Grey #1. It's the darker of the two options and matches best in my opinion.Originally Posted by VXjunky
Super VXer
Grey #1. It's the darker of the two options and matches best in my opinion.
Live, Love, Forgive and Never Give Up
Super VXer
Another update....
I wanted it a little darker, so I mixed up another batch, using a little more black and have plenty left to do touch ups in the future..
Color is just perfect for me, really nice dark charcoal.
I'm absolutely happy with the color now!
Plus it looks good with my matte finish grill.
Those of you that want true BLACK cladding, using just the black will definitely get you there!
Last pic shows you can still see original texture of cladding. Means this stuff is mostly going into the plastic, not coating it. And it's really a matte/flat finish, not shiny at all, despite pics making it appear like it has a little sheen.
VX KAT
....the adventure BEGINS ANEW! ...2015......
Remember that life is not measured in the breaths you take, but rather in the moments that take your breath away.
Super VXer
awesome Sue, I think i found me a sumer project
"Engineers believe if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet"
Super VXer
Looks great Sue!
VXer
Although your cladding looks much better in the after pics, i still really think mine look better with the Gatorback finish. i don't know y everyone is so skeptical about it... it's been on my truck for like 6 months now n survived this past nasty new york winter.... and it lookd like i did it yesterday. actually, it looks like i never did anything to the cladding, it looks like 1999! the stuf u used shows streaks, but the gatorback dries to a completely smooth, even finish... and it doesn't chip peel or fade. or at least, it hasn't, and believe me when i say i'm not easy on my vx. hardly ever wash her, dirt, mud and road salt covered the cladding ALL winter, n when i finally washed it all off, the cladding looked as good as it did the day i sprayed it with gatorback. and also, it only took about 1 1/2 hours to do, start to finish....
i don't know, i'm just really happy with it and wish more of u guys would try it
Super VXer
i googled the gatorback....which of the four products listed is the one youre using...and what was the cost?
VXer
i used the spray cans... 4 cans total for 2 full coats. i bought the black, not the dark grey, i think it looks awesome. i think the cans were $20 each, which, to me is a small investment for such a great outcome
Super VXer
sue...i think your truck looks great....
Super VXer
Glad to hear the GB is looking good and holding up so well for you. I agree, GB looks smoother and totally uniform, and SN left a few streaks. BUT, after reading tons of posts on the Chevy Avalanche and another forum (can't recall name right now), I read many accounts of GB scratching off, peeling/chipping when abraded. Already went through it with the Restore/Refinish.
I live in one of the prickliest/pokey/sharp/stickers/abrasion capital of the U.S.....the desert SouthWest AND I go off-roading, AND I live on a dirt road so EVERY day is like an off road adventure...so ABRASION is GOING to happen to my VX, no doubt about it.
He!! I got all kinds of trail rash last week when we went on an outing in the hills around here visiting 3 old mines....everything was overgrown on the trail and lots of rocky areas too, so I actually used 4Lo for a while. The stuff that grows around here is called "catsclaw"...wanna guess why? And my other friend is the ever present prickly pear cacti, but let's not forget my very BEST friend....the Manzanita bushes. Manzanita grows about 3-5 ft tall ....conveniently the same height as the side of a car, and has extremely stiff branches...and for some damn reason it lines just about every trail I've been on.....and that's what left all those purdy scratches on my paint and cladding.
The difference is, GB would scratch, chip and then start to peel in my setting. This dye product just leaves the scratch in the plastic cladding...just like it was native cladding....with no chipping or further deterioration. So for ME, this is the better choice of product. But GB may well be best for you and most others. It's just an individual choice and what meets your needs. All I wanted was darker cladding with no maintenance....and I think I've achieved that.
How long it took ME to apply it, or how many coats I chose to apply is irrelevant. And since I'm the first to try this product, I now know using the sponge covered in terry cloth is the best applicator...but unfortunately, I didn't discover that until coating #3. So folks that try it from here out should have far less streaking, if any at all, based on what I learned. Price I paid for being the guinea pig I guess.
And as an additional benny, it's way cheaper than GB. How'd I get that lucky?
It ain't perfect, but neither am I , so look at it this way, we're BOTH happy with our cladding!
VXer
no problem, i'm glad u r happy with the results u have received.
i wonder if it could b sprayed on with a spray gun, to get a perfect finish????
something to try.
i definitely was not trying to put yer results down, i was just wondering y so many people were against GB...
i guess translation sometimes gets lost over the interweb lol.
Super VXer
Don't feel bad Mike, honest debate is what makes this forum so useful, you can read tons of threads that show different opinions based on multiple perspectives, which I think ultimately makes it easier to choose.
I know for me (and likely others) we're not in either camp; we're waiting to see what happens with both options. You may be too new to remember, but we had a ton of folks that used the Refinish Restorer stuff a year or two ago and were just as enthusiastic as you. Although many have had sustained success, others like Sue discovered disadvantages within six months to a year.
Also keep in mind that about 90% of people who post things like "That's awesome Sue, can't wait to try it out" probably won't actually try it out for months, years, or even at all. Likewise we have tons of "lurkers" who simply read our posts and never comment, so it's difficult to know how many GB converts you've actually generated.
No matter what I know the community appreciates you diving in first to add more useful info to the site.
Super VXer
Sorry if I came across snappy! Didn't mean to. Yes, you can spray this stuff, but I wasn't brave enough to try it. I think Mav hit the nail on the head, since I had R/R fail within about 6 months, and since I posted so much about it () I think folks are really waiting on the time test for GB. Which sounds like we're right there now and I'd guess some give it a try.
Super VXer
I for one don't mind a little elbow grease pretty consistantly and I don't want anything to be permanent so I have always used "back to black" but I am glad Kat found this stuff, I would have to see it in person first though because I prefer the shine that I get with back to black and this stuff looks very matte. To each there own, but Kat this looks like a huge improvement!!!!! And almost better than new, nicely done. I have a feeling you are going to keep getting it a little darker with each coat, which is what I prefer ;-)
Do you think this would soak in to our side view mirror's plastic and our rails and rail covers? If so I would consider doing those black..... Hmmmm
Super VXer
gotta agree love the shine for our cladding...dresses her up to the 9's imo
Super VXer
No, I'm done applying it..it's dark enough for me now.
I kinda was wondering about the other plastics myself....so I did one exterior door handle.....seems to have worked. The mirror housing seems like a different plastic. I could test on the bottom of it....hmmm.....
I'd also like to do the hood insert.....it still has R/R on it, although it's peeling on the leading edge. I did find the dye seemed to penetrate the R/R in a few areas it still remained on the cladding.
You can apply B2B or any normal topical dressing on top of this.
My hubby is rooting for me to start on another mod, and finally close the book on the cladding!
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
