Cladding

[vt_maverick]

So just like Rick said, which product is best depends on your circumstances.

Can't wait to hear more info/details/impressions of the TS-1.

Ditto on KAT's compliments Rick, this is easily the most useful thread on cladding that I've seen in a long time. I'm also looking forward to the TS-1 review - I'm hoping that it's the one shot wonder (although this test would tend to make you believe there's no such thing).

That's a real bummer on the 303 being so easy to wash off. I really like the last pic you posted of 303 on the entire vehicle and being able to wipe off dust with a California Duster (I use one pretty frequently too) without bad streaking (a la B2B) is a real plus. But the trade-off of losing the entire coating after a single rainy day is a real bummer.

Oh well, for my money anyway, I'll stay with B2B pending results on TS-1.

[RickOKC]

Thanks, Kat! I've been thinking about how I could have handled my dust test better. I wonder if the back would have been the best place. (Horizontal stripes might still be unfair to the product closest to the bottom.) Oh, and I need to add to my notes that I did let the VX sit for 2 days after applying the treatments. Should also mention I use a mild car wash soap (Meguiars).

Your comments about rubber reminded me why I expected the Meguiar's to work better. I've used that on tires for years and it will still look very good after 2 - 4 washes. I think you're exactly right about it absorbing better into softer surfaces.

I'm wondering if it's actually possible to get the cladding completely dry after applying 303. I'd used a clean terry towel to dry it, but like I mentioned in my write-up, "tape wouldn't stick to it." (I made another attempt with headlight restorer yesterday and taped around the lights to protect the surrounding surfaces.) Maybe it just wasn't absorbing because I'd used that towel before for removing wax or something and the previous chemicals didn't wash out completely.

[vt_maverick]

Maybe it just wasn't absorbing because I'd used that towel before for removing wax or something and the previous chemicals didn't wash out completely.

Just a tip here, and you probably already know this, but if you wash your stuff in the washing machine or dry them in the drier, make sure you DON'T USE FABRIC SOFTENER. That stuff doesn't come out and can mess with your wax.

[RickOKC]

DON'T USE FABRIC SOFTENER. That stuff doesn't come out and can mess with your wax.

I wish you had told me that years ago! After decades of detailing, I only learned that just last summer!

Hmmmm, I've been thinking about starting a topic on detailing tips...

[RickOKC]

Thank you Maverick! Right now the 303 is undergoing The Rain Test. So far it's just been sprinkling lightly, but I'm hoping for at least a few minutes of real rain to see what happens. Hmmm, if it all washes off nicely, maybe I'll go ahead and re-do the dust test on the back cladding over the next few days... (I'm sure my neighbors think I've secretly married my VX considering all the time we've been spending together in the garage. Oh well, they already thought I was the weird neighbor guy.)

I'm really looking forward to the TS-1 reviews, too. Actually, I'm looking forward to the long term tests - that stuff is expensive!

[VX KAT]

I'm really looking forward to the TS-1 reviews, too. Actually, I'm looking forward to the long term tests - that stuff is expensive!

I PM'd "mr larry's" the other day to ask if he could give us some details, impressions, pictures on the TS-1...no response yet.

Also...I just don't seem to see the same result on the 303 washing off so easily.....I've slathered it on just about everything our house..the plastic hose caddy, the shop vac (well that doesn't get wet), extensions cords, all tires, everything plastic & rubber on our travel trailer and my other truck, and especially on my roof rack cross members AND the metal Yakima basket ....doesn't seem that it washed off. I'm puzzled......

[RickOKC]

I now think part of my issue was that the 303 needed more cure time!

Friday evening: applied 303 to all the cladding.

Sunday morning: had some water from the garden hose splash off the driveway onto the cladding which made it look like the water caused the 303 to "evaporate" where the drops touched.

Sunday afternoon: Finally got to polish & wax the paint! Got some wax on the cladding on a couple of places near the top edge. After cleaning off the wax, I went around the top 1" of the cladding with fresh 303 to even it out - all the way around the VX, even in the places that didn't really need it.

Monday morning: 3 miles of my drive to work was in a very light rain. Later in the morning, it sprinkled for about 10 minutes.

Tonight I see that 1" line where I applied the freshest 303 washed off to a much greater degree than on the rest of the cladding. There are some light stripes on the side cladding that had cured more and some big thin patches on the front that took the brunt of the rain while driving. But that 1" line at the top left a very obvious line where the fresh 303 was affected much, much more.

Hmmm, I also wonder if the super-hard water here could make a difference. (I'm talking about water so hard you can cut yourself just by washing your hands! Nyuck, nyuck!) That's a big issue here - I have to be super careful when I wash my other car. Its paint is pretty soft and if the water dries on it, I have to use vinegar to remove the water spots. That's city water; I don't have the same problem with rain.

[workmeistr]

Hi, Rick!
I apply 303 over my Refinish Restore (1 coat) cladding every once in a while. It looks good, but I too have seen the streaks with water/rain, but thought it was due to me applying over the candy coating of the RR, not allowing the 303 to soak into the raw cladding. My RR still looks good and I was planning to do another coat as a few door strikes and other nicks have "chipped" the RR off in a couple of places. Now I'm worried to add another coat, give the potential for normal chipping, especially on the front. The RR did wonders on my Saab which has it's share of black plastic all around.

[VX KAT]

Looking over some older posts yesterday, I found I first posted about R/R starting to chip just 4 months after I applied the 1st coat. I didn't see any on the front (which I would expect would chip first), just some on the sides. If yours isn't chipping by now, it seems more likely my surface wasn't prepped properly.

[mrlarrys]

Hey everyone,
I will post some pictures of the VX with the armourdillo today - it went on easy, satin finish not collecting any dust, seemed to make it darker although mine was a bit faded. A definite improvement - it has stood up well and the only problem is I used only one small wipe to do the car and I think it would have came out better using two - more is better. Of course I can now put on a second coat to even things out.
Larry

[mrlarrys]

Just posted pics in my members photo's - did not clean the VX and it was taken on a rainy day - no drips like the armorall gave me and looks like the day I put the TS-1 on - still satiny as you can see and stood up to 3 hand washes and one car wash since using and a few rainy days.

[VXR]

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

[vt_maverick]

Looks really nice Larry, thanks for the pics. Of course it's always hard to compare cladding via pics, but I'd say it looks equally as good as my cladding with B2B. So if it doesn't run in the rain and/or attract dust, I'd say we have a winner.

When you bought the TS-1 stuff, where did you order it and what quantity did you buy? I seem to remember there being like a 4-pack and a 20-pack (or something like that). How often do you think you'll need to reapply?

[VX KAT]

Went to the pressure washer again and for 5mins worth of blasting, I got about 95% of my R/R OFF!!!!
My cladding is mostly NEKKID NOW!!!!! I LOVE NEKKID......
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CLADDING, WHAT DID YOU THINK I MEANT PK???!!!!

I'll be able to finish it off in the next few days! WOHOOO!!!!!
It's got a matte/velvet kind of look to it now...and very clearly a pale bluish-grey color.

Dug up an older post where Don Moore mentioned a friend with a Chevy Avalance used black shoe polish and it worked pretty good, anybody know more about that? LUNA- put your thinking cap on overdrive and see if you can think of a great way to darken my cladding!! We've got a blank canvas now!!

p.s....my gas tat is still there....just defies logic.....but hey, it's my signature mark now!....yeah, now it's considered artwork!

[Luna X]

For now, I'm gonna bow out of this debate..... Once the weather cools off, I will be prepping my VX for a complete paint job.
That includes spraying ALL the cladding with a fresh coat of black. I figure, since the VX has seen 10 years worth of sun out in the southwest, everything needs to be renewed.
Quite often, after the plastic has turned light grey too many times, wiping it down only helps for a couple days at a time.

My "mini poll" question.....
What color cladding should I go with: true black or dark grey?