2000 WJ:

I've tried the Black-Restore stuff and it simply doesn't work. I'm thinking about masking them off and painting them but I don't know what kind of paint to use.

The exterior material of the bumpers and low-side panels appears to be some kind of rubber-polymer that has a grey-matte appearance and very faded.

The paint would obviously need to be UV resistant and durable.

Any suggestions are much appreciated.

 

Try doing a test patch with a heat gun.

 

Many others have had good luck with Krylon Fusion for plastics. It says it doesn't need any prep, but if you've used any petroleum based produce on it already, I'd clean it with alcohol first. It dries to the touch in 15 minutes and you can second coat it before 24 hours, but after that you should wait 7 days.

I bought 4 cans of stain black, but now I'll have to wait until spring to do it because I don't have a heated garage to do it in. I bought one can at True Value Hardware and asked for more. The salesman said "They don't make it in satin." I said "Oh, look! You've got one right here!" Then I went to Home Depot and bought the other 3.

It holds up pretty well on lawn furniture, so it should work on the bumpers and side moldings. AND it's cheap!

It comes in many colors, but IDK if you can match the original paint so I just bought the black. My jeep is Stone White and I thought a nice dark charcoal would be nice, but no luck.

 

I used Rust Oleum bed liner spray. Has a nice texture and has seemed to last pretty well on properly prepared plastic panels. I did my bumpers first without much prep and they are flaking a bit. The side cladding was cleaned and prime red, they still look great.