Review: Pinnacle Black Label Ceramic Trim Restorer

acuRAS82

acuRAS82

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Mike P. has already done an excellent review of this product here:

https://www.autogeekonline.net/foru...mic-trim-restorer.html?highlight=Ceramic+trim

I’m going to defer to the link above for basic information on this product and get right into it.

Since this product is said to last much longer than your regular trim sealants, I decided I would test this out on an area I never bother with because it’s very painful to detail often for a daily driver... trim behind the front grill of our 2016 Audi Q5:
View attachment 68124View attachment 68125View attachment 68126View attachment 68127

Not the glossy, smooth trim, but the dull, grey, matte trim behind.


As with most ceramic protection products, a clean surface is crucial to maximize the protectant. Since I haven’t done a dedicated wash on this trim ever, I decided I would throw a number of things at it:
View attachment 68128
(From left to right: Megs APC 1:4 heavy; Mckees Wax Remover for Plastic; Mckees Engine Degreaser; and Wolfgang Paint Prep Spray).


I applied the products in the order shown above, left to right. I used a red, hard bristled brush to get in there.
View attachment 68129View attachment 68130View attachment 68131View attachment 68132View attachment 68133View attachment 68134View attachment 68135View attachment 68136


With the cleaning/prep done, it was time to figure out which applicator to use.
View attachment 68137View attachment 68138View attachment 68139View attachment 68140


-The product has dye in it, so use gloves.
-Only a little bit is needed on the applicator at a time.
-It has a heavy solvent smell.
-It did dry on my applicator every 3-5 minutes so I would simply reapply as needed.
View attachment 68141View attachment 68142View attachment 68143View attachment 68144

The last picture above has the top row with trim applied and the bottom without.

Initial application went on easy. If I applied too much pressure though, the dye would become uneven. Going back over it lightly would make the coat more uniform. Note also that it dries more uniform looking than when it’s wet.
View attachment 68145


To get the corners and edges I used a Q-tip:
View attachment 68146View attachment 68147View attachment 68148


I wiped off the excess as best I could in the tight spaces. This was a challenge and I surely didn’t do a perfect job.
 
Wow, that's a lot of work. I would have used a spray (aerosol) engine detailer and be done with it.

However, it was a nice review.
 
Continued...

Finally, completion of this terribly difficult trim:
View attachment 68149View attachment 68150View attachment 68152View attachment 68153View attachment 68154


Final thought:
This stuff is really nice if it lasts awhile. My previous favorite trim sealant is Mckees Trim Restorer die to ease of use, spreading, the restored look and longevity (2-3 months before I reapply). The PBL Trim Restorer is very close in ease of use and spreading. To be honest, it may be tied, it’s hard to tell since I never worked inside the grill like this... but all things considered, it wasn’t too terrible given how this applies. If Mckees has a slight edge it’s because it stays wet longer. Where the PBL product really excels is the deep black look it gives. The trim looks better than new and it now blends in with the glossy, smooth trim that’s at the front of the grill. Longevity is yet to be seen, but if it can go 4-6 months with still looking nice, this would be my new favorite.

It is a little pricey but barely any was used during this application and I wasn’t trying to use sparingly. This bottle should last me years maintaining 3 cars even if I have to do it every 3-4 months. The look is very high quality, deeper than any trim protectant I’ve used before.

Some before and afters:
View attachment 68160View attachment 68161
View attachment 68156View attachment 68157
View attachment 68158View attachment 68159



Thanks for reading!
 
Rsurfer said:
Wow, that's a lot of work. I would have used a spray (aerosol) engine detailer and be done with it.

However, it was a nice review.
Click to expand...

I never went for the aerosol because the smooth, glossy trim is really the eye-draw of the grill and I didn’t want to dull it or grease or it and have to scratch while cleaning it aggressively afterwards. Maybe this is a non -issue and the aerosols wipe right off of smooth trim though?
 
Awesome write up and review and pictures acuRAS82!

Great work on this hard to reach trim. But it makes a lot of difference and maybe not the parts you coated though but to the glossy chrome looking trim to really get more standing out with the black trim behind it. Also will be interesting to see the real world longevity from this coating. As I know you follow up your testing very good.

Bet it looks awesome when you take a few steps back and see the whole grill and front.

/ Tony
 
SWETM said:
Bet it looks awesome when you take a few steps back and see the whole grill and front.
Click to expand...

It does, but pictures don’t do it justice, especially in my garage. Maybe they will look more vivid when I get the car outside tomorrow.
View attachment 68163


I’m going to find a portion of the X5 M engine compartment to apply this to. That should be a better representation for pictures’ sake. Coming soon.
 
Mike@DedicatedPerfection said:
Looks similar in that in dyes the trim black. However this is the first product of its kind that I am aware of that has ceramic properties.
Click to expand...

There is a actually another brand that put out a product identical to this a little before Pinnacle launched.
 
Tonight I applied these 3 to the drivers side upper engine compartment:
View attachment 68164


The area isn’t in bad shape, but hasn’t been protected in quite some time. I cleaned with Megs APC 1:4 and then prep sprayed with Wolfgang. Here is prior to applying anything:
View attachment 68165View attachment 68166


Again, hard to get great lighting in certain areas of the garage. On the left portion of this engine trim I applied Megs Black Plastic Restorer, in the middle PBL, on the right Mckees Plastic Trim Restorer. In the lighting (camera flash) the Mckees and Megs look most black/dark. PBL looks the most clean and least greasy. I’ll snap pictures in daylight tomorrow.

Megs vs. PBL:
View attachment 68167View attachment 68168


PBL vs Mckees:
View attachment 68169View attachment 68170
 
Yes, I missed the ceramic part, That might make it look like solution finish but last a lot longer. Sounds like a win.
 
acuRAS82 said:
Mike P. has already done an excellent review of this product here:

https://www.autogeekonline.net/foru...mic-trim-restorer.html?highlight=Ceramic+trim

I’m going to defer to the link above for basic information on this product and get right into it.

Since this product is said to last much longer than your regular trim sealants, I decided I would test this out on an area I never bother with because it’s very painful to detail often for a daily driver... trim behind the front grill of our 2016 Audi Q5:
View attachment 68124View attachment 68125View attachment 68126View attachment 68127

Not the glossy, smooth trim, but the dull, grey, matte trim behind.


As with most ceramic protection products, a clean surface is crucial to maximize the protectant. Since I haven’t done a dedicated wash on this trim ever, I decided I would throw a number of things at it:
View attachment 68128
(From left to right: Megs APC 1:4 heavy; Mckees Wax Remover for Plastic; Mckees Engine Degreaser; and Wolfgang Paint Prep Spray).


I applied the products in the order shown above, left to right. I used a red, hard bristled brush to get in there.
View attachment 68129View attachment 68130View attachment 68131View attachment 68132View attachment 68133View attachment 68134View attachment 68135View attachment 68136


With the cleaning/prep done, it was time to figure out which applicator to use.
View attachment 68137View attachment 68138View attachment 68139View attachment 68140


-The product has dye in it, so use gloves.
-Only a little bit is needed on the applicator at a time.
-It has a heavy solvent smell.
-It did dry on my applicator every 3-5 minutes so I would simply reapply as needed.
View attachment 68141View attachment 68142View attachment 68143View attachment 68144

The last picture above has the top row with trim applied and the bottom without.

Initial application went on easy. If I applied too much pressure though, the dye would become uneven. Going back over it lightly would make the coat more uniform. Note also that it dries more uniform looking than when it’s wet.
View attachment 68145


To get the corners and edges I used a Q-tip:
View attachment 68146View attachment 68147View attachment 68148


I wiped off the excess as best I could in the tight spaces. This was a challenge and I surely didn’t do a perfect job.
Click to expand...

Thats a tough spot. I had the same problem with the dye going on unevenly. Mine didn't go away when it dried though. I'm hoping I can either take it off with something or try to fix it with a second coat. In hindsight I think I should have used a microfiber applicator instead of foam.

I haven't seen anything about layering coats have you? If you have any ideas let me know.

Thanks,
 
fightnews said:
Thats a tough spot. I had the same problem with the dye going on unevenly. Mine didn't go away when it dried though. I'm hoping I can either take it off with something or try to fix it with a second coat. In hindsight I think I should have used a microfiber applicator instead of foam.

I haven't seen anything about layering coats have you? If you have any ideas let me know.

Thanks,
Click to expand...
I didn’t apply two coats but given it’s the same product, hopefully it will work out for you. I got some splotches on the glossy front area of the grill where the license plate normally goes. I only noticed it weeks later when headlights from my other car were pointing on the area.

I’ll play around with a few things (APC, engine cleaner, hand polish) and see if anything removes it, in case your second coat doesn’t even things out. Granted, those splotches aren’t on normal matte trim.
 
I just used it again on the drivers side. I tried a few different applicators. The stuff goes on blotchy no matter what you do. I'm using great lighting. Maybe to good IDK

Is there any way to get this stuff off? I don't think I want to continue with it. I'm going to see how it looks in the morning. I'll keep you posted
 
fightnews said:
I just used it again on the drivers side. I tried a few different applicators. The stuff goes on blotchy no matter what you do. I'm using great lighting. Maybe to good IDK

Is there any way to get this stuff off? I don't think I want to continue with it. I'm going to see how it looks in the morning. I'll keep you posted
Click to expand...

I would reapply the PBL Ceramic Trim Restorer and work in a 2sqft section at a time. Wait 30 seconds to penetrate and level with a microfiber towel with a lot of aggression to kind of work the product off and level simultaneously.
 
acuRAS82 said:
Tonight I applied these 3 to the drivers side upper engine compartment:
View attachment 68164


The area isn’t in bad shape, but hasn’t been protected in quite some time. I cleaned with Megs APC 1:4 and then prep sprayed with Wolfgang. Here is prior to applying anything:
View attachment 68165View attachment 68166


Again, hard to get great lighting in certain areas of the garage. On the left portion of this engine trim I applied Megs Black Plastic Restorer, in the middle PBL, on the right Mckees Plastic Trim Restorer. In the lighting (camera flash) the Mckees and Megs look most black/dark. PBL looks the most clean and least greasy. I’ll snap pictures in daylight tomorrow.

Megs vs. PBL:
View attachment 68167View attachment 68168


PBL vs Mckees:
View attachment 68169View attachment 68170
Click to expand...

3.75 month update:
I wiped the windshield base/trim down with water only. It looked pretty clean to the eye, but I wanted to compare without impacting the trim with cleaner

First I splattered some water on with a bottle. No spray action. The Megs shows water sticking to the surface with lazy beads formed on top. The PBL kept the water in bead piles with little water sticking underneath. M37 was in between the two, a little bit of water sticking but still decent bead puddles.
View attachment 68756


Next I dried and spritzed water on with a very fine sprayer. Megs was hard to get any good amount of water spritz in the tight area. PBL still beads but the beads are a ugly-shaped. M37 meanwhile has the tightest water beads.
View attachment 68757


I’ll do an update spray comparison in a few weeks after wiping down with N-914 to ensure a clean surface and I’ll use a normal bottle sprayer for more substantial water comparisons.
 
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