They Should call it "Back-to-New"!
Written: Sep 08 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Makes black mouldings, plastics, and trim BLACK. It does a great job on other vinyl surfaces too, regardless of color.
Cons: None that I have run into.
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| AVaddict's Full Review: Mothers Back To Black |
Background
I was originally turned on to mothers products by my eldest brother quite some time ago. When I obtained my first Honda, a 1982 Civic 4dr, he immediately recommended cleaning the paint with Mothers P1 Pre-Wax Cleaner and conditioning all of the vinyl, polyester, nylon, etc. on the car, interior and exterior. The results were outstanding! If it were not for the car's outdated (in 1992) appearance and a few dents, the car looked practically new; the trim shone brightly and was a deep, lustrous black and the paint looked new.
It was at this point that I went out and got more of their products including more Back-to-Black. The thing it seemed to do best was to restore not so much the look of the various vinyl and rubber trim pieces, but the FEEL of those parts. It seemed, to some degree, to restore the original feel of the various pieces; softer, smoother. There are other "protectants" out there which are designed for a broader range of uses than Back-to-Black suggests on its label, however I have found that it will produce excellent results on many different surfaces.
Application and Use
As I mentioned this product has a much wider range of uses than the label suggests. These days I use it on my 95 Accord. I use it on the rocker panels, bumper trim, sparingly on the dash, shifter boot, a & b & c pillars, and the interior roof. All of the plastic parts can be conditioned with this product, but depending on the material, it can sometimes feel a little greasy, necessitating the use of, in my case, 2001 instead.
Obviously this product works very well on black parts and pieces, but it also produces a good shine/finish on other colors as well. The interior color scheme of my Accord is greyish blue, including the dash, interior trim, and accents. As I said , not all of these surface benefit (aesthetically) from this product, but the gray becomes deeper, darker, and somehow "richer", if you will. I could use other products, 2001 is VERY effective (look for my review), but I just prefer the look and smell of Back-to-Black. I would say that the shine from this product on the interior parts lasts appreciably longer than other protectants of this kind.
You must be conscientious about the application. Once you put it on it is a very good idea to keep rubbing (lightly) until you can't feel any kind of greasy residue coming off on your hands. I say this because it will attract dust like a magnet, or ashes if you smoke. On the outside of your vehicle, especially on trim that is low to the ground, it will attract dust and road grime quickly if it still sticky, i.e., you didn't get all of it off on application. If you want a wet look to the exterior trim, this product is not going to be what you want. It produces a shine, but a modest shine and certainly not a "wet" shine. It has more of an upscale subtlety to its look.
This product will only last as nature allows. Excessively dusty areas (Austin, Texas), snow ridden (read:SALT!), or very wet and rainy (Seattle) will all take their toll on the staying power of Back-to-Black. Even so, in the worst conditions , it will last long enough and look good enough to make it worthwhile to apply. Rain alone will not make that shine go away, but driving around puts a lot more stress on it.
Summary
Overall this product does what it says (its Mothers, what did you expect) very well. It has a conditioning aspect to its effect that, I believe, will extend the life of the man-made materials it was designed to be applied to. A clean car is a good looking car. A clean car with a good detail looks even better. I believe the cleanliness of your vehicle is a reflection of the person who drives it. You don't have to have OCD to maintain a clean vehicle, just a desire to take care of your investment. Also, it should be noted that neglect of these parts will show as the years go by and will dramatically effect the potential resale value of your vehicle and it only takes a few minutes. The pride you will feel as a result of a job well done is payment enough for me and I'm sure it will be for you too!
Recommended:
Yes
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Location: Texas
Reviews written: 139
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