Carplastix

Actually, we still don't know exactly. At first we thought it was due to UV radiation, however, we had to reconsider this because we have refurbished new unused original parts packed in boxes without access to light and thus UV radiation a few times. Even these parts were sticky after a few years of storage. Given that in tropical areas, sometimes 2-year-old cars get sticky, we are inclined to believe that the surface degradation is caused by prolonged exposure to heat and higher humidity. It is not the plastic that becomes sticky, but the paint that is applied to the plastic or aluminium in some parts.

It can't. We're using a different paint. Original parts are painted with the so-called soft touch paint. That is that soft, velvety or "rubberised" surface. While it is new, its great advantage is its unrivalled resistance to scratches, abrasion and chemicals. Later, however, its huge disadvantage, namely rapid degradation, prevails. As the years go by, it gets softer and softer and more rubbery until it completely melts and starts to become sticky. For some car brands, it doesn't get as sticky, but it does start to peel. Over the years, more or less, all car makers have gradually moved towards the use of hard touch paint, which we also use. It is opaque, with a silky smooth surface. It is very similar in appearance, shade and haptics to the soft touch paint, but it does not have the "rubber" haptics. Its biggest advantage is that it is permanent. It definitely won't start to get sticky or peel over time. The only thing that can happen after years of use is that the most used areas become a little rubbed.

We laser burn all the graphics, as is done in primary production, and we place emphasis on the exact reproduction of the graphics to be exactly the same as the original. For some parts, we even sourced original drawings of the graphics from the original manufacturers. Our competitors often use stickers, so the backlit parts don't even glow at night after they've been refurbished. I'm not even talking about the graphics execution with different text fonts, different icons, thicker or thinner lines, or where an arrow is still an arrow, but it looks completely different than the original. These are apparent details, but they can spoil the final impression.

Sometimes the decision is easy; some parts are no longer available, so there is no other option. When new original parts are available, you have to take into account that buying them will only solve the problem for a few years before they start to become sticky again. That's why clients prefer refurbishing. The parts will never get sticky after refurbishment carried out by us. Even if a part is damaged, it is rare that it cannot be repaired. We do this routinely, parts are often cracked or broken. Parts that cannot be repaired or are repaired very frequently are gradually being replaced by our production of new parts, including our surface treatment.

That would probably be a longer story. In short, since I was a kid I have liked to "tinker" with cars and always enjoyed restoring something, ideally something that nobody else can, and something that is very visible. I love the difference between before and after. The rarer the car, the better. I have done leather upholstery service for cars, boats, planes, worked for BMW, Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley and airlines. I was refinishing the leather on a Ferrari 550 Maranello that had this problem with the plastics. I thought someone had destroyed them, but when I did the third Ferrari with the same etched plastics, I realised that this must be the problem with these cars. That's how it all started in 2015. Today, there are 6 of us in the company, and that's only because I don't know where to find other skilled people. Yes, I like sports cars. I bought my first Maserati when our courier in France lost a parcel of parts. So I bought the car to take the parts out of it, refurbish them and send to the customer :-)