:D Please get a catalog and look at this website. It is the detailer's dream.I wrote and asked them about the care of the vinyl body panels and the products mentioned were the paint prep to get rid of all the silicone products and then their vinyl dressing. I keep a copy at my throne is one of those get catalogs that is informative and fun.
http://www.griotsgarage.com/index.jsp

Later

Lot of lookers and no comments here. Say hello and what you think.
Thanks.

:arrow: Here is the email I got from "Griots Garage" , hope it helps:
Dear Mr. Mullins,

Thank you very much for your email and interest in Griot's Garage. My wife and I have been looking at a Honda element as well (how do you like yours?). For the exterior plastic you will first and foremost want to have some of our Paint Prep at your side, http://www.griotsgarage.com/search.jsp?searchtext=11135. Paint Prep will help you pull all of the contaminates off of the exterior plastic (silicones, polymers, inferior dressings, etc.)...these are the contaminates that will quickly (very quickly) dull the exterior plastic. Also, with that much exterior plastic, you are going to get wax on it. As a matter of fact, it may happen every single time. Removing the wax will be extremely difficult. What I do for the trim rails on my F-150 is I spray a cotton polishing cloth with a few sprays of Paint Prep and use that to wipe the area down. The wax will be gone and you will be ready to move on. Before you begin, be sure to have some Paint Prep in your garage.

Now, to keep your plastic trim looking its best, use our Vinyl and Rubber Dressing (item 11169), http://www.griotsgarage.com/search.jsp?searchtext=11169. This is the stuff I use on my trim pieces to keep them looking new but to not give them the unnatural 'greasy' look that some "dressing" products on the market can give. Simply use a blue detail sponge to apply the vinyl and rubber dressing. The sponge will give you an even application but also allow the dressing to work its way down into the pores of the plastic trim. Vinyl and Rubber Dressing is the stuff that you will want to use each time you wash your car. It will give your trim back the "like new" look and keep it as protected from UV rays as possible.

Of course, there is not 100% uv protection in any product. Over time, your plastic will fade and, when most of the body panels on your vehicle are the plastic trim, this process will be very noticeable. If you ever get to the point where the trim looks like it is beginning to fade, you can bring it back with our Bumper and Trim Reconditioner, http://www.griotsgarage.com/search.jsp?searchtext=bumper. Of course, this is a dye and will turn your plastic back to the factory black color. If you have a lighter gray trim (to begin, not after it fades) or any other color of trim, this is not the product to use as it will turn it black. But, if your trim is black to begin with, this stuff is indispensable.

Long story short, be sure to use silicone free products on your paint. Not only are silicones harmful to your paint, they will destroy plastic trim. Keep the area protected with our V&R dressing and revitalize it with our bumper and trim reconditioner!

I hope this information will be helpful. If you have any additional questions please feel free to reply to this email, or call our Customer Service Department at (800) 345-5789 6am - 6pm M-F and 7am - 3:30pm Saturday PST.

Thanks again for your e-mail and have a great day!

Have fun in your garage!

Steve Youmans
Internet Customer Care Representative
Griot's Garage
800-345-5789 ext. 113
syoumans@griotsgarage.com
www.griotsgarage.com



-----Original Message-----
From: pbmullins@msn.com [mailto:pbmullins@msn.com]
Sent: Monday, May 19, 2003 3:58 PM
To: Info
Subject: Ask a Question


FirstName:Paul
LastName:Mullins
Email:pbmullins@msn.com
Subject:Product Questions
Question:I am going to purchase a Honda Element that has alot of exterior vinyl/plastic panels. What product do you recommend? It needs to stand up to rain of course. Say check out this website. You may find a cool way to advertise your products...http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/viewforum.php?sid=9b3e6fa820886ad352f4825ac5b95813
See what I mean?

Also I need to repaint my garage floor and I previouly used your paint. What do I do now that I have the old paint down?
Thank, Paul Mullins

I tried the links you posted, but it said "Search error" no product found. :(

www.griotsgarage.com will get you there.

There is a tab at the bottom of the Griot'sgarage page that you can click on to have them mail you a product handbook.

Thanks for the info.

hey thanks for the tip on what to use on the plastic, as i expected they say the plastic will fade. but i will be a lot of fun getting to that point!

Well I got my order from Griot's Garage and started using their products on My Sunset Orange Pearl EX. The vinyl dressing is great both inide and outside. The blue sponge applicator really is the ticket for the Elements panels. This stuff gives vinyl a clean satin look not a rub down with crisco look of Armorall. The Speed Shine is wonderful. Get home from work and if any bird crap, dust, bug juice has found its way I just hit it with Speed shine and can give the enitre car a showroom look in about 5 minutes!

I took my SOP back to the dealer after using the vinyl dressing and Best of Show car wax and it looked better than any car on the lot.

Enjoy the Ride!

Thanks for posting your response from Griot's Garage, Legolas. I've decided to order the products from them to care for my vehicle. This sounds like the way to go for exterior plastic panel care.

Best regards,
8)

Let us know if the Vinyl Dressing runs at any point.

thx,
-k

:D KOOK,
The vinyl dressing seems to hold up well with rain and car washes. It also takes just a little time to freshen it up with a little rub of the blue sponge applicator. I also like how it gives the dash a clean satin sheen like it is suppose to look.

The Speed Shine is a cool product also. I had my car all clean and waxed then it rained and mud puddle splashed the doors and panels. I pulled in my garage hit it with Speed shine wiped it off and it looked good again. Saved me hours of time.
ENJOY THE RIDE!

[quote:058db7e194="zozohead"]There is a tab at the bottom of the Griot'sgarage page that you can click on to have them mail you a product handbook.

Thanks for the info.[/quote:058db7e194]

LOVE these people - and once you buy something from them, you will be on their mailing list for YEARS. (Not a bad thing...)

Check this out - best on the market (http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog.jsp?L1=L1_1000&L2=L2_1001&SKU=66073)


I actually had one of those for about a year. It had a wood base and started to "shed". I wrote Griot's and they sent me one with the plastic handle - no questions asked. Little expensive, but well worth it.

Sounds like good stuff--just ordered some from their website. Thanks for the very helpful post!

Well, I have only gone as far as ordering the catalog and it got here today (7/25/03) so I will be going thru it to look for more other than the vinyl protectant and other stuff for the E.

Thanks, Ger

Nice answer from the Griot's people. Their products do look to be of good quality.

I'm not that thrilled with the Vinylex from Lexol. It's far better than Armor All (IMHO, a poke in the eye with a sharp stick is better than Armor All) but I am not sure how the product is really sticking in there to protect. I have my car under a carport and that's the best I can do, lacking a garage. This still leaves me feeling that too much rain, air crud, etc. can and does get on Lucy, and as the guy from Griot's said, the first place this will show up is on the plastic. So that's why I'm looking for SUPER plastic protection.

Did you see in "Richard's Clearance" section that he has a backup-alarm plus halogen light on sale, and the photo has him "running over" his blue-haired mother-in-law? ROFL!

I'd actually like to get one of those halogen light/alarm things. I'm very careful, but people are sometimes so zoned out in their own world walking through parking lots. A fellow walked right in my path the other day not even noticing the cute orange car braking suddenly to avoid him. Sheeze!

Hello Lucious Hellwench.

What you need for a backup alarm is a forklift alarm. I got one at a truck accessories store and put it on and people nearbye not even in the path start looking for the trash truck!! At 118 dBl, it is quite loud!

Ger

I recently ordered the starter kit $59 from Griot's Garage and I used it on Friday. I highly recommend this stuff! It took a while to put it all on, but I washed/dried, then used their Clay (you use their spray, then rub the clay on the paint surfaces, then wipe the surface off w/a cotton towel), then the surface is ready to wax! After the wax, I used their vinyl dressing for the exterior panels. It looked sharp!!!! The vinyl dressing doesn't come out shiny, but it is a matte finish, but when you touch them - you can tell it is coated! I live in a super dry climate - so I feel better with them being coated. Also, if you haven't used clay before, the surface is like glass/mirror shine! It is the smoothest thing you've ever felt!!!! :)

luv my E
Carrie