School Me on Coatings

[jw3571]

I`ve been an Autopian for a long time. However, I haven`t kept up on the new products for the last 3 years. I`ll still use a carnauba or a sealant. I just got a new Red 911 which got me looking on the site again. Now it seems everyone is talking about coatings. I looked through a lot of posts but am looking to be schooled on coatings. My main questions are:

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages to coatings.
2. Are coatings as slick as carnuba`s or LSP`s?
3. I have a newly installed Suntek paint protection film applied to the front of the car. Can I apply a coating over the top?
4. Which are the most popular and easy to work with?

Thanks

[ShaneB]

1. Coatings last MUCH longer than wax or sealant. some offer improved swirl/mar resistance. Application can be tricky and its very important the surface is 100% clean. Also paint should be polished to a point you are happy with because once you coat over any swirls or scratches, they will be sealed under the coating. If you decide you want them polished out you end up having to remove the coating.
2. Some are some aren`t. Gtechniq Exo V2 is very slick from my experience. Cquartz UK not so much
3. Yes
4. Lots of love for the pinnacle black label line. I like Gtechniq Exo myself. Many people like Cquartz UK as well. Ease of use from what ive heard (never used it myself) goes to the pinnacle black label paint coating. Also heard a lot of great things about optimum gloss coat. both in terms of ease of use and looks.

Im sure many others will chime in.

congrats on the new car! share some pics!

[Mike lambert]

I agree with everything above. Most coatings have a topper spray they recommend which helps them feel slick and bead nicely.
I prefer Gyeon and Kamikaze coatings for looks and durability.

[Van185]

I`ve only tried Gtechniq and Pinnacle Black Label so far. The durability has been good. I got about 8 months out of the Gtechniq, but my vehicle is parked outside every day and the winters here can be pretty bad. I offered good protection and was super slick. The Pinnacle Black is not as slick but seems to have held up well so far. I just got Blackfire and have not tried it yet, but soon will. It was on sale on the Blackfire web site and with the Thanksgiving discount was worth trying for the price. Hope it`s good.

[52split]

Optimum Gloss Coat was the easiest to apply (most flashed away requiring minimal to zero buffing) and leaves a great shine. Going on almost 1.5 years and going strong!

[jw3571]

Well my heads spinning with these different options but still can`t decide which one to pull the trigger. I`ve narrowed it down to Optimum Gloss Coat, Pinnacle Black Label, or the Blackfire. Which would be best for red? Any opinions?

[House of Wax]

I`d be surprised if you got any solid answer for one being better on red than the others.

I`ve used PBL several times and just did Gloss Coat for the first time last weekend. Both were fairly simple to apply and both look great. Honestly I don`t think you can go wrong with either.

[RaysWay]

Optimum Gloss Coat was the easiest to apply (most flashed away requiring minimal to zero buffing) and leaves a great shine. Going on almost 1.5 years and going strong!

+1 for Gloss-Coat. I`ve held the best beading championship belt for the parking lot here for about 1.5 years with no signs of slowing down

[jw3571]

Thanks, I am leaning toward the Gloss Coat. Do you top it with anything? What kind of QD do you use with it?

[52split]

Don`t use anything with it. It looks great on its own!

[kevincwelch]

I was really confused going into this process myself a few years ago.

My first coating was Gtechniq C1/EXOv2. I read a lot about coatings themselves, and I even pulled a full white papers on nanocoatings, wetting properties and the like to learn more about them in general. Ironically, I picked probably one of the harder ones to apply since it is done in two parts and is time/temperature dependent. Nevertheless, with good planning and patience, the finished product was spectacular. I had two really bad high spots with my first application. In reality, only one was a high spot, and that was on my roof in the middle where my reach was challenged and my lighting was poorest. The other "high spot" was where I got some C1 on my glove and I put my glove on the window. I later noticed this hazy area that was actually crystalized C1. I had to buff it off!

I`ve used the following coatings: Gtrechniq C1, C4, C5, G1, EXOv2; 22PLE VG1, 22PLE VX-1 Pro; Pinnacle Black Label Diamond Paint coating, window coating and wheel coating; CQuartz, CQuartz DLUX; Gyeon Booster. I have have a bottle of Gyeon Mohs waiting to go and some Wolfgang Uber Ceramic Coating.

The easiest to apply and buff is PBL Diamond Paint Coating. By far, this was the easiest to apply and buff. The gloss was fantastic, but I was VERY disappointed with the longevity and the testing I did with 4 different prep products. Others have had much better experience.

I`ve used 22PLE VX1 twice, and it`s pretty easy to apply and buff.

Gyeon Booster I didn`t like. It flashed way too quickly for me. I have no idea if any product went down.

In terms of looks, the C1/EXOv2 and the 22PLE have looked fantastic, and the hydrophobicity is amazing for both of them. The C1/EXOv2 combo is very slick, but 22PLE is slightly grabby. This past time around, I coated the 22PLE with EXOv2, and I have a slicker surface.

I`ve heard Blackfire looks great, but several people have reported difficulty applying it recently.

Looking forward to using the WG Uber coating; haven`t heard anything bad about it, and it seems to have the same look as many other coatings.

Next up: Gyeon Mohs with Kamikaze Overcoat.

[jw3571]

I ended up pulling the trigger on the Optimum Gloss Coat.

[kevincwelch]

Let us know how it goes! I`ve been curious about that coating as well.

(Sent via my mobile device)

[Stokdgs]

I ended up pulling the trigger on the Optimum Gloss Coat.

Great Choice !
It`s been around the longest - years - and is still going strong..

Just remember to really work out a plan and process for the preparation - which should be done right before you apply the product, so the paintwork is as clean and debris free as possible..

You cant get the paint really clean, and drive around for a few days, weeks, etc., come home, wash the car, wipe it down, and expect it to adhere as good as it would right after you cleaned it really well the first time...

The way I treat it - its like going into Surgery - everything is really clean, the shop is really clean, no dust blowing around, floor is totally swept and/or wet down so no dust comes up, etc...
The big garage doors are NOT opened at all the entire time and I keep it in there for as many 24 hour periods I can get and this is just to get it dry and start the Curing process which takes longer..
Read up on their website or go to their forum and read there too..
Good Luck!
Dan F