How do you get off GTechniq C4?

MarkD51

MarkD51

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Hello all,
Some of you may remember my experiences using GT C4 on my Tahoe's Rear Step Bumper Trim.

I wasn't satisfied with it then, and it's only gotten worse since.

My Step Bumper Trim has never looked so bad, and to mildly state to you all, I won't ever be buying this product again in this lifetime, the 1/2 bottle I have left won't be getting used on a kid's toy wagon wheels. I'm getting ready to toss it in the trash, this was over $60 of garbage down the drain.

GTehniq should actually be refunding my money, the product IMO is totally inferior.

My Step Bumper has turned Whitish, nothing so far I've tried will cure it, and while C4 may have sealed and protected the trim, it did little in the way of any of the restorative products available.

C4 cannot hold a candle to products like CQuartz DLX, which whatever piece I treated with this looks great. Even Armor All never did this to any trim. It is that bad a product, junk.

So folks, how do I get this "crap" off my trim?
 
I truly wish to contact the folks at GTechniq, and ask that I send this 1/2 bottle of C4 back to them for some compensation.

This product displayed little in the way of thier claimed "restorative" properties. Just horrid what this stuff did to my trim.

I'd like knowing what will take off this product, rather than having to resort to buying new replacement trim. This stuff ruined my trim.

And this is trim that's sat protected under a Covercraft NOAH Cover.
 
MarkD51 said:
I truly wish to contact the folks at GTechniq, and ask that I send this 1/2 bottle of C4 back to them for some compensation.
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ru8apadu.jpg
 
Wow!

This is really unfortunate for you. Perhaps something was wrong with the product? I think I can understand your frustrations, but if the product is defective somehow that to me wouldn't equate to never using it again.

Wish I had some suggestion for you to try and remove the product, but anything I would suggest would probably further ruin the trim. Give Gtechniq a call. I'm sure that if you provide details of your process along with some photo's that they'll make it right...one way or another. Give them a chance.

If they can't/won't help you, then folks need to know about it. It's terrible that you've went to the trouble of covering your vehicle with a cover to protect it, then try to further protect your vehicle with a product designed for protection, and it gets ruined. I hate that this has happened to you, Mark.
 
Takes good prep work, which obviously you didn't do.
 
Rsurfer said:
Takes good prep work, which obviously you didn't do.
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How do you know that, since he didn't give any details? Have you made a similar mistake? Perhaps he gave details in another thread that I missed though.
 
Hoytman said:
How do you know that, since he didn't give any details? Have you made a similar mistake? Perhaps he gave details in another thread that I missed though.
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Because C4 will not turn his trim white unless it was already there. Which means it was not preped correctly. Is that detailed enough for you?
 
Already on this. I will be discussing this issue with the guys tomorrow to see what we can do.

MarkD51, can you please reply with or PM me your detailed application steps including prep work and the cure time allowed before introducing to elements?
 
Anyone experiencing this with c4 can reach out to me also via my facebook or calling me direct.( cell is on facebook account)
 
Rsurfer said:
Takes good prep work, which obviously you didn't do.
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RSurfer, I'm of course not going to be angry at any member that's asking, or surmising that I perhaps didn't properly prep, as that may very well be true?

All I know is I did clean the bejesus out of that trim, it was looking pretty decent beforehand. I'd have to go back to read for myself what I actually did, because I did do a basic documentation of the product (C4) when I first used it.

I;'m thinking that I washed, I used an APC, and even used Prep Solv, then a 15% IPA wipedown. I don't think I used a full strength 70% or 91% IPA.

But I did on all my Door Handles, used a final 70% IPA with CQuartz DLX, and have gotten just beautiful like new results on all the Door Handles, and all the rest of the Side Molding Trim.

Whether I didn't prep enough, well, here's one fly in the ointment, Silicone!

Now, if there was a possibility of any remnants of a Silicone Product (ie Armor All) left behind, then I can perhaps understand how perhaps no product will properly adhere, or perhaps could interact adversely.

I personally know, one of the most revered Telescope Optics Makers in our present time period in the world, Roland Christen of AstroPhysics in Rockford, Ill. You'll wait 6-7 years to get one of his fine Instruments, which each and every one are finally hand figured by him to minimum 1/10th Wave PV Figure. I own one of his Scopes, and have owned one of his Telescope Mounts, the AP1200GTO, which is like owning a fine piece of high precision jewelry. That's about the only way to describe the beauty, and precision of what they make.

Roland once told me about Silicones, and getting them on Glass Optics. That there is absolutely nothing, not Denatured Alcohol, not Acetone, nothing that will take this off a glass optic short of totally re-grinding the lens surface.

So, with that said, this very well could've been the fly in the ointment, but I had mentioned other issues with the use of this product, a short work time, and the workability was almost akin to like spreading 10 year old Honey, there was not even the slight chance of going back to level, or even the surface when applying, as it would mar the application.

It was way too touchy too apply, and as I had mentioned, it took a 1/2 bottle of product to apply to the top two piece Bumper Step Pad, and the Side Molding Trim on the Back Step Bumper.

In comparison, I did the entire rest of the Truck's Side Molding Trim, and the Front Bumper Trim, all the Side Window Trim, and Rubber Weatherstripping, and License Plate Bracket on the Truck with less than 1/2 bottle of CQuartz DLX.

This particular product I just cannot say enough good about, very outstanding, whereas it seemed C4 was totally at the other end of the spectrum.

As for the prep and application of CQ DLX, I basically did nothing different in comparison to the application of C4.
 
IME remnants of previous "dressings" are can be extremely difficult or nearly next to impossible to remove from some trim pieces. APC & IPA are just poor at removing old trim dressings, especially if you applied them recently or frequently.

I think one of two things would be beneficial. The manufacturer should provide a product to clean the surface 100% prior to application of their product (think Tuff Shine tire cleaner) or the products need to be more forgiving for a "clean surface".

If one of those two things isn't possible, the results will always be a gamble. ,
 
TrKent said:
Already on this. I will be discussing this issue with the guys tomorrow to see what we can do.

MarkD51, can you please reply with or PM me your detailed application steps including prep work and the cure time allowed before introducing to elements?
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Sure, I can basically explain what I did after application, the C4 product was left to fully dry in dry, mild weather, I believe I waited a good few hour's time before I recovered the vehicle with my Covercraft NOAH Cover.

The truck, during the next couple months after application had not been subjected to one drop of water, nothing.

I don't think we;ve gotten an 1/8" of rain in the past 6 months in this desert southwest climate, and the Covercraft NOAH Cover which was bought last October has proven to be basically 100% waterproof.

With the Cover on the truck, the truck basically hasn't been subjected to much UV Radiation either.

Other than taking the cover off for 2-3 days about 6 weeks ago, to have AC Service done on the Truck with new AC Compressor, Drier-Accumulator, and re-charging, and 3 weeks ago, doing an entire paint correction with Wolfgang Products, and my Porter Cable DA, the Truck has been covered 24/7 all other times.

I started noting degradation of the appearance quite quickly with the C4. Within just a couple of weeks, I did lift the rear of the cover to look at the rear bumper to see how the C4 looked, and I was not at all impressed. Honestly, I truly believe an application of Armor All still would've looked like the day I applied it, versus the C4 looking like I totally stripped the bumper, then never put a treatment of any kind on it after.

Quite dull looking, and turning greyish, lackkuster.

Mark
 
View attachment 19071

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These were the pictures I took immediately after the application of GTechniq C4. I had posted these before, some of you might remember.

As you can basically see in these pictures, the Bumper Trim here doesn't look splotchy, or greying in any way.

That although some had believed I over-applied the product due to using a 1/2 bottle just to do this trim, it appeared that there was no other shortcomings, or errors with application.

My bumper more recently, looks nothing like this now. It in fact has never looked this bad, ever.

I need to take some more pics, and will perhaps try to tomorrow.
Mark
 
I find that if you put too much on (and it's hard not to do that with mine because it's partly dried up and much thicker than when it was new), you will get a shiny but milky surface, if that makes any sense. It's not really milky, it just looks like shiny faded trim...still probably doesn't make any sense.
 
MarkD51 said:
I personally know, one of the most revered Telescope Optics Makers in our present time period in the world, Roland Christen of AstroPhysics in Rockford, Ill. You'll wait 6-7 years to get one of his fine Instruments, which each and every one are finally hand figured by him to minimum 1/10th Wave PV Figure. I own one of his Scopes, and have owned one of his Telescope Mounts, the AP1200GTO, which is like owning a fine piece of high precision jewelry.
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OK, I'm officially jealous. I've still got my Celestron Nexstar11, and a Televue AP76. I was on the waiting list for the AP130 F6 Starfire for a few years, along with the AP1200GTO mount. The mount came up for me to buy, but with no ETA on a scope, I let it go. Then, they discontinued the scope, and released a new model. They didn't pick up the waiting list from the old scope, as I never heard anything again. Or perhaps, I'm still on the waiting list. After all it was 2003 when I put my name on the list.

Haven't had much time in the last 8 or 9 years to get my scopes out in the desert, so if I had gotten the Starfire, it would just be parked in the garage anyway.

Do you have dark skies, or do you have to go out into the desert as well? If so, where do you go? Have you ever been to one of the AZ Star Parties, either the fall All AZ one or the springtime Messier Marathon?

Jim
 
Is my Truck as clean as some of these pics depict? Certainly!

This vehicle has 39,600 on the odometer, you'd be very hard pressed finding a 1997 Tahoe LT with so little mileage.

As for care, and this is the God's honest truth, I've taken more care of, and poured more hourse into this Vehicle, than I had with my 1967 Corvette, and my 1968 SS 396 Camaro, both of which were mint
show vehicles.
 
jgg85234 said:
OK, I'm officially jealous. I've still got my Celestron Nexstar11, and a Televue AP76. I was on the waiting list for the AP130 F6 Starfire for a few years, along with the AP1200GTO mount. The mount came up for me to buy, but with no ETA on a scope, I let it go. Then, they discontinued the scope, and released a new model. They didn't pick up the waiting list from the old scope, as I never heard anything again. Or perhaps, I'm still on the waiting list. After all it was 2003 when I put my name on the list.

Haven't had much time in the last 8 or 9 years to get my scopes out in the desert, so if I had gotten the Starfire, it would just be parked in the garage anyway.

Do you have dark skies, or do you have to go out into the desert as well? If so, where do you go? Have you ever been to one of the AZ Star Parties, either the fall All AZ one or the springtime Messier Marathon?

Jim
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View attachment 19075

I know this is off topic folks, hope you can forgive me in this post.

Jim, I waited 24 months for the AP1200GTO. With two portable Piers, and custom built flight cases, I was at about $12K with that Mount. Prior to that mount, I had owned the Losmandy HGM-200.

I used the AP1200GTO with my Celestron Fastar C-14, and my Apomax 5.2" Triplet Apo F-12 Refractor. Here's a pic of the Apomax on my smaller Byers 58 Mount, with Meade Giant Tripod.
There's only 23 of these Refractors in the world.

Again, sorry folks for going off on a tangent.

Just want to add, that I am a very fanatical person when it comes to hobbies, and my vehicles, that I place much care and time into them, and how they are kept, and maintained.

Same with musical Instruments, another lifelong hobby of mine. Mark
 
Today, when I went to clean the Bumper, I cleaned it with a mild soap solution (a little Zymol Car Wash Liquid in a bucket of warm water), I did note water beading, when hosing off the soap solution, so this sort of tells me that C4 is still present, protecting the trim.

It's just that the appearance has gone quite south, and I did in fact try putting some Utima UTTG on an area, and it really didn't help at all. Added some shine, but it did not penetrate to fully blacken the trim.

Reckon the UTTG is not getting past the C4 to penetrate, and re-coat.
That's why I'm wondering what can be done to remove-strip the C4?
Mark
 
I think C4 is permanent, and you'll have to wait for it to wear off, if it ever does.
 
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