OzDJ
Twin-charged goodness!
- Location
- Sydney, NSW, Australia
Product: GlarePlus Paint Sealant System
Supplier: Paint Protection Direct
Cost: $164.94 inc GST (New car kit)
Firstly, this is NOT an exhaustive review. I am not a professional detailer and have not tried every other paint treatment on the market. I have, however, been using waxes, polishes and dealer-applied paint protection systems for the last 17 years on my various cars.
Secondly, there are plenty of reviews of, and discussions about, this type of product on the interwebs. Many are from motorcycle enthusiasts who look for a scratch-resistant finish for their fuel tanks. The system is sold worldwide under a few different names, but all of them have the same base called GlassPlexin. Here are a few examples:
Reviews like these were the catalyst for me pick up some GlarePlus and give it a go. So now that you have my frame of reference, let's dump the preamble and get on with it.
What's in the kit
(Photo here)
1 x Bottle of Ultra Wash shampoo, sponge and chamois.
1 x Bottle of Micro Pre-Cleaner, applicator pad and microfibre buffing cloth
1 x Bottle of GlarePlus Paint Sealant, applicator pad and microfibre buffing cloth
1 x Detailed instruction sheet
The target vehicle
2008 Volkswagen Golf GT Sport in Blue Graphite. Vehicle was picked up from dealer a little over a week ago. No dealer-applied paint treatment. Paint in very good condition and vehicle kept in garage. Minor contaminant and water stain marks visible upon (very) close inspection.
Step one: The wash
Nothing much to report here. Bucket + Ultra Wash + water + sponge + elbow grease = clean car. I did note that the wash was "stickier" than many others I've used. It did an awesome job of removing brake dust from the alloy wheels. Used my own (well-worn) chamois to dry the car instead of the new one in the package. Car was then clean and ready for the next part of the operation.
Step two: Prepping the surface
The Micro Pre-Cleaner is a bit like a liquid clay bar treatment, but not quite as abrasive. I applied it by hand, one panel at a time, using the supplied foam applicator. This stuff is rather thick and I would highly recommend using an orbital buffing tool if you own one (product states can be used with an orbital buffer up to 2000rpm). If you don't own one.... buy one! Took a lot of elbow grease to work it over the surface. Buffing it off was a much easier but, once again, an electric buffing tool would have saved heaps of time. The bonnet, alone, was a 30min shoulder and arm workout.
I stood back and inspected the surface. My jaw dropped. If I didn't know better, I would have stopped right then and basked in the glory of my handiwork. SO DAMN SMOOTH and not a blemish in sight. Time for the finishing touch.
Step three: Applying the GlarePlus sealant
Thankfully, this stuff is runny and goes onto the paint surface very easily with the next applicator pad. Took less than 10mins to ensure the bonnet had full coverage. Like the Micro Pre-Cleaner, it buffed off with relative ease to a smooth, hard finish.
The manufacturer claims the sealant (NOT the Pre-Cleaner!) it is also safe for alloy wheels, so I gave them a treatment, too. There's enough of the Pre-Cleaner and GlarePlus to do at least 3 or 4 cars the size of a Golf.
The results:
This stuff is amazing. The car looks much better than it did when I collected from the dealer a week ago. Even my significant other could tell the difference (and she's not a car person at all).
The end result exceded all my expectations, although the pearlescent finish of my car meant that I didn't get the full "mirror effect" you can see in solid black, white, red or dark blue vehicles.
First functional test came yesterday during the heavy rain. Despite more than 110km worth of road grime from the M5 motorway and Sydney inner-city streets, the water stil beaded in perfect droplets on the roof (see here). Couldn't photograph the droplets on the bonnet as they now run off even when the vehicle is stationary.
The biggest surprise was the wheels. The brakes are still bedding in and are releasing plenty of black dust. I was able to hose off ALL of it. Usually that would be a job for some wheel cleaner plus a brush or the Karcher.
Parting thoughts:
It works as advertised/claimed. A little on the pricey side, but you can't argue with the results. Time will tell if it lives up to the 3-5 years without re-applying claim. Simple to use, but orbital buffer highly recommended if you want full movement in your arms and shoulders the next day. If I had another new car to treat I would probably pay the $595.00 for them to do it in their workshop.
Highly recommended. Buy a kit, split the cost with a friend, and you can't both have an superb paint finish on your car for under $85.00ea (more if you buy a carton of your fave brew to drink as you apply it).
I hereby promise to upload some photos once Sydney's shitty weather clears and I can take some happy snaps.
DJ
Moblog: http://phlog.net/user/OzDJ
Supplier: Paint Protection Direct
Cost: $164.94 inc GST (New car kit)
Firstly, this is NOT an exhaustive review. I am not a professional detailer and have not tried every other paint treatment on the market. I have, however, been using waxes, polishes and dealer-applied paint protection systems for the last 17 years on my various cars.
Secondly, there are plenty of reviews of, and discussions about, this type of product on the interwebs. Many are from motorcycle enthusiasts who look for a scratch-resistant finish for their fuel tanks. The system is sold worldwide under a few different names, but all of them have the same base called GlassPlexin. Here are a few examples:
- http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/glare-polish/glare-polish.htm
- http://www.autopia.org/forum/detailing-product-discussion/91311-glassplexin-based-products.html
- http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=1154959&forum_id=10
- http://hdforums.com/m_1596649/tm.htm
Reviews like these were the catalyst for me pick up some GlarePlus and give it a go. So now that you have my frame of reference, let's dump the preamble and get on with it.
What's in the kit
(Photo here)
1 x Bottle of Ultra Wash shampoo, sponge and chamois.
1 x Bottle of Micro Pre-Cleaner, applicator pad and microfibre buffing cloth
1 x Bottle of GlarePlus Paint Sealant, applicator pad and microfibre buffing cloth
1 x Detailed instruction sheet
The target vehicle
2008 Volkswagen Golf GT Sport in Blue Graphite. Vehicle was picked up from dealer a little over a week ago. No dealer-applied paint treatment. Paint in very good condition and vehicle kept in garage. Minor contaminant and water stain marks visible upon (very) close inspection.
Step one: The wash
Nothing much to report here. Bucket + Ultra Wash + water + sponge + elbow grease = clean car. I did note that the wash was "stickier" than many others I've used. It did an awesome job of removing brake dust from the alloy wheels. Used my own (well-worn) chamois to dry the car instead of the new one in the package. Car was then clean and ready for the next part of the operation.
Step two: Prepping the surface
The Micro Pre-Cleaner is a bit like a liquid clay bar treatment, but not quite as abrasive. I applied it by hand, one panel at a time, using the supplied foam applicator. This stuff is rather thick and I would highly recommend using an orbital buffing tool if you own one (product states can be used with an orbital buffer up to 2000rpm). If you don't own one.... buy one! Took a lot of elbow grease to work it over the surface. Buffing it off was a much easier but, once again, an electric buffing tool would have saved heaps of time. The bonnet, alone, was a 30min shoulder and arm workout.
I stood back and inspected the surface. My jaw dropped. If I didn't know better, I would have stopped right then and basked in the glory of my handiwork. SO DAMN SMOOTH and not a blemish in sight. Time for the finishing touch.
Step three: Applying the GlarePlus sealant
Thankfully, this stuff is runny and goes onto the paint surface very easily with the next applicator pad. Took less than 10mins to ensure the bonnet had full coverage. Like the Micro Pre-Cleaner, it buffed off with relative ease to a smooth, hard finish.
The manufacturer claims the sealant (NOT the Pre-Cleaner!) it is also safe for alloy wheels, so I gave them a treatment, too. There's enough of the Pre-Cleaner and GlarePlus to do at least 3 or 4 cars the size of a Golf.
The results:
This stuff is amazing. The car looks much better than it did when I collected from the dealer a week ago. Even my significant other could tell the difference (and she's not a car person at all).
The end result exceded all my expectations, although the pearlescent finish of my car meant that I didn't get the full "mirror effect" you can see in solid black, white, red or dark blue vehicles.
First functional test came yesterday during the heavy rain. Despite more than 110km worth of road grime from the M5 motorway and Sydney inner-city streets, the water stil beaded in perfect droplets on the roof (see here). Couldn't photograph the droplets on the bonnet as they now run off even when the vehicle is stationary.
The biggest surprise was the wheels. The brakes are still bedding in and are releasing plenty of black dust. I was able to hose off ALL of it. Usually that would be a job for some wheel cleaner plus a brush or the Karcher.
Parting thoughts:
It works as advertised/claimed. A little on the pricey side, but you can't argue with the results. Time will tell if it lives up to the 3-5 years without re-applying claim. Simple to use, but orbital buffer highly recommended if you want full movement in your arms and shoulders the next day. If I had another new car to treat I would probably pay the $595.00 for them to do it in their workshop.
Highly recommended. Buy a kit, split the cost with a friend, and you can't both have an superb paint finish on your car for under $85.00ea (more if you buy a carton of your fave brew to drink as you apply it).
I hereby promise to upload some photos once Sydney's shitty weather clears and I can take some happy snaps.
DJ
Moblog: http://phlog.net/user/OzDJ
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