Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Trim Restorer

[ryster]

Purchased a bottle of the Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Trim Restorer at AAP recently.

Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Trim Restorer, G220316, 16 Oz | Meguiar's

www.meguiars.com

Paid around $15 for the bottle.

Finally had an opportunity yesterday to apply it to the 7 year old textured dark gray plastic trim on my 2015 Chevy Equinox. It was relatively easy to use. Just put some of the product on a microfiber towel and slowly work it in to the trim. The bottle says to apply a "quarter sized" amount of the cream, however in my case this was simply not enough. It took about 2-3 applications to get an even, non-streaked finish on the trim. However, it did noticeably darken the trim and give it a nice luster after letting it sit and then doing the final "buff" with a dry microfiber towel.

The real test will be to see how durable the product is. We have heavy rain moving in this afternoon/evening. I am anxious to see how it holds up through that after having 24 hours to "cure". If it holds up over the next 3-4 months then I can live with that. If the rain washes it away in just a couple of weeks, that will not be ideal as I really don't want to have to reapply this more than 2-3 times per year. The product does have a pleasant fragrance, which was surprising.

Sorry, I don't have any before or after pictures [didn't think about taking any at the time.] So, in a nutshell it is easy to apply as long as you apply enough or in multiple coats. Smells nice. Immediate results look good. Reasonable price for a hybrid ceramic trim restorer. Jury is still out on durability/longevity.

 

[Silver]

I guess socks will be "hybrid" and "ceramic" before long.

I will be hard pressed to believe anything will beat a heat gun and a periodic application of protectant. It's easy to get streaks with a heat gun too but a little practice makes perfect.

 

[SatinSilver]

"A" for effort! Would like to know how it holds up.

 

[2010Civic]

I've done the heat gun trick before and wouldn't recommend it. It is easy to change the surface texture of the material and doesn't last all that long. Use an actual ceramic coating or something like SEM trim paint.

 

[PimTac]

I guess socks will be "hybrid" and "ceramic" before long.

I will be hard pressed to believe anything will beat a heat gun and a periodic application of protectant. It's easy to get streaks with a heat gun too but a little practice makes perfect.

That heat gun should work well on the clearcoat next to the trim too. Not.


I don’t know about this product but the ceramic stuff I use ( Gyeon Preserve) keeps the dirt off the trim and lasts for some time. I usually treat the trim 2-3 times a year.

 

[Carmudgeon]

something like SEM trim paint.

It takes some work, but the results are good, and the only maintenance I need to do now is to include the trim when waxing the rest of the car with a trim-friendly product like GG 3in1.

Applying an endless series of the next miracle restoration product is like applying a bandage to a persistent would, not to mention probably costlier. A can of good quality paint like SEM is/was ~20 bucks, depending on the source, like Finishmaster or a local auto body supply shop.

 

[bcossa2020]

I will be following this with interest. It’s difficult for me to express the level of disappointment and frankly disgust with Mothers Back to Black performance on my trim. They should be ashamed to advertise it and I will certainly be more diligent when researching their products in the future.

 

[RooflessVW]

Solution Finish for me followed by Cquartz Dlux or whatever coating I happen to be applying.

 

[ryster]

I will be following this with interest. It’s difficult for me to express the level of disappointment and frankly disgust with Mothers Back to Black performance on my trim. They should be ashamed to advertise it and I will certainly be more diligent when researching their products in the future.

That is the exact reason why I am searching for an alternate trim restorer/dressing product. Back to Black only provides a few weeks of improvement, and then the trim is right back to the way it was before applying it. Mothers generally makes great products, but Back to Black is really kind of a waste of money and effort.

Last night we got a lot of wind driven heavy rain. The treated plastic trim seems to have made it through fine. No water streaks or apparent washing off of the restorer. So far, so good in that respect.

Now we will see how long the trim stays looking nice with this Meguiar's product.

 

[ryster]

UPDATE: Just noticed that there is streaking/runs on the trim where the rain seems to have washed the trim restorer off after last night's heavy rain. Pretty disappointed that the product wasn't more durable than that. After today, there is no more rain in the forecast for the next week or so. I will apply another coating tomorrow afternoon on the areas that streaked.

However, this is not boding well for long term durability. After this bottle is empty I will most likely be searching for another product. Might have to try nanolex trim rejuvenator to really get the long-term results I am looking for. I am a little hesitant to use Solution Finish. The trim on the Equinox isn't black, nor is it light gray. It is a dark gray, basically right in between the shades that Solution Finish shows on their website.

 

[PF52]

Back to Black only provides a few weeks of improvement, and then the trim is right back to the way it was before applying it. Mothers generally makes great products, but Back to Black is really kind of a waste of money and effort.

I just used some Back to Black over the weekend, but it was on some faded smooth plastic under the hood. Hopefully it will last a little longer since it is out of the sunlight. But what is IN that stuff? It smells bad!

 

[PimTac]

Ceramic products will usually state on the label to keep dry for 24 hours. Sometimes that is not possible.

 

[Bill_W]

That is the exact reason why I am searching for an alternate trim restorer/dressing product. Back to Black only provides a few weeks of improvement, and then the trim is right back to the way it was before applying it. Mothers generally makes great products, but Back to Black is really kind of a waste of money and effort.

Last night we got a lot of wind driven heavy rain. The treated plastic trim seems to have made it through fine. No water streaks or apparent washing off of the restorer. So far, so good in that respect.

Now we will see how long the trim stays looking nice with this Meguiar's product.

Am trying tire shine now. Yesterday put Armor All tire shine on the black plastic trim and engine area to see how long that lasts.

Robot or human?

 

[ryster]

Ceramic products will usually state on the label to keep dry for 24 hours. Sometimes that is not possible.

The Meguiar's trim product was applied Sunday afternoon and the rain didn't start until around 6:00 Monday night. It definitely had 24 hours.

Hopefully I can treat the trim again tomorrow and give it a few days to "cure" before it rains again.

 

[HectorVCarGuy]

UPDATE: Just noticed that there is streaking/runs on the trim where the rain seems to have washed the trim restorer off after last night's heavy rain. Pretty disappointed that the product wasn't more durable than that. After today, there is no more rain in the forecast for the next week or so. I will apply another coating tomorrow afternoon on the areas that streaked.

However, this is not boding well for long term durability. After this bottle is empty I will most likely be searching for another product. Might have to try nanolex trim rejuvenator to really get the long-term results I am looking for. I am a little hesitant to use Solution Finish. The trim on the Equinox isn't black, nor is it light gray. It is a dark gray, basically right in between the shades that Solution Finish shows on their website.

I tried this one. I think what you are seeing is dirt from your paint that ran down and dried on your trim. Been going on 6+ weeks on my wifes Jeep and it’s still dark.

 

[measureman]

I used Meguiars ultimate black plastic restorer on my 2002 Blazer.
It turned it almost black on the first application and a few days later I did it again and it's real black now.
When it starts to fade a quick coat should be all thats needed.

 

[measureman]

I guess socks will be "hybrid" and "ceramic" before long.

I will be hard pressed to believe anything will beat a heat gun and a periodic application of protectant. It's easy to get streaks with a heat gun too but a little practice makes perfect.

From Google hybrid
a thing made by combining two different elements; a mixture.
of mixed character; composed of mixed parts.
Loosely defined if I put cream in my coffee am I drinking hybrid coffee?

 

[HectorVCarGuy]

I used Meguiars ultimate black plastic restorer on my 2002 Blazer.
It turned it almost black on the first application and a few days later I did it again and it's real black now.
When it starts to fade a quick coat should be all thats needed.

I’ve used the ultimate one too. Doesn’t last very long. Key to the trim products lasting I believe is cleaning the plastic surface. A lot of it is build up and hard water so if you don’t clean the plastic thoroughly it won’t last because you coated dirt.

 

[ryster]

I tried this one. I think what you are seeing is dirt from your paint that ran down and dried on your trim. Been going on 6+ weeks on my wifes Jeep and it’s still dark.

I thought the same thing as well, but it wasn't dirt from the paint. When I tried wiping the streaks away with a microfiber, they remained. I put another coating of the trim restorer on and the streaks are gone. The trim is currently nice and dark and evenly colored. Waiting for the next round of rain today and tonight and hoping the week that this has now been on has been enough for it to "cure". We shall see!

 

[bcossa2020]

It may be painfully obvious to everyone but me but I’m learning that the trim needs significant attention at every wash..,,