Bring that thing back with a 01 painted on the door, a confederate flag on the roof and an odd "shimmy" from 30-70mph

 

All those loaners were out at the autocross today. Was interesting watching the toaster looking like they were going to roll over.

 

Greta, if you really want to understand the Unf*c*withables, then definitely go to Mirrorworks.

 

John..i am curious what a warranty on paint sealant does What exactly does it claim it will protect against?

 

Our Matrix coating is a baked on ceramic sealant. Much like an organic wax, or a polymer paint sealant, which is usually an oil/water emulsion, the Matrix coating beads water like crazy. The Matrix coating is also not susceptible to organic staining such as bird droppings, acid-rain, tree sap, insects, or inorganic staining such as industrial fall-out, for as long as you own your car. The warranty also covers any loss of gloss, or oxidation of the paint for life. If any area on the vehicle is affected/stained, then Matrix Micro Coatings will pay to have the area repaired, by polishing/wetsanding from an authorized installer like myself. If the paint can not be repaired, then the area, or even the whole car will be repainted by a qualified body shop, then re-applied. This product is unlike ANYTHING else you can put on your car, but will last longer, and have a better depth of gloss than ANY wax or polymer paint sealant. I have attached a copy of a warranty. Read through it carefully, and you will see there is NOTHING on the market that can perform like this, and we are the only authorized installers in the state who can install this product.


John

 

John,

I think we have had this discussion in other venue's. In talking to several industry leaders, paint reps, and paint manufacture tech support. None of them believe this product to be what you say it is. In the past i have looked at and read about the matrix coating. their website is mostly anecdotal evidence, and flash animation.

let me point out a few things in the warranty that worry me.

Here we are discussing the basics of vehicle maintenance. To lift and suspend dirt, soils, oils, and grime from paint you need some form of suspension. Be that a foaming suspension with no detergent or non foaming with detergent. you have to suspend the dirt, soils, oils, and grime from the paint. If you do not they will scratch. When washing with out any suspension you will exert a tremendous amount of pressure on those bits of particulate. That will cause it to scratch. Which is wash marring. Dust is generally a type of silica. Which is very abrasive, ad to that grime, oils, heat and cold you will end up with a caking factor. With out a suspension or surfactant you would have to rub harder to remove the dirt. Causing more marring.

I do agree that one must fully dry the vehicle off. What i have an issue with is their descriptions of hard water and soft water issues. First If hard water or soft water deposits will etch matrix coatings, so then will tree saps, bird droppings, Magnesium chloride, calcium chloride and other liquids (liquid deicer), Tars, and general fallout from industrial areas. Most of the above items can be of the same PH, and PH strength as hard water. Yes it will depend on what the bird ate, what tree and time of year, etc. Most fallout (any of the above items or industrial)can only be removed via detailers clay or a fall out prep wash. Even then the chemical bonds that attached the fall out to the paint has been made. You will be left with types of marring, etching or pitting. Once the fall out is removed that will need to be polished or corrected with the appropriate tools.

So i am at their website http://www.hyperpolish.com/index-1.html And i am looking for an explanation of other care procedures and processes. I am not finding any. Nor do i see any before and after shots, I do see several photo's of semi trucks. Which i find quite amusing because semi trucks are generally painted with a completely different product, process than passenger cars. Semi trucks are designed to drive 2-3 million miles with paint work intact versus the 200k of an auto.

So let us look at some of their information on the website.

False, the solvent in waxes does generally not etch the paint. Solvent is used as a carrier for either the natural carnauba or the synthetic. This carrier off gases in a mere matter of minutes. in the vast majority of cases the waxes both paste and liquid are VOC compliant. Many times the solvent used is water, yes water is one of many solvents. Other times it might be oils, or other agents designed to hold the wax make up in suspension until it is applied. At the time of application they will off gas and leave the protective sacrificial barrier.

 

Aaron, to answer the first question, once the Matrix coating is fully cured, it is like a non-porous film that is exceptionally oliophobic, and hydrophobic. Simply rinsing the paint with a high-pressure nozzle is all that is needed to lift and remove dirt and grime from the paint. The procedure of the Matrix coating is similar to glazing a coffee cup, and the ceramics, and silicas in the product do a very good job of protecting against very basic, and very acidic staining. When it says that hard water will etch the coating, this is ONLY in the first two weeks after application, as the Matrix continues to form a tigher weave of nanoparticles, and harden. As far as care procedures, there are none. I know this seems very difficult to believe, but the product is PERMANENT. Simply wash the car just like a normal wax, and that is all that is needed. You don't need a refresher coating or anything like that. We use infrared lights to cure the coating onto the car, but even after 24 hours of cure time, the film continues to cure. Sun and UV exposure actually help to harden the film over time. About your last quote, wax has no film forming abilities. This is true. Wax and polymers only rest inside the pours in the paint. This creates an actual film, many times thicker than any wax. Wax can also not bond to the paint. I would also say don't knock it until you've tried it. We have had this product on one of our loaner cars for almost two years now, and it still looks like new.


John


John

 

I am not nocking it John, simply inquiring about the inconsistencies i see with it. I have seen several cars with it, all of them had issues with marring and fall out on them. While it's water resistance may still be intact it does not seem to address the other issues that regular detailing takes care of. IE marring and swirls, and fall out that has bonded to the paint.

I fully understand both sides of this debate, IE matrix's side of how it bonds, protects and lasts, Conversely I see the other side of the issue, the chemistry and requirements involved for it to attach and to adhere to the paint.

To me it seems very similar to blue coral's re-clear process.

 

Holy crap what did I start now...I thought the stuff sounded good

 

LOL,

I'm a born skeptic Bruce. I firmly believe one should question, question, question. I have not made up my mind on matrix micro coating. I have seen atomics car and look closely at it every time i do. He seems very satisfied with it, as do several others that i have met in passing.

I do know that all sealant manufactures purchase their amino-resins used in polymer sealants from the same few places, dow, dupont etc. Where matrix differs is in how they force the cross linking and adhesion to the paint. This is where it becomes process specific not product. In the baking process they are forcing the carriers to off gas, and by doing that allowing the coating to form a (in theory) more uniform sacrificial amino-resin barrier. Normally one would let the product dry/haze in at a certain time and temperature range to ensure that the crosslinking is complete.

The question is, for me at least, is the process worth the effort. Water resistance aside, if the process imparts a better crosslink to the paint and improves durability then i am interested. If not, i will continue on with what I do.

I Just hung up with one of the premier trouble shooters for the automotive manufactures in the auto care industry. I called him to specifically discuss this process and the product. He believes one could achieve similar results by applying the same process to a number of products that are sacrificial amino-resins. All of which adhere and bond by cat-ionic bonding. Similarly how one would have a cat-ionic detergent to clean fabrics, fiber, and carpet.

 

Aaron, I was in the same boat as you. I questioned, questioned, and questioned also. I now know there is no better protection available. But everyone has their preference on different products, and what/why makes a product better than another.

John

 

exactly, we would be doing ourselves and our customers a dis-service if we did not look at products objectively and openly.

Thanks for the discussion, I can't wait to see it in person.

 

It's almost time to get my paintwork done. How long should I wait after the respray to apply this paint sealant? Would you like to make an example out of it?

Could you do this as well as do ventureshield? Does it offer any rock chip protection?

 

If the paint is baked, then 30-45 days would be perfect. If they don't bake the paint, then you'll be waiting about 3 months before putting any sealants on. You can do this as well as the Venture Shield, but we suggest the Matrix is applied before the Venture Shield, as the solvents in the Matrix are very strong, and can elt the edge of the film if it gets too close. It does offer some chip protection, but nothing like a film. I would love to make an example out of it, let me know when it's ready.



John

 

I admit that I was also a skeptic of this Matrix product too but they managed to convince me to give it a try. And as you know, I'm satisfied with the results. John is correct when he says that it's very easy to maintain. What really blows me away is the fact that it always looks so good after a wash. In the past, prior to getting the matrix coating, I've always noticed my paint looking a bit dull after a wash. Not anymore. That alone makes this matrix coating worthwhile. As for the longevity, I couldn't tell you whether it'd last a lifetime. I've had it for just over a year now and it still works pretty well. Still very impressed with the matrix coating.

I'm just a consumer that was given some "snake oil" spiel by a detailer and as the saying goes, "if it's too good to be true then it probably isn't" kept playing over and over in my head. Well, it's still playing... but I'm more of a believer now than I was before. One thing I have to say is that it's absolutely important to properly detail the car PRIOR to adding the matrix coating.