EbonyC4S

If paint or Plasticoat were to be used, the cowl would have to be free of any detailing material to assure that the application adheres properly. Is there a solvent that would adequately prepare the surface? One solvent may not be universal for all of the above mentioned dressings. It would be a good idea to contact the manufacturers for advice.

gota911

OK, here is an update on the cowl situation. I decided to attempt to remove the oxidized, sun bleached layer on the cowl.

I used a fine bristled, very dense but not too stiff, steel wire brush on the cowl. It worked very well and did not leave a bunch of scratches.

Here are a couple of pics showing the cowl. I did both sides but stopped near the middle so I could take a pic to show a) how much it had faded, and b) how well the steel wire brush worked. There is no chemical treatment on the darker areas, just the results after using the wire brush. The entire process took less that 10 minutes.

I have since applied a coat of 303 and will keep an eye on teh cowl to see how it holds up.

Chrono

Great job, and idea, Gota. When we apply product, it's just makeup. You seem to have made an actual correction.

stefang

gota911 - Could you be more specific on exactly what "fine bristled, very dense but not not too stiff" means and where you got it? That sounds like a better solution than rubbing something on it every few weeks or months.

bankerII

Surprised nobody makes this in Carbon. I don't have any carbon on my car, but this is one piece I would buy.

gota911

The wire brush I used was part of a cheap 3 brush set I bought over 5 years ago, so I don't recall where.

The second pic is a close-up of the steel wire brush I used. If you look to at the right side of the brush head you sill see a few bent wires. This is the "fine bristled" part. Individually, they bend very easily, but collectively, they are stiffer. The quantity of the wires (density) keeps them from scratching heavily, as long as you don't use too much pressure, the "very dense but not not too stiff" part.

Hope this helps.

gota911

Thank you. I am a believer of trying to solve root cause of a problem rather than treating the symptoms. In this case the faded plastic was the problem so I decided to eliminate it.

997v2cabrio

back to black works great and lasts long.

Comanche_699

I've been using Adam's In & Out spray, and I think it works great. It's definitely a temporary thing but it works great. I use it after I wash the car, as part of my routine - works great on the black trim around the mirrors, I use it to hit all the plastic in the frunk as well as the the trim around the door sills and even the air box in the engine bay. I haven't tried the Adam's Super VRT in the tube yet, but I bet it gives back to black a run for your money.

I'd be curious how the paint would hold up on the plastic over time, but for my money the spray works great.

gota911

UPDATE - Here are a couple of pics of the cowl before and after applying 303. The yellow stuff is pollen. It is terrible right now.

Chrono

So gota, that's the wire brush cleaning and 303?

OT: Pollen is horrible up there in NC. When I moved to FL, my allergic reactions were much lessened compared to NC.

gota911

Yes, brush cleaning and 303. That little brush really did a nice job.

The 303 didn't change the appearance much at all. It is maybe a little shinier, but I was looking to apply some "SPF 40" (as it states on the bottle) in an attempt to mitigate the fading from the sun.

iammulva

Excellent. Did you get in around the base of the wiper arm? If so, how easy is it to remove the wiper arm?

gota911

I did not remove either wiper arm. They are held on by a nut under the plastic cap. It should be easy to remove and replace.

If you are going to remove the wipers, I would suggest that you mark how the blade connects to the shaft, just in case there is not a an alignment slot ot tab on the wiper. Either way, you certainly want to be able to reinstall it in original position.

woodyTPA

I am interested in painting mine as well. I painted the roof rack on my X5 with Krylon from Home Depot. Lot of prep time and stripping/light sanding to get a good base for primer but it came out like new and has lasted in Florida sun for 16 months. I think a paint designed for plastic obviously would be necessary, and alot of 90% isoprpyl alcohol wipedowns to prep the plastic. Hmm, I will try this on a small piece and report back with pics!