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How to keep your plastic from fading?

M

Midnight4x4

New Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2007
Messages
7
I just bought a 05 chevy avalanche ls.   The plastic looks pretty black right now but i have noticed that alot of the avalanches ive seen the plastic has faded.   Is there any kind of protectant spray or finish i can put on the plastic to keep its color?
 
If you keep it treated with a product like 303 or Trim shine it will help it's appearance a lot.

How much it fades mostly depends on where you live, how much time the truck spends in the direct sunlight and what kind of care you give it.

Regular maintenance has always made a difference for my trucks. Keep it clean and treated and it will make a difference.
 
or.............

Have it all painted!  (y)

or.............

www.gatorbackcoatings.com  (y)
 
First welcome to the club! :welcome:? If you look there is a lot of topics about the fading on cladding and what folks use on it.? Take a look in the problem section as well as detailing the AV.? You'll find a lot there.

Stuff like Eagle 1 and FutureHome Floor Wax will help keep it looking good.? Here?s a good place for you to start ? Cladding Protectant Product Test w/pics








 
:welcome:


Keep the AV parked in the garage in the daytime and drive it at night.
 
like Dan said, your cheapest alternative will be preventative maintenance which will mask it, but nothing aside from paint will completely prevent it 
 
Check out the threads on Future Floor Wax - it works great!
 
i finnally tried the future floor wax a couple of yrs ago, and man it really does work, try it, redo it every 6 mos or so, its easy.
 
I just tried Honda Spray Cleaner on the cladding.  It's a detailer/cleaner/debugger/water repellant marketed to motorcyclists.  Probably only find it at a Honda MC dealer.  It hasn't rained on the AV yet, so I can't say for sure how well/long it will last.  But, so far (about 2 weeks), the white oxidizing striping is gone, and the cladding nearly looks like it did when new.
 
fishhead said:
I just tried Honda Spray Cleaner on the cladding.? It's a detailer/cleaner/debugger/water repellant marketed to motorcyclists.? Probably only find it at a Honda MC dealer.? It hasn't rained on the AV yet, so I can't say for sure how well/long it will last.? But, so far (about 2 weeks), the white oxidizing striping is gone, and the cladding nearly looks like it did when new.
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that's interesting.... do you have any additional info on this product?
 
If you don't want to paint you can use Armor-Dillo.? It is the old GM fix for cladding before Gatorback.? It brings the darkness back and hides the stripes.? You can buy it by the can.? I just ordered a case for myself and a few other members.

http://www.autocosmeticproducts.com/Armordillots1.htm
 
Iceberg said:
If you don't want to paint you can use Armor-Dillo.  It is the old GM fix for cladding before Gatorback.  It brings the darkness back and hides the stripes.  You can buy it by the can.  I just ordered a case for myself and a few other members.

http://www.autocosmeticproducts.com/Armordillots1.htm
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you can also get it from JP Customs  (y)
 
danlwil said:
that's interesting.... do you have any additional info on this product?
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that stuff is great.  removes bugs in seconds also. (y)
 
It comes in an can.  Sprays on.  Cost too much, but I can't live without it.  Cleans everything.  I clean my helmet's face shield with it, too.  Takes off bugs, sap, road grime, etc.  Comes out kinda like the consistancy of Pledge wood polish.  I did the Av's hood with it a while back just to see what would happen.  Stayed clean a long time, just like a good wax job does, but goes on and off WAY easier/quicker than wax.  Ese a diaper or something similar to apply and wipe down.

I buy it from the local honda dealer or mail order from various motorcycle parts suppliers when I'm getting something else too.
 
Two days of light rain finally came.  Cladding still looks pretty nice!  Water beaded off the hood great, too!  Come to think of it, I did ride the MC in a downpour for about 100 miles straight a few weeks ago.  After drying off in the garage, only the pipes looked dirty.  I hardly needed to wash it since the spray cleaner kept the water beading.  Sweet!

I'll give an update as more time passes.  Since June 2003 and until a few weeks ago I have never applied any substance to the cladding before, other than washing it with regular car wash soap.  It oxidized and started looking like a zebra about 2-years ago.  Un fortunately, it's never been in a garage 'cause it won't fit in mine.  The spray cleaner either took off or covered up the oxidation.  I'll let you know when I start seeing the stripes again.
 
Update on the Honda Spray Cleaner.  We finally got some rain here in NJ.  Three days of it.  It's been over a month since I wahsed the Av and applied the Honda Spray Cleaner (bad Av owner!  :beating:).  The white stripes on the cladding over and around the back window are coming back.  If viewed from the right angle, you can seem them, so they are not nearly as bad as they were.  Next wash, I'll apply again, and maybe use a soft brush to work off the plastic oxidation.  For now, I'll live with it that way as it seems less hassle than the Gatorback.
 
AvalancheZ66 said:
i think since the first couple avalanches gm has fixed the fading problem, i could be wrong tho
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nope.. 2002-2006 fade

word is out on 2007+ but I bet they do
 
AvalancheZ66 said:
i think since the first couple avalanches gm has fixed the fading problem, i could be wrong tho
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I agree... I think you are.  fading has been an issue with all years.
 
AvalancheZ66 said:
and gm didnt feel like fixing it after 4 years of fading for the 2nd gen. much less the next years truck after they saw the first years fade
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lol.  nope. they just made the cladding darker so the fading shows up more.
 
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