how to unfade pillars?

[MMAFIGHTER121]

those side pillars are starting to look rough... any tips on how to get them back in black?

 

[eastcoastLS]

wd-40 works temporarily. wipe it on with a rag of some sort.

 

[NYC LS8]

Which pillars? The black metal ones on the outside of the doors, or on the inside of the car?

 

[MMAFIGHTER121]

the black ones that some people chrome over. i;m not gonna i want them black black.

 

[NYC LS8]

Pull 'em off and have 'em re-painted/cleared..?

 

[xarruda89x]

i was thinking buffing it then wax it or suttin with polish, because mines are fading as well.

And there the outside pillars on the door.

 

[jdbwood]

yea mines look crusty on the doors by the windows and pillars

 

[ToddG]

He's referring to the black B pillars outside the car. These get worn from sun and weather, and turn a blotchy black/gray in some cases.

Unfortunately, these are hard to restore. My particular car does not suffer from this because it is always garaged, both at home and at work, so it rarely sees sunlight. However, I've tried helping my LS friends do a bit of restoration on these parts, but with little success. I tried a claybar, which took off some oxidation, but did not restore them to their original condition. Polish had the same limited results. Topical treatments such as WD-40 or Armor All only last for a short time. You may want to try polishing compound, but be careful with that!

In short, I've not come across an effective regimen to restore the black B pillars. In the absence of a good solution, you may want to consider simply replacing them with new ones.

 

[MMAFIGHTER121]

i have some anti-oxidizer i used on my last car (an old camaro) and it did revitalize the paint a lot, but it also seemed to strip off some, so i might try a wd-40 spray down to remove any basic stuff then run the de-ox over it and then polish...
but thats a sunshine project, i'll take some before and after photos when i do it too.

 

[gcwimmer]

Here is another option:

http://www.lskoncepts.com/store/lincoln-ls-bpillar-inserts-p-26.php

 

[MMAFIGHTER121]

yea... saw those but not keen on dishin out $80 if i can find a fix rather than a patch..

 

[04SCTLS]

Why not just sand them down, tape them off and spray paint them.

 

[AndrewCoja]

I thought armor all is supposed to be bad or something. Something like once you use armor all once, you have to keep using it or whatever you used it on will just become worse than before.

 

[NicksGTR]

Why not just sand them down, tape them off and spray paint them.

If anyone is contemplating a re-paint on the side pillars, NEVER use Armor all or any silicone based topical solution. WD-40 being a petroleum based product can be removed with de-wax prior to painting.

 

[beechcraft11]

brake cleaner spray is probably the best thing to use before painting it

 

[04SCTLS]

If you have used armor all and want to paint the posts make sure you wipe them down with paint reducer before and after sanding, being careful not to drip any on the rest of the paint as it will dull it.

 

[97stscaddy]

Use acetone.

Unfortunately the paint on the pillars is very thin. There might be one coat on those with an etching primer underneath to adhere to the metal. Usually by the time they start looking rough its too late. Kinda like the paint on a Honda.

 

[04SCTLS]

For something this size a spray can of sanding laquer primer from autozone would work fine as a base.
Put enough on, let it dry well and sand it with a 320 wet or dry sandpaper.
If there's a few digs spot putty can take care of that.
Once it's smooth to your satisfaction spray the black on.
Flat or satin is preferred to gloss.
Anything can be refinished with some preperation.

 

[kwazy]

try a product called black again. you will need to do it bout every 6 mths

 

[04SCTLS]

paste shoe polish?

 

[AndrewCoja]

Black sharpie?

 

[RANDO CAMMANDO]

Back to Black

 

[KD00LS]

Use a heavier polish and that should take the oxidation out. I used a cleaner wax and a buffer at high speed, seemed to fix most of the oxidation. I can't see polish not working.