I've got all 4 plastic fender flares new from quadratec (the bare plastic ones - no coating on them) and I am wondering which of the various plastic paints available would be best. Going with satin black.

VHT High Temp Plastic Paint claims it does not need any primer or adhesion promoter. This is appealing given the parts are new and clean - makes me think I could just spray them and be done?

SEM Products has a couple of different options for plastic. One for "Trim" and another for "bumper". They recommend cleaning and adhesion promoter.

Krylon has a bunch of good reviews.

Does anyone have any first hand experience with any other these brands or recommend something in particular. If I feel more confident about one and try that route, I will probably do the bumper corner caps at the same time.

OR... Should I just leave the fender flares bare black plastic?

 

I guess the whole thought of painting the black plastic is to keep it looking black - my old 97 XJ plastic trim had faded to a perfect grey color. Which on that white jeep didn't look bad. My current XJ is Green and black trim would look much better.

Is there any product recommended that will keep the black plastic from fading besides painting them?

 

I used Plastidip and it worked well on the factory flares.

I would leave as is and deal with painting later if needed.

 

I've had good results with krylon fusion matte on my fender flares.

 

If you want the easiest route, the VHT high-temp plastic paint should work fine since your flares are new and clean no primer needed, just spray and go. But if you want the most durable finish, SEM bumper paint with adhesion promoter is the way to go, especially since you’re doing the bumper caps too. Bare plastic will eventually fade and look uneven, so satin black is a smart move for a consistent, long-lasting look. Test a small area first to make sure it bonds well, then commit. Either way, it’ll look way better than untreated plastic in the long run.

 

Thanks for the advice! When the cosmetic improvement phase comes around for this rig, I think I will go with the SEM.