cf2121
New member
TL;DR – Optimum Gloss Coat (GC) works just as advertised with the proper maintenance routine. DLUX looks like crap (user error?) but beads like protection is still there, Gyeon is awesome.
Note: these GIFS are all prior to washing the car
https://gfycat.com/HappyGregariousCollardlizard
https://gfycat.com/NaughtyAlarmingCaiman
https://gfycat.com/WelcomeOpulentAsp
https://gfycat.com/CompassionateAnchoredIsabellineshrike
https://gfycat.com/GleamingHighCur
https://gfycat.com/EnlightenedTimelyAlpinegoat
I usually wash my car about three to four times a month (once a week or so). Keeping up with this routine has obviously made things easier to clean along the way. In my previous job I was parked near a rail yard which had my car contaminated very easily. I had to clean out my coating once a month with an Iron X application across the whole vehicle. Since I switched jobs and am now parked in a normal lot, I see significantly less contamination on my paint.
I’ve clayed my car once in the past year, which was the beginning of June. I have spot clayed in the past year, but not top to bottom like this. There was nothing crazy on the paint, I suspect the coating helped keep surface contamination to the minimum.
For soaps, I stuck to Carpro Reset and Optimum Car Soap. I found that soaps with waxes in them quickly masked the hydrophobic abilities of GC and even gave the appearance of a sloppy failing LSP.
The first few weeks after I applied the coating I used Ammo Hydrate to dry the car. While it dried it no problem, it left a streaky surface because the spray wax couldn’t absorb into the coating. Similar to the soaps with wax, it left an undesirable sloppy beading effect.
ONR and Meguiar’s D114 both work very nicely with GC. I had no issues with either when drying the car with those.
I used the Turbo Dryer from PBMG to dry my car 95% of the time. The water would fly off the surface with ease.
There is little to no marring introduced on my paint.
The wheels are a different story. While the coating is still there, it is not as pronounced as it used to be. Instead of beading all over, some spots slowly sheet off water. I think the heat from the wheels may have something to do with GC not holding up as well as it did on the paint so far. If you have the opportunity & right tools and work space to do so, I would still recommend coating your wheels, especially if they give off tons of brake dust like mine do. It has made cleaning them very easy.
DLUX can be a real PITA. It’s hard to apply, streaks easily, and doesn’t always come out evenly. It works, don’t think I’m not saying that it doesn’t, there’s just a ton of variables with it that can easily make you frustrated or give you undesirable results. And trust me when I say I don’t want to discourage anyone from trying it. My Passat (link here) came out perfectly.
I think my problem was that I applied too much of it and waited too long to wipe it off. It’s only rated to last a year, so I think the appearance I’m getting is DLUX starting to wear off.
As you can see from the GIF, it still beads. It just looks like crap at the moment.
I applied it to my headlights and it looks and beads fine. Nothing odd to report there.
The Gyeon tire dressing is still beading after a month of use. While the gloss goes away after a week or the first wash, the tire retains a nice black matte finish to it. I have also noticed the tire staying cleaner than it would if it were dressed with something like PERL.
I tested Gyeon tire on a piece of trim on my car and it lasted about three weeks before wearing off.
Thanks for looking & reading!
Note: these GIFS are all prior to washing the car
https://gfycat.com/HappyGregariousCollardlizard
https://gfycat.com/NaughtyAlarmingCaiman
https://gfycat.com/WelcomeOpulentAsp
https://gfycat.com/CompassionateAnchoredIsabellineshrike
https://gfycat.com/GleamingHighCur
https://gfycat.com/EnlightenedTimelyAlpinegoat
I usually wash my car about three to four times a month (once a week or so). Keeping up with this routine has obviously made things easier to clean along the way. In my previous job I was parked near a rail yard which had my car contaminated very easily. I had to clean out my coating once a month with an Iron X application across the whole vehicle. Since I switched jobs and am now parked in a normal lot, I see significantly less contamination on my paint.
I’ve clayed my car once in the past year, which was the beginning of June. I have spot clayed in the past year, but not top to bottom like this. There was nothing crazy on the paint, I suspect the coating helped keep surface contamination to the minimum.
For soaps, I stuck to Carpro Reset and Optimum Car Soap. I found that soaps with waxes in them quickly masked the hydrophobic abilities of GC and even gave the appearance of a sloppy failing LSP.
The first few weeks after I applied the coating I used Ammo Hydrate to dry the car. While it dried it no problem, it left a streaky surface because the spray wax couldn’t absorb into the coating. Similar to the soaps with wax, it left an undesirable sloppy beading effect.
ONR and Meguiar’s D114 both work very nicely with GC. I had no issues with either when drying the car with those.
I used the Turbo Dryer from PBMG to dry my car 95% of the time. The water would fly off the surface with ease.
There is little to no marring introduced on my paint.
The wheels are a different story. While the coating is still there, it is not as pronounced as it used to be. Instead of beading all over, some spots slowly sheet off water. I think the heat from the wheels may have something to do with GC not holding up as well as it did on the paint so far. If you have the opportunity & right tools and work space to do so, I would still recommend coating your wheels, especially if they give off tons of brake dust like mine do. It has made cleaning them very easy.
DLUX can be a real PITA. It’s hard to apply, streaks easily, and doesn’t always come out evenly. It works, don’t think I’m not saying that it doesn’t, there’s just a ton of variables with it that can easily make you frustrated or give you undesirable results. And trust me when I say I don’t want to discourage anyone from trying it. My Passat (link here) came out perfectly.
I think my problem was that I applied too much of it and waited too long to wipe it off. It’s only rated to last a year, so I think the appearance I’m getting is DLUX starting to wear off.
As you can see from the GIF, it still beads. It just looks like crap at the moment.
I applied it to my headlights and it looks and beads fine. Nothing odd to report there.
The Gyeon tire dressing is still beading after a month of use. While the gloss goes away after a week or the first wash, the tire retains a nice black matte finish to it. I have also noticed the tire staying cleaner than it would if it were dressed with something like PERL.
I tested Gyeon tire on a piece of trim on my car and it lasted about three weeks before wearing off.
Thanks for looking & reading!
