GS350 Black on Black - More Pics
#46
Wow you did a great job with your car. Your car is one of the first ones with the clear bra that I don't see the line, especially a black car. Going to go buy the GS probably next month sometime so have to see what colour I will end up choosing then but right now black is tempting. But may end up with either the starfire pearl or glacier frost.
#47
Lexus Test Driver
I said the same thing a few years ago about black cars; then I found knowledge!
Obsidian is a new color from Lexus for 2007 and it does already have a clearcoat, but not any different than any other high end Lexus. The VIP Protection Package offered by my dealer is the name of the package that is provided by NASSAU Technologies, Inc. (www.nassautech.com). They are located in my area. If you want to keep a showroom shine, a protection package is necessary. Here’s why!
Ultraviolet rays, pollution, acid rain, bugs, bird droppings, tree sap, salt and exhaust gasses are all eating away at your car's finish. That weakens the paint's molecular defenses until it breaks down, the paint fades and a showroom shine is no longer possible. Acid rain, beading on unprotected paint can eat through the paint layers making them thin and dull. Each water droplet hitting the surface acts as a magnifying glass focusing the sun's heat and intensifying a very destructive chemical reaction on your paint. Over time, random action will etch paint surface resulting in loss of luster and the ability to shine your car.
Waxes don’t work in the long run. They melt, get sticky and trap acids and chemicals on your car’s paint. Bird droppings are the worst. They are chemicals and can ruin a paint surface in just a few days. Bird droppings come from the digestive system of birds and droppings contain high levels of acid - acid damages paintwork.
We have all waxed our cars for years, thinking waxing was the answer to protecting our car's finish. Waxes only protect a car's finish for as long as they stay on. Paint has pores, just like your skin. Solar heat closes the pores and forces out melted wax. The waxes become warm and sticky enough to trap dust, acids and chemicals on a car's paint Those compounds are then broken down by the sun and emulsified by detergent soaps so they're easily washed away every time you wash your car. The car’s paint is exposed again.
Waxes have very little protective ingredients; in fact they're mostly various polymers that provide a temporary shine; as temporary as money in the hands of a trophy wife. The wax job will made your car look better for a while, but when it starts breaking down, the shine is gone and your not protected again. The truth is no product will truly preserve your paint unless it is permanent; and, no claim of permanent protection is good without a guarantee.
A product that protects from bird droppings, UV rays, acid rain, road salt and bug residue is worth a few dollars more for a permanent shine that provides guaranteed protection. Further, prevention is better than a cure. Good protection packages provide prevention and eliminate the need to cure dull listless paint. Car wax and car polish offer great instant shine, but there are drawbacks that I don’t want encounter. Car wax is predominantly made of "wax". Wax melts with heat. Heat on waxed paintwork results in the wax softening and that leaves your paint prone to entrapped contaminants. Wax may be good for show cars, but not for cars that are on the road every day, day after day. By its very nature, wax does not adhere well to a car. It’s wax for crying out loud. Beware of some waxes that also take the top layer of paint off the car to give it a newer look; your cars paint job is only so thick and the more you take off the less you’ll have left for depth of shine.
The VIP protection package I purchased for $675 is guaranteed for five years. That covers both interior and exterior. Regular washing and a bit of speed detailer to remove fresh contaminants is all I do. It takes less time to keep clean and the showroom shine never leaves your eyes. The shine you see in the pictures now will be there in five years. And remember, A protection package should be permanent and guaranteed. No guarantee, no deal!
That’s my twenty-five cents worth on protection packages. Rather lengthy, but I have read numerous statements condemning protection packages. I couldn’t disagree with them more. Could you tell?
Obsidian is a new color from Lexus for 2007 and it does already have a clearcoat, but not any different than any other high end Lexus. The VIP Protection Package offered by my dealer is the name of the package that is provided by NASSAU Technologies, Inc. (www.nassautech.com). They are located in my area. If you want to keep a showroom shine, a protection package is necessary. Here’s why!
Ultraviolet rays, pollution, acid rain, bugs, bird droppings, tree sap, salt and exhaust gasses are all eating away at your car's finish. That weakens the paint's molecular defenses until it breaks down, the paint fades and a showroom shine is no longer possible. Acid rain, beading on unprotected paint can eat through the paint layers making them thin and dull. Each water droplet hitting the surface acts as a magnifying glass focusing the sun's heat and intensifying a very destructive chemical reaction on your paint. Over time, random action will etch paint surface resulting in loss of luster and the ability to shine your car.
Waxes don’t work in the long run. They melt, get sticky and trap acids and chemicals on your car’s paint. Bird droppings are the worst. They are chemicals and can ruin a paint surface in just a few days. Bird droppings come from the digestive system of birds and droppings contain high levels of acid - acid damages paintwork.
We have all waxed our cars for years, thinking waxing was the answer to protecting our car's finish. Waxes only protect a car's finish for as long as they stay on. Paint has pores, just like your skin. Solar heat closes the pores and forces out melted wax. The waxes become warm and sticky enough to trap dust, acids and chemicals on a car's paint Those compounds are then broken down by the sun and emulsified by detergent soaps so they're easily washed away every time you wash your car. The car’s paint is exposed again.
Waxes have very little protective ingredients; in fact they're mostly various polymers that provide a temporary shine; as temporary as money in the hands of a trophy wife. The wax job will made your car look better for a while, but when it starts breaking down, the shine is gone and your not protected again. The truth is no product will truly preserve your paint unless it is permanent; and, no claim of permanent protection is good without a guarantee.
A product that protects from bird droppings, UV rays, acid rain, road salt and bug residue is worth a few dollars more for a permanent shine that provides guaranteed protection. Further, prevention is better than a cure. Good protection packages provide prevention and eliminate the need to cure dull listless paint. Car wax and car polish offer great instant shine, but there are drawbacks that I don’t want encounter. Car wax is predominantly made of "wax". Wax melts with heat. Heat on waxed paintwork results in the wax softening and that leaves your paint prone to entrapped contaminants. Wax may be good for show cars, but not for cars that are on the road every day, day after day. By its very nature, wax does not adhere well to a car. It’s wax for crying out loud. Beware of some waxes that also take the top layer of paint off the car to give it a newer look; your cars paint job is only so thick and the more you take off the less you’ll have left for depth of shine.
The VIP protection package I purchased for $675 is guaranteed for five years. That covers both interior and exterior. Regular washing and a bit of speed detailer to remove fresh contaminants is all I do. It takes less time to keep clean and the showroom shine never leaves your eyes. The shine you see in the pictures now will be there in five years. And remember, A protection package should be permanent and guaranteed. No guarantee, no deal!
That’s my twenty-five cents worth on protection packages. Rather lengthy, but I have read numerous statements condemning protection packages. I couldn’t disagree with them more. Could you tell?
Sorry, but people need to know how badly they're getting ripped here. By the way, wax is a fantastic protectant. It requires more frequent reapplication than sealant, but it's not obsolete in any way. I can't believe dealers feed people this bull with a straight face.
Finally, it should be noted that the sealant they applied isn't swirl proof. Your car will require occasional paint leveling/polishing in order to maintain a nice appearance. Polishing will remove the sealant. The dealer will not polish your car with the annual reapplication...in fact, most of the people that pay for these packages never show up for the additional applications. Don't think for a minute that the dealer doesn't know this. Pure profit item!!!
NO SEALANT WILL LAST MORE THAN A YEAR. PERIOD.
Last edited by 15951; 03-28-07 at 05:04 PM.
#48
Lexus Test Driver
Nice response Audimerc; however, I don't buy it. Guaranteed!!!! That's the key. If you think the clearcoat I have is going to pit... and I don't, I am certainly in a good position to get a show room paint job from the dealer the minute mine begins to exhibit inferior color. I have had paint protector on caddies for quite some time, never got a pit job. Clearcoats are now well into the age of technology and those I have used maintained a deep rich shine for well over the warranty periods. More work, as is the case with wax, doesn't translate into a better protectant; it just means more work. Clearcoats help cut maintance down, add the needed protection from elements while maintaining a deep rich paint shine quality.
We'll have to agree to disagree on this one.
We'll have to agree to disagree on this one.
If they DO include correction of swirling, then that means they apply another coat of sealant, which has fillers and temporarily fills them. I've been borderline OCD with car detailing for a lot of years, and I've seen and experienced enough to know that you got sold a very expensive sealant that will not last. You could have done much better with a private detailer and $100, or on your own for significantly less. You know what they say about things that sound too good to be true...
Last edited by 15951; 03-28-07 at 05:05 PM.
#49
Lexus Champion
If I could find a package that included protection from swirling, I'd gladly pay $675 for 5 years of protection!
Until then, I'm stuck polishing with my Porter Cable.
#50
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: NJ
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Exactly why it sounds like a great deal... Especially if you are inexperienced in the waxing department as I am...
#52
Lexus Test Driver
Any reputable detailer would gladly come throw a coat of sealant loaded with fillers on your car annually for five years for $675. They'd laugh all the way to the bank.
#53
Lexus Champion
#54
Lead Lap
#55
#56
Driver
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 148
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
#57
Driver
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 148
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts