Tray Burge
TJ Addict
I for one will admit I've never tried this for fear of leaching out any oils in the material, but if Jerry says it's okay I'd take that to the bank. The 303 he suggest using in other threads works great too.
Tips on restoring fender flares?
- Thread starter mrblue5150
- Start date
Painting will last longer than 303 and same price. While 303 is good, it's not paint. I've said my piece in this thread.
You can disagree with me as much as you want.
A flare that has seen that much exposure to the elements is also likely brittle. I prefer to just start over. Crown flares will be in the same condition in one year? What does that mean?
You can disagree with me as much as you want.
Crown flares will be in the same condition in one year? What does that mean?
Just that the Crown ones will also fade. My flares were not brittle at all, and they have been through 14 new england winters. To each his own, easy work I like to do and save my money for parts or hard jobs, like a rear main seal.
You can disagree with me as much as you want.
Crown flares will be in the same condition in one year? What does that mean?
New flares will fade too. The problem with these in the first place was that they were not painted. And not properly UV protected. So they eventually turn from black to grey to blue. Mine were actually blue.
If yours are beat to death. With say big gouges I'd get a new pair. But either way you're taking them off. And it's a huge bitch. So you might as well paint them. Or your gonna have to take them off again eventually. When they fade.
And I don't think they will ever get brittle. Like Jerry said, they aren't plastic. It's something else. Mine were nice and flexible and material wise like new. Even though they had faded to blue.
And again, my advice is DON'T USE FOREVER BLACK. I have a whole thread on here about it. It really f'd mine up. And made a mess on my paint. That I still have not gotten off.
The easiest way is to paint them.
Wow, this is almost as controversial a thread as what brand of oil is the best 
. When I had my hardtop repainted with SEM, they also shot my flares and bumpers with the remaining paint after prepping/scuffing surfaces. To each his/her own, but I’m pleased with the results, everything looks brand new.
. When I had my hardtop repainted with SEM, they also shot my flares and bumpers with the remaining paint after prepping/scuffing surfaces. To each his/her own, but I’m pleased with the results, everything looks brand new.
Not here to sat this works or anything. Just that I found it funny that this product specifically shows our TJ flares.
I will be painting mine. But keeping a grey. I actually like the contrast the grey adds to an all black Jeep. But having it one consistent color would be nice.
I will be painting mine. But keeping a grey. I actually like the contrast the grey adds to an all black Jeep. But having it one consistent color would be nice.
Grateful for this thread. About to do it again myself.
Back in the 90s, I would loyally apply Armor All every month. I eventually got fed up and removed each piece, and spray painted with some kind of trim-specific paint. Held up well for about eight years. This time, will probably try using one of the paints recommended above.
After the paint, has anyone tried to apply any kind of sealant over the paint?
Back in the 90s, I would loyally apply Armor All every month. I eventually got fed up and removed each piece, and spray painted with some kind of trim-specific paint. Held up well for about eight years. This time, will probably try using one of the paints recommended above.
After the paint, has anyone tried to apply any kind of sealant over the paint?
What happened to your paint over that length of time? Did it just chip off or fade again?
I've thought about hitting it with a UV resistant clear coat. If that exists. But all I did was plastic adhesive and SEM.
After I painted mine the first time I gave them a month or two to cure good and then every time I washed my Jeep I would use a protectant of some kind on the flares just to shine them up. Eventually (8 years or so) the paint just starts to wear down and slowly they became faded again. Ended up painting them twice before buying new ones. Second time I painted them the texture was very smooth in a lot of places.
Ya. Interesting. I'll have to look at my leftover cans of SEM to see what if any uv protection they have in them. I'm pretty sure you can find a clear coat with uv protection. I've read (I think in this thread) where someone used a satin clear coat and it turned out really nice.
From your experience I'd think anyone doing this should look for a UV resistant paint. Or a UV resistant clear coat.
I just found this. It's SEM Trim Black Ultra. I don't remember if the SEM Trim black I used was just SEM Trim Black or SEM Trim Black "Ultra". But the Ultra stuff below has UV protection. The normal SEM Trim Black does not. I wanna say that's what I ordered. Too tired to go look. I hope so. I looked up the highly recommended SEM Landau Black and it does not have UV protection. AT least not the Color Coat version. I could not find a UV clear coat on there site. In a cursory search.
On a side note. I have to say the SEM Trim Black does not look bad. But it is a very "black" color. So it slightly doesn't look like stock color. If you really look closely and analyze it. I think the Landau Black might be a better match. But I have never seen pics of anyone using it on anything except the interior. And it does match the interior very well.
If I had it to do again. I'm not sure I would have changed. As the SEM Trim Black Ultra has the UV protection. And the SEM Landau Black does not. Which means you'd have to find a UV clear coat to apply over it.
There are a multitude of things outside a Jeep that need repainting black - eventually. It's nice to have one adhesion promoter and one paint to do them in. Having to apply three different products and at least a few coats each. Is a pain. So I think I'll just stick to SEM Trim Black Ultra. (Again, hopefully that is what I used.)
https://www.semproducts.com/blog/tag/trim-black-ultra
On a side note. I have to say the SEM Trim Black does not look bad. But it is a very "black" color. So it slightly doesn't look like stock color. If you really look closely and analyze it. I think the Landau Black might be a better match. But I have never seen pics of anyone using it on anything except the interior. And it does match the interior very well.
If I had it to do again. I'm not sure I would have changed. As the SEM Trim Black Ultra has the UV protection. And the SEM Landau Black does not. Which means you'd have to find a UV clear coat to apply over it.
There are a multitude of things outside a Jeep that need repainting black - eventually. It's nice to have one adhesion promoter and one paint to do them in. Having to apply three different products and at least a few coats each. Is a pain. So I think I'll just stick to SEM Trim Black Ultra. (Again, hopefully that is what I used.)
https://www.semproducts.com/blog/tag/trim-black-ultra
It still looks alright, but the trouble is how it scratches, revealing the lighter, faded color beneath. Over time, those scratches add up. Maybe I should have just done more coats, so that the scratches wouldn't show what's below so easily.
Will try to post some pics soon.
Heres a cool video with some popular products head to head..looks like the turtle wax does well!
TJ2
TJ Expert
a dab of old engine oil on a rag, every time i change it and rub them down, keeps um black until it dries out again.
TJ2
TJ Expert
The flares are metal, the trims are plastic.
I wonder what UV paint I can do for my newly painted trims.