Protecting fender flares

gg1

gg1

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 3, 2018
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Pittsburgh, PA, United States
Mine are new and trying to keep them from turning white/gray. Been using 303 UV protectant. Thoughts? My TJ is in a garage a lot of the time and I live in a cloudy area. Thanks for any help.
 
Putting any good protectant is gonna be about the best you can do. I mean most of the ones you see that are all grey have probably been in sun with nothing on them for 20yrs. Even still, only way to stop plastic from fading to to UV rays I would say is to be keep it clean and in the dark. Or spray a coat of flat black plasti dip on them and when you insist on having pristine original fender flares peel the dip, enjoy your black flares and then clean and redip them till next time. ;)

disclaimer : last part was a totally sarcastic comment. :ROFLMAO:

Really though, even if they do fade some big deal, and once they get to the point to warrant replacing then it's not like they are gonna break the bank to do so. Besides the bolts and nuts holding them on will need replacing or at least cleaned and greased up by then.
 
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303 is great.

What you really need to watch out for is gas on the left rear.
 
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Ok everyone, another rookie question from me:

I'm spending a lot of time restoring vinyl parts (inside and out), thanks to many threads on this forum. Now I'm wondering how best to protect them so that I don't have to do this again soon. I see the praise for 303 products here, but I think that's for protecting vinyl from the sun when it hasn't been painted over. So ...

For vinyl that I've PAINTED (like fender flares), what's the best approach? Can I wax them like I would wax the paint on my car? Or would something like 303 still work well?

And for vinyl that I've only CLEANED, but not painted (like interior console), is that where I should use something like 303?

Thanks all.
 
FWI: Don't use Barkeepers Friend on MCE fenders. That stuff is awesome at taking rust stains out of everything including your carpet...and getting road film off your glass, but it does NOT play well w/ molded plastic.
I had a rust stain on one of my MCE's (paint can in the rain), the BKF took the rust out but also left a grey streak that I can still not remove. 303 worked until it rained again, tire shine worked better...until it rained again.
Looks like I'll be painting then w/ bed liner, or color matching to the Jeep.
 
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An alternative is Maxima SC1, a dirt bike product. Works great on bare plastic and metal, and lasts through several washings. I use it on my KTM and my LJ!
 
Thanks y'all. But I'm still wondering about the difference between vinyl that I've painted and vinyl that hasn't been painted. For vinyl that I've painted (like fender flares), can I wax them like I would wax the paint on my car? Or would something like 303 still work well even on the painted surface? And for vinyl that I've only cleaned but not painted (like interior console), is that where I should use something like 303?
 
303 Automotive Interior and Exterior Protectant Spray 16oz

4.7
(134)
4.7 out of 5 stars. 134 reviews
Part # 30382
SKU # 626099
 
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