In several weeks I'm going to do a ton of mechanical work to the '90 240 and when that is done I'm going to detail the outside. Has anyone tried either of these two products that IPD advertises for making the formerly black trim and bumpers a dark black color again?

Thanks for your help.
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If it needs to be maintained, repaired or replaced on a 1990 240, I've probably done it. '90 240DL, 245K looking forward to 300K badge. >>You haven't really worked on a car until you draw blood<< :-}

for the side trim i've used sole trim
shoe polish from the drug store
a few bucks it comes with a foam applicator
note tape your paint this stuff sticks

That's a good suggestion. The stuff is probably (I'll have to investigate now) just spirit dye in a foam tipped bottle. The key here is the handy foam applicator - same as Forever Black.

Thanks!
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Sean - now frolicking in the Land of a Thousand 240's (aka, Fredericksburg) thrice a week.

Forever Black, does work. A little quick observation tells me the "kit" is pretty much nothing but Windex to clean the plastic first and black spirit dye in a bottle with a sponge on top. I've done an experiment myself with Windex and spirit dye I use for dying leather - almost identical results. This is consistent with other products I've used for painting/dying plastic that recommend using an "ammonia based cleaner" on the part first.

The problem with both methods (less so with the Forvever Black) is streakiness. On smooth rubber like bumpers, you've got to SOAK it in the dye, and even then you've got to be careful to avoid streaks.

On matte or textured trim it works terrific. I just wonder if it's worth $15 for 4 oz. of the stuff, when a quart of spirit dye costs about $10. Granted, the Forever Black seems to have additives to go on a bit smoother, but still...

On bumpers, I'm more inclined (and will try this one day) to attack the rubber with some 600 grit sand paper and steel wool. Bumper rubber should just be oxidised on the surface, removing a bit of the surface oxidation should leave it looking brand new.

Let us know what you end up doing - take before and after pics!
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Sean - now frolicking in the Land of a Thousand 240's (aka, Fredericksburg) thrice a week.

Could you provide a source for the black spirit dye, please.

Randy

Well here's where I used to get it, for leather:
http://www.tandyleather.com
But I see they've been doing some weird crap lately, including raising the prices significantly. Fiebing's dye (the brand I use) used to be about half that price.


A quick Googling will turn up other places that sell it cheaper - this is one of the first results when I did a search for "spirit dye" : http://www.craftcave.com/leather/spiritdyes.htm

USE AT YOUR OWN RISK! I'm not a chemist, just an experimenter. For all I know the leather dye will make the plastic trim crumble to pieces after one year.

You might want to buy a couple small bottles of different kinds of dye and try them all.
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Sean - now frolicking in the Land of a Thousand 240's (aka, Fredericksburg) thrice a week.

I agree with Sean. With Forever Black, you do need to mop it on pretty heavily and evenly if the bumpers are in bad shape... more important that it dries evenly. A little pricey, and I haven't done enough comparison to really have a valuable opinion, but I did use Forever Black on the 240 and 740. The 740's bumpers were in *awful* shape. Forever Black brought them back to new. Granted, I used almost the whole bottle on the car. Old bumpers can be pretty thirsty.

On the 240, I used it on pretty much ALL of the external trim: bumpers, mudflaps, the trim on the bottom of the doors... even the black tape stuff under the windows. It did a nice job. Works well enough that I'd use it again.

Now if they just made a product called "Forever metallic blue" for my roof...

-Ryan
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Athens, Ohio
1990 245 DL 130k M47, E-codes
1991 745 GL 280k (Girlfriend-mobile)
Buckeye Volvo Club

Ive used the "forever black" on bumpers and mirrors. Happy to report, product works as advertised. My bumpers have been "new car black" about 2 years, or more.

Luck

Lawrence

I use stoner trim shine for the rough grey trim on the sides

mother's back to black for mirrors, wipers, bumpers and smoother surfaces

I haven't tried forever black.
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'89 240 All original, custom exhaust, KnN, custom guages, 260,000kms