What is a good product to protect, etc. black fender flares

[Mac]

303 has worked great on my last two JKs and on my JT, also use it on the trim on my boats

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[Pedalmasher]

303 has worked great on my last two JKs and on my JT, also use it on the trim on my boats

Have you ever tried Turtle wax ice & shine? Someone told me that they used to use 303 and switched.

 

[DanW]

So having used both that & 303,would you recommend the Turtle Wax as superior?

In my experience, the 303 may be better for rubber and TW better for plastic. One reason I do TW on exterior plastic and rubber is that it doesn't run off like 303 does. It beads like mad. 303 beads if you buff it enough but you'll see residue after a rain if there's paint it runs onto. It wipes right off, though. I really like the 303 for door seals. It keeps them nice and soft and sealing well. But it has a lot of UV blocker in it, too, as does the TW.

So I feel the TW is better for the black fender flares. I think it lasts a lot longer, too. It lasts several months on the paint, so I don't see why it won't do the same on the plastic.

The plastic is less smooth on my JK than on the JL, so the TW went onto the JL easier and it was easier to buff to a shine. Long term, it has done well on the JK. I've not tested it yet on the JL, but I'm very confident it will do well. I intend to apply it every 2nd or 3rd wash, just because it is easy. But the 303 did the job, too. My JK fenders are old and haven't really faded.

TW also has Hybrid Solutions spray and Flex Wax Pro with Graphene. The Flex Wax Pro might be the best of the bunch. It beads on paint even better than Seal N Shine and TW told me it is fine for plastic, too. But it is more than twice as expensive. Seal N Shine is the best value. The Hybrid Solutions isn't too much more but I don't think it is any better. But you can apply Flex Wax Pro when the vehicle wet and spread it around with the water stream. That's kinda nice. You do have to wipe it off with a towel, though, or it will streak. If it streaks, just wipe it with a damp cloth. I've used it on my red JL, but its fenders are painted.

 

[DanW]

A little off topic, but have you guys tried this stuff?

It makes the most bad-ass beads I've ever seen and it lasts for many, many months. TW did tell me not to use this one on plastic/rubber/decals, though. So I use their sprays on those but this on the paint. It's shine is killer, too. I put it on my red JL in March and it still beads like crazy. On the windshield it absolutely destroys Rain-X at shedding water and it doesn't seem to build up on wipers like Rain-X does.

I just put a coat on both my red and white JL's and it just looks amazing. Smells great, too, like all the TW products. I've done Jeeps 3x with a jar I bought in March and it looks like I've barely used any. One jar should go a looooong way. It wipes off easy, too, with now powder residue. Amazing stuff.

 

[DanW]

Here's the 14 year old JK after a wash and TW Seal N Shine.

 

[ecidiego]

I use Zaino on everything. Is this daily driven? Mine is in my driveway too....in east county San Diego which can hit 115F in summer. I don't daily drive...weekend truck...so I bought a Covercraft cover made with Sunbrella fabric. INSANE. Expensive...$700....but 6 year warranty.

 

[DanW]

I use Zaino on everything. Is this daily driven? Mine is in my driveway too....in east county San Diego which can hit 115F in summer. I don't daily drive...weekend truck...so I bought a Covercraft cover made with Sunbrella fabric. INSANE. Expensive...$700....but 6 year warranty.

My JK is daily driven, but kept in a garage at night. So 5 days a week it is in the sun all day.

I don't know much about Zaino. Tell us more!

 

[Pedalmasher]

I use Zaino on everything. Is this daily driven? Mine is in my driveway too....in east county San Diego which can hit 115F in summer. I don't daily drive...weekend truck...so I bought a Covercraft cover made with Sunbrella fabric. INSANE. Expensive...$700....but 6 year warranty.

Interesting, BTW San Diego is one of my favorite spots - I have not been back since I retired as an airline pilot. When I was in the Navy, my ship was also based there.

 

[ecidiego]

My JK is daily driven, but kept in a garage at night. So 5 days a week it is in the sun all day.

I don't know much about Zaino. Tell us more!

Haha long story. They have a bunch of products. I've been using the system for 20 years. ( Shelby GT500, various other cars...my wife's Acura MDX ) It is a lot of work but results and longevity will kill any other product. It's all numbers:

Z2 and Z5.... polishers...you use these and do successive layers. Accelerate curing with yet another product...ZFX. Dark colors Z5. Lighter colors Z2. The baseline you do is wash the truck with dawn dish soap. This dissolves and removes EVERYTHING. Then claybar the truck. Then do Z2 or Z5 mixed with ZFX. When done, quick detail with Z6 and do another Z2 or Z5 coat. Keep layering. After 2 or 3 coats....use Zaino CS which is clear seal and lock that paint down.

Z6 and Z8.... quick detailer and gloss enhancers. Use in between successive Z2/Z5 coats and after a wash.

Z7....car wash soap.

After reading what I typed....I want to say NO THANKS too. That said I've been using the system for 20 years like I said and results speak for themselves. New paint forever. I probably did a poor job explaining. Check out the site.

https://www.zainostore.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=beginners&Store_Code=Z

Cliff notes for what I did on my new truck:

Washed with Dawn soap and dried.

Claybarred using Z7 mixed with water as lube.

Washed with Z7 and dried.

Z5 mixed with ZFX to accelerate curing.

Wait 30, wipe down. Wipe down again with Z6 spray.

Do another Z5 mixed with ZFX coat.

Wait 30, wipe down. Wipe down again with Z6 spray.

Apply Zaino CS.

Done. However 5 hours have now passed.

Sorry, I'm insane. That said I don't wash the truck when home from the dunes. Dirt is fine. I just wanted the massive paint lock underneath so my red won't fade. Once every 18 months I'll redo the sequence.

Post Zaino:

Post dunes:

 

[ecidiego]

Interesting, BTW San Diego is one of my favorite spots - I have not been back since I retired as an airline pilot. When I was in the Navy, my ship was also based there.

What ship? I was on the USS Essex in the 90s. LHD-2.

 

[Pedalmasher]

What ship? I was on the USS Essex in the 90s. LHD-2.

I was on the USS Duncan DDR 874 - I predated you a bit - I enlisted in 1957!

 

[ecidiego]

I was on the USS Duncan DDR 874 - I predated you a bit - I enlisted in 1957!

Rad.

 

[ecidiego]

@Pedalmasher that's amazing. My parents were born in 1947. You were in the Navy around when my grandfather retired. He was on an LST on D-Day Omaha Beach.

 

[Pedalmasher]

@Pedalmasher that's amazing. My parents were born in 1947. You were in the Navy around when my grandfather retired. He was on an LST on D-Day Omaha Beach.

I was born in 1940 and my father fought all of WW2! I went to boot camp there when I had just turned 17. Became an airline pilot as my profession.

 

[jac04]

TW also has Hybrid Solutions spray and Flex Wax Pro with Graphene. The Flex Wax Pro might be the best of the bunch. It beads on paint even better than Seal N Shine and TW told me it is fine for plastic, too. But it is more than twice as expensive.

I'm all about products that are easy to use and offer good protection. I have been using Meguiar's D156 Synthetic X-Press Spray Wax for a few years on my other cars with excellent results.

However, I switched to TW Hybrid Solutions Pro Graphene Flex Wax on my JT. It seems to work really well, better than the Megs D156, especially on my black plastic fenders and bumpers. Plus, it seems easier to apply & remove. No worries about flat finishes, decals, plastics, or textures. https://www.turtlewax.com/products/hybrid-solutions-pro-graphene-flex-wax-23-fl-oz

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