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!

Review: Optimum Power-Clean

Well it's review day.  Here are the stack of products I'm hoping to complete.  Unfortunately after foaming the car a storm started to move in so I have to pause while it moves through.

And the assortment of brushes

Here's the test wheel, the process was completed for all 4 wheels and tires.

So for Power Clean I heavily spray the tires and use the Tuff Shine tire brush to clean it out.

I was able to get this picture in action.

And it working on the tire

You can see all the grime that has built up over the past couple weeks since I last cleaned my tires.

Overall my experience with this product so far is that it does what I wanted it to.  I will need to continue to use this but for the most part APC is used to clean tires for me primarily and it did it fantastic.  Easy to use, does not smell pungent, and easy to work with.  If I had to change something I would put a foaming sprayer on it as I feel it allows the suds to stick and dwell much longer.

Product Link

Optimum Power Clean

Thanks for reading and post any comments or questions below!

Review and Head-to-head: CarPro PERL and Wolf's Tire and Trim Gel

I've had CarPro PERL for a little while since I got a sample in but haven't posted up my thoughts on it since I've only used it a handful of times.  But I do find it very promising and versatile as a dressing product.  The tires needed dressing and I had just enough Wolf's "Blackout" Tire and Trim Gel to do roughly 2 tires, what better time to do a head-to-head long-term review!

You can find my thoughts on the Wolf's version here.

CarPro PERL according to CarPro is:

"PERL Coat by CarPro is a concentrated versatile water-based, protective coating for plastics, rubber, and leather that offers tremendous UV protection.  PERL Coat is a water based dilute to suit product, covering a large array of tasking within car care.  It can be used to restores the like-new appearance of hard exterior plastic surfaces and keeps them looking good with strong UV and hydrophobic protection.  The sun can be damaging on flexible materials, like rubber, plastic, and leather. Gradually & over the course of time they fade & become brittle and cracked.  PERL Coat is changing the rules. PERL Coat provides excellent protection and lasts up to three months on interior and engine surfaces.  Durability on Exterior Surfaces varies based on the type of plastic and the exposure in your environment.  It can protect for up to 3 months on exterior surfaced as well however if you see constant rainy conditions the darkness will fade from some plastics and tires sooner.  For a dedicated extremely long lasting Exterior Trim Coating please take a look at our "CarPro DLux" product."

Here you can see the sample size I have.

And Meguiar's Hyper Dressing behind it which I am a fan of for an economic water-based dressing.

I applied it like any other tires dressing and found it to be quite glossy, but this can easily be remedied by diluting it at a 1:1 ratio or even more depending on how far you want to stretch a bottle.  Here are the tires beforehand.  Very dry and blooming due to rubber's natural tendencies.

And here they are after being dressed by Wolf's Tire Gel.

And CarPro PERL

I will update this accordingly as the gel dries and sets in.  It leaves a much more satin type look as compared to a glossy look.  And I will keep you all updated on how long each respective products lasts in normal usage on a daily driver vehicle.

Product Links

CarPro PERL
Wolf's Trim Gel

Thanks for reading and post up any comments or questions you have below!

Review: Wolf's "Black Out" Tire and Trim Gel

Quick review of a product I just applied. I recently got a sample of this in, it is Wolf's Black Out Tire and Trim Gel. I used this on my tires, previously I have been using Hyper Dressing which I like pretty well, price is good but it doesn't last very long due to it being water based and it just recently rained.

Here are the products used.



And a few drops being applied



Being applied



I always go over a tire twice to ensure coverage as well as reduce any high built up areas, With this product I did not have to use anymore product, but I have may used a bit too much initially.

Tire Before



Right after application



Roughly 10 minutes after:






Here it is a couple days after, you can see how the shine has set in.




 Quick update 2 weeks later. Still a nice satin sheen, not as glossy though, but not dull by any means.



When I look for a tire dressing I look for a nice satin look that's slightly wet. I do not need to have a tire that looks dripping wet because I'd rather not have it sling all over. I also prefer to apply it late at night so it has all night to dry, you can also wipe off heavy areas to reduce chances of sling or reduce shine if it's too much for your preference.

Overall the product was very easy to apply but the big test is longevity and how it looks after a couple weeks of wear and tear.

Thanks for reading, feel free to post up any tips you have on applying tire dressing or questions about the product.