Dr_Pain
New member
- Nov 28, 2012
- 2,196
- 0
I know..... I promised to do a review a while back but just now coming around to getting it done. My excuse is that work has been kicking me in the behind, which is a good thing!:dblthumb2:
For those that don't want to read the whole review, let me answer your main questions, which are:
Question: Does the product work as advertised?
Answer: Yes, but.....
Question: Does the product apply as instructed?
Answer: Yes, but.....
Question: Did you like the product?
Answer: Yes, but.....
Question: Would you buy the product?
Answer: Yes, but.....
As you can see, it was a very positive experience, but a few questions remain for me. So on to the deeper review!!
What is the product? Pinnacle Black Label Coating Booster is a product advertised as a "diluted" version of its coating "Big Brother" which is to be used periodically (every 2-3 months) as part of a maintenance routine to boost the original coating and therefore prolong its effective life expectancy (from the claimed 3 years). Its effects have been described as follow:
- It will increase the gloss
- It will deepen the color
- It will restore the slickness
- It will restore the water beading sheeting qualities
- It will extend the life expectancy of the original coating
How do I apply this booster? The answer to this one is simple, you need a clean, cool and contaminant free surface. Starting with a good substrate (the original coating is a must). Having a good coating to start with will prevent the adherence of those contaminants. According to the instructions:
Directions:
1) Shake well.
2) Ensure surface is clean and cool the touch.
3) Spray product directly onto surface and evenly distribute using a Gold Plush Microfiber Towel or Lake Country Coating Applicator.
4) Work product into surface until it disappears.
5) Buff off excess residue with a Gold Plush Microfiber Towel.
Pretty simple right??
Well, what kind of review would this be without a hands-on example, right?
The subject: 2013 Ford Raptor (daily driver), my personal vehicle. I did coat the truck in early January. Here is the review: http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...ack-label-coatings-action-pictures-video.html
The condition: You need to ask?????
The process: Pre-soak to remove the dirt and grime (and pollen and bee doodoo).
- Foam Cannon w/ CG Honeydew foam soap
- Hand wash with a Gold MF wash mitt
- Air dried with my shop vac and finished with cobra waffle weave
- Inspection
- 10% IPA wipedown with a Cobra 530 (I know they don't call for it but it only made sense)
- PBL Booster application with a tire dressing block and a 40x40cm Carpro suede microfiber, working the product till it dissapeared
- Final buff off with a 600gsm MF towel
You want some pics? Here they are:
This is the condition of the truck at the time of the wash.... DIRTY by my standards:
Here is a nice shot of the foam action as it glides right off the paint (I love the "foam show" but nothing stick well to the coated paint so it was sliding off FAST!... kinda disappointing! LOL!)
Here is a shot of the product before application
and here is a shot of the application technique (Please notice the nitrile gloves. They are a must in my opinion to prevent cross contamination from body oils or other contaminants you may have on your hands (while handling the sponge/MF))
Here is a reflection shot after
..... and the obligatory beading/sheeting (which was done 24 hrs after the application)
And a glamor shot of the truck:
Not too shaby right?
Here is a Q&A I had with PBMG about the product based on questions that came to mind while detailing my truck:
Q: Don't using the booster trap environmental contaminant under its protective layering?
A: Diamond Coating Booster should only be applied to CLEAN surfaces. Wash the vehicle first, then apply the Booster. Regular application of the Booster (once every couple months) will help resist the build-up of contaminants.
Q: Will the booster be "softer" and therefore less scratch resistant than the original formulation
A: It is not as hard as the underlying coating, so it's not going to increase scratch resistance.
Q: Is the booster an AIO (same as the surface coating) or is it more of a dedicated surface product
A:The Booster is designed to be applied to all HARD exterior surfaces.
Q: Do you need to have a surgically clean surface to apply the booster (use coating prep) or is it ok to coat on top of residue (wash residue, previous spray sealant like V07 etc...)?? Would that also reduce the life expectancy of the coating booster?
A:The Booster will not bond as well if you've been using carnauba and polymer-based products on the coating. Durability will be shortened, but not by much. As a stand alone product, the Booster will easily last 6 months.
Q: Is the application process similar to the coating in which you should use a coating applicator or a suede microfiber or wax applicator or is it formulation to be sprayed with one side of the Cobra and buffed with the other side.
A:I personally use a Lake Country Coating Applicator, but a lot of people like to use a microfiber towel. Application is similar to the coating.
Pretty interesting and it did raise a few more questions for me.
Here are a few things to ponder:
1) The 8 oz Booster is $39.99 whereas the Coating is $129.99 (essentially 1/3 of the price)
2) The prep for both are equally extensive, meaning you need a surgically clean substrate to provide the best adherence of the product (which ever you use)
3) The Booster offers a "softer" surface than the Coating, making it less scratch resistance (and I am assuming that other qualities associated with the original coating have been reduced as well)
4) This is my 4 use of the PBL coating product line and do wonder if the claims of up to 25 vehicles is not too exaggerated. From my experience so far I would say that you could get 1/2 that claim but would be hard pressed to see 20s, unless you are coating Smart cars.
Conclusion: Well, we do need to conclude this thread. I will start by saying that I did like the product and it did perform very well. I did notice a deeper gloss and a more vibrant black. The slickness was less than original coating and the beads were not as "WOW!" but the coating performance did seem to get enhanced. I am unable at this time to comment as to the increased longevity of the original coating as there is no long term studies or report on the longevity claim period. So will this product increase the expected longevity? I don't know!?!?!
Would I buy the product again, I would have to say yes to this one (over the detailer which I did not like much), but I do wonder why not simply recoat (since you are going through the same hassle to prep the paint) over using the booster. Yes, the Coating does cost more, but you are enhancing the qualities over the original coating multifold using the original Coating over the Booster!!?!
I hope you enjoyed and looking forward to your comments.
For those that don't want to read the whole review, let me answer your main questions, which are:
Question: Does the product work as advertised?
Answer: Yes, but.....
Question: Does the product apply as instructed?
Answer: Yes, but.....
Question: Did you like the product?
Answer: Yes, but.....
Question: Would you buy the product?
Answer: Yes, but.....
As you can see, it was a very positive experience, but a few questions remain for me. So on to the deeper review!!
What is the product? Pinnacle Black Label Coating Booster is a product advertised as a "diluted" version of its coating "Big Brother" which is to be used periodically (every 2-3 months) as part of a maintenance routine to boost the original coating and therefore prolong its effective life expectancy (from the claimed 3 years). Its effects have been described as follow:
- It will increase the gloss
- It will deepen the color
- It will restore the slickness
- It will restore the water beading sheeting qualities
- It will extend the life expectancy of the original coating
How do I apply this booster? The answer to this one is simple, you need a clean, cool and contaminant free surface. Starting with a good substrate (the original coating is a must). Having a good coating to start with will prevent the adherence of those contaminants. According to the instructions:
Directions:
1) Shake well.
2) Ensure surface is clean and cool the touch.
3) Spray product directly onto surface and evenly distribute using a Gold Plush Microfiber Towel or Lake Country Coating Applicator.
4) Work product into surface until it disappears.
5) Buff off excess residue with a Gold Plush Microfiber Towel.
Pretty simple right??
Well, what kind of review would this be without a hands-on example, right?
The subject: 2013 Ford Raptor (daily driver), my personal vehicle. I did coat the truck in early January. Here is the review: http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...ack-label-coatings-action-pictures-video.html
The condition: You need to ask?????
The process: Pre-soak to remove the dirt and grime (and pollen and bee doodoo).
- Foam Cannon w/ CG Honeydew foam soap
- Hand wash with a Gold MF wash mitt
- Air dried with my shop vac and finished with cobra waffle weave
- Inspection
- 10% IPA wipedown with a Cobra 530 (I know they don't call for it but it only made sense)
- PBL Booster application with a tire dressing block and a 40x40cm Carpro suede microfiber, working the product till it dissapeared
- Final buff off with a 600gsm MF towel
You want some pics? Here they are:
This is the condition of the truck at the time of the wash.... DIRTY by my standards:
Here is a nice shot of the foam action as it glides right off the paint (I love the "foam show" but nothing stick well to the coated paint so it was sliding off FAST!... kinda disappointing! LOL!)
Here is a shot of the product before application
and here is a shot of the application technique (Please notice the nitrile gloves. They are a must in my opinion to prevent cross contamination from body oils or other contaminants you may have on your hands (while handling the sponge/MF))
Here is a reflection shot after
..... and the obligatory beading/sheeting (which was done 24 hrs after the application)
And a glamor shot of the truck:
Not too shaby right?
Here is a Q&A I had with PBMG about the product based on questions that came to mind while detailing my truck:
Q: Don't using the booster trap environmental contaminant under its protective layering?
A: Diamond Coating Booster should only be applied to CLEAN surfaces. Wash the vehicle first, then apply the Booster. Regular application of the Booster (once every couple months) will help resist the build-up of contaminants.
Q: Will the booster be "softer" and therefore less scratch resistant than the original formulation
A: It is not as hard as the underlying coating, so it's not going to increase scratch resistance.
Q: Is the booster an AIO (same as the surface coating) or is it more of a dedicated surface product
A:The Booster is designed to be applied to all HARD exterior surfaces.
Q: Do you need to have a surgically clean surface to apply the booster (use coating prep) or is it ok to coat on top of residue (wash residue, previous spray sealant like V07 etc...)?? Would that also reduce the life expectancy of the coating booster?
A:The Booster will not bond as well if you've been using carnauba and polymer-based products on the coating. Durability will be shortened, but not by much. As a stand alone product, the Booster will easily last 6 months.
Q: Is the application process similar to the coating in which you should use a coating applicator or a suede microfiber or wax applicator or is it formulation to be sprayed with one side of the Cobra and buffed with the other side.
A:I personally use a Lake Country Coating Applicator, but a lot of people like to use a microfiber towel. Application is similar to the coating.
Pretty interesting and it did raise a few more questions for me.
Here are a few things to ponder:
1) The 8 oz Booster is $39.99 whereas the Coating is $129.99 (essentially 1/3 of the price)
2) The prep for both are equally extensive, meaning you need a surgically clean substrate to provide the best adherence of the product (which ever you use)
3) The Booster offers a "softer" surface than the Coating, making it less scratch resistance (and I am assuming that other qualities associated with the original coating have been reduced as well)
4) This is my 4 use of the PBL coating product line and do wonder if the claims of up to 25 vehicles is not too exaggerated. From my experience so far I would say that you could get 1/2 that claim but would be hard pressed to see 20s, unless you are coating Smart cars.
Conclusion: Well, we do need to conclude this thread. I will start by saying that I did like the product and it did perform very well. I did notice a deeper gloss and a more vibrant black. The slickness was less than original coating and the beads were not as "WOW!" but the coating performance did seem to get enhanced. I am unable at this time to comment as to the increased longevity of the original coating as there is no long term studies or report on the longevity claim period. So will this product increase the expected longevity? I don't know!?!?!
Would I buy the product again, I would have to say yes to this one (over the detailer which I did not like much), but I do wonder why not simply recoat (since you are going through the same hassle to prep the paint) over using the booster. Yes, the Coating does cost more, but you are enhancing the qualities over the original coating multifold using the original Coating over the Booster!!?!
I hope you enjoyed and looking forward to your comments.
D) we developed Diamond Coating Booster and Diamond Coating Detailer as a way to maintain the insane gloss and incredible slickness of Black Label Diamond Coatings and coatings offered by other manufacturers.
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