[jfullam]

I've got a 2008 XE (Cocoa), love it, have had it since October, but I already have a light ding on the driver door pillar. I have seen a few places that offer Door Pillar kits for the Outlook, but all seem to be in Chrome (see links).
My Black ones are beginning to look generally pretty shabby after only 4 months. Has anyone replaced these?

www.grilletech.info

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SATURN-OUTLOOK-07-CHROME-DOOR-PILLARS-POSTS_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33654QQihZ020QQitemZ300196432105QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

 

[jfullam]

Since I did not get any replies on this, I did some more googling on the topic and found there are some products that help remove the water streaks/spots and discoloration damage done by Car Washes. It seems these Black Door pillars are especially susceptible to the touchless car washes if they are not pre-waxed. One post I found mentions getting a product called Meguiar's Clay Bar Kit, then waxing after cleaning. I plan to give that a try and report the results.

 

[joebrandon1977]

I posted something about this last year. The high gloss door pillars seem to have smudges on them - even after a car wash and using some general cleaning products. Let me know how this works. I am thinking about taking this to the Dealer and letting them look at mine. Not something I would expect on a 4 month old car.

http://www.acadiaforum.net/forum/index.php?topic=2854.0

 

[jfullam]

I picked up the Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit at a local Auto store ($17) and tried it out last night.
It really did take care of the smudges and water spots! You first use this Quik Detailing spray that comes in the kit to lubricate the surface, then knead the clay bar till it is pliable. Then rub the Clay Bar (with some elbow grease) all over the Door Pillar. The Clay Bar is non-abrasive, it really does remove all the contaminants as stated. When finished, wipe the surface dry with the included Microfiber towel, then apply a coat of new wax (also included) to protect the pillars. Worked great (except on my driver side door pillar I have a small indentation from opening it into someone's sideview mirror, the clay bar helped remove the smudge, but the slight dent is still visible :-[ ).

Here is a link to the kit on Amazon, so you can read about it:
http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-G1016-Smooth-Surface-Clay/dp/B00063X7KG

 

[blu3d3vil]

Excellent post! And this kit is cheaper than I thought.

 

[joebrandon1977]

FYI - I also picked up the Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit at a local AutoZone for $17. I just did the pilars and they look great! They look better now than they did when I first bough it. Great recommendation!

If I get some free time on a weekend and it warms up, I might "clay" my entire Outlook.

Do any of the detail shops provide this service? I honestly had not heard of this clay bar process until I read it on this forum. Seems that is provides superior results - just wondering how much it cost to pay someone to do it.