How did they color my bumpers / cladding black?

[ChazzyD]

Discovered the other day doing the brakes on my 04 that my black bumpers/cladding are actually blue and just colored with a product, making them black. It is wearing off in the wheel wells. I would like to touch it up in places as it looks very good until you look very close and see places that could use a retouch. My question is, what product did they likely use to recolor these bumpers from blue to black? They do not appear to be masked off and painted, but more like a brushed on kind of product that dries to a very nice black with no streaks or brush marks, but you can tell looking close that it is brushed on at the edges of lights, fenders, etc. Never buy a car when it is raining, you can't see this kind of stuff! :rolleyes: Any info you folks can give would be helpful. Would "Forever Black" likely be the product they used?
Charles

[Crazy Harry]

According to my 2004 XC70 Brochure the trim was only available in two colours:

Umber (brown) on Black, Ice White, Ash Gold metallic, Cypress Green metallic and Ruby Red Pearl metallic cars and
Slate (blue) on Nautic Blue metallic and Silver metallic cars.

Black must have been some aftermarket application, but what? Are you the original owner or could you ask the PO what they used?

Harold.

[ChazzyD]

Well, I ordered some Forever Black and I will see if it matches. Unfortunately I don't know who the PO is, so I can't ask them what they used. It seems to look like the pictures from the other post going on right now about Forever Black. I think the car looks very good with black cladding (the rest of the car is silver) and probably much better than faded blue.
Charles

[duncan]

For the Canucks here - pick up "Trim Shine" by Stoner at Canadian Tire. Works wonders. Lasts a long time, is easy to apply (spray on), and looks great

[JRL]

Well, I ordered some Forever Black and I will see if it matches. Unfortunately I don't know who the PO is, so I can't ask them what they used. It seems to look like the pictures from the other post going on right now about Forever Black. I think the car looks very good with black cladding (the rest of the car is silver) and probably much better than faded blue.
Charles

Forever Black is the best of the "Black products" as it is an actual dye, not a cover-up.
If you want this to be 100% permanent, mask them off, scuff and clean them with solvent, then paint them with a bumper spray paint that you can buy at any auto parts store.
They will be dark gray/black but will last for years

[ChazzyD]

Yeah, I have been considering buying some SEM brand black bumper paint. I'm not sure I want to get that deep in it right now, though I may at a later date. Thanks for all your replies.
Charles