| screbr |
I've got a detailing shop nearby that has a nice selection of "upscale" car care products. I was in there the other weekend having a discussion about sealants, and they were pushing the Four Star product line, specifically the Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection (UPP).
A brief check around the web seems to indicate mostly positive reviews. Anybody currently (or in the past) use this product? How would you rate it in terms of ease of application, and durability? Negatives? |
|
|
| DaleB |
Going around this forum I think you will find most of us are dedicated to periodic maintnenance with high grade polishes and waxes vs. any type of sealants.
Sealants probably have their place, but some difficulty can arise as far as knowing when the sealant is not longer doing it's job, and then having to fully remove it, either for resealing or to prepare the surface for another type of finish.
A car's paint finish breathes to some extent. Sealing it is not necessarily the same thing as preserving it. If it was, homes and most every other painted surface could be sealed. How nice that sounds.
Unfortunately, most of my experience with sealants has been with car dealers who try to shove it down your throat before you sign on the line. And also some ridiculous claims as to it's longevity.
One thing about regular maintenance, you know what's happening, and have total control over it. And it 'keeps' your car looking new. |
|
|
| jhue |
You'll get much better advice if you ask your question on one of the detailing web forums, like detailcity.org, roadfly.org, and autopia.org. You'll frequently get misinformation or just plain bad advice if you pose your question to a less experienced group.
For instance, the previous poster is confused about sealants and polish, and knows nothing about the Four Star brand. Zaino Z2 and Z5 ARE sealants, not polishes. Polishes are not LSPs (Last Step Products), and only enhance paint appearance (either with very fine abrasives and/or oils and fillers), they don't protect it at all. By that definition, Zaino ZPC is a polish, and Z2 and Z5 are sealants.
Four Star has a very good reputation over on detailcity.org. People like the super-slick feel you get with just one coat. I've found it takes two coats of Zaino Z2 Pro to get the same slick feeling. I use it on my Prius and am happy with the results. I reapply it frequently enough that its reduced longevity compared to Zaino isn't an issue. My SWAG is that it lasts about 2/3rds as long as Zaino. Ease of application and removal is about the same as Zaino Z2 Pro, possibly a little easier. I don't know how it looks on dark colors though.
By the way, a 16oz bottle of Four Star UPP costs the same as an 8oz bottle of Zaino Z2 Pro (not including the required ZFX), and you only use about one ounce for a whole SUV. So this isn't one of those $300 sealants being pushed by a dealer, it's actually cheaper per application than Zaino. It's a premium paint care product, just like Zaino, Klasse, Wolfgang, Poorboy's, etc. |
|
|
| screbr |
Thanks jhue.
Per your reply in the "black X clean" thread, it sounds like you followed a
Polish->sealant->(optional) carnauba
type scenario (for protection), but that you preferred the Blackfire products for your SBP paint. Do you like the Blackfire better than the Four Star UPP for the Acura and/or for the color?
My primary goals are protection and "gloss with depth." Colorado is pretty tough on a car with all the rocks and sun, and I want to keep that paint looking fresh. From what I've read, Four Star is advertised as providing a decent balance between providing sealant-like protection with carnauba-like depth. I definitely don't want the "ghetto shine" that some sealants provide.
Thanks for the forum links. I've spent some time trolling at autopia, but I'll check out the other ones too. |
|
|
| jhue |
I haven't tried Four Star on my SGP MDX. I've only had the MDX for a couple weeks now, and since it's rained about 19 of the past 21 days, and forecast to rain for the next five days straight, I've only seen my MDX in sunlight for about five minutes so far.
Blackfire and Wolfgang are generally considered to be the sealants that most closely mimic the appearance of carnauba. I have no experience with Wolfgang sealants.
Nothing except a bra (clear or vinyl) will protect your vehicle from rocks. A super slick surface, if maintained well, can help rocks skip off the surface rather than dig deeply into the paint when they hit at a shallow angle, but no sealant can protect from the rock that hits at a near perpendicular angle. Blackfire, Four Star, and Zaino all leave a super slick finish, but Zaino has the edge in longevity. I generally reapply sealant when the finish loses the slick feeling, which means I'm reapplying well before the half-life of most sealants. |
|
|
| screbr |
I ended up buying the Four Star Paint Cleanser product and their UPP sealant, and finally got around to applying it this weekend.
Very, very happy with the outcome. I never knew (or paid attention to) the details in the metal flakes of the Sagebrush pearl paint, but it is POPPIN' off my MDX today. Lots of silver, green and even purple/blue flakes in there.
Anyway, I followed a relatively simple:
- Dawn wash
- 1 coat of the paint cleanser with a PC 7336
- 2 coats of UPP 24 hours apart, applied with the PC and by hand; buffed off by hand.
(I had previously clay barred it a month or two ago, so didn't do that step again)
There is quite a bit of depth for a sealant, and the slickness is unbelievable (even my wife commented on it, and she doesn't notice these kinds of things). Above all, I'm amazed at how it brought out the flecks of metallic flake in the SBP - makes me love the color even more.
They also make a more abrasive polish for paints and clear coats that need extra attention (I think it's "Swirl Remover", but I didn't need it for my X.
If you're looking for something new to try on your X, give these products a shot. I think they provide a nice balance between depth and shine that many sealants don't have. I'll try to report back durability over time - likely not as long as Zaino, should blow the doors off of Carnauba. I bought the products at Detailers Paradise in Denver, which does have a web site and prices that look as good as or better than some of the other well known vendors.
Detailers Paradise
Check 'em out. |
|
|
|
