renewing cladding with a heat gun

[maxprime]

I just happened to stumble onto this video of renewing the cladding with a heat gun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSDSkobHtqs&feature=related

[mdwyer]

I'm far too distracted by his plugs...

Anyway, I have a heat gun, but I bet it would remove the texture. I think my scraps of cladding material may be too small to experiment on, but I'll give it a try and see what happens.

[VX KAT]

Been mentioned several times in the past.
Here's a few threads. First one has a different video than yours.

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=15530&highlight=CLADDING+HEAT+GUN

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=19119&highlight=CLADDING+HEAT+GUN

Start around post #31:
http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=18342&highlight=CLADDING+HEAT+GUN

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=19612&highlight=CLADDING+HEAT+GUN

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=18810&highlight=CLADDING+HEAT+GUN

[RickOKC]

Anyway, I have a heat gun, but I bet it would remove the texture. I think my scraps of cladding material may be too small to experiment on, but I'll give it a try and see what happens.
I first heard of this while watching a TV show where the hosts were repairing a pickup that had been in an fairly major accident. One of the textured interior pieces had been bent to such a degree that the plastic had a much lighter line through it where it had folded. The heat gun restored the color but left the texture. Maybe that's a little "apples & oranges" due to that part being a different material and thickness, but it would be interesting to know how our cladding reacts.

[Triathlete]

mdwyer...heat from the back side to avoid messing up the texture. Use the lowest heat setting, upping it if needed. I used a hair dryer for mine. Be patient and work it slowly and you should be good.

[VXorado]

mdwyer...heat from the back side to avoid messing up the texture. Use the lowest heat setting, upping it if needed. I used a hair dryer for mine. Be patient and work it slowly and you should be good.

+1, I was able to completely flatten the rear door cladding (for my project) with a heat gun and some books. Its really easy to cause imperfections if you heat the textured side.

[VX MileHigh]

I gave the heat gun method of renewing the cladding a try last night. The parts that I have done look pretty nice, especially compared to the ones I haven't touched yet.:happyface

[Mondo]

Awesome! Let us know how your renewed blackness is holding up after a month or so. I'd be willing to give it a go.

[vt_maverick]

And pictures speak a thousand words... ;)

[DrewsiferxXx]

Awesome! Let us know how your renewed blackness is holding up after a month or so. I'd be willing to give it a go.

tpiwwop

[VX KAT]

Awesome! Let us know how your renewed blackness is holding up after a month or so. I'd be willing to give it a go.

There's a few good threads on some permanent cladding restoration, have you seen them? (Not Back2Black or that type of stuff)
They're very detailed, and tons of pictures. Some have tried Refinish/Restorer, TC Black Fusion, and Showroom New Dye.

[DrewsiferxXx]

This got me wondering.... Anybody ever made carbon fiber cladding? That would be epic

[VXorado]

This got me wondering.... Anybody ever made carbon fiber cladding? That would be epic

Epically Expensive.

:p

[Gussie2000]

X2 VXorado

I couldn't imagine doing the CF on the cladding just to see another car messing it up !!!!!

[MSHardeman]

I thought that one of the Russian VXers had his cladding wrapped in simulated carbon fiber. Can't find the pictures right now, but it was interesting.

[tribalvx]

I'm planning on doing the cf wrap in the nxt few months. I'll let you guys know how it looks