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  1. #1
    Moderator AutopiaTech's Avatar
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    Cool *UPDATED 12/12* Dashboard Protectant Face Off!



    Interior care and maintenance is just as important as keeping your paint shiny, tires glossy, and windows streak-free. With recent advancements in UV inhibitors and more companies utilizing water-based formulas, there is no better time than now to keep your dash and other plastic and vinyl interior surfaces protected so they look and feel new for years to come. While there are dozens of different vinyl and rubber protectants available at the Autopia Store, I`ve narrowed down four of the most talked about and put together a comparison to see how they perform side by side.





    From left to right:




    Each protectant was applied using the same type of applicator and buffed off immediately after application. When applying any type of interior protectant I never spray the protectant directly onto the panel. I always spray the protectant directly onto a microfiber applicator and then thoroughly massage the protectant into the surface. This ensures no over spray on glass, radio screens, HVAC controls, or any other surface that you don`t want the protectant applied to. Plus, it allows for a more even application of the protectant.




    To achieve optimum performance from your protectant of choice, thoroughly clean the surface first. While most interior protectants feature mild cleaners, I`ve found a dedicated interior cleaner such as Detailer`s Pro Series Total Interior Cleaner does a much better job at removing old protectants, dirt, bodily oils, and anything else you can imagine. Detailer`s Pro Total Interior Cleaner is one of the most versatile interior cleaners available and it can safely be used on leather, carpet, upholstery, etc.




    Just like when applying a protectant, spray the cleaner onto a microfiber towel or applicator to avoid over spray on unintended surfaces.






    After a thorough cleaning with DP Total Interior Cleaner I divided the dash into four sections using 3M masking tape.




    Each product was applied using its own microfiber applicator to ensure no cross contamination occurred between two products. Each product was then buffed immediately after application using the opposite side of the microfiber applicator.

    Below is an example of how much protectant was used for each section. Note the thick viscosity Blackfire Interior Protectant. It was much thicker than the other protectants used.




    After applying each product and lightly buffing it, I removed the tape line and took several pictures with both the flash on and off.

    Flash ON



    Flash OFF





    Below are pictures of each respective protectant with the flash OFF.


    Pinnacle Vinyl & Rubber Protectant




    303 Aerospace Protectant




    Griot`s Garage Vinyl and Rubber Dressing




    Blackfire Interior Protectant



    As you can see each protectant has a visible effect on the appearance of the dash. Blackfire Interior Protectant actually darkened the dash quite a bit while Pinnacle, 303 and Griot`s all provided a more subtle, natural finish. All four were comparable in terms of ease of use and none of them had any obvious streaking. I found the Pinnacle to apply the thinnest while the 303 required a more heavy application to achieve even coverage. All four dried to the touch immediately after buffing and left no sticky residue behind.

    Which one do you think looks best?



    Last edited by AutopiaTech; 12-12-2011 at 01:50 PM.

  2. #2

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    Re: Dashboard Protectant Face Off!

    thanks for the comparison test... i think i kinda prefer the blackfire the most though it might work best on darker interiors. on sandalwood dash the 303 would look better in my opinion.

  3. #3
    AMG Classic Car Detailing Old Pirate's Avatar
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    Re: Dashboard Protectant Face Off!

    Blackfire Interior Protectant of course.....
    AutopiaForums is the place to be.
    Remember to Shop Autopia-CarCare.com for your Detailing Needs!

  4. #4
    Ummm.... Ya..... TroyScherer's Avatar
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    Re: Dashboard Protectant Face Off!

    Nice review and potential test. It is hard to tell but I think I prefer the Blackfire over the other 3. I would be interested in how they look a week or two later and if any of them collect more or less dust.

  5. #5
    Nth Degree's Avatar
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    Re: Dashboard Protectant Face Off!

    Quote Originally Posted by TroyScherer View Post
    Nice review and potential test. It is hard to tell but I think I prefer the Blackfire over the other 3. I would be interested in how they look a week or two later and if any of them collect more or less dust.

    +1 I will be anticipating the 1 week and 2 week review.

    Would love to put the UV protective abilities to the test as well. Care to run this test for the next 2+ years?

  6. #6
    Addicted2Bling's Avatar
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    Re: Dashboard Protectant Face Off!

    Quote Originally Posted by dwgcmc View Post
    +1 I will be anticipating the 1 week and 2 week review.
    I definatly agree on this.
    Get your shine on!

  7. #7
    Moderator AutopiaTech's Avatar
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    Re: Dashboard Protectant Face Off!

    I will provide an update on Monday.

  8. #8
    holland_patrick's Avatar
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    Re: Dashboard Protectant Face Off!

    pb nl

  9. #9
    Detailing Gnosis Bunky's Avatar
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    Re: Dashboard Protectant Face Off!

    Of the four, I would likely go with the Griots. It is nice to see that others have the same even coverage issue with 303.

    Pricing:

    Pinnacle: $25 / 16 oz
    303 $13 / 16 oz
    Griots: $10 for 8 oz, $30 for 35 oz
    Black Fire: $12 for 16 oz.

    Black Fire or 303 seem to be a better deal in 16 oz size. Pinnacle seems to be 2x.

    Al
    The Need to Bead


  10. #10
    Ummm.... Ya..... TroyScherer's Avatar
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    Re: Dashboard Protectant Face Off!

    Quote Originally Posted by Bunky View Post
    Of the four, I would likely go with the Griots. It is nice to see that others have the same even coverage issue with 303.

    Pricing:

    Pinnacle: $25 / 16 oz
    303 $13 / 16 oz
    Griots: $10 for 8 oz, $30 for 16 oz
    Black Fire: $12 for 16 oz.

    Black Fire or 303 seem to be a better deal in 16 oz size. Pinnacle seems to be 2x.
    I didn`t even think about the price when I first gave my answer.
    But now based on this info I would still pick the BF. 303 is a buck cheaper, but i think I prefer the look of the BF. Good catch Al.

  11. #11
    Detailing Gnosis Bunky's Avatar
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    Re: Dashboard Protectant Face Off!

    Quote Originally Posted by TroyScherer View Post
    I didn`t even think about the price when I first gave my answer.
    But now based on this info I would still pick the BF. 303 is a buck cheaper, but i think I prefer the look of the BF. Good catch Al.
    Of the bunch, I had said Griots (fixed price in original quote) since it looked lighter than other (BF seems like an obvious choice if you like a darker trim and probably better for aged trim) and cost wise seemed reasonable.

    Al
    The Need to Bead


  12. #12
    Detailing Gnosis Bunky's Avatar
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    Re: Dashboard Protectant Face Off!

    Quote Originally Posted by TroyScherer View Post
    I didn`t even think about the price when I first gave my answer.
    But now based on this info I would still pick the BF. 303 is a buck cheaper, but i think I prefer the look of the BF. Good catch Al.
    Of the bunch, I had said Griots (fixed price in original quote) since it looked lighter than other. BF seems like an obvious choice if you like a darker trim and probably better of the bunch for aged trim and cost wise seemed reasonable. I cannot tell about the gloss.

    Al
    The Need to Bead


  13. #13
    Moderator AutopiaTech's Avatar
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    Re: Dashboard Protectant Face Off!

    That`s the beauty of selection, everyone can find something that they like.

  14. #14
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    Exclamation Re: Dashboard Protectant Face Off!

    Awesome review!!!!!!!
    All Great products......
    Good pics....Nice work....

  15. #15
    Just a regular guy Todd@RUPES's Avatar
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    Re: Dashboard Protectant Face Off!

    Really cool review Stig!

 

 
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