Teach an old dog new tricks? Or stick with what has been working?

[Accumulator]

is the FK1000P easy to get off? Also, I know with Collinites you have to avoid all black trim. Same with FK1000P?

Eh, sorry...but I`m not the right guy to answer that as I basically never find any LSPs hard to buff off (probably because of my ultra thin *thin* *THIN* applications).

Also, I know with Collinites you have to avoid all black trim. Same with FK1000P?

Noting that I have never had any problems using Collinite 845 on black trim (did it for decades)...yeah, you`d better keep the FK off of that trim. At the risk of sounding like a real [jerk] it shouldn`t be hard if you`re applying it with what I`d consider normal care (I have lots of black trim to avoid too, just isn`t an issue unless I`m careless). Aw man, I just *know* I sound all pedantic posting such stuff and I don`t mean to insinuate that you`re being a hack. It drove me nuts for years until I finally spent some time getting my LSP application technique truly dialed-in, now it`s simply a non-issue.

I ask because my wife`s new dark blue Pilot has a crapload of damn blackish/grayish trim on it. RIGHT where I need the most protection....Near the bottom of the car.

If avoiding that trim just isn`t feasible, maybe just stick with Collinite 845, which you could use on both the paint and the trim. But !oh man! would I prefer to just go through a few minutes of significant hassle to get the protection of the FK.

IF the trim is hard plastic, I`d use the FK on it. If in doubt, buff it off *before it dries*, which doesn`t compromise the durability nearly as much as I`d expected.

Oh, another idea comes to mind: do the trim first with a Trim Sealant, which can then be maintained/boosted with a quick wipe of Spray Wax. That`ll make it easier to (quickly!) buff off any oops! with the FK (before it dries).

Funny, this exact issue really did drive me *NUTS* for ages, wouldn`t use LSPs that stained trim over it, but now...no problem. Guess I`m doing things differently these days. Anyhow...

IF FK1000P/Collinite paste waxes are hard to buff off, consider:

-Use far less. IMO most people use at least 4X as much LSP as they oughta. IF I can clearly see the LSP residue on the paint after it flashes, I figure I used *WAY* too much. I`ve been using my first tin of FK for well over a decade, and I`m doing many coats on big vehicles. Got many years` worth left too.
-Fog the surface with your breath while buffing; the little bit of moisture can make all the diffference.
-Or try a *VERY* light mist/spritz of FK425, followed by a final buff with a perfectly dry MF

 

[JustJesus]

Oh, another idea comes to mind: do the trim first with a Trim Sealant, which can then be maintained/boosted with a quick wipe of Spray Wax. That`ll make it easier to (quickly!) buff off any oops! with the FK (before it dries).

Sounds like a great idea! !

 

[bassett72]

Oh, another idea comes to mind: do the trim first with a Trim Sealant, which can then be maintained/boosted with a quick wipe of Spray Wax. That`ll make it easier to (quickly!) buff off any oops! with the FK (before it dries).

I think I`m set on continuing to use Collinites.....

What do people recommend for a trim sealant?

 

[Setec Astronomy]

What do people recommend for a trim sealant?

I`ve always had good luck with the Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant (WETS); it`s an actual sealant as opposed to a dressing, although it does have an oily/solventy base. Ultima Tire and Trim Guard (UTTG) used to be similar, but they changed that to a water-base. Of course you also can`t go wrong with a wipe-on, walk away (WOWA) sealant like Optimum Opti-Seal or Ultima Paint Guard Plus or Wolfgang Deep Gloss Liquid Seal, if the trim is in good shape.

Full disclosure: I`m may not be up to date with all the new products.

 

[bassett72]

I read a little on the Optimum Opti-Seal...Seems good. So, on one of our vehicles, a 2010 Toyota Tundra, I have black trim that is now more grey. What would folks recommend to get it nice and black again BEFORE putting something like Optimum Opti-Seal on it?

Or is there something that would do all in one?

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Ha, trim restorers are like the holy grail of detailing. Solution Finish seems to be popular; a lot of members go over it with a coating to "lock it in", but I think Solution Finish is making their own topper coating for it now. Also in this recent thread Sizzle Chest used an Adam`s coating on the entire car that seemed to restore the trim well--unknown how long that will last: https://www.autopia.org/forums/clic...e-carrera-operation-fried-egg.html?highlight=

PS Some years ago I started a thread about trim restorer coatings...one of the issues as I remember it is that with the products like C4 and DLUX is that they look great initially, but then later you can`t just go over the trim again to restore the restoration, because you`re going on top of the old coating instead of onto naked trim. Hence the appeal of Solution Finish which is black.

 

[Accumulator]

I think I`m set on continuing to use Collinites.....

What do people recommend for a trim sealant?

I use the Ultima Tire and Trim Guard +. As noted, they`ve changed it to a water-based formulation, and while I do prefer the original, I haven`t noticed that much of a diff with durability/etc. Although, maybe my regular refreshing with a Spray Wax (pretty much at every wash) probably factors in.

If it were mine, I`d probably use the Ultima TTG+ instead of Collinite 845, even if I did have such good results with the latter on trim (if you try the 845 for this...thin *thin* *THIN* and buff it off before it flashes/dries all the way).

Note that the Spray Wax Maintenance regimen isn`t just for looks; if you use Optimum Car Wax (for example) the UV protection can help keep the trim OK between big redos (FWIW, that`s why I also use the OCW on lenses- purely for the UV protection). I dunno about other Spray Waxes, but the UV protection in OCW has been tested/verified.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

the UV protection in OCW has been tested/verified.

You know, I had to look this up. My recollection was the OCW patent had to do with the chemistry of the product (getting the ingredients to mix properly in a water base). And that`s true, for the first patent, but the second patent (I don`t recall when I looked this up years ago if there was one or 2 patents listed on the bottle, but there are 2 now) does actually quote some UV testing, where clearcoat was applied to glass, then the OCW was applied to the clearcoat on half the panel, and the UV transmission through the treated glass was compared to the untreated. The UVA+B transmission was reduced an average of 43.2%.

What the real-world implications of that test are, I would hesitate to conclude. Bear in mind that is before any weathering of the OCW, and whether similar results would be obtained on say, trim, or headlights (which as I understand it use a UV-cured coating, rather than a 2K clear), it`s hard (for me) to extrapolate. Obviously, it can`t hurt.

Also of note is that although Dr. G is the sole inventor on both patents, the first patent was assigned to a Japanese company shortly after it was issued, and both patents are expired since last year, according to GooglePatents; I couldn`t get either of them to come up at the USPTO website, but that`s always been a bit flaky.

 

[Accumulator]

Setec Astronomy- Good on you for doing some actual research on the OCW vs. UV! To sidestep the "OCW weathering" issue, I just do the [UV-sensitive bits] with OCW at every wash. Eh, my vehicles spend so little time in the sun that I could probably just skip it, but finding parts for these things is getting challenging to say the least so I better not take chances.

 

[Dan]

Ha, trim restorers are like the holy grail of detailing. Solution Finish seems to be popular; a lot of members go over it with a coating to "lock it in", but I think Solution Finish is making their own topper coating for it now. Also in this recent thread Sizzle Chest used an Adam`s coating on the entire car that seemed to restore the trim well--unknown how long that will last: https://www.autopia.org/forums/clic...e-carrera-operation-fried-egg.html?highlight=

PS Some years ago I started a thread about trim restorer coatings...one of the issues as I remember it is that with the products like C4 and DLUX is that they look great initially, but then later you can`t just go over the trim again to restore the restoration, because you`re going on top of the old coating instead of onto naked trim. Hence the appeal of Solution Finish which is black.

Solution finish is the the holy grail. Looks great. Even makes new trim look better. I have been meaning to try topping it with something but it`s durable on its own. Everything else lasts a few drives in the rain and it`s done.

 

[TGates]

Accumulator -- I`m curious to learn more about your LSP application method.

 

[Accumulator]

Accumulator -- I`m curious to learn more about your LSP application method.

Sorry, I didn`t mean to leave that hanging...I`m kinda busy these days and haven`t been logging on regularly

Mainly, my LSP Application is just a matter of using as little product as I can get away with. That seems to solve every LSP-related issue I`ve ever had...well, that and just being careful around things I don`t want the LSP getting on. I don`t intend for that to come across as "..quit being careless!" or anything like that, it`s just that I have to be pretty deliberate about it.

I generally figure that if I can see the LSP residue on the vehicle when I go to buff it off then that means I used way too much. I think of it as "the LSP bonds at the molecular level, and 99.999% of what I apply gets buffed off". I usually go by feel when applying since I can`t see it going on, and yeah I have to be careful to get uniform coverage, but that isn`t as hard as I`d expected it to be.

When buffing off the residue, I fog the surface with my breath; the little bit of moisture helps it buff easier. That, combined with the minimal product, makes the buff-off go so well that I figure it evens the score with regard to the care/effort I go through with the application. I can honestly say that *every* LSP I use buffs off easily, even the ones that others find problematic (e.g., Klasse Sealant Glaze, M16, and...yes..the FK1000P),

And if nothing else, all that "taking extreme care" stuff that I go through is still better *for me* than working to correct an "oops!" related to LSP-on-trim or using a non-staining product that doesn`t last/protect as well.

Hope this belated response was of some value.