the two stripes goin down the sides of the roof of my car are very dull and faded, i was thinkin its because its lower than the rest of the roof and if the previous owner waxed it or when the dealer waxed it they may have missed the two stripes. this pic u cant really see it that good but u get the idea. Anyone else's car like this?


http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d183/pballsniper336/img1220383561512.jpg

aren't those things plastic?

dunno possibly

I'm quite sure they're plastic, and the pieces that keep the roof panel secure. The only way to make them as bright as the rest of the car would be to re-paint them I presume, or make some metal ones, though they would be harder to remove if you needed to take your roof panel off (if it gets dented or the like). Mine is also faded, I have a VR that's less than a year old.

ok thx bro

I would think its the sun that has faded them out... If they are plastic (which i think they are too) is it possible to use a UV protective product on them such as 303 or something? Would that help those of us who are in the desert?

yea they're plastic... hmmm...

good call mine are a lil faded too, imma try stuff and see if it works.

lemme kno if u get em shiny

give them a good polish. wax is for protection and not to make paint shine.clay, polish it and then wax it.

mine still looks pretty good, although it's a little tiny bit yellowed. white cars ftw

There is a noticeable color difference between the roof and these 2 strips on brand new cars on the dealer's lot. I pointed it out to the sales person after delivery and was informed it's because of the material the paint is applied to.

Dude, you need to come by my place. Detailing is what I do.

There is a noticeable color difference between the roof and these 2 strips on brand new cars on the dealer's lot. I pointed it out to the sales person after delivery and was informed it's because of the material the paint is applied to.

For once the dealer is correct. Although there are methods to bring back a bit of luster, they will never truly match the rest of the roof.

Correction, the strips are made of a rubberized compound. The end caps are plastic and you can see and feel the difference.

yeah. I took a look at them yesterday and they're definitely rubber of some sort. It's crazy, you can dig your fingernail into them and it mushes down, but the paint still stays fine. How???

weird im not trying it on my car tho

By dig it in, i mean press on it with your nail, and it bends. I wouldn't try to pick a chunk of paint off!

yeah. I took a look at them yesterday and they're definitely rubber of some sort. It's crazy, you can dig your fingernail into them and it mushes down, but the paint still stays fine. How???

Most paint on plastic or rubber has a flex additive. On rubber there is no actual clearcoat, hence the dull effect.