REVIEW: Pinnacle Black Label - Paint Sealant

[Dr_Pain]

If you ask my wife, she will tell you that I don't get excited about much, but in truth I do get excited at testing new car care products.

Life came to give me a reality check over the past few week, so opted to shuffle a few commitments so I could enjoy this past weekend. I always get excited about seeing the UPS man but I have to say that when he showed up with this last package, I was even more excited than usual. What was in the package you ask??

Well, thanks to Nick and the fine folks at AG who love to introduce "the latest and greatest" this came for me:



I was definitely kid in a candy store!! I didn't know what I wanted to try first....... but I know I want to try them ALL!!! Before rushing in, I decided to read the forum and see who had reviewed what. I came across one thread which peaked my fancy. It was a fair first hand account done my Eric Review: Black Label Diamond Paint Sealant. In it he was comparing and contrasting the Black Label 850 Paint sealant to Collinite 845 and Menzerna PowerLock, both at the top of my list of favorites, so this is where I wanted to start.



The subject This review features "The Beast", a 2013 Tuxedo Black Ford Raptor. This is my personal vehicle and the subject of untold experimentation. As you can imagine "The Beast" is well taken care of and only needs minor tweak to get the ball on the road, so on to the review

The process:
- Wash with ONR
- Clay with Nanoskin Autoscrub (fine) + Mr. Pink dilution
- Dry with Waffle weave HD
- Hand application of the Pinnacle Black Label 850 - Paint Sealant using a Pinnacle foam applicator
- Removal of the sealant was done using a Cobra 530



As it was described in Eric's review, a little goes a LONG way! One pump was sufficient to load the applicator and get the process started and only a 1/2 a squirt was necessary to reload. I chose to apply in both a "prosumer way" (gentle massaging of the product in the paint leaving a very thin layer to haze) and a "noob way" (heavy handed rapid application).



Impressions: The first thing that struck me was the smell. It took me a while to put my finger on it but it is a mix of petroleum/industrial smell combined with a "mature" gentlemen cologne (the likes of what you find at the counter in high end suit stores). In other words, it was pleasant and appealing. Not so much that I wanted to keep smelling it (remember my Son1c wax review), but still pleasant enough to enjoy it.

The bottle fitted very well in my hand and I was somewhat impressed with the "twist to open" spout. I do have to say that although I enjoyed the pump, I did find it to be "fragile" and after a couple of open/close cycle it failed to have a hard stop on either open or close (meaning the spout would just keep going clockwise or counterclockwise). Other bottles in the family had the same spout, which I tested, and some were better then others but still felt "fragile". I agree with Eric that a flip top cap may serve the product better in the long run. I am happy to report that despite the fact that it no longer had a hard stop that it did not affect the open/close function and that the product would not dispense if spun in the closed direction.



The application was easy and the removal was effortless, regardless of the thin or heavy handed application. In short, you cannot mess up the application!! The protection offered did not improve with the amount of product used, so no need to liberally "waste" the product.

As Eric pointed out, and it was my own observation, this product is in the likes of Collinite 845 and Menzerna PowerLock. It actually seems to have the best of both world, with the added bonus that it smells better than either of them.

Here are a couple of pictures of the paint after removal:





The first picture may not mean much to the untrained eye but you can clearly see (on the front of the hood) that the product definitely did not "mute" the beautiful "Tuxedo Black" flake. The second picture is a better example (and sun shot).

As you can see, no haze, no cloudiness, no streaking and just a enhancing of the gloss and more importantly the flake. I'm IMPRESSED!

If the product lives to its claims of providing protection up to a year then I will have to say that I may have some Collinite and Menzerna products to trade. In my experience (in the Southern heat and humidity) both of those products provided me 6 months of protection. I know that Eric had some concerns regarding the price point so let's look at this together:

Collinite 845 Collinite Liquid Insulator Wax #845, liquid wax, heat-resistant wax, car wax
- $16.99 for 16 fl. oz

Menzerna PowerLock Menzerna Power Lock Polymer Paint Sealant, Menzerna auto sealant, car sealant, paint sealant protectant
- $29.99 for 16 fl. oz.

Pinnacle Black Label - Diamond Paint Sealant Pinnacle Black Label Diamond Paint Sealant
- $49.99 for 8 fl. oz.

I will definitely echo Eric's concerns since in terms of amount/use the Black Label product does not not significantly use less product than Collinite which is known to be a product that can be stretched a LONG way. Even if the protection provided was double that of PowerLock or Collinite, it still would not justify the price. I will however say that IF part of the price is in the "fancy" and "fragile" pump system, that they can bench it for a flip cap and give us more product.

One thing that this product excelled on compared to the other two products is the slickness and enhancement of the flake. I have to say that to touch, it is very close to the slickness I get with the other two products, but the enhancement of the flake does go to the Black Label product .

In conclusion This product matches and exceeds the fool proof application and removal of my top choices in paint sealant. It's smell is very pleasant and the results excellent. In combining all of the final attributes of gloss, slickness and paint/flake enhancement, I can easily give the win to the Pinnacle Black Label product. Where the Black Label Paint Sealant does come short is in the pump and price point. I could see this sealant being a "market killer" if its price point was $49.99....for 16 fl. oz...... and IF the long term review do substantiate the "up to one 12 months" protection.

So what about beading and sheeting and shedding? Dang it, I forgot to include that, didn't I? Well, judge for yourself



I will add a video shortly but I was very happy to see its performance. I recently reviewed Blackfire Midnight Sun Carnauba Paste Wax, and did admit that I like big beads.... but beads mean nothing if those stay on the paint to do their damage. The water shedding property of Pinnacle Black Label were excellent, in the same caliber of Collinite and PowerLock. Unfortunately for me (and as you can see) we get small beads. Can't wait for the first rain to see the "real life" beads over using a spay bottle. I shall report on that at a later time.

Was "The Beast" happy??? Well.....



P.S. Did you notice the front tire? Are you ready for a tire dressing/gel showdown?

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed. Please comment, and ask questions. As we all know that this is the way we learn and support one another in making the best informed decision. If you refer back to my original picture, you will be in for a few more reviews of the Black Label product line

[Dr_Pain]

Here is a quick video of beading and sheeting I did before coming to work yesterday. I was running out of water but you get the idea

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qygeib50B0g]Review: Pinnacle Black Label Diamond Paint Sealant - YouTube[/video]

COUNT THIS AS MY 1000th POST WOOT!

[goldendodo19]

Awesome truck. Tuxedo black is definitely one of my favorite ford paint colors along with ruby red. Nice job and excellent review.

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Beautiful work and outstanding review Claude. Truck looks great now. Keep us updated on the durability.

[Paul Mitchell]

Nice work Claude. Good review and photos to back it up.

[SON1C]

incredible work as always claude you really touched on all bases / aspects -- the video is great I'm certainly ready for a tire dressing showdown! I find that one of the toughest categories to find a go-to product!

Also when are we trading vehicles as you have my dream truck!

[cleanmycorolla]

incredible work as always claude you really touched on all bases / aspects -- the video is great I'm certainly ready for a tire dressing showdown! I find that one of the toughest categories to find a go-to product!

Also when are we trading vehicles as you have my dream truck!

I agree, excellent review!

However, Opti Bond is a greta tire gel, so I will say try that. Water based, no sling, its so nice! Either that or Megs endurance GEL. If you can find it, they stopped making the gel i think....

[Meghan]

Very nice review and I love the truck.

[Dr_Pain]

Awesome truck. Tuxedo black is definitely one of my favorite ford paint colors along with ruby red. Nice job and excellent review.

Thanks!

Beautiful work and outstanding review Claude. Truck looks great now. Keep us updated on the durability.

The truck ALWAYS looks great Mike! I sure will keep you updated. As I said, I am waiting for one of our "regular" rainstorm to see the "natural" beading off the truck. So far I am sold IF we can get AG to increase the amount or decrease the price point.

Nice work Claude. Good review and photos to back it up.

Thanks Paul!

incredible work as always claude you really touched on all bases / aspects -- the video is great I'm certainly ready for a tire dressing showdown! I find that one of the toughest categories to find a go-to product!

Also when are we trading vehicles as you have my dream truck!

Dressing show down is in the works! Thanks for the compliment. I have you on the will for the truck if all hell brakes loose during my upcoming surgery

I agree, excellent review!

However, Opti Bond is a greta tire gel, so I will say try that. Water based, no sling, its so nice! Either that or Megs endurance GEL. If you can find it, they stopped making the gel i think....

I do have Opti Bond on my list to try but I had 4 products on hand and all like them for different reasons and wanted to have a side by side (same exposure, same dirt, same everything). Lord's knows I got some grief at church and at the office, from my patient, for having a less than perfect tire

Very nice review and I love the truck.

Thanks Meghan! You know where I live. A hop and a skip for you (actually a couple of states over). I promise to jump a couple of train tracks and light up those tires. This truck is the real deal. It is crazy unmodded but an absolute beast modded.

[FUNX650]

Thanks for sharing your excellent write-up of
Pinnacle Black Label-Paint Sealant (PBL-PS).


If I may:
I've noticed that you (and others) have not used any type of "panel wipes" to ensure squeaky-cleanliness
prior to PBL-PS' application. (After all: Isn't Bonding, et al...up for consideration?)

On second thought...
I don't believe the directions for PBL-PS' application explicitly say to do so.

But then I wonder...
Does this 'no-panel-wipes-needed'...place PBL-PS under the: "is it/it is that difference (of a Sealant)" category?




Bob