Restoring Your Chrome and Trim Like a Pro (Mar 2026)

Give the car a proper wash first. Use your APC and a detailing brush to scrub the trim and around the badges. You'd be amazed how much red dust hides in those gaps. If you don't get the grit out now, you'll just scratch the surface when you start polishing.

I mean properly dry. Use a blower if you've got one. Water hiding behind a badge will run out halfway through your polishing and ruin your day. Trust me, I've had many 'colourful' words with my pressure washer over this.

This is the part most blokes skip because they're in a rush. Don't. Tape off the paint around the chrome and the rubber around the plastic. Metal polish is abrasive and can dull your clear coat, and trim restorers can be a nightmare to get off paint if they dry.

Check if it's real metal or 'plastic chrome'. Tap it with your fingernail. If it's plastic (like most modern grilles), be very gentle. If it's real chrome on an old Kingswood or a bullbar, you can be a bit more aggressive.

Apply a pea-sized amount of metal polish to a microfibre or 0000 steel wool (if it's pitted). Work in small circles. You'll see the cloth turn black, that's the chemical reaction happening. That's a good sign!

Don't let the polish dry completely. Buff it off with a clean microfibre while it's still a bit hazy. If it's still looking dull, give it another crack. Sometimes it takes three or four passes to get through years of coastal salt corrosion.

Now for the plastics. Wipe them down with your IPA or panel prep. This removes any wax or silicone from the servo car wash that's sitting on the surface. If the plastic doesn't feel 'squeaky' clean, the restorer won't bond.

If using something like Solution Finish, put a few drops on a foam applicator. Wipe it on evenly. It's essentially a dye, so keep it off your skin unless you want black fingers for a week (made that mistake on a black Commodore, never again).

After a minute or two, lightly wipe over the plastic with a clean microfibre. This levels out the high spots so you don't get streaks when the sun hits it. It should look factory matte or satin, not greasy.

For window rubbers, I prefer a dedicated rubber protectant rather than a dye. Apply it, let it soak in for 10 minutes, then buff off the excess. This keeps them supple so they don't crack in the 40 degree heat.

Pull the tape off carefully. Check for any white polish residue in the cracks. If you find some, use a soft brush or a toothpick wrapped in a microfibre to clear it out. It's the little details that make it look professional.