Cladding Restoration...so Easy & Dope!

[mike nomy]

wow i really stirred up a debate!

[mike nomy]

Mike-I'm really interested in this stuff! SO some more questions

Was it really pretty easy to get a uniform coverage, or was it tricky at all?

Did it run at all?

Does it seem to puddle at all in the torx screw holes?

Did you have to be pretty darn steady and even when spraying it?

Did you just do a back and forth motion on the spraying? Do you think you overlapped any in the process of spraying on the 1st coat?

Did you get any overspray with the amount of masking and paper you used?
Was it windy at all when you applied it? Just wondering if it flies into the air pretty easily (and therefore I'd mask some more).

Website says it's great for doing touch ups if you scratch it or damage your cladding. If this is really true, this is the stuff I want!

Did you find any areas where you had to go back and "touch up" by spraying just in a certain small area?

Does the stuff really just blend into itself quite readily or do you have be really careful about hovering over one area too long? If it dries so quickly, I'd think this may not be too much of an issue??

Is it really a MATTE or SATIN finish? I'd say SATIN has a small amount of shine to it, whereas MATTE is completely flat. What would you say it is (IN PERSON) vs the pics we're looking at?

Thanks a ton!!

i forgot to answer yer pamphlet of questions lol.
basically it goes on just like spraypaint. smooth even back and fourth motion. don;t stop in any one spot, common sense. it looks kinda funky at first when it lands on the cladding but it quickly smooths out, almost dissapears... donesn't really look too smooth at first, but as soon as it dries, it looks perfect. 2 smooth coats are more than enough to look good. 1 coat is good, but i was always told 2 lighter coas is always better than 1 heavy coat.
it didn't ran at all, but once or twice, as the nozzle got a lil clogged towards the end, a few drops spit out onto the cladding. i just dabbed it off and then after a minute, resprayed over that arean there was absolutely NO evidence that anything ever may have went wrong.... because it didn't ,lol. but i did find that after a few minutes of spraying, it's best to turn the can upside down n clear out the nozzle with a few spritz'...
it did not pool up around the torx holes, it just flowed all over evenly.
if u can use a spray can, u can do this..... quick, even stokes, back and forth, side to side, sometimes up n down where needed. i di under the cladding, the gas tank, the wheel wells.... as long as u prep it with some denatured alcohol, u should have no issues at all.
and as far as the overspray, although it was a sunny warm day, it was pretty breezy, def not idle spraying weather, but i went for it anyway. the only overspray i got was on the hood a little while spraying the mirror housings, but then again, i let my buddy mask off that area, so.....
and the overspray wiped right off with a rag n some denatured alcohol. FYI, any paint, finish, sealer can be removed for upto a few days after over spray is found, with denatured alcohol or oven cleaner spray.... with no damage to the under lying finish, so a lil breeze is no worries.

hope all that helped u!

[VX KAT]

Thanks for the detail, it's really clear now...I know I can do this!
Since I had a bad experience with the R/R (probably due to inadequate surface prep as best we can figure...or my cladding is possessed...which we haven't ruled out yet!).
I'm really going to research this and read up on the Avalanche forum to see if any talk about bad outcomes or problems over time.

If anybody already knows of any problems, give me a heads up, please.

Luna...I still won't do anything until we get together and you can look at it.

RIff- Let us know if you've tried your TS-1 yet??

[atilla_the_fun]

I've looked at the avalanche forums, and other than complaining about their fading cladding (8 months after purchase its already light gray!) they don't say anything bad about the gatorback. It seems to really work. I'm pretty sure this will cover the gas stains and other cladding issues (PO glued a vanity plate to the front leaving four holes and some stains) as this seems paint like. I'll add this to my list of things to do when I have money.

[stangri]

Riff -- maybe you should hold on to your TS-1 until I get the gatorback and we can do both cars at the same time and make comparison shots.

[Scott Larson]

Just a thought...for anyone wondering what thier cladding looked like when new, just remove a piece and look at the back side. Protected from sun and weather, it will show its "true color".

[crotchrocket]

Well, i just use linsead oil on mine about every 3 washes and it looks brand new all the time

[Luna X]

I doubt they're going to engineer a product like this and not think: "Oh my, shouldn't we maybe add some kind of UV inhibitor or use a base material that is inherently UV resistant?" Their main claim to fame is restoring plastic sundamaged trim/cladding. How long would a company last whose product fails to do what they advertise. Word of mouth is going to make or break them.

From the Gatorback website:



I'm confident it'll hold up.

I asked that question after trying to look at their MSDS page... which gave zero indication of it's UV properties...

Also, keep in mind, this product was designed as a band-aid for GM products (who, if you recall, needed billions of dollars handed to them to stay in business)

things that make you go, hmmmmm...

[rowhard]

Not for me. I'm sticking with the GM endorsed & approved TS-1 treatment wipes.

Wells ours is dark grey and GB was the GM approved fix till TS-1 came out

[vt_maverick]

Wells ours is dark grey and GB was the GM approved fix till TS-1 came out

So that means GM thought TS-1 was a better solution than GB? Or as Luna implies, might this have been a sales/marketing move to get consumers away from "dead-end" products like GB (in other words, products without a follow-on sales model)?

[cdvntx]

Did wonders on mine. It's black and shiny.

[vt_maverick]

Did wonders on mine. It's black and shiny.

But how long does it last? That's really the point of GB, Refinish Restorer, Showroom New, etc.

[VX KAT]

Did wonders on mine. It's black and shiny.

But how long does it last? That's really the point of GB, Refinish Restorer, Showroom New, etc.

He apparently used "Eagle One Shine Gel" (mentioned that detail in the "title" of his post, and when you quote it, it does not carry over). This thread seemed to be more focused on the more "permanent" type cladding products like GatorBack, TS-1, Restore/Refinish, Showroom New.

So IVI, how's this product do in rain, or how long does it last? Does it collect much dust?

[vt_maverick]

He apparently used "Eagle One Shine Gel" (mentioned that detail in the "title" of his post, and when you quote it, it does not carry over). This thread seemed to be more focused on the more "permanent" type cladding products like GatorBack, TS-1, Restore/Refinish, Showroom New.

I know - how is this different than what I wrote?

[crager34]

What does DOPE mean these days?

Looking to score?