Interior Exterior
Q:
i saw the paint/spray on star shield at the auto show, i don't know if its a new product, new to me, but it looked pretty decent, you put a few coats, it dries and you leave it there for a while, it yellows or gets damaged, you peel it off wash and reapply. seems like perfect stuff for autocrossers and people trailering the car.
you can put it on pretty thick, though it has to be put on thin layers for a reasonable drying time, cost was about $40 a bottle and he said it'd do the elise 4 times in one bottle ( front clam i believe though )
it can go on over regular starshield/3m bra etc, its not sticky when its removed.
A:
There is some unique coating that sounds similar to this spray, used by BMW and other manufacturers for the hoods & bumpers of cars that are en'route from the factory to various international ports. It gives the painted surface a more flat/matte type of appearance, all the while preserving the original, flawless paint finish. Upon arrival at the port, I believe the importer then uses a solvent spray, and the coating just rinses off. I always thought something like this available commercially would be great for long-distance trips, transporting, winter-time, track/HPDE events, storage, and so forth.
I'll try to get more info' on it.
A:
i saw the paint/spray on star shield at the auto show, i don't know if its a new product, new to me, but it looked pretty decent, you put a few coats, it dries and you leave it there for a while, it yellows or gets damaged, you peel it off wash and reapply. seems like perfect stuff for autocrossers and people trailering the car.
you can put it on pretty thick, though it has to be put on thin layers for a reasonable drying time, cost was about $40 a bottle and he said it'd do the elise 4 times in one bottle ( front clam i believe though )
it can go on over regular starshield/3m bra etc, its not sticky when its removed.
did you happen to get a name or any contact information? This would be great for the autocrossers that do not want to use painters tape.
thanks
A:
There is some unique coating that sounds similar to this spray, used by BMW and other manufacturers for the hoods & bumpers of cars that are en'route from the factory to various international ports. It gives the painted surface a more flat/matte type of appearance, all the while preserving the original, flawless paint finish. Upon arrival at the port, I believe the importer then uses a solvent spray, and the coating just rinses off. I always thought something like this available commercially would be great for long-distance trips, transporting, winter-time, track/HPDE events, storage, and so forth.
I'll try to get more info' on it.
Sounds like Cosmoline?
A:
Sounds like Cosmoline?
D@mn... you're good! Well, assuming that's what it is (sounds like it though). From what I recall, alot of the vehicles BMW produces get transported freight-trains/rail, exposed to the environment. Likewise on container-ships I assume (non-ambient enclosed areas w/ saline-air/moisture, freezing temps, etc').
In contrast, Honda's and Acura's that are en'route have a white/colorless plastic overlay that seems to be heat-shrinked for an exact fit (ie. DIY: Reynold's Wrap and blow-dryer... ).
Anyways, I'm headed towards a repaint of my front bumper, valance, and lip to deal w/ some scratches and rock-chips... I'm going to start looking into something that I can economically apply and use for daily-driving, then remove easily for other times (ie. group drives, T&C outings, etc').
A:
did you happen to get a name or any contact information? This would be great for the autocrossers that do not want to use painters tape.
thanks
G, the rep approached us with this product at Peru back in June. I thought you were standing there. Maybe it was just Junior. Anyway,he gave us a bottle and sprayed some on the pumpkin and also the S2000 we were pitted with to demonstrate. The bottle is probably still somewhere in the back of the truck.
A:
As of now, only source of a spray-on protectant film for car paint finishes is www.AutoArmor.com. Their product is permanent and requires a professional installation/application by a body/paint shop. There are quite a few people on F-chat who have had this done. It's not very economical, about $450/bumper and $1200-$1600/entire-car.
If someone does locate a source for DIY'ers that is not permanent, I'd be keen towards such!
I'm sure there are companies like Dow, 3M, Dupont, PPG, and others who have polyurethane/polymer applications intended for the purpose we seek, but moreso on an industrial, manufacturing level...
A:
Osiris, the stuff the CharlieX saw (if its the same product that was shown to me this past June) is DIY and removable.
It comes in a bottle, looks much like a hairspray bottle. It's liquid. You spray it on, it dries, you smack cones, you pull it off in a big sheet when done.
The rep was carrying around a small piece of hood and spraying it on and peeling it off to show how it worked. He approached us in our pit area to show it to us. I'm certain he gave a bottle to Mike Johnson ( Junior here on the board) while at a National Tour event in Peru Indiana. He gave me one too but I havent seen it for a long time. I'll see if I can find out what the brand name is. I don't even know if its on the market yet. The guy was a rep for the company and was gauging interest.
The only issue I saw was using it in large areas. I wouldnt want to spend the time applying it. To me painters tape is easier.
A:
This has been available for quite some time -- Latex Rubber Paint Protectant -- http://platz.com/philslatexpaint.html
You don't want to leave it on too long -- perfect for extra protection at track events and the like.
A:
http://www.starshieldarmor.com/home/home.php its not on their home page that i can find, in fact i cant find much of anything on there, but the rep said i could order it directly from irvine location for $40 it might called osiris, but i can't remember,.
it apparently lasts for quite a while too.
A:
Can it be used to repair StarShield where rocks have torn through it?
P.S. It's not cosmoline.
A:
i found the flyer, but it offers no more info than is on the website, the phone number is 626 813 0299 its irwindale, not irvine
i should imagine you can fix spots with it, but it might be hard to work with and get a smooth finish on small areas.
A:
P.S. It's not cosmoline.
I believe pianomaniac was stating cosmoline in response to my post, not original topic.
Jack, thanks for the link...
There was a detailing/auto-enthusiast forum I was browsing once that had an individual from SoCal' looking for people to try out a spray-on protective film for paint that could be removed, then spray again for a new application and so on. This was about a year or two ago; he offered 1gallon of it for ~$100. I didn't have much interest at the time as I wasn't sure what type of polymer or fixative was being used, and how car's OEM clear-coat would respond to aerosol/spray type sealants during application and even upon removal (adhesion? UV? discoloration? unexposed/surrounding paint? etc...).
This (spray-on protective film) is something I definitely will pursue, and try to offer as much insight as I can. After I get my front-end's surface and finish back upto par and flawless, I have to apply something this time around (sans' clear-bra). Otherwise it will look as if it was literally 'sand-blasted' by road-debris, dust/sand/gravel, bugs, and other abrasive particles in less than a week!?!
The clamshell of the Elise is fiberglass, correct? Also the paint process/protocol that is used by Lotus for the Elise, is different than other manufacturers due to the Elise's fiberglass body panels? Clear-coat is final step? Is the clear-coat tinted for any of the colors?
Thanks!
p.s. At times I ponder just buying some high-quality yet economical, transparent vinyl overlay that is extremely thin and just use a heat gun to apply my own disposable protectant film. . .
A:
A buddy of mine is an engineer for a paint company and he makes a product for himself and friends that works pretty well. Goes on with a spray or roller, self levels, peels off nicely as long as you prep the paint well and is nontoxic. Doesn't last more that a couple of weeks. But it works great for autox or other environments that are tough on paint. He can make it more durable but then it has some opacity and doesn't peel off as well.
A:
http://www.starshieldarmor.com/home/home.php its not on their home page that i can find, in fact i cant find much of anything on there, but the rep said i could order it directly from irvine location for $40 it might called osiris, but i can't remember,.
it apparently lasts for quite a while too.
Charlie,
The stuff you saw at the show (at the Starshield booth) is neither intended for long term use nor is it aesthetically pleasing. It's nothing like a clear bra.
A:
i'll second that... the trick is to make the lines not stand out so much. wheres the middle ground to these two products? a thick coat of cosmoline buffed smooth or a really great installer that can make clear bras nearly invisible. nothing beats the smooth sheen of a front hood!
A:
indeed as i mentioned, its just meant for the likes of autocrossing, open trailering etc
after all star shield clearbra = $900
star shield spray on stuff = $40
wouldn't be much of a business model if the $40 stuff was just as good
A:
Charlie,
The stuff you saw at the show (at the Starshield booth) is neither intended for long term use nor is it aesthetically pleasing. It's nothing like a clear bra.
I saw it too and I'd have to agree with you Jack.
A:
I just orderedhttp://www.starshieldarmor.com/home/home.php 32oz container of the paint on starshield for $40. They say the best way to apply is with a good brush, about 3 thin coats, drys in about 5-10 mins/ coat. It can be applied over the perminant starshield, peel of when you're done with yor track event.I should have it next week, I'll let you all know how it works.
A:
For people ordering their car without StarShield, so they can have other protective film installed, this might be a good thing to protect the car until you can get the aftermarket film installed.