Wheel Trim Refurbish Job ** Pictures **

My 99 model wheel trim has suffered for years without proper treatment. I find no evidence of a product like 303 being used to prolong the life and look. Also, the wheels have some amount of gravel chips that left the ivory colored base showing.

So this afternoon between rain clouds, I decided to make my first move on refurbishing the wheel trim using Krylon Fusion for Plastic Paint. I've used this paint for refurbishing automotive plastic in the past with success.

Here's the before and after pictures with some tips on how I used Krylon Fusion for Plastic Black Satin finish.

PRODUCT NOTE: Krylon Fusion has been updated to become Krylon All-In-One for plastic and metal.

Thank you @jnossoff for providing the product update in the post below.

Before Picture 1



Before Picture 2



The wheel trim is made from an ivory colored plastic material. The coloring is from plastic paint that was applied after the trim piece was molded. Here's a picture of the plastic material from the back side.



Clean with a detergent like DAWN to remove road grime and dirt.

After washing, use mineral spirits to clean the trim pieces before repainting. This cleaning process will remove some of the original paint. No sanding or priming is required.



Here's a picture of the gravel chip marks on the plastic wheel trim before being repainted.



The Krylon Fusion (old formula) for Plastic or Krylon ALL-IN-ONE (new formula) in Black Satin is available at stores like Ace Hardware and Walmart.




The Old Formula



CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE

 

After repainting with Krylon Fusion. After 7 days when the paint is fully cured, I will be using 303 to keep the new look for many years.



Another after picture. Note that you can spray the rubber gasket material along with the plastic trim piece. Fusion bonds to either material. As soon as I see clear weather for a day, I will tackle the refurbishing the front bumper.



The final after picture. Note that pollen is so thick in the air today that has already covered the newly painted trim. Fusion dries to the touch in 15 minutes and can be handled for reinstallation in an hour. After 7 days the new finish becomes completely cured chip resistant. I drove the truck this afternoon around town without a problem. It drives fast.

 

Looks good! Did you replace any of the rubber insulator gasket?

 

The use of Wipe New would have saved you a lot of trouble.......https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiMpDESxAzk

 

No... It would have just prolonged the inevitable.

 

Nope. Since they seem to be well bonded to the trim, I didn't want to touch them. Since Fusion sticks to rubber, I just painted over them.

 

Looks great, it’s been probably 5 years since I did mine last. Probably time to do it again.

The early TRD fender extenders like yours and the ones I have are actually made of fiberglass

 

Excellent job! You have motivated me.

 

Hey neighbor. Need some help? You can see mine in person.

 

Hey Craig,
I am in Hot Springs area.

 

I'm in Conway. I do get over to HS once in a while.

 

I've got my Tacoma garaged for now but will probably get it out and put insurance on it this Summer.
Do you hunt that pointer (your avatar)?

 

How far in the past? How does the Krylon Fusion hold up over time?

 

Its holding up well for the wheel trim and bumper.



It was the only product that would not peel off when exposed to heat for the black plastic part of valve covers on this engine.

The picture is from around this time of the year in 2010.

 

I have used krylon fusion paint on a few things and have had good luck.
For trim and bumper restoration I would recommend using either solutions finish trim restorer or shine supply trim paint, these come in black or gray and are a plastic ink dye and work very well. Also use this stuff on your faded windshield cowl. No risk of peeling or flaking compared to spray paint because it soaks into the plastic. Also after it has a few days to dry I would put shine supply trim restore over it to protect it from UV and weather elements. Trim shield is a very very good trim sealant, it's not cheap but it protects for several months against UV light and water beads up like on freshly waxed paint. Another great option for sealant after you've restored the color is a coating such as carpro DLux or gtechiq permanent trim restorer. These trim coatings last for YEARS. The key to any trim restoration is sealing and protecting it properly after you've restored the color. 303 is an option but it washes off in the rain or carwash and realistically only works for days to weeks. Do it right the first time and you won't have to deal with fading for a long long time.

https://shinesupply.com/collections/tire-trim-care

https://www.detailedimage.com/Solution-Finish-M69/Black-Trim-Restorer-P854/1-oz-S1/

https://www.detailedimage.com/GTechniq-M70/C4-Permanent-Trim-Restorer-P868/15-ml-S1/

https://www.detailedimage.com/CarPro-M53/DLUX-Plastic-and-Wheel-Coating-P940/30-ml-S1/

 

Turned out great

 

@CS_AR: Thanks for your excellent write-up (and PHOTOS) and specific recommendations of materials and methods. My wheel trim/"flares" look great.
You recommended:

I could not locate Krylon Fusion for Plastic* but Krylon Fusion All-in-One "...is a premium product that bonds to difficult surfaces such as plastics", and it worked very well for me.
Your recommendation of the Black Satin finish is perfect. I have seen posted photos of trim with glossy black paint, and it does not look good. Black Satin looks like new.

You recommended:

Worked perfectly! I washed mine with hot water and Dawn before using the mineral spirits.

You recommended:

I would never have guessed that, and you are so right, and that simplified the job, and I did not have to purchase new rubber gasket material.

Bumpers next!!! Thanks, again.

*ADDED NOTE: A search for Krylon Fusion for Plastic at the Krylon website results in:

The product you have requested cannot be found.
We are sorry but the product that you are looking for is not found. Please check if you have entered the correct product name.
​

I suspect Fusion All-in-One has replaced Fusion for Plastic.

 

@jnossoff

Thank you for the feedback. Yes it looks like Fusion has been replaced by the All-In-One product. I have some pictures of using All-In-One on a plastic and metal hubcap to post tonight.

Front Bumper Pictures - Masked the front with "adhesive backed" kitchen drawer liner from Walmart and blue painters tape. The mild adhesive allows the liner wrap it to cling to the paint like painters tape. It just peels off when you are done.

 

Krylon Fusion ALL-IN-ONE worked well to paint over the plastic TRD hub cap while covering the bare metal socket head cap screws and the metal cap body.

 

I did my front bumper 2 years ago in Rustoleum Bedliner and it's ready for a redo. I might try Krylon Fusion.