Cladding

[surf-life]

Sue, your cladding must have been coated, or recolored somehow, at some point in it's existence. Just the difference in the exposed vs. unexposed color as well as the fact that it looks like the torx screw in the above photo has been painted over too. My torx srews are black (or they were before I painted them silver) and not grey like yours seem to be. All of this could be why your Refinish/Restore didn't take to your cladding even though you did the surface prep correctly.

I dont know about that.You can clearly see a sharp fade line. The inside pieces of her cladding would have been silver or gray also. Unless when they painted the masked off perfectly in the motor bay.most likely they would have pulled the cladding and painted the complete piece.

[Luna X]

I would definately have to throw my hat in the ring and say somewhere along the line. your cladding & screws got painted

In all actuallity, you're down to just a couple options if you want darker cladding...

1) basecoat/clearcoat
2) rhino lining

[Kfoss8]

Just tried the Meguirars Natural shine went over it three times it still just soaks in and fades away within an hour. Looking at doing the TS-1, But with another thought has anyone tried doing the Dupli-color Bed armor and just do the whole thing yourself with that ? Also my hood piece That looks like it has some type of rubber coating on it that is bubbleing up or is that just a Decal they put on there ?

[vt_maverick]

Yeah that Meguiar's product is a total waste of money. Don't know on the Dupli-color option, but it seems like it was discussed in the Line-X thread. Do a search for it, I think there was a conversation between one of our members and a Line-X rep regarding other do-it-yourself products like Dupli-color, Herculiner, etc.

If I find it first I'll post it.

[tom4bren]

Yeah that Meguiar's product is a total waste of money. Don't know on the Dupli-color option, but it seems like it was discussed in the Line-X thread. Do a search for it, I think there was a conversation between one of our members and a Line-X rep regarding other do-it-yourself products like Dupli-color, Herculiner, etc.

If I find it first I'll post it.

PLEASE also remember that if you try the Meguiar's product to be EXTREMELY careful not to get any on the paint. It WILL discolor your paint ... PERMANENTLY.

[RickOKC]

PLEASE also remember that if you try the Meguiar's product to be EXTREMELY careful not to get any on the paint. It WILL discolor your paint ... PERMANENTLY.

Yikes, please elaborate!

I've used Meguiars MANY times through the years (knowing it would be very temporary) but never had any issues with discoloration. I suspect what you experienced will be an excellent reminder that all paint is not created equal and everything should be carefully tested first. (Kinda like how every time I wash my Ford when the temperature is above 80 degrees I have to polish out the water spots even though I immediately dry it off! )

[vt_maverick]

Here's a pic of Dupli-color on the hood insert, courtesy of Lizardmen3477's gallery:

[vt_maverick]

Here you go...

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...culiner&page=5

[vt_maverick]

Fast forward to 8:43 in this video that Mark (deermagnet) posted. Very interesting...

http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/...ids/1999vx.wmv

[Grif]

Fast forward to 8:43 in this video that Mark (deermagnet) posted. Very interesting...

http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/...ids/1999vx.wmv

Painting, cladding. Two words that do not belong in the same sentence unless they are referring to some magic paint product we have yet to become aware of which is highly unlikely.

Perhaps a dye, perhaps a treatment, but traditional body paint does not belong on VX cladding. IMHO.

[Riff Raff]

Painting, cladding. Two words that do not belong in the same sentence unless they are referring to some magic paint product we have yet to become aware of which is highly unlikely.

Perhaps a dye, perhaps a treatment, but traditional body paint does not belong on VX cladding. IMHO.

x2, agreed.

[vt_maverick]

Telling that this video was probably made before a US-spec VX ever entered a shop.