Todd@ProperAutoCare

Using Meguiar's Ultimate Protectant To Restore a Deep Natural Shine to faded plastic.

We have all seen it and sadly some of us know somebody who is affected by it. Perhaps you suffer from it as well... We are talking about faded trim on our favorite vehicle. Plastic cladding and rubber trim is brutilized by the sun's rays.



Meguiar's Ultimate Protectant is a polymer based dressing that will help restore a dark natural shine to faded trim as well as help prevent new trim from fading. This is not a dye, so reapplication will be necessary to keep the surfaces looking there best after the initial treatment.

Clean the part thoroughly.

This the first and in many ways the most important step. On our test subject, a 2006 Pontiac GTO, I simply used an old tooth brush in conjunction with car wash to remvoe any loose soiling. If you have wax residue or heavy build up consider using a quality all-purpose cleaner, such as Meguiar's All Purpose Cleaner, while washing the vehicle. Rinse thoroughly and dry carefully.

The window trim on this Pontiac GTO has faded, which makes the entire car look aged, despite the still brilliant paint. This picture is after washing the piece thoroughly.



Here I applied to a strip of tape to the lower windshield trim to show the results that where possible.



Start by applying a small amount of Ultimate Protectant to the trim using a cotton towel, foam applicator, or microfiber cloth. Meguiar's recommends a small amount of product, about a pea sized drop, for an averaged piece of trim. If your trim is badly faded/oxidized you will find that it will 'absorb' the product, which requires more. I applied a quarter sized drop to half of the trim and found it was best to leave it on a little thick. The dried trim seemed to absorb a majority of it, so I reapplied a second, thick coat on top and allowed it to dwell.





While the second coat dwelled, I used a q-tip to applied Ultimate Protectant to the detail work in the trim.



Buff off any excess product and streaks with a terry cloth or microfiber. If you notice any areas that still seem dull, reapply Ultimate Protectant.

The dramatic difference.



The GTO Before


And After

embolism

nice!

How is the durability compared to something like Ultima tire and trim guard?

Angelo

Thank you for the write up Todd on the Meguiar's Ultimate Protectant.

jfelbab

Some observations regarding my use of UP. This product lasts a very long time in all kinds of weather, longer than nearly all others I've used. It doesn't run down the side of your car after a rain like so many others and it keeps a uniform sheen as time goes by. It does appear to offer great protection and IMO, should keep your trim looking like new indefinitely. I like it.

I dislike the bottle it comes in however. The lid snaps open and closed and after a few uses it tends to not want to stay closed. This will, I believe, allow the product to dry out. I transferred the contents into another bottle, YMMV. A minor negative to what I think is one of the best trim products on the market.

embolism

can this be used on the IS dash? I'm hesitant to put any kind of protectant on it due to the texture. I'm most worried about getting uneven application and a non-uniform appearance

jfelbab

I don't care for the elevated sheen of UP on the dash. I stick with Quik Interior Detailer for the non-glare look.

GS4_Fiend

iTrader: (22)

Does this stuff have silicone?

jfelbab

You might want to ask someone over on the Meguiar's forum but I've read that it's a water based product. It dries hard and non-oily.

Why do you ask?

Todd@ProperAutoCare

I'm not sure if this does have silicone but I can try to find out.

Ultimately though silicone has a very bad (and completely undeserved) wrap in the detailing industry.

Silicone is often blamed for a lot of dash cracking problems (in many 1980's and some early 1990's) cars, particularly with Armor All. However I have seen a lot of cracked dashes from 80's and 90's cars that never had the dash treated with anything. It is probably more likely that a lot of the dash problems are more due to inferior materials then actual problems related to silicones.

Also remember that there are many types of silcones, some offer benefits, some don't. Ultimately if a respected manufacturer decides that a particular type of chemical (silcone or not) is going to help reach a desired result, then it is in there for a reason.

I also have a friend who spun a lot of higher end waxes in a gyroscope and found a lot silicone in these waxes, some of which may cost more than a house payment and are advertised as 'all natural'.

Todd@ProperAutoCare

It can be used on the dash, but it will leave a slightly glossy sheen (that I don't prefer, but its all preference). A blotchy appearance can most often be alleviated by thoroughly cleaning the surface anyways.

I also use Meg's Quik Interior Detailer for dash and and trim. If it is ultimate UV protection that you desire nothing is going to beat a windshield shield (those shiny pieces that reflect light) and tinted windows.

RX469

iTrader: (1)

Gonna try some of this Meguiras Ultimate Protection on my dashboard. Thanks.

Todd@ProperAutoCare

To get the best look make sure to clean the dash first. A mild (diluted) all purpose clean and a towel will make a big difference in how well the product looks when applied.

KLF

I think you meant to say "centrifuge"?

Thanks for the great info!

Todd@ProperAutoCare

LOL, you are 100% correct. Thank you for the good catch!

And thank you for the compliments on the articles!