How I Turned My Gray Panels Black For Under $10

I always liked the contrast of the gray panels on my black Element but recently I wanted to really shoot for a darker stealthy look. I had toyed with the idea of swapping out all my 03 gray panels for the new 05 "black" panels but I'd lose my sidesteps and splashguards as the black rocker trim doesnt fit with the 03-04 sidesteps or splashguards. That along with having to redo my LED clearance lights on the corners of the roof and not to mention the freakin' cost of just going a few shades darker from an already dark gray to basically a really, really dark gray nearly black panel. I also thought if I were to go this route anyway then why not just go with the new 06 EX-P panels? I really like the painted panels on the black but it gives the Element a "dressed up" look and I want to lean a bit more toward the flat satiny black instead of being so glossy. More "Mad Max" and less "KnightRider".
But in the end I just didn't want to spend around the $2000 it would cost to swap all the panels and replace the sidesteps, splashguards etc.
So I put that idea into the back of my mind. Then I saw someone here mention a permanent black plastic dye to use for when black plastic trim becomes discolored or faded. I thought it wouldn't do a damn thing on the gray panels but I looked into it anyway. It's called "Forever Black" and it usually comes in small 4oz bottles with an applicator sponge on the tip. I googled around thru several car forums and found where truck owners, Jeep owners and even BMW owners have used it and liked it on their faded black trim. It's usually sold on Ebay so I figured I'd try a couple bottles out maybe only on the roof trim and see what happens. They were only about $20 for 2 bottles with shipping included. I figured 2 bottles should be enuff for the 6 pieces of gray plastic roof panels, I hoped. So when it arrived, the bottles looked even smaller than I thought they would and I got nervous. I decided to test this glorified shoe polish on the leftover plastic caps where the roof racks mounted. This way if it's crap, then no one will ever see it because the part isn't even on the car anymore. I sponge it on, covering the textured surface and let it sit. It says it only takes 15-20 minutes to dry and it did. It looked pretty good, not totally black but much much darker. I scratched at it with a fingernail and tried to rub it off but it still looked fine. Stuck it under hot water and scrubbed with a rag and still good. I should have probably waited atleast overnite to see if the mess would eat holes thru the plastic but I got all excited. So what the hell, I'll play the guinea pig. I grabbed a small hand sponge and went to town on the roof panels........
By the time I finished, only 2 hours had passed and I had done nearly every square inch of exterior plastic on the Element, and was only thru half of one bottle! This crap is amazing. It literally goes on like the sponge bottle shoe polish but it absorbs right into the plastic. A larger sponge than what the bottle is equipped with is best because it prevents streaking by spreading it with larger swipes but it's very easy to work with. It blended fairly well and darkened all the panels to where they are a pretty close match to the 05-06 "black" panels. I'm extremely happy with the darker tone and it gives the Element a more sinister look. It's been several days now since I applied the dye and the panels still look fine. Time will tell if they look like ass eventually but so far so good.

Empire endorses "Forever Black"
www.foreverblack.com





Here are some sample shots.
I'd say everyone knows what the standard gray panels look like thru different lighting situations so you can use that as a "Before" to compare with these. Most of these were taken either at near dusk or at night so that could be working for the tone but I'll post a decent daylight pic when I get the chance.