the hatch, too (I took a pic, but it's not too good). I’m sure I’m not the only one with this problem, and I’d imagine it’s not just Subarus, but does anyone have any experience with this? I am about to take off the door panels & switch some speakers, and I figure this is a good time to paint if I’m going to do it. Are there any other options? Armor-All is a water-based product & doesn’t do jack. Are there any other products out there besides paint that will restore some color? And with regard to paint, are there any paints designed to be used on vinyl? My guess is that it’s the same deal with the sun-fade on my bumpers, too ... Anyone else dealing with this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrap487 Posted June 24, 2006 Share Posted June 24, 2006 I got one for ya … might be not just Subaru related. My Loyale spent a lot of time in San Antonio, according to the badge on the back hatch that I can’t get off no matter how hard I try. Anyway, the sun in San Antonio must be on steroids, because it sure did a number on the vinyl in terms of fading. Both sides in front, and the rear plastic on the hatch, too (I took a pic, but it's not too good). I’m sure I’m not the only one with this problem, and I’d imagine it’s not just Subarus, but does anyone have any experience with this? I am about to take off the door panels & switch some speakers, and I figure this is a good time to paint if I’m going to do it. Are there any other options? Armor-All is a water-based product & doesn’t do jack. Are there any other products out there besides paint that will restore some color? And with regard to paint, are there any paints designed to be used on vinyl? My guess is that it’s the same deal with the sun-fade on my bumpers, too ... Anyone else dealing with this? yeah, my car originally came from california and has TONS of interior sun damage, however, its my wheeling rig so I havent done squat about it. Most I've done is taken off all the plastic inside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marthanna Posted June 24, 2006 Share Posted June 24, 2006 I live in Austin and the door panels on my Loyale are also badly faded, almost look "boiled"..no more texture on the vinyl. I tried Armourall, etc, but no luck. I'm going to get a dashboard cover to help protect from any further damage to the dash, and keeping car in the garage as much as possible. I wonder if the vinyl could be recovered? Or maybe the vinyl could be "stained" to deepen vinyl to it's original color? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seahag1978 Posted June 24, 2006 Share Posted June 24, 2006 Say no to Armoral. Try Lemon Pledge furniture polish. Rub it in with your fingers until there are just beads of water left, then buff it with a soft towel. For hard plastics like window cranks, use mink oil. Rub it in until it can't absorb anymore then buff off the excess. I did mine a while ago and it's lasted without reapplication. A quick wipe-down with Lemon Pledge is all it takes to keep it looking great. Mink oil comes in a flat can for waterproofing shoes and boots and can be bought in the shoe care aisle of Wal-Mart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davalos Posted July 2, 2006 Author Share Posted July 2, 2006 Okay, WOW!!! I asked around a bit, did a little homework, and took the plunge. I ended up buying some BUMPER PAINT in a shaker-can. And we're talkin' they make 4 colors: Black, White, Gray, Silver. I chose Gray (well, I picked-up a can of black, too). I chose to start with the rear-hatch plastic cover, since a) it's easy to remove, it was the most faded, c) it's the closest to plastic, rather than the vinyl wrap on the top of the doors, and d) I just felt like it, okay? Heh heh - Hung the panel on a coupla bungees from a tree and let'er rip with the shaker-can. I was NOT expecting an awesome result - I was expecting an obvious home-made fixer-upper-job look. I mean, this is a work-car, right? But WOW!!! What a match! As I was spraying, I could hardly tell that it was going-on, because the color was such a great match! Then, when I got to the part along the top lip/edge, the fading just vanished, 100% completely, like it was never there. So now it's still hanging there, resting peacefully while curing. We'll see how it holds-up to my constant abuse. I am constantly loading tools & equipment in & out of there all the time. Doors are next ... I'll get before/after pics. Seriously, I don't know how tihs will hold-up, but if it does, OMG, what a great discovery! I'm gonna try the bumpers with the Black. For now, this is amazing. I suppose if it only lasts a week, or if it flakes or chips or melts the plastic, it's not so great - but for now, WOW! I'll keep everyone posted. Anyone else try this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seahag1978 Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 I used Duplicolor Truck Bed Liner for the vinyl door panels on my '78. It gave a nice pebble finish. It will pucker the vinyl and look like they're ruined, but they will shrink back flat when they dry completely. CAUTION! Don't use it on your dash though... it will bubble in the sun... too many gasses in the old foam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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