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Flannigan
01-24-2012, 05:47 PM
Blackfire Total Eclipse Tire Gel

I was one of the people lucky enough to be asked to test out some of the new Blackfire products and write reviews before they were released. The first product I tested was the new Blackfire Total Eclipse Tire Gel. I was excited to try this product because the old Blackfire Tire Gel is my current favorite tire dressing. For that reason I decided to not only review the new product, but also compare it to the old product.
Here is the new Blackfire Total Eclipse Tire Gel and the applicator I used to apply it.



http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n81/twistedframe/Blackfire%20Total%20Eclipse%20Tire%20Gel%20Review/DSC_0061.jpg


About the product:
When I prepare to do a review I like to first read all the directions on the package, and also take note of the color, smell, and consistency of the product. The new BFTETG’s package clearly states that it is water based, and contains no solvents. Right away I went to look at the old BFTG and while it doesn’t say it contains solvents, it is quite obvious from the fell that it is solvent based. So already we are dealing with a totally different product. The new BFTETG is a very pale pink color and smells very fruity, I want to say cherry, but I could be wrong. The old BFTG is almost clear in color and smells like chemicals. So we can be sure this is an ALL NEW product. The directions on the new BFTETG state that you can apply one coat for a natural look, or two coats for a high gloss look. So let’s get on to the application!!


Here is the product on the applicator.


http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n81/twistedframe/Blackfire%20Total%20Eclipse%20Tire%20Gel%20Review/DSC_0072.jpg


The first night I received it, it was raining outside, but I wanted to try this new product. So I pulled out a wheel from one of my old cars and tested it out. I will admit that I just wiped this tire down since I had no way to rinse it. You will notice a little bit of brown in the undressed sections. Don’t worry, later on in the review you will see a perfectly clean tire.


I wanted to see the difference between this product and the old, so I put down some tape on the tire so we could see a clear difference between the two. Here is how they both looked right after application. Nothing has been wiped down, and nothing is “dry”. The new product is on the right, and the old product is on the left.


http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n81/twistedframe/Blackfire%20Total%20Eclipse%20Tire%20Gel%20Review/rightafterapplication001.jpg


And a closer look


http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n81/twistedframe/Blackfire%20Total%20Eclipse%20Tire%20Gel%20Review/rightafterapplication002.jpg


Right away we can see the difference. The older product leaves a very very deep black look, but also has a lot of shine. I personally like a bit of shine, but I know there are a lot of people that don’t care for it. As you can see the new product leave a nice dark finish, but there isn’t much shine, and it isn’t quite as dark as the original product.
To get a better idea of the final look I went ahead and wiped down both sides with a MF towel. This knocked down some shine on each side, but for the most part they both look similar to the pics from before the wipe down.


http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n81/twistedframe/Blackfire%20Total%20Eclipse%20Tire%20Gel%20Review/afterwipedown001.jpg


http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n81/twistedframe/Blackfire%20Total%20Eclipse%20Tire%20Gel%20Review/afterwipe002.jpg


Now personally, I like the look of the old product more, but that isn’t to say the new product isn’t good. For a low gloss dressing it looks great in my opinion. It darkens the tire very well for being water based, and is very easy to apply.


Next I wanted to get a tire that was properly cleaned first so I could do a durability test. I cleaned the tire on my wife’s Explorer with APC, and then wiped it down with solvent to insure a perfectly clean base. Again I put a piece of tape in the middle and dressed the left side with the new dressing, and the right side with the old dressing. I will be checking the tire every few days to see how both products are holding up.


http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n81/twistedframe/Blackfire%20Total%20Eclipse%20Tire%20Gel%20Review/DSC_0120.jpg


http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n81/twistedframe/Blackfire%20Total%20Eclipse%20Tire%20Gel%20Review/DSC_0119.jpg


Conclusion:
Overall I think the new BFTETG is a great product that many people will enjoy using. It is water based so you don't have to worry about an oily mess building up on your tires, it dries to the touch, and it is very user friendly (spreads easily). If you are a fan of a low to medium gloss look on tires I think you would be very happy with this new product!



Finally I just wanted to add two more pictures of each product on a clean tire by itself, so you can see what each one looks like. The first picture is of the old product on a GTR tire, and the second picture is TWO coats of the new product on a Mercedes tire from a detail I did over the weekend. Again, I prefer the look of the old dressing, but the new product still looks great as well.


http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n81/twistedframe/White%20GT-R/wheel002.jpg


http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n81/twistedframe/Blackfire%20Total%20Eclipse%20Tire%20Gel%20Review/DSC_0140.jpg

Thanks for taking the time to read my review. I will update it on a regular basis with durability of each product! I look forward to any comments or questions you may have!

hoyt66
01-24-2012, 05:58 PM
That looks good. Not as much shine as the original. I bought the original on bogo. Wish I
would of known. The original seems really messy to me. Even getting it out of the bottle

the product seems to dribble all over the place.

CAMAROZL1
01-24-2012, 06:01 PM
I like the low gloss personally. I can't wait to try this out

Flash Gordon
01-24-2012, 08:13 PM
Nice review Flannigan! I love all things Blackfire :hungry:





http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/images/statusicon/wol_error.gifThis image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized %1%2 and weights %3.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n81/twistedframe/Blackfire%20Total%20Eclipse%20Tire%20Gel%20Review/DSC_0119.jpg




You missed a spot :poke:

Flannigan
01-24-2012, 08:31 PM
That looks good. Not as much shine as the original. I bought the original on bogo. Wish I
would of known. The original seems really messy to me. Even getting it out of the bottle

the product seems to dribble all over the place.
Thanks. Sorry you don't like the original. I'd be happy to buy it off you if you'd like :)

I like the low gloss personally. I can't wait to try this outHope you like it! :props:



Nice review Flannigan! I love all things Blackfire :hungry:





http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/images/statusicon/wol_error.gifThis image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized %1%2 and weights %3.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n81/twistedframe/Blackfire%20Total%20Eclipse%20Tire%20Gel%20Review/DSC_0119.jpg




You missed a spot :poke:

LOL Thanks for pointing that out Flash!! Im the MAN

CEE DOG
01-25-2012, 12:49 AM
Sweet work DAVEY!! Like you I prefer the darker look on my tires in most cases.

tw33k2514
01-25-2012, 01:28 AM
I'm a Fan of a satin low shine look. I am pretty pumped about this launching. Great review!

ArkayoDeetayo
01-25-2012, 02:47 AM
Great review Flannigan...love your reviews, it's up way up there as one of the best grouped with Corey. Especially loved your Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant review, made me buy 4 bottles.

I am a bit sad to see the comparison that the new product is not as dark and glossy. I like my tires really dark (such as the picture of the old product) and glossy/shiny. Especially the picture with the one where the old product is really black black and the other is a greyish black. Again, great review, they picked the right person to review if they wanted to sell this product!

WRAPT C5Z06
01-25-2012, 03:15 AM
New look, less shine > old formula

Cooter
01-25-2012, 05:54 AM
Looks great Davey!! Im looking forward to some of the new BF products!!

Flannigan
01-25-2012, 07:52 AM
Sweet work DAVEY!! Like you I prefer the darker look on my tires in most cases.
Thanks Dog!! :dblthumb2: I think the old formula leaves a look that just can't be matched. But as I mentioned looks are all in the eye of the beholder, so I'm sure there are plenty of people that don't agree.

I'm a Fan of a satin low shine look. I am pretty pumped about this launching. Great review!Thanks! If you like satin, this product is for you! I'm really hoping it shows good durability!


Great review Flannigan...love your reviews, it's up way up there as one of the best grouped with Corey. Especially loved your Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant review, made me buy 4 bottles.

I am a bit sad to see the comparison that the new product is not as dark and glossy. I like my tires really dark (such as the picture of the old product) and glossy/shiny. Especially the picture with the one where the old product is really black black and the other is a greyish black. Again, great review, they picked the right person to review if they wanted to sell this product! Haha, you are too kind my friend! Thank you, and I'm glad you enjoy them! If you want to try the old stuff I think it can be had on Bogo right now!!


New look, less shine > old formula
:spam:joking::cheers:

Looks great Davey!! Im looking forward to some of the new BF products!!
Thanks Heath!! So far I've been very impressed with the new BF products!

alko
01-25-2012, 08:07 AM
Excellent review Dave...Thanks for putting this together. I'm not a fan of high gloss tire gels, but Imma have to agree that I like the look of the old dressing better. I'm currently using Opti-Bond and I believe its water based as well. The new BFTETG looks similar to the Opti-Bond.

Flannigan
01-30-2012, 08:11 PM
Excellent review Dave...Thanks for putting this together. I'm not a fan of high gloss tire gels, but Imma have to agree that I like the look of the old dressing better. I'm currently using Opti-Bond and I believe its water based as well. The new BFTETG looks similar to the Opti-Bond.

Sorry, I missed this before. Thanks for the kind words man! I still haven't tried opti-bond, might give it a go after I run out of this stuff! :dblthumb2:

Flannigan
02-20-2012, 06:23 PM
One Month Update!

So it's been a full month since I applied both the old and new BF tire dressings to my tire. Since then we have gotten rain, snow, sleet and salt all over the roads. It has been a true torture test for tire dressings. I'm happy to report that both dressings are going strong even after taking a beating from the elements!

The old dressing is on the bottom and the new is on the top. As you can see the old dressing is slightly darker, but even the new dressing is still hanging around and noticeably darker than the undressed section. Sorry for the low quality pics, I will get some better ones in the next couple days.

Here is just showing where the tape line is. Kinda hard to find on the low quality pics without pointing it out.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n81/twistedframe/IMAG0163-2.jpg

And here is the full picture.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n81/twistedframe/IMAG0163-1.jpg


Enjoy!

tw33k2514
02-20-2012, 06:27 PM
AG needs to have another sale so I can place an order and include this...