AcrylicWerks Test Car #2

[Anthony O.]

If all goes as planned tomorrow I will post before and after pictures of a green metallic Ford Mustang that is badly scratched and swirled and then contact Mark Gonzales and have him come out again and do his side of the hood.



This test will settle the issue of how well AcrylicWerks does on this type of a paint problem. The black Chevy truck we did for the "cleaning" portion of the test has since not returned to the hospital in order for me to take updated pictures and show my side polished out completely.



I am really looking forward to tomorrow though because this hood is in sad shape as you will all see and even using conventional means (high speed rotary, cutting product) may not do a whole lot to improve the appearance but we shall see.



So until tomorrow.....



Anthony

[Anthony O.]

Sorry to say folks today was a total wash out. Rain and hail ruined any chance of me getting to the test car today.



Sorry for the delay but I will try again tomorrow.



Anthony

[imported_Greg]

Have you talked to the Acrylicwerks guy to verify his participation in this venture? I know that I can speak for most of us here when I say I hope you teach him a lesson or else we have the magical wonder product.

[Scottwax]

Looking forward to your testing Anthony.



BTW, mostly sunny and mid 90s today. Rained sometime last night though because the side roads were still a bit damp this morning.

[Scott301]

Can`t wait.



Brad

[AWMark]

Well here we are back in business, with a demo car to boot. I`m ready and should say that not only will I work the spot designated by Anthony, but I will also do the black plastic cowl in front of the windshield, the wiper arm and the black rubber seal on the drivers door (just to prove the versitility) which based on the description of the paint, should be in disrepair as well.

As for what`s new, well we finally got the new and improved web-site online with some new graphics, complete instructions and some before and after photos of my own. In the first set of photos you will see a 1986 Black Ford Ranger severely oxidized. The owner is in the Army and had spent 3 years in Alaska, according to him, when he arrived that was pretty much the last time he remembered the truck ever having a shine, and he`s been stationed here at Fort Sam Houston for an additional 2 years before running into me. The demo took place at the base Shopette in the parking lot around 12:30 in the afternoon, it was clear skies, sunny and about 98 degrees. The surface temperature of the vehicle was not taken, but it had been outside all day, and was easily hot enough to cook a steak. As I was cleaning the surface with the polish you could see a steam vapor trail on the surface, I used a second washcloth on top of the one I was working with to avoid burning my hand. I did this to back up my statement about using this product in the direct sun, and to impress the 7 bystanders who were there to see if I was really going to get a shine on that surface with it being that hot. Well in the end I failed miserably, GOTCHA! In the end I had another customer and gained seven more after I did demo`s on each one of their cars and one very faded camper shell. As I mention to all who will listen, I`ve never had a customer say, "Well that demo looks like crap, but here`s $30.00 for the effort!" Again, I will apologize for the mishap with Brad and I only wish I could have done a personal demonstration for him just to see what he`s up against. I would guess, he`s still fighting the swirl damage in his paint? I`ve had one of my East coast customers offer to visit with Brad to see if there was a way to help him. My question is still the same, what did he use and over what period of time did he use these products that created such severe damage? I`ve photographed my 2000 Gold Ford Taurus to give some ideas how my polish has maintained the surface over the last 3 years and being in the weather (SAN DIEGO & SAN ANTONIO) with no cover, exposed day and night. Well it`s late and I`ve got to get some rest. I wish all a good night and a prosperous tomorrow.



Mark G.

[Mmmph]

Originally posted by AWMark

...web-site online with some new graphics, complete instructions and some before and after photos of my own.

I clicked through every link on your web site, except the log-in to buy the product.



I went through the site twice. I found no before and after pics. :nixweiss

[Anthony O.]

I see no pictures of any cars except those on the home splash page but they don`t seem to lead anywhere when clicked on.



Also Mark in the case of your product VS wax you have built up strawman arguments against wax which then allows you to easily come by and knock it down. For example you state:



"Wax can never be crystal clear. Have you ever seen a candle that had the clarity of a glass rod? Didn’t think so."



Mark, with your above statement you are suggesting that car wax and candle wax are one in the same but this is not true is it?



You also write:



"Ever wonder why most of our competitors encourage consumers to purchase 3 to 14 different bottles of their product (at $7, $10 to $14 each) just to achieve that showroom finish? Unfortunately to maintain that showroom finish look, you are rewarded with having to reapply all of those products again within 3-4 weeks when your surface encounters extended outdoor exposure. Aside from your exhausting efforts and precious time in reapplying all those products, this method could very well get quite expensive for a wax product!"



Mark this again is incorrect and misleading. A client of mine purchased an 8oz tub of Trade Secret from me almost a year and half ago and a bottle of AIO. He re-applys the wax every 6 to 8 weeks and re-applies the AIO every 3 to 4 months. If he applies the products as I instructed him to do so he will have at least another years worth of applications. So for two years, give or take a day, of applications for about $40 bucks I would say he is getting a great value. PLUS you overlook the fact that many people, especially Autopians, whether they be pro or not, love to detail cars. This is not the "Oh man, do I need to detail my car again" crowd. Rather they look forward to it. Also many products used by Autopians do not require "3 to 14 different bottles". In fact I know of no system that requires "14" different products, even the Zaino line doesn`t require that.



You write:



"To date, we have measured some finishes up to 8’ deep, identifying every mark on the tape measure."



If I am understanding this right, and please correct me if I am wrong, you are basing AcrylicWerks shine and gloss results on how much of a tape measure you can read clearly in a reflection??

If this be the case then many detailers on this forum can beat that with their products, I mean just take a look at a few of the pictures of finished cars on this site.



You write:



"Most waxes maintain to be safe on these types of paint finishes however you are instructed to test the wax in an inconspicuous spot first"



Mark, none, and I mean NONE of the waxes I use have this warning within their instructions. This is what I mean by building up a strawman, or stacking the deck in your favor. I would like to hear from others on this forum and see if they have waxes with this warning or perhaps you can produce popular waxes used with this warning.



You write:



"And why must you always apply waxes in a circular motion?"



Here again this is misleading because I never apply waxes in a circular motion and if I do it is not because the instructions tell me to do so because it contains abrasives. Most waxes and sealants suggest using a back and forth application method. But your next statement really says alot.



You write:



"Is it because clear-coat safe abrasives look better leaving circular scratches on your finish? And if that were the case, wouldn’t it be safe to assume that if you continue to rub these abrasives in a circular motion, there just might be a chance you could finally abrade through your clearcoat or begin thinning your paint? Remember, abrasives only quit working when you quit rubbing!"



Mark, I am really surprised that you would use such false information to sell your product. I say this because we have met in person and you are a real nice and pleasant guy who I would not see as one who needs use these tactics. First, linear scratches always look better that circular scratches because the circles catch more of a lights source reflection. Second, you would have to be the Hulk to be able to rub through or thin your paints clear coat by hand, unless you are using steel wool with that 80 grit wax. Third, with todays technology we have "non-abrasive levelers" which level the paint by way of chemical cleaners. By hand these will not work well but with the heat and friction produced by a polisher they work great. These though are not waxes but rather paint correction products. Then we have paint cleaning products with abrasives BUT these mechanical cleaning abrasives are designed to break down as they are used and then they become a polishing agent. Meguiars and 3M lead the industry in this area. So that statement is riddled with false statements about 1) waxes and 2) abrasives. Abrasives of TODAY do not continue to stay abrasive, unlike the compunds made 10 or 15 years ago.



As for the test car I hope that the weather permits me to at least take a few pictures of it today. I am playing Mr. Mom at the moment. I will try to get out there today sometime.



Anthony

[Poorboy]

Wow Anthony I think you`ve hit today`s products right on the nose...less PD`s, diminishing abrasives, and back and forth motion to reduce the visable fine scratching....



only products I know that say test in a unseen spot...are leather and vinyl cleaners and dressings...I have seen many leathers and vinyls give up color if a product is too strong or if a leather was redyed and not done properly....

[BradE]

AWMark, please check your PM`s.

[AWMark]

Hello To All,



Well, after many hours I finally figured out how to get my photos from the Kodak Picture CD into a file and then over to this site. If you want you may now go to "GALLERY" and type "acrylic-werks" into the search box. I`ve included 12 photos. I used my Harvest Gold 2000 Ford Taurus initially. The car has 40K miles and does not go into a garage, ever. It was purchased from a Ford Dealer 5 miles from the ocean in San Diego. It was outside day and night only 8 miles from the ocean since we purchased the car. It was with the dealer since November 1999. Now, I`m introducing it to a totally new enviroment, since June 2003 here in San Antonio, heat and rain! I left the mirror casings untouched since we purchased the car, and finally caved in and restored them. I`ve done far worse in some live demonstrations, which I will be happy to photograph now that I know how to post photos. Everything on the exterior was handled with one product, and that shine is one thing, feeling the surface on a 100+ degree day just blows people away. Get fingerprints on any surface and I can wipe them off with my own hand. I will begin detailing the engine to show the versitility of my product to the Servicemen and Women at Ft. Sam Houston here in S.A. The truck in the photo is a 1986 Black Ford Ranger. The owner stated he had not seen it shiney in 5+ years not to mention the brutal beating it took for 3 years while he was stationed in Alaska. The day of the demo, it was 98 degrees outside, he had been out all morning, the truck was unwashed (although I highly recommend washing before starting the vehicle), it was a little after noon and by several accounts from the bystanders the surface was probably hot enough to cook a steak on it, FAST! As you will see in the picture the results are the results. This is the way I`ve done it for seven years and I don`t think I will change it, I`m going to expand it very soon. Hope this helps, and if my customers send me some before and after photos of their vehicles I will post for all to see.



Good night to all,

Mark G.

[imported_Greg]

I guess I don`t understand why so much emphasis is put on the temperature of the paint and the condition of trim pieces or if this product can detail engines. I could really care less about these three factors. I`ve got a garage and enough trim products to last 2 lifetimes and have a good engine detailing system. I think what we are most interested in is the fact that it claims to clean, polish, and seal. I want to see heavily swirled and oxidized car before and after.



Edit: I just looked at the cars in the gallery and I have some comments. Ok- your Taurus looks good, but I don`t feel that it is a good test vehicle to demonstrate a products effectiveness. I mean I could take those shots on a car that has simply been washed and the outcome would be the same. As for the truck, well I don`t really know what to think of the picture. Obviously it was very oxidized, but all I see is a patch in the middle of the hood where it looks like something is spilled on it. I want a full before and after picture of the truck and up close pictures of the paint.

[disasnguy]

Originally posted by Greg

I guess I don`t understand why so much emphasis is put on the temperature of the paint and the condition of trim pieces or if this product can detail engines. I could really care less about these three factors. I`ve got a garage and enough trim products to last 2 lifetimes and have a good engine detailing system. I think what we are most interested in is the fact that it claims to clean, polish, and seal. I want to see heavily swirled and oxidized car before and after.



Edit: I just looked at the cars in the gallery and I have some comments. Ok- your Taurus looks good, but I don`t feel that it is a good test vehicle to demonstrate a products effectiveness. I mean I could take those shots on a car that has simply been washed and the outcome would be the same. As for the truck, well I don`t really know what to think of the picture. Obviously it was very oxidized, but all I see is a patch in the middle of the hood where it looks like something is spilled on it. I want a full before and after picture of the truck and up close pictures of the paint.

Word...

[AWMark]

Hey Greg, just look at the reflection value in that square on the hood of the black truck. Try spilling something on a surface like that and photograph it and lets all look at the results. Swirl damage photos will be comming in short order. Trim pieces are very important and even though your vehicle is garaged, I`d be willing to bet there`s room for improvement. Everyone, have a nice day.

Mark G.

[Anthony O.]

Hello all,



Well after taking several pictures of test car #2 I have come to the conclusion that this car just won`t work. I mean the car is scratched and swirled like no other but I can`t get them to appear on film. It`s either too darn sunny out and because it is a green metallic paint the reflection is too bright and inside the parking area the lighting is not bright enough and the pictures come out too dark.



So I am on the hunt again for another tester. I have a black Mercedes in mind that is a customers car but I just have to clear it with him first. The reason I wanted the green Mustang was because the car is almost always there in the garage parking. While if I chose a Dr`s car they are always on the go and most of my clients cars aren`t in need of swirl and scratch removal.



So as soon as I find another test car I`ll post the pictures of a before and after on one half of the hood, my process and how long it took and then call Mark and set up a time for him to come and do his side. This test will show how AcrylicWerks, which claims to have no abrasives in it, can 1) level paint and 2) remove and NOT hide or cover up scratches and swirls.



Mark,

not to sound rude or anything but did you not see my rather lengthy post in this thread about the misleading information you have posted on your website? Just wondering because there was no response. Talk to you soon.



Anthony