CarPro Immortal - Self-Healing Coating

[allenk4]

Who is going to be marketing this product?

Dealerships is my guess

As mentioned earlier, they may not want to go to the trouble with anew product when they already have such extravagant margins on their other coatings

I also don't see Dealerships as "Cutting Edge" when it comes to products like this. They are still using Rotary with coarse wool, tire dressings that sling everywhere and swirl inducing tunnel washes

 

[SYMAWD]

I also don't see Dealerships as "Cutting Edge" when it comes to products like this. They are still using Rotary with coarse wool, tire dressings that sling everywhere and swirl inducing tunnel washes

Not all of them though. Like I said, my dealership is capable of applying Ceramic Pro on perfectly corrected vehicles and it's not that difficult for us. There's no reason why we can't have our Ceramic Pro installer prep the cars to be brought over to our excellent body shop to apply the coating in a booth.

 

[Mike Moore]

Here is what I know about the product:

...From what I understand it offers less hydrophobic qualities and less gloss than Finest (contact angle of 100 degree compared to 120+ with Finest).

...It can be topped with water based sealants but won't benefit from nanoceramic coatings

...this Immortal product will self heal at room temp (and fast) compared to prior technology which needed to be heated.

...If I can extrapolate the feel the product from prior technologies, I would not be sold on this softish rubberized product.

...If it performs as intended I may have to develop a relationship with one of my local high end paint and body shop

I can't wait to see some US based testing and to see the feedback on it.

Thoughts...

The short version...
Can you or do you still need to decontaminate the paint? if so, how?
Maintenance...Wash and apply a sealant for improved "look and feel".
Yes, I have an established body shop relationship. After all, it's a "paint".

The bad news...
No more constant paint correction (especially on black) to eliminate swirls.
This pretty much brings to a halt those repeat (black) paint correction folks.

The good news...
No more constant paint correction (especially on black) to eliminate swirls.
There is only so much clear coat on modern vehicles. OEM CC is applied robot thin.

It is a given that swirls will constantly return even with the most cautious washing methods.
For those folks that appreciate a "swirl free" finish this appears to be the perfect product for them.

Correct it, spray it and then maybe finally my black paint OCD will get a rest.

So yes...I am very anxious to do my own testing. Swirls drive me crazy!

 

[Moldavite]

No more constant paint correction (especially on black) to eliminate swirls.Correct it, spray it and then maybe finally my black paint OCD will get a rest.

This sound great

 

[HUMP DIESEL]

Not all of them though. Like I said, my dealership is capable of applying Ceramic Pro on perfectly corrected vehicles and it's not that difficult for us. There's no reason why we can't have our Ceramic Pro installer prep the cars to be brought over to our excellent body shop to apply the coating in a booth.

:iagree::iagree::iagree: This quote is exactly what I was talking about. Not all dealerships are incompetent as we make them out to be, and many have excellent trained body shop techs that can spray this on.

HUMP

 

[Dr_Pain]

Depending on the product and application costs it will put a lot of people out of business.

Especially since it will require a good paint booth, decent air and equipment to apply it, and a bake booth afterwards. But it sure looked amazing in their video.

Actually it will not put anybody out of business, but has a HUGE potential of creating strong and lasting relationships between detailers and painters (or propel a painter/detailer to the next level)

Who is going to be marketing this product?

Dealerships is my guess

As mentioned earlier, they may not want to go to the trouble with anew product when they already have such extravagant margins on their other coatings

I also don't see Dealerships as "Cutting Edge" when it comes to products like this. They are still using Rotary with coarse wool, tire dressings that sling everywhere and swirl inducing tunnel washes

The product will be marketed to the detailer's market primarily, then high end painters and true to CarPro's prior effort for excellence, not everybody will be able to buy the product (the reason being will be explained below)

Thoughts...

The short version...
Can you or do you still need to decontaminate the paint? if so, how?
Maintenance...Wash and apply a sealant for improved "look and feel".
Yes, I have an established body shop relationship. After all, it's a "paint".

The bad news...
No more constant paint correction (especially on black) to eliminate swirls.
This pretty much brings to a halt those repeat (black) paint correction folks.

The good news...
No more constant paint correction (especially on black) to eliminate swirls.
There is only so much clear coat on modern vehicles. OEM CC is applied robot thin.

It is a given that swirls will constantly return even with the most cautious washing methods.
For those folks that appreciate a "swirl free" finish this appears to be the perfect product for them.

Correct it, spray it and then maybe finally my black paint OCD will get a rest.

So yes...I am very anxious to do my own testing. Swirls drive me crazy!

You can't quote me on this (since no information is currently available) but I figure this "add-on" will cost in the THOUSANDS!! (hence the reason I don't think it will be marketed primarily to dealerships) Yes it will reduce the number of trips to get a quick polish etc... but the market share of people that will go to this product over a quick polish and coating, or polish/compounding and PRO coating will be much much smaller than you think, and most likely will not affect the average detailer at all.

Does the product require decontamination of the paint etc... YES!!! (hence the reason for a relationship between detailer and painter, and the reason why I don't think it will hurt the detailing market). One cannot (and should not) simply spray the product on a contaminated and swirled vehicles, you need to polish all those nasty imperfections out BEFORE you apply the product. I am not a BETA tester for this product (since I have no painting skills, nor the market for it) but I am thinking that 15mils will have some filling abilities but how much?

Now what WOULD be cool is if the development of the product takes a direction to bring to market this product in a self leveling (multi-layer) hand application which would not require a spray gun and skills. I seriously doubt R&D is going that way but one can always dream, right?

 

[HUMP DIESEL]

I am glad I got a seriously great painter in my area that I deal with!!! I am on this! I correct them and then he sprays it on!

HUMP

 

[SYMAWD]

You can't quote me on this (since no information is currently available) but I figure this "add-on" will cost in the THOUSANDS!! (hence the reason I don't think it will be marketed primarily to dealerships) Yes it will reduce the number of trips to get a quick polish etc... but the market share of people that will go to this product over a quick polish and coating, or polish/compounding and PRO coating will be much much smaller than you think, and most likely will not affect the average detailer at all.

People already pay thousands for a normal coating at a dealership. Why wouldn't they pay thousands for this?

Sure it might not be popular at a Honda or Toyota dealership, but Audi, Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus dealerships absolutely. Most people buying those cars will spend a few extra thousand like it's nothing.

 

[cardaddy]

There might be more money made taking it off than putting it on!

And you just might be on to something there. :dunno:

.....One cannot (and should not) simply spray the product on a contaminated and swirled vehicles, you need to polish all those nasty imperfections out BEFORE you apply the product......
.....I am thinking that 15mils will have some filling abilities but how much?

Now what WOULD be cool is if the development of the product takes a direction to bring to market this product in a self leveling (multi-layer) hand application which would not require a spray gun and skills. I seriously doubt R&D is going that way but one can always dream, right?

You've seen headlights that have been repaired with 800~1000 grit sanding marks still in them, yet with a (thick enough) coating on them they are perfectly 'glossy' right?

Take your normal clear coat.... it's not applied to a completely corrected single stage paint, it'd NEVER stick. It's either a matte base or a scuffed up single stage.

Yeah, multi-level, multi-day application with nothing more than proper heat and IR or UV lighting would be cool for SURE. :dblthumb2:





I'm still stuck however on how much TRASH will end up suspended in this spray on, uber soft PPF while it's both in the air as well as drying. I mean who's ever seen ANY paint job come out of the booth that doesn't need cutting and buffing? Not being able to buff it means that it'd have to be applied in nothing short of a NASA, better yet a CD/DVD/Blu-Ray level "clean room" with multi-level air locks just to get inside.

Compound that with black cars and I'd think they'd actually be the worst recipients. (After all... you can see a spec of trash from 50' away on solid black.)
Perhaps heavy metallic, gray, silver and the like. :dunno:

 

[Evan.J]

You will be looking at a coating that will be 15 microns thick.

This will be a spray on application that will require UV lamps and IR lamps.

Just like PPF the moment a scratch breaks through that 15 micros you will no longer be able to self heal the coating.

I like the idea but at the same time sounds like you will need a paint booth for the application and I would like to see some real world testing and longevity.

 

[HUMP DIESEL]

People already pay thousands for a normal coating at a dealership. Why wouldn't they pay thousands for this?

Sure it might not be popular at a Honda or Toyota dealership, but Audi, Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus dealerships absolutely. Most people buying those cars will spend a few extra thousand like it's nothing.

This would also be lumped into the monthly payment as the others are so it would be less apparent.

HUMP

 

[SYMAWD]

This would also be lumped into the monthly payment as the others are so it would be less apparent.

HUMP

Our Ceramic Pro applications don't get lumped in. People pay it in one shot. However that might have changed. I left for college soon after we began offering it so I don't know for sure. The point is, a few grand is nothing if you are spending $60,000 plus on a car.

 

[zmcgovern45]

Our Ceramic Pro applications don't get lumped in. People pay it in one shot. However that might have changed. I left for college soon after we began offering it so I don't know for sure. The point is, a few grand is nothing if you are spending $60,000 plus on a car.

Unfortunately that logic is not the case for many owners of high end cars. There are tons of "cheap wealthy people" out there.

 

[Pinpoint_Precision]

I am stoked about this new Clearcoat. Not to change or start a war, Modesta answers with s probably more easier version, heartless Coating.

CarPro is ahead of the game, I can't wait to start offering this to my clients. They will happily pay for it.

Now for pricing if it's anywhere between 500 to 1K it still pretty cheap. People will Xpel their entire vehicles and I know people will pay easily anywhere between $6K to 10K. That's pretty much how much people charge around my area. So 5K, if it performs like its stated then I am all in so will my clients.

 

[SYMAWD]

Unfortunately that logic is not the case for many owners of high end cars. There are tons of "cheap wealthy people" out there.

Yes, but the people who get coatings would probably get this too. The rich people who won't even wax their cars are not your market. I think that enough people would go for it that dealerships would be interested.

 

[PiPUK]

You will be looking at a coating that will be 15 microns thick.

This will be a spray on application that will require UV lamps and IR lamps.

Just like PPF the moment a scratch breaks through that 15 micros you will no longer be able to self heal the coating.

I like the idea but at the same time sounds like you will need a paint booth for the application and I would like to see some real world testing and longevity.

I'd also be concerned about particulate matter and heat. If the film/coating can heal a scratch, it strikes me that it could potentially heal around particulate matter, definitely if you get soiling in your scratch but maybe even just from a heavy dirt film that gets baked on... Might not be, but it would be one of my worries.

 

[allenk4]

I'd also be concerned about particulate matter and heat. If the film/coating can heal a scratch, it strikes me that it could potentially heal around particulate matter, definitely if you get soiling in your scratch but maybe even just from a heavy dirt film that gets baked on... Might not be, but it would be one of my worries.

Great Point!

I wonder if brake dust and other fallout will sink into the coating when it is heated faster than the film itself

 

[cardaddy]

I'd also be concerned about particulate matter and heat. If the film/coating can heal a scratch, it strikes me that it could potentially heal around particulate matter, definitely if you get soiling in your scratch but maybe even just from a heavy dirt film that gets baked on... Might not be, but it would be one of my worries.

Great Point!

I wonder if brake dust and other fallout will sink into the coating when it is heated faster than the film itself

:dblthumb2: BINGO:dblthumb2:

Which is my concern from the very beginning, during application being the most critical point in the process. After which, at any point where airborne contaminates could/would embed on/into the surface yet there wouldn't/isn't a way in which to clay and/or buff the surface contaminates out of the 'film'. :dunno:

 

[Mike Moore]

Unfortunately that logic is not the case for many owners of high end cars. There are tons of "cheap wealthy people" out there.

Up the road from me is a small brick and mortar store I like called "The Drivers Seat". (Yes, they purchase products from AG)
I go there for many reasons, great peeps and lots of products are on the shelf from Coli 854 to Zymol Atlantique™ Glaze.

On the same street as The Driver Seat are many high end dealerships like Lamborghini, Ferrari & Austin Martin to name a few.
These owners come to the store & what do they purchase? As a rule, all they ever buy is a Quick Detailer & a microfiber towel.

 

[Georgesakr]

Looks like this "self healing" is the latest milestone in the detailing industry. I have seen another similar product that claims self healing but they didn't dare stating as clear coat (maybe advertising purposes). It's a complicated process, a minimum of 8 hours of application. Charged somewhere between 2500-5000 usd. I don't know about carpro but that product only requires a dust free room. IMO selfhealing a product dedicated to professional detailers that can market it for customers with >150k vehicles. As someone said, body shops lack the skills of buffing a car the right way so this product is definitely not for body shops.