Black bumpers (around rear tag)
 

Does anyone have suggestions as to how to care for (ie darken and bring out some shine to) the two black bumper jobbies found on either side of the rear license tag? Cleaned them with some P21S and they look better but are still a bit dull looking. Actually improved it somewhat by applying some old floor wax I found in the back of a closet (I think the previous owner of the house left it there). Is there something better to use? (I'm sure there is...anyone know what?)

I use Mothers Back-to-Black, works great, most autoparts store carries it.

I agree, best thing I have found so far

They are referred to as 'bumperettes'...

Mine are a bit faded... as well as the plastic trim at the base of the windshield...

I picked up a bottle of Mother's Back To Black... but haven't tried it yet. I do understand that the bumperettes are easily removed, so maybe I'll remove them and clean them up good and try the Back To Black.

... as soon as the weather gives me a nice weekend on which I can throw the super-clean on my ride! It's been total CRAP here for weeks. Rain/cloudy forecast for the WHOLE DARN WEEK. It's pissin me off.

Thanks. I figured they had a name, and I guess I'll go looking for some Mothers in the a.m. And yes, they do come off easily, using a 6 mm Allen wrench. By the way, it's been sunny for days here... :cheers:

consider painting them? I did and they look fabulous.

Paint them,plain and simple.(or pay someone else to do it)

"I use Mothers Back-to-Black, works great, most autoparts store carries it."

I will have to try the Mothers Back-to-Black, I have just used tire dressing and it seems to do a good job.

Ed

:cheers:

HI,

I wouldn't paint mine, I like the contrast between the Black and Guards Red, the car, IMHO, needs a color break at the rear.

The thing to do is to first clean them using denatured alcohol on a rag to remove any previous dressing, road grime, detergent, and open up the pores in the material. Then, I use McGuire's #40 Vinyl Dressing, usually 2 coats. I have also used Black Again (the original formula, no longer made, but I have 2 btls. squirrelled away). The Black Again does a good job, but the McG #40 lastst longer and gives a deeper and flatter Black...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

back to black definitely does wonders.

and yes, painted bumperettes look great, but on some cars its just too much color if they are painted, especially if car has those speedster bumps and rollbar hoops colormatched

i detailed my car today, and did this as well.
take a look, much better looking
http://i15.tinypic.com/504qxyb.jpg

I like em painted, Cleans up the rear, BUT I can see how they look good with Guards Red, I dont mind the black bumperette on my G red 911, except for the fact that they are HUGE! :)

http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/exhaust986s.jpg

Thanks, again, to everybody. A veritable wealth of opinions, all good suggestions. Went with the Mothers BTB, and am very satisfied. The painted ones look good, but with the black top I really like the (cleaned up) black "bumperettes." BTW, Marc, your Boxster's the spittin' image of mine (except for those seal grey bumperettes, of course). You have good taste...

If those painted bumpers are good enough for the newer Porsches and Boxsters then why not update the look of your 986? Porsche seems to think it looks better this way even with a black top or any other color. This is how they come standard now days and if they knew back then how good they would look, they probably would have come that way from the factory way back in 97. ;)

Why not update? Two reasons. One, painting them (or having someone else paint them) entails work/effort on my part, energy (and bucks) I’d rather spend on other Boxster-related projects. Two, call me old-fashioned (and notwithstanding what the folks in Stuttgart deem “good enough for the newer Porsches and Boxsters”), I PREFER the black bumperettes. Silly, I know, but that’s just me…

On silver, I like them painted:
http://i9.tinypic.com/4ti4h8w.jpg

I must be one of the weird ones. I like the bumpers black (seal grey car) and the amber lights!

Good for you. If that makes us "wierd," so be it...

Oops, I meant "weird." It's fortunate that spelling skills don't seem to be a prerequisite on 986forum (or any other forum, far as I can tell).

my car is 3x black and with the painted black bumperettes it looks so much cleaner.
Highly recommend!