Proof of how severely my cladding has faded!

[Ascinder]

Don't quote me on this, but I wanna say he used duplicolor bumper paint from walmart. It wasn't any space age/highly technical/expensive product, and it didn't sound like it took a lot(if any) prep work. I wanna say he said he had it done in under an hour and that included masking it off. Hopefully he'll chime in here with the details. That was one of the great things about it-sold everywhere for cheap, quick, and easy touchups.

[VX KAT]

Here's some more product & advice to add to the cornfusion...
For more, goog: bumper black paint...

http://www.superiorcarcare.net/forblacbumtr.html

http://www.tcpglobal.com/spraypaintd...-coatings.aspx

http://www.ehow.com/how_5143210_pain...ers-truck.html

http://www.abc-bus.com/servicebullet...20painting.pdf

http://www.bodyshopbusiness.com/Arti...g_plastic.aspx

http://www.urethanesupply.com/bccincompatible.php

.....I hate you Dubster!!!!! You realize this will now drive me crazy!!!! And then I'll make a few other people crazy, and it just isn't pretty......

.....& my hubby really hates you!!!

[Ldub]

.....I hate you Dubster!!!!! You realize this will now drive me crazy!!!! And then I'll make a few other people crazy, and it just isn't pretty......

.....& my hubby really hates you!!!

......

[ZEUS]

Sue, isn't that just black paint applied to blend with the rad support? I have seen it on other vehicles too. The piece of cladding Dub cut out will be the original color of the cladding thru it's thickness and I don't think you will see much difference from the backside thru to the finished/textured side. That section was facing downward so should not have faded much. I would compare that piece to the front to see how different they are.

For some reason I never noticed this area before, it's on the front cladding directly above the fake cladding bolt.
But it really shows how much my cladding has lightened, faded, whatever, since original.
Like to hear how this compares to others.

The first pic's color is more accurate, mine really has a bit of a bluish tint.

[RallyDude]

I actually like a bit "darker" shade of silver (not charcoal...still silver)

I think the color you are describing is often called "gunmetal" or even "Kaiser" in vxinfo speak. But names are names and colors are colors.

The gator would save some time, as it's a one-time application and especially if it could be spot treated later as well. I don't think that the color of your cladding is objectionable, just different. If you could get a sample of the GB, that would be great. It's more important to get the cladding right, as that's more work and money than to recoat the skids if you have to.

I wonder if your PO used a diluted bleach wash at some point. It may explain why the sandblasted front from travelling through CO is darker (as the darker OEM color is showing through), as well as why the sills and front mounting points on your cladding is darker (probably didn't bother to do them). I feel like nancy drew.

While paint colors are opaque, that's easy, as you know the color will be the paint color. The short term products seem more like stains where it's semi-transparant, but still mostly opaque. Whereas the GB is more transparant and less opaque. I would guess your end color, may just be a hair lighter than others using the same product.

[vt_maverick]

I actually like a bit "darker" shade of silver (not charcoal...still silver)

I think the color you are describing is often called "gunmetal" or even "Kaiser" in vxinfo speak. But names are names and colors are colors.

OT and probably a dumb question, but who are you quoting here?

[VX KAT]

OT and probably a dumb question, but who are you quoting here?

He's quoting me from a PM. Since he has a silver front skid I'm pestering,...er, um, I mean consulting him about colors etc......

[Jolly Roger VX'er]

Sue, I'm curious, did the fuel stain fade as much as the rest of yur cladd'in?


LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RallyDude]

You do know Jack (pbkid) sold his VX as he was sick of reading yet another cladding thread?

[VX KAT]

You do know Jack (pbkid) sold his VX as he was sick of reading yet another cladding thread?

....OUCH!

[RickOKC]

Sue, this is just weird.

Why would the part of the cladding which is also out of sunlight (the circled area that lives under the lip of the grille) look faded, too?

And why does the metal cladding screw seem to perfectly match the color of the plastic cladding?

[VX KAT]

Sue, this is just weird.

Why would the part of the cladding which is also out of sunlight (the circled area that lives under the lip of the grille) look faded, too?

And why does the metal cladding screw seem to perfectly match the color of the plastic cladding?

Thought the exact same thing, especially why my cladding screws are all uniformly & perfectly gray like the cladding, even in all the nooks & crannies. I would have thought the different sun angles plus the sides of the screws being recessed, and the interior part of the cladding screw recess would all be various shades of faded.

Another weird thing, the TOP edge of the cladding, left of headlight, is the same uniform gray, and that's recessed kind of under the metal panels.

I compared the cladding chunk from the hitch cut-out up against the area by headlight...it's NOT as dark as the top horizontal bar....so Zeus must be right, they paint it a little to match the support....but, it's a good bit darker than my cladding, confirming my cladding's faded.

Bottom line, don't need to know how or why my cladding is lighter, moving on to pick which product to apply and make it darker.
(yeah, OK, keep it down, I hear all those "thank GAWD she's moving on!" )






Note the chunk has 2 different shades...the part that saw the sun, is lighter.
The satiny area is R/R.




Note top edge of cladding, left of headlight, is light gray. (The darker splotchy area right under headlight is some remaining R/R).

[Grif]

Bottom line, don't need to know how or why my cladding is lighter, moving on to pick which product to apply and make it darker.

How are we supposed to make recommendations on the next form of treatment when we dont know 1) Why your cladding has such unique color/fade properties and 2) has responded so poorly to other treatments such as R/R? Seems to me the current state of the cladding and its history is pertinant when choosing a new treatment.

You can shrug off relevant observations if you want, but they are only intended to help make an educated decision.

[VX KAT]

How are we supposed to make recommendations on the next form of treatment when we dont know 1) Why your cladding has such unique color/fade properties and 2) has responded so poorly to other treatments such as R/R? Seems to me the current state of the cladding and its history is pertinant when choosing a new treatment.

You can shrug off relevant observations if you want, but they are only intended to help make an educated decision.

Grif- I was making a joke of how prolonged this has gone on and how obsessive/consumed I've become about it. I know I'm driving many folks crazy about this and was thinking I should just give up pretty much. I MORE than appreciate any and all thoughts/suppositions/theories/recommendations, I just think I've kinda worn out my welcome. And I totally agree, investigation, information etc is needed to make an educated choice. Investigation of facts was what I did for a living...which is why I'm so neurotically thorough, anal retentive....
Believe me, I sincerely appreciate any and all help....you all know about 500 million times more than I do!

[ZEUS]

Well of course I'm right! Dur!