View Poll Results: Do you use a topper?

Voters
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  • Yes

    21 61.76%
  • No

    10 29.41%
  • Only when the coating is curing

    0 0%
  • If I’m topping with a sealant, why not just use a sealant

    3 8.82%
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  1. #1

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    Do you use a topper on your coating?

    Not probably going to use one on the lite coating I’m applying now* but when I apply a full coating I’m considering my options.

    * want to get the unadulterated coating experience.

  2. #2
    dwaleke's Avatar
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    Do you use a topper on your coating?

    You have to ask yourself what is the topper getting you that the coating is not?


    I use a topper on one of my cars that has 3D`s ceramic coating on it. The topper adds a little gloss, a lot of slickness, and enhances the self cleaning properties. Maybe it will extend the life of the coating but 3D Bead It Up is not very durable itself (1-2mo).

    If the base coating could do all of what the topper does then there would be no need for the topper. As time goes on there will be less and less need for toppers as coating tech gets better.

  3. #3
    BudgetPlan1's Avatar
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    Re: Do you use a topper on your coating?

    What fun is washing a car if ya can`t rub a little sumthin` on it afterwards?

  4. #4
    Mike The Guz's Avatar
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    Re: Do you use a topper on your coating?

    Quote Originally Posted by Cadfael View Post
    Not probably going to use one on the lite coating I’m applying now
    This won`t last long. If you are like a majority on here, you will not be able to avoid touching the paint.

    Quote Originally Posted by Cadfael View Post
    but when I apply a full coating I’m considering my options.
    I mentioned this before but what makes you think Lite is not a full coating? It is more of a full coating then anything.
    Competition Ready Team 1929 Bentley
    1999 Silvermist Metallic Pontiac Grand Prix GT
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    Likes Coatings=crack liked this post

  5. #5

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    Re: Do you use a topper on your coating?

    I can resist touching my wife’s car. The Navigator is just so huge it’s a real drag to keep going. I do know Lite is a real coating, perhaps I should say when I move onto a multi-year coating (if I do).

    I’m keeping my MINI as my detailed fun car!

  6. #6
    PearTree's Avatar
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    Re: Do you use a topper on your coating?

    This is autopia, of course we use toppers! I’m so ingrained to washing a car then using a drying aid I still do with a coating even though it’s really not necessary.

  7. #7
    Mike The Guz's Avatar
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    Re: Do you use a topper on your coating?

    Don`t focus on multi-year. That is the ridiculous claim at the moment just as hardness and SiO2 content.
    Competition Ready Team 1929 Bentley
    1999 Silvermist Metallic Pontiac Grand Prix GT
    2002 Arctic White Chevy Camaro SS

  8. #8

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    Re: Do you use a topper on your coating?

    Quote Originally Posted by The Guz View Post
    Don`t focus on multi-year. That is the ridiculous claim at the moment just as hardness and SiO2 content.
    Please elaborate. What do you see as the difference between UK and Lite for example?

  9. #9
    Mike The Guz's Avatar
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    Do you use a topper on your coating?

    Quote Originally Posted by Cadfael View Post
    Please elaborate. What do you see as the difference between UK and Lite for example?
    Multi year is the next outlandish claim. First it was the percentage of SiO2 in a coating then hardness and now multi year.

    Many of coatings users can attest to this but durability varies based on too many factors. Environment, maintenance, garage kept, daily driven, etc. Real world use is much different when Mother Nature is the tester.

    These multi year claims are lab claims. I’m not picking on Adams but they recently had a Facebook live visit to their B&B blender which is a great video of behind the scenes. But they have a scrubbing machine where they take dawn at some dilution, water and set the machine for a certain amount strokes. These strokes are mimicking the wash process.

    So they assume a variable of X amount strokes equals 1 year. They measure the contact angle until it’s flat and they base their formula on the amount of strokes it took to get their. Thus their 7 year claim on their coating. Various other companies do the same kind of thing.

    Companies like Gyeon and CarPro are more conservative in their claims. Take CanCoat as an example. A claim of up to 6 month but when properly maintained it can exceed that and achieve 12-15 months. Same came be wait for CQ Lite.

    Cquartz UK has a claim of 2 years or more. And yea it can go longer than 2 years with proper car.

    When Cquartz SiC came out the first thing that came outtake first thing out of people’s mouths is how long does it last. Same for P&S Legend where the folks at P&S states depending on variables it has the potential to last up to 5 years.

    This all stems from youtubers pushing out content.

    You joined a forum where you have access to many members who can share their experiences and educate.

    So my advice is pick an established brand and go with it. If you don’t like it try another and repeat until you find something you like.
    Competition Ready Team 1929 Bentley
    1999 Silvermist Metallic Pontiac Grand Prix GT
    2002 Arctic White Chevy Camaro SS
    Thanks Marine Clerk thanked for this post

  10. #10

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    Re: Do you use a topper on your coating?

    Quote Originally Posted by The Guz View Post
    I mentioned this before but what makes you think Lite is not a full coating? It is more of a full coating then anything.
    Hmm, where have I heard the ‘full coating’ before?

    https://youtu.be/RWJdYN_saM8
    Likes William_Wallace liked this post

  11. #11
    dansautodetailing.com Stokdgs's Avatar
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    Re: Do you use a topper on your coating?

    Quote Originally Posted by dwaleke View Post
    You have to ask yourself what is the topper getting you that the coating is not?


    I use a topper on one of my cars that has 3D`s ceramic coating on it. The topper adds a little gloss, a lot of slickness, and enhances the self cleaning properties. Maybe it will extend the life of the coating but 3D Bead It Up is not very durable itself (1-2mo).

    If the base coating could do all of what the topper does then there would be no need for the topper. As time goes on there will be less and less need for toppers as coating tech gets better.
    Coating Tech Was better...

    When the first Coating came out (Optimum Opti-Guard), it did not need a "topper".The word "topper" had not even been invented..
    Optimum was field tested for several years.

    Not some chemical mumbo-jumbo that said "according to our formula,blah,blah,blah, this coating will last for a zillion years"...
    There were a few other coatings out at the same time, and they were great too, but seemed to not have the durability of this one.

    Now, this does not imply that Optimum products were some kind of magic that made everyone who used the big syringe of it became a coating master, etc..
    It had, and still has Everything to do with the Prep before the Application... And it still does today, regardless of what you use..

    Not so serious prep = not so serious results and durability for any product..

    My personal Field Testing - years of rain and snow in the Pacific Northwest, and several 4,000 mile trips through rain sleet, snow, hail, dust, and extreme heat, over several years..

    The only thing that I personally found out that really helped my coatings at all, was the use of the new, invented, Car Pro Reset Soap for washing a coated vehicle, again, years ago..

    When my personal coated vehicles started acting differently to water in a negative way, I found Reset, and after a few washes with it, the coating characteristics, came back.. This is what Car Pro Reset is designed to do.. I still only use Reset to wash my coated vehicles..

    Dan F

  12. #12

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    Re: Do you use a topper on your coating?

    I add a topper because.... why not. I also mainly use PA Cosmic (soon High gloss) because I see a visual difference when I had CqUk3 on my car. Also believe it helped extend the wuality of performance longer.

    What I mean is I topped my CqUk3 and my friends mustang coated a month later wasn’t topped. At over a year both were going well but mine had better water behavior. Both mustang ford paint, garage kept but mine saw more miles. Better proof for me than any you tube video...


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  13. #13
    dwaleke's Avatar
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    Do you use a topper on your coating?

    Quote Originally Posted by Stokdgs View Post
    Coating Tech Was better...

    When the first Coating came out (Optimum Opti-Guard), it did not need a "topper".The word "topper" had not even been invented..
    Optimum was field tested for several years.

    Not some chemical mumbo-jumbo that said "according to our formula,blah,blah,blah, this coating will last for a zillion years"...
    There were a few other coatings out at the same time, and they were great too, but seemed to not have the durability of this one.

    Now, this does not imply that Optimum products were some kind of magic that made everyone who used the big syringe of it became a coating master, etc..
    It had, and still has Everything to do with the Prep before the Application... And it still does today, regardless of what you use..

    Not so serious prep = not so serious results and durability for any product..

    My personal Field Testing - years of rain and snow in the Pacific Northwest, and several 4,000 mile trips through rain sleet, snow, hail, dust, and extreme heat, over several years..

    Dan F
    I had a car with opticoat pro on it. While I agree it was one of the most durable coatings I have experienced it could have benefitted from a topper that added additional gloss and slickness.

    I mean they now offer a product that does just that for all of their latest coating tech called Hyper-seal.

  14. #14
    William_Wallace's Avatar
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    Re: Do you use a topper on your coating?

    Quote Originally Posted by Stokdgs View Post
    Coating Tech Was better...

    When the first Coating came out (Optimum Opti-Guard), it did not need a "topper".The word "topper" had not even been invented..
    Optimum was field tested for several years.

    Not some chemical mumbo-jumbo that said "according to our formula,blah,blah,blah, this coating will last for a zillion years"...
    There were a few other coatings out at the same time, and they were great too, but seemed to not have the durability of this one.

    Now, this does not imply that Optimum products were some kind of magic that made everyone who used the big syringe of it became a coating master, etc..
    It had, and still has Everything to do with the Prep before the Application... And it still does today, regardless of what you use..

    Not so serious prep = not so serious results and durability for any product..

    My personal Field Testing - years of rain and snow in the Pacific Northwest, and several 4,000 mile trips through rain sleet, snow, hail, dust, and extreme heat, over several years..

    The only thing that I personally found out that really helped my coatings at all, was the use of the new, invented, Car Pro Reset Soap for washing a coated vehicle, again, years ago..

    When my personal coated vehicles started acting differently to water in a negative way, I found Reset, and after a few washes with it, the coating characteristics, came back.. This is what Car Pro Reset is designed to do.. I still only use Reset to wash my coated vehicles..

    Dan F
    Nice write up.
    Thanks Stokdgs thanked for this post

  15. #15
    William_Wallace's Avatar
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    Re: Do you use a topper on your coating?

    I always top coatings it’s actually hard to not top them. I like when a topper changes the look of the paint either ups the gloss or darkens the paint or fills swirls. So many good ones and they all perform closely and help the beading. Plus all of these spray toppers your around the whole car in 10 minutes.

    I always rant against opti products because they have such a good opportunity to release something better than gloss coat and cater to much to the professional installer side. If opti released a better coating somewhere between gloss coat and there pro line I would love to try it.

    or top only part of the car and see if you can see a difference.
    Likes Stokdgs liked this post

 

 
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