Back to black? Exterior product advice wanted.

Janice_3S3

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What’s the best product for getting the S3’s exterior black trim back to a nice fresh black?

I.e grill, air ducts and wind mirror base?


APR Stage 2+
 
I used auto finesse revive (I believe it's called) and worked a treat on my parents 15 year old X5 before they sold it
Gel like consistency and rubbed in using a microfibre pad (cloth would work too).

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Thanks Adam, sounds good, although I’d more prefer a spray due to the air ducts being honeycomb shape


APR Stage 2+
 
You have a few option for this depending on how faded they are.

So if very badly faded, ideally you would want to introduce some colour to the trim in which case you have Solution Finish and another perhaps less known one called Feynlab Plastic Black. Both contain effectively black 'dye' type ingredient so will recolour the trim back to original. The feynlab will outlast solution finish but is more expensive per ml. So approx 6 months from solution finish, Feynlab would be 12+ months.

For lightly discoloured, you have a few more options. So solution finish again, Feynlab Plastic, Gtechniq C4 and TAC System Quartz Magic (there are others). Again the ceramic option are the more durable however they again are more expensive per ml of product. Solution finish on lightly discolour will last a good while and I always recommend to do a couple of coats and top up after a month or so which overall will give it better durability and 9+ months is easily achievable.

Further to this, general dressings, like Carpro Pear, Tac Systems Seal and others, can be used intermittently to again prolong any of the above.

A bit long winded, but hopefully will help
 
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Solution finish from restorer has had good things said about it, never used it personally.

When I had my S3 and @jassyo06 kindly minted it for me, I fired some of the left over Gyeon skin coating I had onto the rear diffuser, gave it a nice deep black finish.
 
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Bit of a pain in buttocks applying any product to these parts of the car and for that reason alone l would go with a ceramic, l have few of these lol and intend applying one to the black trim, ie rear diffuser and the air intakes on the front bumper soon
 
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Bit of a pain in buttocks applying any product to these parts of the car and for that reason alone l would go with a ceramic, l have few of these lol and intend applying one to the black trim, ie rear diffuser and the air intakes on the front bumper soon

Yes mate, you need to start using some of them. Why don’t you do door shuts too?