So not too long ago i was messing around on youtube watching random videos on cars when i came across this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-dtbBzky-s

It looked really cool and very easy so i decided to go buy the gun and try it out for myself. I found that it really was as easy as the video shows. I bought a Ryobi heat gun from Home Depot one that put out about 1100 degrees and just went to town here are some comparison photos as well as before and after. It really made my X look clean and like it was brand new. This solution to me was a whole lot easier than paiting and makes still keeps it looking OEM. I did it to everything that was plastic on my car including inbetweent the hood and the windshield where the windshield wipers are. Im very satisfied with the results.

Looks easy! Did you use anything to shield the painted surfaces? Have you found anything about how long it might last?

I used Krylon Fusion and just painted mine. Never have to worry about it again except maybe touchup.

Wish I saw this before I re-painted my plastics but completely forgot this setup had been posted in the past.

I used Krylon Fushion and just pained mine. Never have to worry about it again except maybe touchup.

It's Krylon Fusion and Painted....:mocking:

Looks easy! Did you use anything to shield the painted surfaces? Have you found anything about how long it might last?

Yah it was really easy i did it just like the video and no i didnt need use anything to cover up the paint but the heat didnt mess with the paint. You really arent suppossed to leave it in one spot for very long or else you can see it start to melt the plastic. And I have heard that it lasts a few years and then you just do it again i did my whole car in about half an hour. The gun itself takes aboout 60 seconds to heat up to the highest setting. Also, the heat gun is a little pricier of an option but it has a ton of other functions including losening up rust/corosion/dirt/build up on bolts on the underside of the truck.

thats pretty cool. i have gone through a bottle of back to black in a month and im getting tired of putting it on lol i may have to look into this in the future. does the texture of the plastic look any different after doing this?

It is a little rough at first because what is actually happening is that the outermost layer is actually melting but all you have to do is rub a cloth or towel over it and it looks as if it was brand new.

I need to try that on mine, beats painting for sure.

thats pretty cool. i have gone through a bottle of back to black in a month and im getting tired of putting it on lol i may have to look into this in the future. does the texture of the plastic look any different after doing this?

I was reading that "FOREVER BLACK" is a similar product that lasts a lot longer. Anyone use it?

Wish I saw this before I re-painted my plastics but completely forgot this setup had been posted in the past.

Since I just know I would break something taking the pieces off to be cleaned / painted , the heat gun method looks like the easier method. I wonder if there is any downside to using the heat gun, like the plastic getting brittle / breaking or some such.

cool will try this for my self and wait for a sale in canadian tire or home depot :D

That's a really good tip. Your X looks great!

i literally just did this to my x's plastic. it turned out well. i did a mini write up too if guys wanna see it.

this is a really good process seeing as you are basically just melting the top layer. You should definantly be careful not to melt the plastic so much that it causes warping or dips in the plastic. Also u want to remove the plasic from the car before doing this seeing that if it melts the plastic it will aslo melt the paint just as easy, even if it doesnt come off immediatly it will weaken the bond.

looks good! I havent tried that yet but I use turtle wax ICE polish you can put it on plastics and paint and it works awesome... It lasts to plus it take about 20 minutes to do your whole truck!

iv herad penut butter works its the oild in the penuts and the heat from friction the work it in and bring back a shine (have not done for myself). mothers back to black works. aperently heat from a blow dryier works and for small spots (wax build up) an eraser works.

Back to black works but it leaves it too greasy looking and it only lasts a couple weeks at the most. I think I need to try the heat gun or just paint everything.

I painted mine.

This is my only complaint about my wife Xterra, is the black exterior plastics already have a milky white look to them, and her truck is a 2007. We keep putting back to black on it, but in a few weeks, it looks like crap again. I was going to order all replacement parts, but I will try this first. Thanks for posting!

can i do this on my grill, because it looks horrible

Another painter here. I don't know if the melt method will work on the front grill, seemed like it is a different kind of plastic with a very thin surface layer. When I painted the grill, the scuff pad quickly took the grill down to what is best described as "bare metal".

im thinking about doing this...instead of taking off all the plastic, what could you lay down to protect the paint?? I personally would rather have the plastic painted but I'm too worried about messing it up and having it look ugly. Any suggestions? Here's what it looks like

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k259/admrl20/IMG00118.jpg
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k259/admrl20/IMG00119.jpg
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k259/admrl20/IMG00122-Copy.jpg
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k259/admrl20/IMG00127.jpg

Back to Black works wonders....i put it on a small section of mine about a month ago and it still looks good and dark

see, i used back to black when i had my chevy silverado, went thru a carwash 2 weeks later and it took all of it right off. pissed me off cause i took the time to tape everything off...

hmm really? mines been through one car wash and me washing it and it still looks great....thats odd....

On another thread I saw it mentioned that you can use Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to remove the crud and bring back the finish. I bought some but I haven't tried it myself yet.

Magic Eraser is some serious voodoo. I've used it to clean the very badly oxidized surface of a Zodiac inflatable boat and it quickly restores the finish. You will probably go through a whole box though if your plastic is badly faded. Follow up with some Back to Black or 303 Aerospace Cleaner. 303 works great but is $$ and lasts a few months.

I am really happy with the results of painting the plastic; it really makes my X look new. While it was a major project that took a full weekend, the results made it all worth it. You can definitely paint the plastic without removing it, just do a good job of taping off. Clay bar will help take up any overspray.

I painted all my plastics in a day... its really pretty easy to do everything unscrews easily and if you use fusion paint on a sunny day it dries quickley

We did the heat gun approach yesterday. It works pretty well.

http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs252.snc1/9920_139777436768_580936768_2485997_7897794_n.jpg

We did the heat gun approach yesterday. It works pretty well.

http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs252.snc1/9920_139777436768_580936768_2485997_7897794_n.jpg

So it's hot enough for the plastic, but not hot enough to damage the paint?

So it's hot enough for the plastic, but not hot enough to damage the paint?

Yes. And there's a fine line between restoring and melting. BTW - we got the heat gun in the paint department at Home Depot. It was about $20.

Just finished painting mine. Spent the whole weekend on it. I really recommend it. Its easy, but time consuming. However, I really like it and it was worth my time.

Looks great! Did you use gloss black? Black trim really makes factory colors like red and yellow "pop".

Ya, I went for the Rustoleum Black plastic trim paint. 3 coats on everything and it looks amazing. Black Rustoleum bumper paint for the metal bumpers just happens to match it perfectly.


The pictures really don't do it justice. I recommend everyone paint their plastic.

All I can say is WOW! That is one of the paint jobs with the biggest improvement I have seen so far!

That looks really good. This is making me want to do mine soon. Did you take everything off or tape?

I took everything off, its not that hard. Feel free to drop me a PM if you have questions about how to take anything off your X. I've got it down to a science now...lol

I know how to take almost everything off except the plastic piece that is between the hood and the windshield, and the plastic piece on my rear bumper, but ya'll don't have the same bumper as me so I will have to ask a frontier guy.

you forgot to paint the rear hatch handle! lol

you forgot to paint the rear hatch handle! lol

Forgetting something and being too lazy to do it are two different things...lol actually i'm going to do all my door handles along with my roof rack at some point in the future. Just wanted to get the big stuff done on this go around.

yeah I don't blame you... When I did mine I never even noticed that the hatch handle was grey.. My fiance had to tell me!

So I decided to clean up my plastics this weekend. This is what I ended up with after using dupli-color bumper coating.

Before
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs236.snc1/8330_250798940724_765600724_8821019_5689033_n.jpg

After
http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs216.snc1/8330_250802305724_765600724_8821152_3764650_n.jpg

Before
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs216.snc1/8330_250799220724_765600724_8821020_4996790_n.jpg

After
http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs216.snc1/8330_250799795724_765600724_8821041_6409994_n.jpg

Its a pretty close match.
http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs216.snc1/8330_250801905724_765600724_8821151_2661076_n.jpg

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs216.snc1/8330_250808705724_765600724_8821249_2459836_n.jpg

That looks really good, too. It almost looks stock. I have to decide between the bumper coating and the fusion now lol

the fusion will be cheaper, thats what mine are done in... I was iffy at first but I just went wheeling this weekend and drove down gravel and no chips or scratch's at all! totally satisfied

I have had good luck with my bumper paint. Everything just wipes off of it, which is great.

I think either way will be fine, since both kinds of paint are meant for plastic. You will see a big difference no matter what you use.

KRS13, thats a good looking paint job!

I used Duplicolor paint for my bumpers....dark grey shadow to keep the grey trim.

So I decided to clean up my plastics this weekend. This is what I ended up with after using dupli-color bumper coating.


What specific color did you use for the bumper and for the headlight rings?

It looks great! I have an '03 that I'd like to re-do the grille and maybe the other gray plastics.

Cheers ~
Rick

so the heat gun doesnt work on the grille?

I used Duplicolor bumper paint on my grill, but the heat gun looks pretty easy.

On the Dupli-paint ... was there a 'number' on the can? I like the look of how that gray came out and I want it to look exactly like that.

Was this an 'over the counter' type of paint or is Dupli-paint something you have to buy at a car specialty store?

i used plastic dip and was extremely pleased with how it came out, just got back from rausch and took a hose to wash off the mudd, satisfying watching all the mud wash away and reveal ba looking plastic parts

here's a link to the pics (http://s972.photobucket.com/albums/ae210/rockmozart13/Xterra%20Repaint/)

RockMozart13 that looks awesome! Was it originally black and faded, or was it originally gray and you painted it black? It's kinda hard to tell really because it looked nice both ways.

The finished job looks almost OEM - at least from the photos! How much is that stuff per can?

everything was grey but after 5 years it was all different shades of grey some were closer to white(front bumper), others were closer to black(plastic quater panel things),

it goes for $4-6 a can, i used about 5 or 6 cans total, i'm not 100% sure because i kept having leftover bottles and i was lazy and did a few parts here and there over the course of a month or so.

The best part is that it's slightly textured looking as well, from a far it looks flat black, but up closer, i've had people ask if it was herculiner. touch up is also really easy, i scratched the shit out of the back bumper dragging out a big rolling toolbox, and just sprayed right over, i couldn't tell you where it was.

The varying colors of gray/white ... could that have been from waxing or is that just something that happens?

One of the Xterras I am looking at has the gray bumpers and it's faded/blotchy so I'm just trying to figure out what I'd want to do to fix it. :D

i'm sure it was a little wax, a little road salt, a little sun, i had a spot on my grille from a dead mosquito that was the size of a small gerbil lol,

i've seen decent results with a heat gun but i don't trust it long term

Did my wiper cowl today with the heat gun. Pics in my build thread (http://www.clubxterra.org/forums/showthread.php?t=12547).

Just did this, too. It takes WAYYY more time if you want it done properly, and I did mine at a lower temp just to make sure it didn't melt anything. I did my back bumper step, and wiper cowl.

This DOESN'T work on the front grille at all, too.

awesome thanks for the help! ive been complaining about this for months and im glad theres finally another solution other than painting!!! how much was the gun do you remember?

Eh, $20 or $25 at Wal-Mart. Hardware section, by the paint supplies.

whatttt?! this is awesome! hahah im going to get one tomorrow! thanks so much!!!!

Hey guys,

As some of you know, I finally got my X home two days ago. Yesterday was the first chance I had to wash it. While I wasn't able to do a full detail I was able to wash the bugs and dirt off. After the initial wash I went over the car with a fine tooth comb (so to speak) and using a Mr. Clean eraser pad, I removed the rub marks and hard to remove stuff that often requires a mild buffing compound. I've found that the Mr. Clean Magic sponges (those white ones that you use in the kitchen) are GREAT for removing a lot of marks, tar, hard to remove bug stuff and a lot of other things without screwing up the finish.

There I stood in the driveway with the Mr. Clean Magic sponge in hand and looked at my white oxydized bumper. I got it wet and rubbed a spot and rinsed.
Oxydization ... gone ... !!!
I rubbed a bigger spot...
More gone!!!

I didnt have much sponge left, I'm going to need 2 or 3 of them to get the job done but using a sponge and water vs. risking melting something or having to re-apply the black stuff ... I'm picking the magic sponge and going to start on it this weekend.

I don't know how long it's going to last. I'll let you know when it starts acting up again.

The sponge also removed most of the oxydization on the headlights as well ... and the hard to remove grunge from the step rails and roof rack.

Pictures to come. This is pretty awesome.

yeah def. post some pics,, i would really like to see the difference.

You inspired me. ;)

Keep in mind I rubbed in these spots for a few seconds 'just to see' if they worked. This worked great for me on my X enough that I'm going to get more Magic Sponges and get my bumpers de-oxidized this way!

First two here is drivers side rear. The first one is the corner of the bumper, the second one is the drivers side rear bumper. This isn't a great photo but you can see the difference.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/fishinchick/th_1.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v318/fishinchick/?action=view&current=1.jpg)

This one is a little hard to see. I'll try to get a better angle of it this weekend in the full sunlight. I was running out of light yesterday:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/fishinchick/th_4.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v318/fishinchick/?action=view&current=4.jpg)

This photo is what they looked like BEFORE. When I really go at this on the weekend I'll get a lot more photos.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/fishinchick/th_2.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v318/fishinchick/?action=view&current=2.jpg)

Worked on the bumper in the front too ...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/fishinchick/th_3.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v318/fishinchick/?action=view&current=3.jpg)

I didn't take a photo but it worked on the side strips and the plastic on the step bar too.

looks much better!! Cool.. need to get me some of those.

Thats awesome

I use 100% silicone spray for my oxidized, sun weathered plastics and the results are amazing. I tried every stinking product from Back to Black, Bumper Black, Restore...and hand sanding. It's a ton of work! Now, it only takes me 10 minutes to knock out the entire job including the top deflector. No rubbing...just point and spray. It even crystal clears up my foggy headlights too. It last about 3-4 months but it never gets as bad as it used to be. My plastics have never returned to the sun dried look anymore. One can does the job and My X looks brand new again.

Or you could get on the group buy for Blacktastic.

I'm currently using duplicolor truck bed liner for all my plastics

I just used the Krylon Fusion on all my plastics. Front steel bumper was spotted with surface rust, so I sanded it, then Rust Primer, then 3 coats Duplicolor High Heat Paint with ceramic...then I used the Fusion to match the finish....the high heat stuff should give it a good shell I hope...

This photo is what they looked like BEFORE. When I really go at this on the weekend I'll get a lot more photos.

Mine were like that too. Check out the update!! [Before and After (http://www.clubxterra.org/forums/showpost.php?p=281205&postcount=12)]

I just painted mine, I hope to have some pictures to post over the weekend.
Can I attach a photo from my computer or do I need to post it to one of those places on the web like imageshack or photobucket first and then attach it in the reply box.

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/8504/frontxblack.jpg (http://img121.imageshack.us/i/frontxblack.jpg/)

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/10/backxblack.jpg (http://img121.imageshack.us/i/backxblack.jpg/)

I just made an album in my user CP and uploaded them to there.

Hey not to dig up an older thread...but what is the required temperature for a heat gun? Looking to get one to fix these old faded plastics!

dude I'm going to borrow my brother-in-law's heat gun tomorrow and refinish mine. I will take a bunch of before and after pics. My plastics are not nearly as bad as some of the ones I have seen on here. Mine are kinda greyish but not anywhere near white yet so the heat gun should work easily.

I will make sure to mark the calendar to see how long it lasts.

My only question is, My gril has some stuff coming off of it that looks kinda like paint peeling but more like a clear coat or something, what the F? I don't really know what to do to it except sand it and paint it. The heat gun wont work there, so this won't be a complete fix but I don't have the $ to get all the paint I need or else I would just do that to all of them, alas I will just use the heat gun and see how long it lasts...

Any update nemolilo?! How does it look what happened?!

motorhead87,
I didn't do it yet. Hopefully I will get it done this weekend. I just bought a mobile home and have been doing alot of work over there before I move in at the end of the month...
I'll get it done soon though and I will take pics and maybe even a video to share...

Any update nemolilo?! How does it look what happened?!

alright, I finally got to it today but not until late... It got dark on me so I had to quit and I couldn't really see the results. I took some before and after pics which are right here:

http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n110/gizmolilo/heat%20gun%20to%20restore%20faded%20plastics/

I will finish tomorrow and take some better pics of the finished result. I did realize that it works best on the plastics that are VERY faded. The whiter they are the better and easier the heat gun works. The plastics that are only slightly faded are harder to see the heat guns restorative effect on. I will finish up tomorrow in the sunlight and see just how much change takes place, especially on the plastics that are only slightly faded.

My plastics were not that bad in most places and I'm really not sure that the heat gun is going to be the best way to go on plastics that are only slightly faded...

My plastics were faded the most on my wiper cowl, the trim over my wheels, and the wind fairing. Unfortunately the wind fairing doesn't respond to the heat gun...

Wow that looks so amazing...wonder why that works.
I will certainly be doing that soon Thanks for the pics!

Wow that looks so amazing...wonder why that works.
I will certainly be doing that soon Thanks for the pics!

It melts a very small top layer of plastic and since the plastic underneath is STILL black it re-forms "closer" to its natural color.

I will finish tomorrow and put up some better pics. I have alot more but the flash made them a little deceptive.

But, it worked great on most places and it may even be better than I think, it is really hard to tell in the dark and just from a pic...

I will let you see the total finished result tomorrow afternoon, I am buying a home and have to go do some trim painting tomorrow and pay for an electrical inspection. ARGHH

Oh I see, when you said a "mobile home" I just assumed you were buying another X!
Kidding, congrats on the home bro!

ya I tried to talk the wife into just living in the X but she complained about the lack of running water LOL..

I appreciate it!

Nice work guys. This is definitely an option. I'll probably end up getting the heat gun, compared to painting.

I don't know if this will help but check out this product. It is called BLACK WOW.

http://www.showcarsupplies.com/bw/

I bought this for my 2005 Mini cooper and it worked wonders. It was really easy to use and a very small amount did the whole car.

Here are some before and after pics of well it worked on my xterra:
BEFORE: The right side of the grill is where I tested the Black WOW first.

http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/uu153/frojazz/1fullfrontendtestspots.jpg

http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/uu153/frojazz/2closeuptestspots.jpg

AFTER:

http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/uu153/frojazz/3fullfrontend1sttreatment.jpg

http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/uu153/frojazz/4closeup1sttreatment.jpg

That is the sh*t !! Thank you Very Much !!
Rep points to ya !!

So today I tried the heat gun on the headlight bezels, it did absolutely nothing...I'm thinking maybe they are toooo far gone. I may have to paint everything now, darn

UPDATE: Within 6 months of doing this to my wiper cowling with the heat gun, the plastic is again faded and ugly. I'm gonna try something else.

it won't work on the headlight or roof plastics they are different... and truly mine looks like crap already again and it has only been two weeks.

Now I did mine when it was almost dark out and so maybe I did not do them long enough. I also didn't clean them well prior so maybe that had an effect. I was happy enough with the look for the first few days and then all of a sudden one afternoon they looked like crap again. Of course mine are only a little discolored compared to all the X's I see around town but I want my plastics to be BLACK.

I am going to do like all of the other guys on here and just paint mine soon, (IMHO) it is definitely the way to go.

If your plastics on the bumper and the trim over the wheel wells, and the mud flaps, are really bad and almost white then maybe the heat gun will work better, of all the videos I saw online the plastics they were doing were really bad, like almost totally white. Like I said mine are not so bad I just want them black for a cosmetic appeal.

forget the heat gun in and do it right the first time... paint em!!!!!!!!!!!!

when I finally do paint mine I will post pics

+1

i actuallly just came across this post and was wondering if you used it on the bumper and back bumper?

i actuallly just came across this post and was wondering if you used it on the bumper and back bumper?

Yes. Click on my username and go to my profile for a bunch of bumper pics when I did the project.

It's Krylon Fusion and Painted....:mocking:

actually, its Krylon Fuzion :aufkopfhauen-big:

this method also works very well, average time frame between touchups is 6-8 mos:
using surfwax to bring plastics back to life (http://www.clubxterra.org/forums/showpost.php?p=368926&postcount=13)

here are a few more shots:
renewed plastics (http://www.clubxterra.org/forums/showpost.php?p=369117&postcount=14)

I used the heat gun on my X and within a couple of weeks it looked faded again, save yourself the trouble and just paint em!!!

I am a painter and did all my plastics on the truck. saw no reason to pull off anything, but removed the grill to get into all the nooks and crannies. I couldn't be happier with the results and it did not take long to do the whole truck!

I am a painter and did all my plastics on the truck. saw no reason to pull off anything, but removed the grill to get into all the nooks and crannies. I couldn't be happier with the results and it did not take long to do the whole truck!

perhaps you can be of some help.
the person who owned my tera before me painted the front of the truck (grill, bumper, valance and front wheel skirt) a very ugly shade of purplish/blue.
I started removing the paint from the grill using aircraft stripper, knowing ahead of time how it can damage the plastics, but not having a clue what else to use (and 3 different hardware stores not having a clue either...) so I did have a couple of bad spots on the plastic part of the grill that I would like to avoid on the fender trim.

any advice on how to remove the paint from the surfaces ?

I would just paint over them, except the paint they used was not for plastics, and apparently they did a poor job prepping them as the paint is chipping off, which leads me to believe if I paint over the existing paint, it will just continue doing so, regardless of what type of paint and prep I do.

I used Krylon Fusion paint and only lighty sanded. You do not need to remove the old paint!
Contrary to popular belief, most plastics do not require special paints.
The Fusion has it's own primer and covers well. I used the satin black, but they also make flat and gloss.
Just sand down the cipped parts for a nice blended look.

I went with the Krylon Fusion paint too but I took it a step further and put a rattlecan enamel on afterwards to help keep the paint from chipping on the front bumper from bugs and rocks.

I used Krylon Fusion paint and only lighty sanded. You do not need to remove the old paint!
Contrary to popular belief, most plastics do not require special paints.
The Fusion has it's own primer and covers well. I used the satin black, but they also make flat and gloss.
Just sand down the cipped parts for a nice blended look.
thanks, I will do that.

I went with the Krylon Fusion paint too but I took it a step further and put a rattlecan enamel on afterwards to help keep the paint from chipping on the front bumper from bugs and rocks.

that is my plan as well, it worked great on an older car I did it to, the enamel set it off perfectly, and after I sold the car, I saw it about a yr later and it still looked great.

i have seen this work well like it has for yall yet ive also seen it go really really bad, so being afraid that ill do it entirely wrongi decided to try the mothers polish that is supposed to bring the black back to our faded bumpers. i have yet to use it but i should be able to have a chance today and i hope it works out well so i guess i will let yall know how it works out for me

Duplicolor makes a plastic bumper paint. I used it on my grill and other plastics and it seems to match pretty well. You only get to pick from medium grey and dark grey though, as far as I know. Since it's made for plastic bumpers, there should be a flex agent in it to keep it looking good on the bumpers.

okay yall so on wednesday i wash my truck (had to clean mud n dirt off) and since it was clean i used mothers back to black, and it worked amazing. i suggest everyone who is trying to just touch up their plastics, follow the instructions and youll do great. ill post pictures soon

Issue is you will be re-applying in a few weeks.. It does look good for a short time

i literally just did this to my x's plastic. it turned out well. i did a mini write up too if guys wanna see it.
yes pls!

Did it today....
I suggest the Wagner gun for 22$ worked perfectly for this.

Only complaint is that my xterra is the silver with black and grey pieces.........
This method works wonders on faded black.....not so much on grey

Still almost a new factory look for 22$ can't beat that

Did it today....
I suggest the Wagner gun for 22$ worked perfectly for this.

Only complaint is that my xterra is the silver with black and grey pieces.........
This method works wonders on faded black.....not so much on grey

Still almost a new factory look for 22$ can't beat that


got to see pics or it didn't happen, lol. I did mine a few months ago and maybe I didn't do it long enough, it was getting dark, but mine faded back pretty quickly. It is not as bad as it was before I did it but it did not last like I thought it would...

Haha I will eventually....I took before pics but im going to go over it again and get the spots i missed when it started getting dark..

So does anyone know if the problem with our plastics is the UV damage? or is it the heat from the sun that is causing the plastics to fade out? I would have thought Nissan would have given us a better quality plastic. honestly, Xterras that aren't well taken care of are easy to spot on the road.

I picked up a heat gun from Home depot the other day. But from what my fellow X'rs are saying, I might need to mentally prepare myself for short term results and consider painting. The biggest problems on my X (Vegas heat and sun etc) is the center grille between the headlights, and the wiper cowl. Both look like crap imho. Other areas I notice need some kind of lovin are the rear center bumper paint (its gray on metal I think) and top of rear bumper with the non slip texture for moving things in/out of the hatch.
Any one have a long term solution that does not require "reapplication" or "touching up" after a few weeks/months?

Yeah, the wiper cowl and upper grill can both be nasty areas. My upper grill was the reason I started the paint job, and was thrilled with the results...made it through a NS winter with loads of salt. Only prob is the metal bumper (front) needs to be redone since the paint wasn't hard enough, and I now have a bunch of little nicks in it from debris, so I will be doing it again, with something a little more durable...

Yeah, the wiper cowl and upper grill can both be nasty areas. My upper grill was the reason I started the paint job, and was thrilled with the results...made it through a NS winter with loads of salt. Only prob is the metal bumper (front) needs to be redone since the paint wasn't hard enough, and I now have a bunch of little nicks in it from debris, so I will be doing it again, with something a little more durable...

I went with Duplicolor bedliner. I had trouble with rock chips on mine before repainting.

Here's a pic after finishing the job.

http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae116/chainring61/HPIM1424.jpg

Not the best pic, but this is after about a year and a half.

http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae116/chainring61/007-1.jpg

Painting is the way to go........but heat guns are so much fun

I went with Duplicolor bedliner. I had trouble with rock chips on mine before repainting.

Thanks for the tip. I will be doing that for sure. Nice pictures.