Got To Try My GTechniq C4 Trim Restorer

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Setec Astronomy

Well-known member
Finally got to try my C4 that I got from Hawaii yesterday on my friend Jr's wheel spats...mud flaps...whatever they are, they are hard textured black plastic. Cleaned them up good with some APC and then IPA, then masked so as not to get any on the paint.


Before:
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50/50:
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Finished (white spot at top is a flash reflection):
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Spot on totally unprepped windshield cowling...we'll see how long this lasts:
1371.JPG


It was about 50F and overcast yesterday, this stuff went on like a dream and dried instantly and was shiny smooth. The bottle has kind of a wide mouth for the amount you use (about the diameter of a toothpaste tube nozzle), I wet the supplied cosmetic applicator once by holding it on the top and upending it for a second...I'm sure I could have done both sides and more with just that one wetting (of about a 3/8" circle), but I got the applicator dirty so I wet another spot. Anyway, I basically used nothing. And this stuff did NOT go on like a WOWA at all.

I got this stuff for cowlings mainly...it was so easy that even if it only lasts half as long as they claim (they claim 2 years) it will be worth the $50 for cars like this one (you can't see in the cowling picture but this one has tons of narrow ridges that it's impossible to get between to "massage" in lotion dressings), and because the bottle is going to last forever.
 
Please keep us updated. I have been looking into getting this as a more permanent solution for plastic trim. The problem I have is what will I do with the other trim restorers that I have. :wall But if this stuff works as well as it claims I may have to pick some up.
 
TroyScherer said:
The problem I have is what will I do with the other trim restorers that I have.
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Ha ha, story of my life. "Wow, this new [fill in product category] is SO much better than all this other stuff I have...now I just have to use up all this not-so-good stuff before I can use the new stuff again...:(...
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Ha ha, story of my life. "Wow, this new [fill in product category] is SO much better than all this other stuff I have...now I just have to use up all this not-so-good stuff before I can use the new stuff again...:(...
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Yep, so true... I just can't bring myself to buy any new product (You name the product or category) until I use up the stuff I do have. To me it not that my products are inferior compared to others in their category just different or not the current flavor of the month. I do some detailing on the side but not enough to go through my products as quickly as needed to be able to always be purchasing the latest and greatest. But these new Nano Coatings are game changers IMO and on a level all their own.
 
Setec, I also look forward to reading about your longer term experience with this product. Like many others here (assumption) I have gone through a list of trim products that start out promising enough but just don't last over time and I'm talking about months not years. I think if I could get 6 months out of a product I would be happy...nah...if I could get 6 months I would want a year. :redface: :lol2:
 
TroyScherer said:
Yep, so true... I just can't bring myself to buy any new product (You name the product or category) until I use up the stuff I do have. To me it not that my products are inferior compared to others in their category just different or not the current flavor of the month.
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Ha ha...I got all the flavors of the month back when I first got caught up in all this forum stuff in 2004 and 2005...and I'm STILL trying to use up all that stuff from back then :p

Concours.John said:
Is this silicon based? I'm looking for non-silicon that works. I like the look.
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Actually, I think it is silica or silicon-based, but it's not silicone AFAIK.

Mr. Clean said:
I also look forward to reading about your longer term experience with this product. Like many others here (assumption) I have gone through a list of trim products that start out promising enough but just don't last over time and I'm talking about months not years.
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Well, Jr. drove through a huge rainstorm today and washed all the dressing off her tires, but she said the C4 held up like a champ, so I guess it's cured already. She'll pop in here at some point.
 
Pretty impressive. I am interested to see how it hold ups. My go to for trim has been UTTG. I would love to see how the C4 holds up to weather.
 
Thanks for the review and the pictures.

I think for now I will just stick with my products on hand like most others until I run out. I will however be making a little fund for this product line.
 
So...I finished that cowling yesterday. I wanted to leave that test spot as an experiment, but Jr. wasn't on board with that. I don't seem to be able to upload any photos, but I can tell you that this stuff is still the bomb, but it behaved a little differently this time, perhaps because all these plastic surfaces respond differently. Turns out it's a little tricky on surfaces that have a lot of different geography and textures (you'll see if I can ever get the pics in).

So I found out a few things. One, that test spot on a totally unprepped surface was still fine and held up to a toothbrush and straight Meg's APC (surface was wetted first). Second, I was able to go over that spot with the new application without any problem, and it seemed to blend in fine. I also learned that if you put it on too heavy, it doesn't dry instantly (or maybe it just didn't dry instantly on this surface), and if you feel it before it's dry (guess how I know?) it is kind of sticky and smears. Fortunately if you go back over it with the applicator it seems to smooth back out. My big problem was the ribbed and slotted areas of this cowling, which it's always almost impossible to work dressing into all the corners, etc. Even though the C4 flows out like a dream, I couldn't get in those areas with the supplied cosmetic applicators and was forced to use a Q-tip, and even then had trouble. This resulted in over-application in those areas, which I had to try and "mop up" with the cosmetic applicator. I also found that it's possible to get uneven application if you go back over, where you can get a slightly streaky appearance.

Once again I seemed to use almost no product, so the high cost doesn't seem like such an issue (unless you knock over the bottle), and I'm pretty confident in saying this will easily be the longest-lasting "dressing" I have ever used.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
...Once again I seemed to use almost no product, so the high cost doesn't seem like such an issue (unless you knock over the bottle), and I'm pretty confident in saying this will easily be the longest-lasting "dressing" I have ever used.
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This can't be the Setec I remember...1 week is a little early to hand off the champeenship belt. Or maybe your expectations are lower than my own. :D
 
Mr. Clean said:
This can't be the Setec I remember...1 week is a little early to hand off the champeenship belt. Or maybe your expectations are lower than my own. :D
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I scrubbed that test spot (which had zero prep before application except a wash, no attempt to remove previous dressings, etc.) with straight APC and a toothbrush, and it was basically unaffected. What other dressing would stand up to that?
 
Though I have admittedly not tried to remove any dressings, I've had several that stood up to scrubbing with a scrub/bristle brush and both car wash soap and diluted APC after a week or two following the inital application.
 
I dunno, most of them seem to get washed off by the rain. Maybe I'm guilty of not doing adequate prep for the silicone-based dressings. Things like Black Wow only last a few weeks for me in the summer, and that Meg's Ultimate Trim was better, maybe a month or so.
 
Never tried Black Wow, so I can't compare. I don't know about what constitutes "adequate" prep for everyone, but I try to pre-clean by scrubbing with both car wash soap and a diluted (dilution rates vary, but normally 1:4) APC followed by an IPA (1:1) wipe down. Doing just that amount of prep I can easily get a week out of something as mundane as Meguiar's Natural Shine. That stuff is cheap enough to reapply weekly if necessary. Yes, that is easy enough, but sometimes I would prefer not to have to spend the extra minutes to make the application.

With PB's TR, it seems to take me quite a bit more time to make the multiple applications when "restoral" is required. Luckily I have only 1 vehicle now that has such an issue, and it is one of my own.

1Z Einszett's Tiefenpfleger is another that is capable of providing a week or two's worth of protection with normal cleaning. There are others too, American Shine's Super Shine, etc. and etc.

I probably should give Meguiar's Ultimate Trim and Ultima Tire & Trim products a try.
 
Ok, got my pictures to upload but I can't edit them into my earlier post.

This is the test spot from the week before, you can see the pollen on it.
IMG_1481resize.jpg


Sorry this is blurry but this is the test spot after scrubbing with a toothbrush and straight Meg's APC (surface was wetted first)
IMG_1490resize.jpg


Here's a 50/50...the lighting isn't so good in the upper part...the lower part that's in the shade gives you more of an idea of the dramatic improvement...and you can also see all the pain-in-the-neck ribs
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Finished:
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As noted in my earlier post, you CAN put this on too heavy and get uneven results, we'll see if those even out over time.
 
I am so impressed by the results of this trim restorer! Setec will tell you I am so fussy about how any of my trims look! The cowling and spats on my car have not looked this good since the car was brand new! It has now rained several times since the GTechniq C4 Trim Restorer was applied and it still looks the same as day one! In the past we have spent endless hours meticulously applying other trim restorers only to have them fade/wash off very quickly! I am confident this is THE one!!!!!

:bigups
 
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Setec, any update on the C4 testing? I just I am torn between something like C4 or OC on new or good looking trim.
 
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