Do you own an F-Series Truck with Piano Black B-Pillars that look scratched and old even though you have been carefully washing it? Your not alone. If you look on the web, you find that there are more posts, videos, and products to polish, or cover your piano black pillars than there are recipes for grandma’s homemade chicken soup.

Now there is an easy way to renew and keep your Piano Black B-Pillars looking new for years to come.

 It is our endeavor to clear up some of the confusion by reviewing several of the most popular ways to restore your piano black pillars and thereby keep you from wasting time and effort, or making an unsatisfactory purchasing decision. Also, because there are so many options for changing the entire look of vehicle B & C pillars such as carbon fiber, polished stainless steel etc. we will only be covering the three most popular fix-it solutions to renew the appearance of the pillars to a factory-like new appearance.

First; we will look at polishing your pillars back to their original gloss black appearance.

To accomplish this you will need a rotary or dual action polisher, polishing pads, two to three polishing compounds, and something to protect your new gloss finish. A less complicated alternative is to use a single polishing compound and go at it utilizing the “Armstrong Method” (polishing by hand) however this usually produces less than adequate results. 

There is another drawback for those who want to polish their pillars back to the original black luster. The restored shiny new finish deteriorates quite rapidly. The deterioration seems to happen even faster than when your vehicle was new. So you will likely be faced with having to perform this ritual with some frequency unless you protect it with something. You could utilize wax or ceramic coating but even these don’t seem to last long on these high wear areas. 

If you do successfully restore the finish, the best way to keep them looking glossy and new is to cover them with Gloss “Clear” Paint Protection Film. https://www.xpel.com/products/paint-protection-film

Second; we will look at covering your pillars with glossy black “Acrylic” Pillar Post Overlays.

At first glance when looking at the pictures on the web, their low cost and the sheer volume of vehicles that these overlays are available for, make these acrylic pillar post overlays seem like the perfect solution. What the pictures don’t show, is that the thin hard acrylic material is completely flat and doesn’t conform to the curvature of the pillar post underneath which makes them look and feel quite unnatural. Another drawback to utilizing these overlays is that they seem to scratch even more easily than the original piano black pillars underneath. And because they are flat, scratches are even more noticeable and it makes them susceptible to getting caught on your wash-mitt or broken-off at the car wash. 

This combined with the “alien stuck-on appearance” makes these overlays a highly probable “buyer’s remorse” product. 

Third; we will look at covering your pillars with XPEL Self Healing “Black” Paint Protection Film. 

If you are at all familiar with modern Paint Protection Film, you are aware of the benefits that PPF provides that no other overlay delivers. Adding to its durable protective qualities are its “Self Healing” properties and you have a remarkable product that actually keeps its appearance free from minor abrasions and scratches automatically!  https://www.xpel.com/products/paint-protection-film

Until just recently PPF has typically been available in only two finishes. Gloss Clear or Satin. Well now there is Super Gloss Black PPF! What’s so great about Gloss Black PPF? What’s awesome about it is that it will completely mask mild surface imperfections that are underneath it! So instead of having to first restore the finish on the surface you are protecting with PPF, you can just cover it with Gloss Black PPF and whalaa! Completely restored to a beautiful high gloss piano black appearance! And because the PPF is self healing, it will look great for years to come! 

B-Pillars Before Piano Black PPF installation.

B-Pillars After Piano Black PPF installation.

Auto Visual Salon offers precision computer cut Piano Black PPF B-Pillar overlays for most vehicles that originally came factory with piano black pillars. And of course Auto Visual Salon offers professional installation, with an average installation time of about an hour. If we are installing window film or a ceramic coating on your F-Series Truck or other vehicle already, why not protect and enhance the appearance of your B-Pillars at the same time. Contact Us for a free quote for your F-Series Truck today! 

 (Shown in the photos are B-Pillars on a brand new F350 Pickup. In photo “A” you can see heavy scratches across both pillars and they look worn and unsightly already.   In photo “B” we have installed the XPEL Gloss Black PPF and the finish looks even better than the original.)