Tech Tip: Mud Flap Refresh

Here is my first 'Tech Tip', the Mud Flap Refresh.  We've all seen this problem on the first gen CRX, mud flaps that are sun-faded, covered in 30 years of caked dirt, and are covered in scuffs and gouges.  Some flaps are just too far gone to really refresh, especially if the rubber is starting to crack, but most are savable.  After a little trial and error, I found a good way to bring old mud flaps back to life, and here's how:

Step 1:
Soak the mud flaps in a bucket of Simple Green cleaner and water.  Be liberal with the Simple Green, the more you add the faster the dirt comes off.  Three to four hours soak time is usually all you need, but if the dirt still gives you a hard time, soak them for a couple more hours.

Step 2:
Take them out of the Simple Green solution and scrub them down with a plastic brush.  Rinse periodically to check your progress.  If the solution has broken the dirt down enough, the filth should come right off.

Step 3:
Take a razor blade or a sharp knife and trim off the burrs and chunks of rubber that are sticking out.  Then use a fine file to smooth out abraded edges of the flap.  Don't go crazy with the file though, the rubber is soft and will come off easily.

Step 4:
Wet sand all the exposed surfaces with 400-600 grit sand paper until the surface starts to look uniform.  Be sure to sand areas evenly.  Make sure you make long swipes to avoid over-sanding in one area.  Wiped sanded surface regularly with a dry cloth to check your progress.

Step 5:
Once the surface looks smooth and most of the pock marks and scuffs are gone, switch to 1000 grit sand paper and wet sand the exposed surfaces again.  Again, make sure this is done evenly, and check your progress regularly.

Step 6:
Clean and dry the sanded surfaces, and then rub protectant (I use Mothers Back to Black) onto the mud flap to get a nice black sheen.  You should be pleased with the results.  You will have to continue to apply protectant to the mud flaps because it does wear off.

BEFORE:

AFTER: (Note, this image was taken before protectant was applied)