Restored my hardtop

I didn’t go the magic eraser route. I doused the top in penetrol, then used some meguires ultimate compound to buff out the streaks and imperfections.

I slathered penetrol on the top to make sure the paint was soaking up plenty of it, but I hate buffing the excess penetrol with a cloth, which is why I used the buffer after. It looked really good and stayed that way until I sold the Jeep. The only thing I would do different is jump right to buffing. I waited a few days in between the jobs and the penetrol was really stiff. There were a couple of small streaks I couldn’t eliminate.

Before and after with Penetrol.
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And then after buffing.
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Gotcha, thanks. Ok, I'll keep this in mind when I get to the Penetrol step. For now I'm just wondering how much different to expect from the erasing step.

Also, just curious if the buffing process gave it a darker look, or if that's just a difference in the lighting between your second and third pics?
 
Gotcha, thanks. Ok, I'll keep this in mind when I get to the Penetrol step. For now I'm just wondering how much different to expect from the erasing step.

Also, just curious if the buffing process gave it a darker look, or if that's just a difference in the lighting between your second and third pics?

There have been good results with both. I like penetrol because it adds oil back to the paint vs removing oxidation.

The buffing definitely added color. And it cleaned up the streaks from wiping on the penetrol.
 
There have been good results with both. I like penetrol because it adds oil back to the paint vs removing oxidation.

The buffing definitely added color. And it cleaned up the streaks from wiping on the penetrol.

Thanks. So, I thought that the Penetrol was mainly for adding some shine, and then protecting from future oxidation. But you're saying that the Penetrol actually helps to remove/treat oxidation too?
 
Thanks. So, I thought that the Penetrol was mainly for adding some shine, and then protecting from future oxidation. But you're saying that the Penetrol actually helps to remove/treat oxidation too?

It’s a paint restorer. Over time untreated paint fades as the oil dries out. This essentially “restores” the paint by adding it back in.
 
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Thanks for this. I'm in the early stages of taking this same approach. How much of a difference did you see after using the Magic Erasers, versus after applying the penetrol? So far I'm not seeing much different from the eraser, so I wonder if the bigger change comes after applying penetrol.

@Jamison C , I'd be eager to hear your experience too.

The magic eraser removed some of the oxidation but the biggest difference comes after applying the penetrol. It's been almost 2 years now and my hardtop still looks great.
 
Just wanted to post an update photo to show what the top looks like 2 years after using Penetrol. Took this picture today. Still looks great with no oxidation.

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Any idea if Penetrol would be good to use in black fender flares?

It would probably help. I also used penetrol on the plastic covers around the seat belts on the roll bars, on the plastic door panels below the window where they're prone to turning white due to sun damage and on the plastic triangle pieces on the corners of the windows on the outside. Made everything look like new again. So it's worth a shot.
 
for those in the UK Penetrol appears not to be available but Owatrol seems to be the equivalent. I’ve used it on all sorts of bits of the TJ and it’s worked well.
 
Does Penetrol have a cure/dry time? Is it a gloss finish or matte?

Well after several minutes it starts getting tacky so you have to wipe it off and buff it with a microfiber cloth. It starts to cure pretty quick so it doesn't take long at all. So after you finish the top it's not like you have to wait hours to use it. Once you finish buffing it, it's ready to go.

It's not a finish, it just removes the oxidation and restores the top to its original look when it was new.
 
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Well after several minutes it starts getting tacky so you have to wipe it off and buff it with a microfiber cloth. It starts to cure pretty quick so it doesn't take long at all. So after you finish the top it's not like you have to wait hours to use it. Once you finish buffing it, it's ready to go.

It's not a finish, it just removes the oxidation and restores the top to its original look when it was new.

Can items like interior door panels and the steering column trim benefit from Penetrol?
 
Can items like interior door panels and the steering column trim benefit from Penetrol?

Yes. I've also used it on the tops of my door panels, steering column trim, trim around the seat belts on the roll bars for front seats and rear seat, hood latches and the triangle trim pieces on the outside of the windows of the doors. It works well to darken the trim pieces to look like new again.
 
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The magic eraser removed some of the oxidation but the biggest difference comes after applying the penetrol. It's been almost 2 years now and my hardtop still looks great.

I have the manic eraser but have not used it yet, would you just use the penetrol and forget the magic eraser?