i fixed mine this morning... i bought the adhesive vinyl from ebay just for $4.95 go to this link http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/24-x-...Q5fAccessories
it takes only 20 to 30 minutes to get back same gloss black pillars.

 

yup. i made a diy on how to fix them with vinyl

 

my idea is to tell acurazine members that they can get cheap vinyl from ebay like i did.

 

How will they hold under the elements. I put some vinyl on mine and the heat made them bubble... I just re-painted mine, best bet imo. But hopefully this vinyl is good.

 

so you just put these on and cut them with a razor? do you have to use a heat gun to get them to stick on or you just put them on?

 

I've always wondered why they get that faded, rubbed-out look of mine.
Along with the pebble-chipped hood, scratched doors, etc. Acura paint sure is thin.
Not like my previous car, a black Volvo 850T.

What really wants my attentions, however would be the hazy headlight covers,
lightly scratched windshield, and drivers seat with less than it's original back and butt support.

 

finalcroos it was really easy. i cut them using the razor and put them on u can even stretch it.

 

Nice avatar.

 

You should hear my accordion playing.

 

Sorry, but you sounded like you are the seller of the vinyl material. It is good to know such vinyl exists.

 

They still need to be taken off the car to be wrapped, right? What did you do?

 

ive had my vinyl covered pillars for what, 2-3years now. chicago heat/winters, hail everything. their still on there and look just as good as when i put them on. get quality vinyl that is rated for out door use.

u dont need to take anything out. just sand the pillar smooth, clean it really good and start applying it.

 

yup!

 

Cool. So, just open both doors, apply the self adhering vinyl, wrap around the sides as much as possible and trim the excess with a razor?

 

nice easy and cheap fix. did you guys have to use a heatgun or hairdryer. or is the vinyl adhesive good enough?

 

just like that severin

noting other than like a cc or dl so u dont get any bubbles. helps if u got another set of hands

 

you don't need anything except a razor and this vinyl.

 

^ thanks for clarifying. that's awesome then. might do it soon.

 

buy it from above link and its really cheap.

 

How much did you purchase to do the 4 doors leaving a cushion amount for mistakes, 1 or 2?

 

i bought 1 to do all 4 pillars and i still have some left over to do 1 more pillar.

 

Just got mine from that link on ebay. Shipping was fast and quailty looks decent. I will try and put on sometime this month and show some pictures. thanks for the link.

 

Got mine yesterday, going to attempt this when it cools off because its blazing outside in Atlanta.

 

shipping was amazingly fast. make sure you prep the surface. make it even otherwise you will get bubbles in it like i did. but put some pics

 

I decided to do a small test area with no prep other than a wipe down with some isopropyl alchohol:



As you will see, the texture of my peeled paint beneath is apparent upon close inspection; those bumps are not bubbles. The vinyl is very easy to cut with an exacto blade.

I'd debating whether I really want to sand it on-car first or just apply over it.

I'll leave it on the car during the heatwave and see how it removes this weekend before I tackle the whole job.

 

i just sanded down the pillars 600, 1000, 2000, polishing compound and left it as polished plastic. this way there's no need to replace the vinyl overlay every few years.

 

On-car or off-car? By machine or hand?

I thought they were painted metal.... they are completely plastic?

 

on a sunny day these bumps gonna turn slighty into bubbles then back to bumps believe me.. just even out the surface

 

I agree with you; I'll sand them smooth first.

 

can you post some pictures of finished product?

 

Here's a shot I just took (the car is filthy):



So, after more than a month of 90 degree plus weather, I am still thrilled with the results. The pillars look brand new again; whenever I pass another TL on the highway I'm always looking at their pillars and theirs look terrible!

Here are my words of wisdom:

(1) Wet sand the exterior of the pillars down first (only what you see with the doors closed). This really takes only 5 minutes per pillar. Take it down to dull matte plastic.
(2) Buy two rolls of the black vinyl to make the install easier. Cut a rectangle that is larger than each pillar by a good 1.5" or more in every dimension. A single roll is enough for maybe 5 pillars, with very little slop factor. What I found it that when applying the vinyl, it is very easy to squew it. Pulling it up again to straighten it out will introduce bubbles. Give yourself a lot of overhand slop so that you don't need to worry about this.
(3) Get a nice plastic applicator; like a bondo blade or plastic putty blade (from the paint section at Home Depot) which is larger than the width of a pillar. Start at the top and peel the backing; apply down the pillar, pulling the backing off as you apply using pressure until you reach the bottom.
(4) Trim the excess with an exacto blade (very little pressure needed). Do NOT try to wrap it around the pillars; cut it right at the bevel all around the edges. Why? The weather stipping around the doors will hit the edge of the vinyl if you wrap it and lift/bunch it all up! (I made this mistake).
(5) When done, your vinyl will cover only the visible edge of the pillars.

On a hot hot day, you may notice some micro bubbling, but it quickly goes away when it cools. Let me tell you, this is the best $10 improvement I've made! Thanks OP for the original Ebay link!

 

great! thanks for posting a pic

 

hmmm that looks pretty good, this'll probably be my next diy project.

 

Mine had been painted with a flat black matte finish paint when I bought the car. Looks fine to me. Flat paint hides imperfections.
I wondered why everyone on here was always complaining about their B pillars, then I saw another TL with bad ones and realized why the complaining. It was only then that I noticed mine had been painted with the black flat paint. Works for me.

 

Thanks for the pics, DIY, and ebay link. In for 2. I'll finally be rid of those horrid B pillars.

 

Im going to buy a couple of these and wrap the chrome around the windows.

 

Got any pics?