DP Wheel Coating

In continuing with the DP Coatings, here is their wheel coating.  I took some time to get the BRZ up on some jack stands and do an oil change and while rotating the tires decided to do a full wheels off detail.  

First up the rims and tires, for the tires Optimum Power Clean (OPC) was used as well as for the rims.  Following this just to be safe each wheel and interior of the rim got  a double IPA wipedown.

For the wheel wells OPC was used again with assorted brushes followed by two coats of Meguiar's Hyper Dressing diluted 1:1 5-10 minutes apart.  1:1 can leave a pretty shiny finish but diluting it anymore leads to a very liquid product that tends to drip off and make a bit of a mess.

The tires got a double coat of AMMO Mud.  I picked up a couple of these new Carrand tire applicators in trying to find one that works well.

Each tire got two coats of a small bead.  It was evenly dabbed on the tire before spread.

In spreading it I used two coats clockwise, then swiped a third time counterclockwise to avoid smear marks and ensure even coverage throughout the tire.  This helps avoid high spots or missing areas of dressing.

Unfortunately I didn't catch any pictures of the wheel coating in use but I used a basic foam applicator and went over each wheel evenly.  After a bit of a drying period this is the product we are left with.

The shine on the wheels is fantastic.  I was genuinely impressed, but the durability and ease of cleaning is just as important as the appearance.  The coating spread evenly and I didn't notice any high spots in use.  I did lightly buff the interior of the rim after coating it but that was just too difficult between the spokes.

Thanks for reading!

Short Review: DP Glass Coating

This is a quick synopsis of a glass coating I just applied on the BRZ.  I recently picked up the DP Prep Polish, Glass Coating, Wheel Coating, and Paint Coating and figured no better time than now to use the glass coating.  While rain is rarely an issue here in Vegas, that makes having a semi-permanent coating that much better as it won't get that much abuse and should hopefully last a few years.

And these are the items we'll be using today.  The coating, clay alternative, and a suede applicator block with associated cloth.

Here's the glass after a quick cleaning with GTechniq Panel Wipe to ensure a clean surface for the coating to adhere to.  Claying was done initially but the marring was so much of a hassle I skipped it. There was barely any grit to the glass that could be felt.

So directions for the glass coating are a cool surface and to let sit 2 minutes.  Here in the garage it's somewhat cool.  For the beginnings of summer at least.

In comparison to the concrete in the sun, quite a bit of difference.

Applicator block all setup and buffing towel, a CarPro Boa.

Rudimentary timer, I used just around 1:30 from spray on to lightly buff since the temperature was a bit more optimal.

And sprayed on.

After spraying the block was used to uniformly distribute the coating and avoid and lingering highspots.  I was quite impressed on the leveling of the coating.  There were only a few spots remaining after a simple cross-hatch and upon completion I did a walk-around in the sun with the towel to see if I had missed anywhere.  I think at most I found 2 spots that came right off roughly 8-10 minutes after application.  It may take a while until it actually sees some rain so that's why although this is not a performance review I did want to post my thoughts.

Previously, I have used Opti-Coat on windows, which worked well but not specifically formulated for glass.  From my understanding this mainly lies on the windshield where the coating is less likely to stand up to the abrasiveness of windshield wipers, I'm sure this thought process could easily be applied to the simple rolling up and down of windows.  I'll make sure to post back with my thoughts when and if it does see rain, if not on the next wash.

Update:  After a few rainstorms I can say DP Glass coating works well, it starts making rain drops fly off right around the 40mph mark.  This is pretty standard for most glass water repellants, but where it succeeds over others is that using the windshield wipers doesn't spell the end for it.  It's been on there for two months and in the couple of rain showers I've ran into it's worked great.

Take care and post up any questions you may have.

Shine on...

Just a bit of shameless plug after spending a few days on the car...