Setec Astronomy
07-23-2014, 09:22 AM
I bought C4 when it was first available in the US (had to order it from Hawaii). When I first used it I thought it was a miracle product (and I still do with some caveats). I think I started a thread on AutopiaForums showing the results on an aged wiper cowling and some mud guards (so hard textured trim), which were returned to a like-new condition.
Unfortunately, over the course of about 6 months, those parts faded back to gray/white. Actually, although I was disappointed with the permanence of the product, it still was better than anything I had used.
So I thought I would just reapply. Unfortunately, the reapplication results were not the same as the original. It just made the gray appearance shinier. I speculated that the C4 was on the surface, but did not protect adequately against UV, and the underlying plastic continued to UV fade, but wasn't accessible to the second coat of C4 to be restored.
Anyway, this car has a piece of rubbery trim between the wiper cowling and the windshield. Over the years (24/7 outside) this trim has hardened and shrunk. I tried to get a new piece but the car it too old and it's not available. So last year I removed it, cleaned it up and put C4 on it. It looked great.
It's been about 9 months now and this is what it looks like:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=79063
I said to myself, look there's just a little bit of C4 left (the black spots) and the rest has faded back to gray. Wrong. After scrubbing a bit with some IPA...the black spots got bigger...and the silvery spots got smaller. The only conclusion is that the C4 is still there but has "silvered". The black spots seem to be where the C4 has come off.
Has anyone else experienced this? Does DLux do the same thing?
I really like the trim products like WETS (Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant) and I'm sure I'd like UTTG or the new Blackfire product. Still the allure of a "permanent" solution is intriguing. I have tried Opti-Lens but it doesn't seem to restore like C4 or DLux...of course, I may have tried it only on this silvered C4, which isn't a fair test. I know I have a spot on the cowling of another car that looks really good, that I did with product left over in an applicator...I just don't remember what product!
EDIT: I should add that I have found C4 (as with most trim products) to work differently on different surfaces/trim materials. The "silvering" happened on more flexible pieces, like the cowling and that hard rubbery seal...but on the same car there is some harder, shinier trim on the rear window, with a different kind of texture, that has held up much better, I think that is going on 2 years and still looks good.
Unfortunately, over the course of about 6 months, those parts faded back to gray/white. Actually, although I was disappointed with the permanence of the product, it still was better than anything I had used.
So I thought I would just reapply. Unfortunately, the reapplication results were not the same as the original. It just made the gray appearance shinier. I speculated that the C4 was on the surface, but did not protect adequately against UV, and the underlying plastic continued to UV fade, but wasn't accessible to the second coat of C4 to be restored.
Anyway, this car has a piece of rubbery trim between the wiper cowling and the windshield. Over the years (24/7 outside) this trim has hardened and shrunk. I tried to get a new piece but the car it too old and it's not available. So last year I removed it, cleaned it up and put C4 on it. It looked great.
It's been about 9 months now and this is what it looks like:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=79063
I said to myself, look there's just a little bit of C4 left (the black spots) and the rest has faded back to gray. Wrong. After scrubbing a bit with some IPA...the black spots got bigger...and the silvery spots got smaller. The only conclusion is that the C4 is still there but has "silvered". The black spots seem to be where the C4 has come off.
Has anyone else experienced this? Does DLux do the same thing?
I really like the trim products like WETS (Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant) and I'm sure I'd like UTTG or the new Blackfire product. Still the allure of a "permanent" solution is intriguing. I have tried Opti-Lens but it doesn't seem to restore like C4 or DLux...of course, I may have tried it only on this silvered C4, which isn't a fair test. I know I have a spot on the cowling of another car that looks really good, that I did with product left over in an applicator...I just don't remember what product!
EDIT: I should add that I have found C4 (as with most trim products) to work differently on different surfaces/trim materials. The "silvering" happened on more flexible pieces, like the cowling and that hard rubbery seal...but on the same car there is some harder, shinier trim on the rear window, with a different kind of texture, that has held up much better, I think that is going on 2 years and still looks good.