T.O.C.
New member
- Oct 31, 2010
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maybe its just me being anal,but my cars get clayed every time they get waxed.that also goes for my regular customers cars.
New Jeep has Xzilon protectant on it - what to use from now on?
- Thread starter DHart
- Start date
maybe its just me being anal,but my cars get clayed every time they get waxed.that also goes for my regular customers cars.
flyinion
Member
- May 5, 2011
- 795
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I'm not quite sure how to tell when the xzilon has worn off, but I got suckered into it on my car too. After a year and a half of just brushless and then soft cloth car washes, the paint just felt like crap. I don't know if mine has worn off, or if I finished it off by claying and Pinnacle paint cleanser lotion with my buffer, or if it's still "hiding" on the paint. I do know that in the end I'm not very happy with it compared to what I thought I was getting when I caved and bought it.
If there is any left, I'm sure it's going to be gone here in a few weeks when I finally take the Wolfgang twins to it since the car has all kinds of light fine scratches after 2 1/2 years. Just the typical "wind swirls" for lack of a better term or probably car wash induced from taking it to a few of the "pro" car washes where you pay 20-40 bucks for them to send it down the tunnel and then dry and "quick detail" it out with vacuum and wipedown the interior kind of thing.
If there is any left, I'm sure it's going to be gone here in a few weeks when I finally take the Wolfgang twins to it since the car has all kinds of light fine scratches after 2 1/2 years. Just the typical "wind swirls" for lack of a better term or probably car wash induced from taking it to a few of the "pro" car washes where you pay 20-40 bucks for them to send it down the tunnel and then dry and "quick detail" it out with vacuum and wipedown the interior kind of thing.
My wife and I just bought a new Jeep Rubicon... mostly to tow behind our motorhome during our travel as photographers.
And, we got suckered into buying Xzilon paint protection on the Jeep. I'm sure it's a good sealant, but we paid way more than we needed to for a good sealant. Anyway, water under the bridge now, so... moving forward.
The finish is fantastic now, but pulling the Jeep behind a diesel pusher motorhome, I'm sure the paint is going to take a bit of a beating and I know I'm going to need to start using a protectant/sealant on a fairly regular basis.
With Xzilon protectant on it now, does it matter what we use on it in the future?
My recommendation is to have a paint protection film (clear bra) installed on the grill, A-pillars, around the windshield and hood section. If you read the warranty sheet with this product you are at the mercy of using their recommended products and it will not prevent chipping and abrasion which you will encounter behind your awesome RV. You may want to consider this product for the front of the RV. Includes the headlights too.
Jimmie
New member
- Dec 12, 2006
- 4,349
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I just finished doing my M/H with Duragloss 501. It was applied after a polish job. From the photo it doesn't look like yours needs polish. I'm pleased with the DG as the stand alone last step product, plus it's got some pretty stong cleaning ability. Last time I topped the DG with Collinite which is OK too.
diablojota
New member
- May 10, 2010
- 120
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I would either go with the clear bra or put on regular coats of collinite or some other durable wax. Don't want to overdo anything, or strip the paint of the protection that's already there.
Rsurfer
Well-known member
- Jan 26, 2007
- 14,159
- 26
Because of the size, I would use a semi-permanent coating such as, Opti coat, CQuartz or GTechniq. It takes a good amount of time and effort to prep that MH before sealing. I would rather do it once and not have to do it again for a year or two with just regular washing.
- Thread starter
- #27
Yes.... because of the huge surface area on the motorhome, I want to get prepped and then go with a paint sealant that is going to give the longest life...sounds like Opti-Coat is just the ticket.
As for the new Jeep, I've learned there are some products which will be compatible right over the top of the Xzilon on the Jeep without compromising the benefit I'm getting from the Xzilon right now... like Poorboy World's EX-P and EX Sealant w/Carnuba. EX Sealant and EX-P are amino functional carnauba, which, apparently, means it’s formulated to be open to bonding with other products (layers). I'm thinking I will begin using one of these products moving forward... but trying to determine which one would be the better choice.
Can anyone advise on EX-P vs. EX Sealant w/carnuba when used over the Xzilon?
As for the new Jeep, I've learned there are some products which will be compatible right over the top of the Xzilon on the Jeep without compromising the benefit I'm getting from the Xzilon right now... like Poorboy World's EX-P and EX Sealant w/Carnuba. EX Sealant and EX-P are amino functional carnauba, which, apparently, means it’s formulated to be open to bonding with other products (layers). I'm thinking I will begin using one of these products moving forward... but trying to determine which one would be the better choice.
Can anyone advise on EX-P vs. EX Sealant w/carnuba when used over the Xzilon?
- Thread starter
- #28
The clear bra for grill, hood, and a pillars sounds like great protection... is that expensive? Does it cause any differences in paint fade and such?
One other option I've been thinking about... I can buy a 7 oz. bottle of Xzilon on eBay for around $40 and reapply it again when it begins to lose it's effectiveness. It is definitely an effective product for as long as it lasts.. which may be a year or two.
Do you guys think that would be a good approach - trying to stay with the Xzilon for the sake of the "warranty".
Or, would you just forget the Xzilon warranty I paid for, polish down to clear coat and start anew with an Opti-Coat treatment and then repeated applications of Opti-Seal etc.?
I'm probably agonizing over this way more than I need to. Perhaps I should just slap a coat of EX Sealant w/carnuba over the Xzilon and keep that up until it seems like the Xzilon is gone and then do a good polish job followed by Opti-Coat?
One other option I've been thinking about... I can buy a 7 oz. bottle of Xzilon on eBay for around $40 and reapply it again when it begins to lose it's effectiveness. It is definitely an effective product for as long as it lasts.. which may be a year or two.
Do you guys think that would be a good approach - trying to stay with the Xzilon for the sake of the "warranty".
Or, would you just forget the Xzilon warranty I paid for, polish down to clear coat and start anew with an Opti-Coat treatment and then repeated applications of Opti-Seal etc.?
I'm probably agonizing over this way more than I need to. Perhaps I should just slap a coat of EX Sealant w/carnuba over the Xzilon and keep that up until it seems like the Xzilon is gone and then do a good polish job followed by Opti-Coat?
row011
New member
- May 6, 2011
- 77
- 0
IMO part the reason they give you a 'warranty' is also because of the fact the vehicle is BRAND NEW and chances of the CC failing as well as the trim etc wearing out after only 24-48 months is fairly slim. And if it did, what would they do under warranty apply another coat, and by doing so seal in any swirls that may be in the clear coat?
I bought a brand new vehicle which is covered in washing marring and swirls, simply because whom ever the dealers hire to wash the cars..couldn't care less about the cars.
On top of that they wanted me to pay $1000 for something like Opti-coat 2.0 or not even as good, and if I said 'yes' most likely they would have sealed in all of the swirls for me. Making my job a heap lot more difficult.
Even if they offered to fix it. I would rather fix it myself rather than have a dealership hire some cheap car detailer whom might strip away most of the clear coat getting the minor swirls out.
Im sure a lot of guys here with a heap of experience know that neally every new car is going to have swirls in the CC. And a light polish with some good pads and polish will do the job of getting the paint back into factory condition by only removing a little of the CC.
At the end of they day the condition of the paint when the car came out of the factory is not going to be the same as when it gets sold to you, and car dealers have put their dirty sponges all over it. 95% of people dont notice these swirls or dont care.
I bought a brand new vehicle which is covered in washing marring and swirls, simply because whom ever the dealers hire to wash the cars..couldn't care less about the cars.
On top of that they wanted me to pay $1000 for something like Opti-coat 2.0 or not even as good, and if I said 'yes' most likely they would have sealed in all of the swirls for me. Making my job a heap lot more difficult.
Even if they offered to fix it. I would rather fix it myself rather than have a dealership hire some cheap car detailer whom might strip away most of the clear coat getting the minor swirls out.
Im sure a lot of guys here with a heap of experience know that neally every new car is going to have swirls in the CC. And a light polish with some good pads and polish will do the job of getting the paint back into factory condition by only removing a little of the CC.
At the end of they day the condition of the paint when the car came out of the factory is not going to be the same as when it gets sold to you, and car dealers have put their dirty sponges all over it. 95% of people dont notice these swirls or dont care.
T.O.C.
New member
- Oct 31, 2010
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the xzilon warranty is not a warranty of the product. it covers the APPEARANCE, of your car. when I worked for the dealership that sold xzilon I would have to take cars to a body shop when they came in with xzilon warranty issues.we had one customer who brought back a xzilon coated car that had massive amounts of bug damage to the front.after doing what I could it was sent off to the bodyshop to get repainted. no questions asked. even though I'm pretty sure that this car hadn't seen a "WASH" in a year.and that alone should void the warranty.
as far as dealership detail departments or lack of. I have worked for several dealerships over the past seventeen years and while for the most part they seem to only hire the unskilled stoners who cant get or keep a job anywhere else types. NOT all of Us are are unskilled, uncaring morons. Some of us bust our A**'s to make these cars perfect
for the purchaser.and let me tell you it's not just the dealership washers messing up the paint on those cars. you have the guys at the manufacturer's all the way to the transport companies. there are many hands all over your new car long before you ever see it.
as far as dealership detail departments or lack of. I have worked for several dealerships over the past seventeen years and while for the most part they seem to only hire the unskilled stoners who cant get or keep a job anywhere else types. NOT all of Us are are unskilled, uncaring morons. Some of us bust our A**'s to make these cars perfect
for the purchaser.and let me tell you it's not just the dealership washers messing up the paint on those cars. you have the guys at the manufacturer's all the way to the transport companies. there are many hands all over your new car long before you ever see it.
row011
New member
- May 6, 2011
- 77
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Thats fine.. Sorry if I offended you?? I guess? Just venting my own opinion which is what people gather from their OWN experiences Im not trying to paint a reputation for all dealerships
Thats a good point im sure all dealerships will do the best to honour a warranty etc.. but at the end of the day isnt the whole point of this about protecting the cars paint? If dealerships make promises such as this will protect for a full year from bugs, bird poo, tree sap etc like they do. And your cars paint gets damaged because the product wore off, or they didnt tell you about having to clean your car often and apply wax. Then it would be a huge inconvenience to have your car re-sprayed because it was damaged.
And yes on the truck even before the dealerships get it, Im sure the truck drivers or whoever give it a wipe down and put some swirls in. Its easier enough to do with a lot of cars paint being fairly soft and swirls happen.
And Im sure there are dealerships somewhere out there that take pride and do a good job in keeping cars paint scratch free. Although, I feel I have a right to say, that after speaking to a lot of detailers in my town, and also the fact my 'brand new' car was full of swirls is that a lot don't as well.
T.O.C.
New member
- Oct 31, 2010
- 85
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wasn't defending all dealerships or even all the detailer's that work at them. I know there are hacks I deal with them 6 days a week. but that's why the boss man pays me so well. I work for a dealership that has 2 lots and 4 detailers and 10 hacks.we have somewhere in the neighborhood of 5-6 hundred cars between the 2 lots.there are 6 of us that are flat rate and we spend our days reconditioning used cars.and quite often I spend several hours a week correcting others hack jobs.
I also spend several hours a week trying to educate these kids coming in on how to properly correct paint. but on most it's a waste of my time. and in the end I give up and remind myself that as long as there are morons in the business its job security for me.
I also spend several hours a week trying to educate these kids coming in on how to properly correct paint. but on most it's a waste of my time. and in the end I give up and remind myself that as long as there are morons in the business its job security for me.
- Thread starter
- #33
Great discussion guys, I really appreciate your input. As with all lines of work, there are true experts who create wonderful work and hacks.
From what I'm able to determine, and aside from the typically very high price that is usually charged for the product, Xzilon is a good product that offers excellent protection for a car's paint for some period of time. The manufacturer of Xzilon advises quality washes every couple of weeks or so and recommends application of carnuba wax products to maintain the finish. Assuming this type of maintenance is given, it would seem that one might see perhaps 1-2 years of good protection from the product.
Plan A - It would seem sensible, given that I've invested in the Xzilon protection at time of purchase, to do the washes, apply the carnuba periodically, and then in a year or two, perhaps, buy another bottle of Xzilon for $40 or so and reapply it. Such a plan would almost certainly preserve and maintain a great finish for as long as I am likely to own the car. And if the appearance of the paint should turn south for whatever reason... if I followed this plan, a repaint would be covered for up to five years.
Plan B - The alternative is to wait until such time as the Xzilon seems to be losing it's effectiveness, then polish and switch to another product, such as Opti-Coat, and follow the same maintenance plan of regular washes and periodic apps of freshening - the difference is that by doing this, I would likely lose the free repaint if it should be needed.
Looks to me that each plan is essentially the same in terms of maintenance effort and cost, with Plan A retaining some sort of repaint/refinish warranty for 5 years and Plan B giving that up.
Do you guys see any compelling reasons to go with Plan B?
From what I'm able to determine, and aside from the typically very high price that is usually charged for the product, Xzilon is a good product that offers excellent protection for a car's paint for some period of time. The manufacturer of Xzilon advises quality washes every couple of weeks or so and recommends application of carnuba wax products to maintain the finish. Assuming this type of maintenance is given, it would seem that one might see perhaps 1-2 years of good protection from the product.
Plan A - It would seem sensible, given that I've invested in the Xzilon protection at time of purchase, to do the washes, apply the carnuba periodically, and then in a year or two, perhaps, buy another bottle of Xzilon for $40 or so and reapply it. Such a plan would almost certainly preserve and maintain a great finish for as long as I am likely to own the car. And if the appearance of the paint should turn south for whatever reason... if I followed this plan, a repaint would be covered for up to five years.
Plan B - The alternative is to wait until such time as the Xzilon seems to be losing it's effectiveness, then polish and switch to another product, such as Opti-Coat, and follow the same maintenance plan of regular washes and periodic apps of freshening - the difference is that by doing this, I would likely lose the free repaint if it should be needed.
Looks to me that each plan is essentially the same in terms of maintenance effort and cost, with Plan A retaining some sort of repaint/refinish warranty for 5 years and Plan B giving that up.
Do you guys see any compelling reasons to go with Plan B?
T.O.C.
New member
- Oct 31, 2010
- 85
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if it was me and I was towing my car all over the country behind a big smoke belching diesel,I'd stick with taking care of the product that I just shelled out a grand for. that way if something does happen and it's coverable then with any luck you get a fresh paint job. and after your warranty is up,strip it down,and and go with the latest and greatest.
but in any event you could let it wear off and use another sealant,and no one would be the wiser at a dealership. lets face it very few people know the difference
but in any event you could let it wear off and use another sealant,and no one would be the wiser at a dealership. lets face it very few people know the difference