Cladding

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12/15/2010, 10:24 AM
don moore

so..is it black or dark grey???????? hmmmmm
02/15/2011, 08:22 AM
vt_maverick

TS-1 Armordillo Review - 4 Months Later

Quote:

Originally Posted by vt_maverick

(11/23/2010) - Also applied a second coat of TS-1 the weekend before. I used only one pad the first go-round (about 5 weeks ago) and it started sprinkling as I was just starting the rear fenders and back door. I got B2B-style streaking about a week later, so I decided to give the cladding a good scrub and then use a second pad, this time working from the back to the front. All the panels look great now, and this stuff is much more impervious to dust and rain as B2B or that Meguiar's crap I tried a few months ago.

I think I can reasonably say that if you're not doing Gatorback, TS-1 is definitely what you need to be using. You're just throwing your money away by buying B2B.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vt_maverick

(12/13/2010) - It's definitely a topical treatment, no matter what the packaging says, and I didn't do any surface prep other than a simple wash with a plastic-netted sponge. I did have streaking after my first application, but that's because it started sprinkling before I could finish. A good wash and second coat later and it looks great. (Btw, the TS-1 packaging doesn't mention any such elaborate surface prep process.)

A note on price: one of the guys in the AV forum quotes a price of something like $21/towel, but that's not accurate (at least as I understand what he means by "towel"). A box of 6 pads was $40 shipped, and it takes 2 to do all of our cladding in a nice thick coat. That's not exactly cheap, but if it lasts 2-3 months as advertised I figure you get nice looking cladding with minimal maintenance for about $50 a year.

Well it's been 4 months since I put on my first coat of TS-1, and 3 months since I followed up that first one pad application with a second one pad application (wasn't thick enough the first time around to resist streaking). Below are before and after pics from this weekend, the first two are before reapplying TS-1, the last three are after. You can see that there is some fading and slight streaking in the before pictures, but a ridiculously small amount for 3-4 months. Basically looks like the two week point after your last Back to Black treatment.

(Sorry for the low quality pics, my camera phone was having focus issues.)

Cladding 3 months after last TS-1 treatment:
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da...10212-1258.jpg

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da...10212-1258.jpg

Cladding after most recent TS-1 treatment this weekend:
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da...10213-1515.jpg

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da...10214-1253.jpg

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da...10214-1254.jpg

Where to Buy:
http://shop.armordillots1.com/
02/15/2011, 09:15 AM
circmand

VTMav

that cladding looks awesome after the most recent application. If that doesnt fade out to quick I'm a beleiver
02/15/2011, 09:19 AM
vt_maverick

Hopefully not, you have to take into consideration that the snow/ice/salt we had back in January accelerated the fading process quite a bit. I'm interested to see how it lasts as the weather warms up and more rain settles in. But for you in AZ I have to think it would last a good while (assuming sun won't fade it, we'll have to wait until summer to judge that).

One more thing, my VX is my daily driver so it's outside at least 5 days a week.
02/15/2011, 09:24 AM
vt_maverick

Btw, this stuff isn't exactly cheap (one pad is the same price as a bottle of Back to Black, about $6), but IMHO it's cheap enough to seriously consider putting it on as frequently as once a month during the summer to keep it nice and dark. Figure $40 including shipping for a 6 pad supply, 2 pads per application, maybe a total of 6 applications per year = $80 a year for amazing looking cladding. If you stick with the every 3 months model you're at about $53 per year.

There's something to be said for the fact that after awhile you could have just bought GatorBack for the same price. But this is certainly something to consider if you're wary of permanent treatments.
02/16/2011, 10:35 AM
VX KAT

Some pics of my existing cladding compared to a brand new piece. Both are completely "nekkid" nothing whatsoever on them.
Now what color is that?? :laugho:
Pretty dramatic, huh?
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da.../DSCF29181.JPG

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da.../DSCF29211.JPG

With close up flash. Of course it turns out much lighter than reality, but still shows the incredible difference.
Dub, you still wanna stick to that theory 'bout the darks coming with lighter cladding? :p There's only one part number for each.....
...just sayin....:goof:
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da.../DSCF29231.JPG
02/16/2011, 10:56 AM
MSHardeman

Sue, that is pretty dramatic. Something must have happened to your cladding because with such limited numbers of the VX being made I just can't believe that they would go through the trouble of making two shades of cladding. Of course I have been wrong before......but I was wrong about that.:bwgy:
02/16/2011, 11:17 AM
VX KAT

Check out this vid, haven't had anybody try this before. (Luna you used the heat gun to fix the dent, but it didn't darken that spot did it??)
Kinda surprised, there's numerous videos showing this done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-dtbBzky-s
02/16/2011, 11:28 AM
atilla_the_fun

VXKAT, what does the back of your cladding look like?
02/16/2011, 11:54 AM
circmand

WOW that difference

Quote:

Originally Posted by VX KAT

Some pics of my existing cladding compared to a brand new piece. Both are completely "nekkid" nothing whatsoever on them.
Now what color is that?? :laugho:
Pretty dramatic, huh?
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da.../DSCF29181.JPG

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da.../DSCF29211.JPG

With close up flash. Of course it turns out much lighter than reality, but still shows the incredible difference.
Dub, you still wanna stick to that theory 'bout the darks coming with lighter cladding? :p There's only one part number for each.....
...just sayin....:goof:
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da.../DSCF29231.JPG

is as clear as Black and gray
02/16/2011, 11:59 AM
ZEUS

Quote:

Originally Posted by VX KAT

Check out this vid, haven't had anybody try this before. (Luna you used the heat gun to fix the dent, but it didn't darken that spot did it??)
Kinda surprised, there's numerous videos showing this done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-dtbBzky-s

Huh, that's interesting. I saw a comment that mentioned the dark color only lasted up to a year before fading again. I imagine if the plastic was treated after the heat gun trick it could last longer.
02/16/2011, 12:13 PM
VX KAT

Quote:

Originally Posted by atilla_the_fun

VXKAT, what does the back of your cladding look like?

Dang, didn't take any when Dub had the rear cladding off....:_brickwal

This is the BACK from a piece of the rear cladding...shows some stripes, definitely not the same texture as the front of the cladding. Color is kind in-between the two.
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSCF2161.JPG

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSCF2164.JPG

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSC_4761.JPG
02/16/2011, 12:55 PM
rsteinmetz70112

Do you have any pictures where the cladding that was not exposed to the environment? Maybe where a piece was covered by the adjacent piece? SOm eof the pictures appear to show there is some kind of coating on the cladding.
02/16/2011, 01:24 PM
Mile High VX

Good chance to compare to that area under the hood that looks so much darker to the new piece.
02/16/2011, 04:26 PM
VX KAT

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mile High VX

Good chance to compare to that area under the hood that looks so much darker to the new piece.

New (or just about new) cladding vs. the unexposed area of cladding on my VX. Color is very very close.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSCF2962.JPG

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSCF2954.JPG
02/17/2011, 07:59 AM
MSHardeman

Sue, your cladding must have been coated, or recolored somehow, at some point in it's existence. Just the difference in the exposed vs. unexposed color as well as the fact that it looks like the torx screw in the above photo has been painted over too. My torx srews are black (or they were before I painted them silver) and not grey like yours seem to be. All of this could be why your Refinish/Restore didn't take to your cladding even though you did the surface prep correctly.:_confused
02/17/2011, 08:32 AM
VX KAT

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSHardeman

Sue, your cladding must have been coated, or recolored somehow, at some point in it's existence. Just the difference in the exposed vs. unexposed color as well as the fact that it looks like the torx screw in the above photo has been painted over too. My torx srews are black (or they were before I painted them silver) and not grey like yours seem to be. All of this could be why your Refinish/Restore didn't take to your cladding even though you did the surface prep correctly.:_confused

I think you're right! All my torx screws are solid gray all over (which I know i've commented on somewhere, since I didn't think sun exposure would cause them all to fade so uniformly... Didn't realize anybody's were different than that.

Found a few products online last week that are permanent DYES. I think Black Fusion is a dye also. Hadn't come across them before. Most are marketed to the car dealerships/used car lots for an easy quick refinish to the dry cladding. Mine came from a used lot. One comes in black AND gray....I'm kinda thinking maybe that's what's on my cladding (the gray). Since it never looks parched or chalky, and it has that very clear line of demarkation on the front....seems like something was applied, and NOT applied to that small horizontal section (like they missed a spot!) Hmmmm....:_thinking
02/17/2011, 08:33 AM
surf-life

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSHardeman

Sue, your cladding must have been coated, or recolored somehow, at some point in it's existence. Just the difference in the exposed vs. unexposed color as well as the fact that it looks like the torx screw in the above photo has been painted over too. My torx srews are black (or they were before I painted them silver) and not grey like yours seem to be. All of this could be why your Refinish/Restore didn't take to your cladding even though you did the surface prep correctly.:_confused

I dont know about that.You can clearly see a sharp fade line. The inside pieces of her cladding would have been silver or gray also. Unless when they painted the masked off perfectly in the motor bay.most likely they would have pulled the cladding and painted the complete piece.
02/17/2011, 08:42 AM
VX KAT

Quote:

Originally Posted by surf-life

I dont know about that.You can clearly see a sharp fade line. The inside pieces of her cladding would have been silver or gray also. Unless when they painted the masked off perfectly in the motor bay.most likely they would have pulled the cladding and painted the complete piece.

Pulling the cladding involves a lot of double stick tape etc...I think a dealership or used lot is way more likely to just rub on this dye stuff by hand, not invest the labor in removing the cladding. Than dark area is consistent with the OEM color so it either was masked off or missed.

Post Office shows package delivered yesterday :thumbup:
02/17/2011, 09:03 AM
Luna X

I would definately have to throw my hat in the ring and say somewhere along the line. your cladding & screws got painted

In all actuallity, you're down to just a couple options if you want darker cladding...

1) basecoat/clearcoat
2) rhino lining
03/04/2011, 08:07 PM
Kfoss8

Just tried the Meguirars Natural shine went over it three times it still just soaks in and fades away within an hour. Looking at doing the TS-1, But with another thought has anyone tried doing the Dupli-color Bed armor and just do the whole thing yourself with that ? Also my hood piece That looks like it has some type of rubber coating on it that is bubbleing up or is that just a Decal they put on there ?
03/04/2011, 08:50 PM
vt_maverick

Yeah that Meguiar's product is a total waste of money. Don't know on the Dupli-color option, but it seems like it was discussed in the Line-X thread. Do a search for it, I think there was a conversation between one of our members and a Line-X rep regarding other do-it-yourself products like Dupli-color, Herculiner, etc.

If I find it first I'll post it.
03/04/2011, 08:52 PM
vt_maverick

Here's a pic of Dupli-color on the hood insert, courtesy of Lizardmen3477's gallery:

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMGP0626.JPG
03/04/2011, 08:56 PM
vt_maverick

Here you go...

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...culiner&page=5
03/11/2011, 02:41 PM
vt_maverick

Fast forward to 8:43 in this video that Mark (deermagnet) posted. Very interesting...

http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/...ids/1999vx.wmv
03/11/2011, 08:08 PM
Grif

Quote:

Originally Posted by vt_maverick

Fast forward to 8:43 in this video that Mark (deermagnet) posted. Very interesting...

http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/...ids/1999vx.wmv

Painting, cladding. Two words that do not belong in the same sentence unless they are referring to some magic paint product we have yet to become aware of which is highly unlikely.

Perhaps a dye, perhaps a treatment, but traditional body paint does not belong on VX cladding. IMHO.
03/11/2011, 08:11 PM
vt_maverick

Telling that this video was probably made before a US-spec VX ever entered a shop.
03/12/2011, 03:41 AM
Riff Raff

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grif

Painting, cladding. Two words that do not belong in the same sentence unless they are referring to some magic paint product we have yet to become aware of which is highly unlikely.

Perhaps a dye, perhaps a treatment, but traditional body paint does not belong on VX cladding. IMHO.

x2, agreed.

:bgwb:
10/17/2012, 11:46 PM
VXR

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickOKC

303 needed more cure time

X2 a few months back I did the 303 thing but it rained a few days later and made zebra cladding.

Well I got lucky and applied a second coat just before we had 80+ days with no rain. A few days ago I drove through my first rainstorm and I am happy to report it still looks nice and dark.

So for whatever reason cure time is a must with 303:yesb:
10/18/2012, 04:49 AM
tom4bren

Quote:

Originally Posted by vt_maverick

Yeah that Meguiar's product is a total waste of money. Don't know on the Dupli-color option, but it seems like it was discussed in the Line-X thread. Do a search for it, I think there was a conversation between one of our members and a Line-X rep regarding other do-it-yourself products like Dupli-color, Herculiner, etc.

If I find it first I'll post it.

PLEASE also remember that if you try the Meguiar's product to be EXTREMELY careful not to get any on the paint. It WILL discolor your paint ... PERMANENTLY.
10/18/2012, 06:04 PM
RickOKC

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom4bren

PLEASE also remember that if you try the Meguiar's product to be EXTREMELY careful not to get any on the paint. It WILL discolor your paint ... PERMANENTLY.

Yikes, please elaborate!

I've used Meguiars MANY times through the years (knowing it would be very temporary) but never had any issues with discoloration. I suspect what you experienced will be an excellent reminder that all paint is not created equal and everything should be carefully tested first. (Kinda like how every time I wash my Ford when the temperature is above 80 degrees I have to polish out the water spots even though I immediately dry it off! :_mecker:)

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