When released, the GMC Syclone was dressed and sold with a matte finish on its cladding. A long debate within the community has always been the information regarding the Syclone cladding paint. Today, it is not uncommon to see cladding with different shades of black, fade to a chalky gray color, or even show signs of peeling. So is the cladding painted, or did it come in "raw" plastic? According to a past service bulletin, the answer is yes, the cladding was indeed purposely painted to obtain the matte finish.
The TSB bulletin below references the steps needed to obtain the matte finish of cladding when needing to be replaced on the truck. This information is provided as a reference ONLY and used at your discretion! It has been noted that owners following these steps with mixed results with cladding not matching perfectly with other pieces. With the variances and upgrades in paint products over the past 30+ years results may vary.
TSB BULLETIN 92-1073(A)
Dated April 1992
1) Inspect part for damage. Remove from the vehicle if necessary.
2) Wash with soap and water.
3) Solvent wipe with DX-330 grease and wax remover or equivalent.
4) Repair damage and featheredge the surrounding area with 240-320 grit paper.
5) For Gray molding: Apply one wet coat of DP Epoxy Primer.
For black molding: Apply one wet coat of DP-90 Epoxy Primer
If additional filling is needed, apply 2 coats of K-36 Acrylic Urethane Primer Surfacer
Finish sand with 400 grit, and re-apply 1 coat of epoxy primer
6) Apply 2-3 coats of K-36 or K-200 Primer surfacer mixed with K-248 Flexible hardener.
7) After primer surfacer is dry, block sand with 400-600 grit. Clean with DX-330 grease and wax remover.
8) For Gray cladding: Apply 2-3 coats Deltron Acrylic Urethane DAU 35552 mixed with DX-369 Flexible additive.
For Black cladding: Apply 2-3 coats of DDL9862 low gloss black paint. (Note: there's no mention of flexible additive)
9) Allow to dry for 16 hours or force dry 40 minutes at 140 degrees.
Both this, and TSB 92-10-41 reference DDL 9862 as the refinish color for black cladding. It's quite possible that both of these were superseded sometime in 93, but they will give you the correct original color. It comes out really flat... you'll think the color is wrong, until you apply a good wax to it.
