Mike Briggs
05-13-2015, 11:10 AM
I'm trying to pick a coating to put on my Cayenne Red 2013 Nissan Leaf, shown below (before I put some much nicer wheels on it):
http://pubpages.unh.edu/~msbriggs/brandnew.jpg
I currently have Black Fire Crystal Seal on it, but while it looks nice, that stuff seems to be a dust magnet. If I clean the car thoroughly, then go for a 10 minute drive, the car has a nice coating of dust and pollen stuck on it immediately afterwards.
I used Duragloss 105 topped with Collinite 845 over the winter, and it wasn't as bad with dust as the BFCS, but dust still stuck to it pretty good - and the sealants failed on the bottom half of the car before winter was over.
My kids' daycare has a dirt parking lot, which is a source of some (but not all) of the dust problems. Since I have two little kids that I like spending time with, I don't have a lot of extra time for washing, polishing, and waxing/sealing the car - so I'm hoping I can find a coating that will do a decent job of keeping the car clean longer, or at least reducing the amount of cleaning needed.
I've been reading all about a variety of coatings - OptiGloss, C.A.R. Bulletproof, CQuartz, Polish Angel Cosmic, DG Enviroshield, DP Paint Coating, etc... but I can't decide which one to go with.
In order of importance, these are the things I'm looking for:
1. Dust/dirt repellance, to reduce how frequently I need to clean the car. Most coating reviews focus on how shiny the car looks immediately after being applied, or perhaps how long the coating lasts - but to me the most important thing is how well it keeps dirt from sticking. IMO looking beautiful right after the coating is applied is of no value if dust sticks to it quickly.
2. Some scratch mar/resistance. This is partly related to item 1 above. Since my car seems to rapidly acquire dust/pollen, if I want to keep it looking shiny I need to either clean it every day with a California duster and/or a waterless wash (I have Pinnacle and ONR).
3. Longevity will mostly be important for making it through the New Hampshire winter without needing to be reapplied.
Something that can be layered is particularly appealing, since that likely helps some with mar resistance and longevity. I know Liquid Glass isn't real popular here, but that's what I used to use on my old car, a 2003 Jetta Wagon TDI, and it kept the car beautiful. This is a picture of it just before I sold it last year:
http://pubpages.unh.edu/~msbriggs/side.JPG
The ability to wash the car and then throw another layer or two of it on was one of the appeals of Liquid Glass to me. It wasn't great as far as the dust issue though, but seemed to be better than BFCS.
Currently I'm leaning towrads C.A.R. Products Bulletproof, due to the ability to be layered, and the lower cost for a greater quantity of product, which contributes to layerability. Opti-Gloss may be layerable, but since it costs ~$50 for enough product for one coat, it's not something I could put 4 or 5 coats of on.
Bulletproof supposedly repels dust, which would be perfect. Can anyone attest to that property of it? I was thinking I could put 3-5 coats of it on now in the spring, and then another couple coats in the late fall, to help it get through the long winter.
Thoughts? Suggestions?
Thanks!
http://pubpages.unh.edu/~msbriggs/brandnew.jpg
I currently have Black Fire Crystal Seal on it, but while it looks nice, that stuff seems to be a dust magnet. If I clean the car thoroughly, then go for a 10 minute drive, the car has a nice coating of dust and pollen stuck on it immediately afterwards.
I used Duragloss 105 topped with Collinite 845 over the winter, and it wasn't as bad with dust as the BFCS, but dust still stuck to it pretty good - and the sealants failed on the bottom half of the car before winter was over.
My kids' daycare has a dirt parking lot, which is a source of some (but not all) of the dust problems. Since I have two little kids that I like spending time with, I don't have a lot of extra time for washing, polishing, and waxing/sealing the car - so I'm hoping I can find a coating that will do a decent job of keeping the car clean longer, or at least reducing the amount of cleaning needed.
I've been reading all about a variety of coatings - OptiGloss, C.A.R. Bulletproof, CQuartz, Polish Angel Cosmic, DG Enviroshield, DP Paint Coating, etc... but I can't decide which one to go with.
In order of importance, these are the things I'm looking for:
1. Dust/dirt repellance, to reduce how frequently I need to clean the car. Most coating reviews focus on how shiny the car looks immediately after being applied, or perhaps how long the coating lasts - but to me the most important thing is how well it keeps dirt from sticking. IMO looking beautiful right after the coating is applied is of no value if dust sticks to it quickly.
2. Some scratch mar/resistance. This is partly related to item 1 above. Since my car seems to rapidly acquire dust/pollen, if I want to keep it looking shiny I need to either clean it every day with a California duster and/or a waterless wash (I have Pinnacle and ONR).
3. Longevity will mostly be important for making it through the New Hampshire winter without needing to be reapplied.
Something that can be layered is particularly appealing, since that likely helps some with mar resistance and longevity. I know Liquid Glass isn't real popular here, but that's what I used to use on my old car, a 2003 Jetta Wagon TDI, and it kept the car beautiful. This is a picture of it just before I sold it last year:
http://pubpages.unh.edu/~msbriggs/side.JPG
The ability to wash the car and then throw another layer or two of it on was one of the appeals of Liquid Glass to me. It wasn't great as far as the dust issue though, but seemed to be better than BFCS.
Currently I'm leaning towrads C.A.R. Products Bulletproof, due to the ability to be layered, and the lower cost for a greater quantity of product, which contributes to layerability. Opti-Gloss may be layerable, but since it costs ~$50 for enough product for one coat, it's not something I could put 4 or 5 coats of on.
Bulletproof supposedly repels dust, which would be perfect. Can anyone attest to that property of it? I was thinking I could put 3-5 coats of it on now in the spring, and then another couple coats in the late fall, to help it get through the long winter.
Thoughts? Suggestions?
Thanks!