Crystal Glaze Finish

[coyotte]

I've had my Arden Blue - CRYSTAL GLAZED.
Have to say although it cost me $700 it is sensational.
The car continually has that wet look showroom finish to it.
No polishing required, rain water beads and just runs totally off it.
I've had many cars over the years, and have to say this is by far the easiest car to keep clean (a once a week job).

[BassyAstra]

Pics?

[YuSuF]

How long does it last?

[Shazza]

Yeah gives us some more info, whats the process?
How is it done etc?

[Slimcraigie]

You clean your car once a week :shock: ?? you don't have 4 kids do you 8) once a year more like :D

[Namus]

isn't the the one where u have all of those little crystals put thru ur paint?

how do u keep it clean?

think it's like another coat of laminate for the paint....

[Namus]

yeah some pics'd be nice...

[~Kupu~]

is it anything like ming?

[Namus]

no way...if it's like wat i think it is....they sand bak the clear coat of ur paint; add the crystals; then seal it up...

[~Kupu~]

ahhhhhhhh gotcha http://www.letssingit.com/i/ico/thumb.gif

[Anonymous]

If it's anything like holden paint protection, dont bother.

Im getting my money back on warranty, my roof is pock marked... I need to manually cut and buff, what is basically a brand new roof with so "called" paint protection.

I'd rather have a few layers of clear sprayed on, and do the detailing myself.

There is no such thing as a carefree, work free car exterior IMO.

[BassyAstra]

coyotte when u gonna reply?

[~Kupu~]

If it's anything like holden paint protection, dont bother.

Im getting my money back on warranty, my roof is pock marked... I need to manually cut and buff, what is basically a brand new roof with so "called" paint protection.

I'd rather have a few layers of clear sprayed on, and do the detailing myself.

There is no such thing as a carefree, work free car exterior IMO.

so do you have ming?

[ultim8DTM5]

Ming is awesome...if you are a salesperson.

[Dee]

Ming is awesome...if you are a salesperson.

only if you are a salesperson

[rjastra]

All this paint protection is bunk...

You could get your car detailed 3 to 4 times for $700.

It also makes it difficult when you need to repair a panel.

[~Kupu~]

Yes - well i have a ming coat :?

it is crap :?

[BassyAstra]

The guy threw paint protection in for free, i think what he did is mythical/fictitious/imaginary. Same goes for wax sound deadening he threw in.

[ultim8DTM5]

Wax sound deadening :shock:

[BassyAstra]

Yeah apparently its under the car and in the doors, Bull***t aye! Well at my dealership people pay for that garbage as part of whats called a "defense pack".
He did throw in interior appholstery protection, rust protection(which is a real thing).
Among others which he didnt throw in are Electronic Corrosion Protection, headlight strengthener, cant remember but im sure there are more.


Also about the wax when i asked the guy how will i know if its there if i cant see it, he called someone up and replied, "you can smell it".

[ultim8DTM5]

Hahahahaha :lol:

[Namus]

proabably all they did with the ming was just washed it with a hose....

when's coyote gonna reply?

[~Kupu~]

yeah I got the same pack - it included

Ming Coat
Underbody sound deadening and dust sealing
rust proof
tinted windows
carpet and fabric proctectant
leather and vinyl protectant

[Anonymous]

Yeah apparently its under the car and in the doors, Bull***t aye! Well at my dealership people pay for that garbage as part of whats called a "defense pack".
He did throw in interior appholstery protection, rust protection(which is a real thing).
Among others which he didnt throw in are Electronic Corrosion Protection, headlight strengthener, cant remember but im sure there are more.


Also about the wax when i asked the guy how will i know if its there if i cant see it, he called someone up and replied, "you can smell it".

do you know rust protection has been linked to causing rust?

It pools up in the chassis...

Manufacturers go to the trouble of galvanising the chassis beforehand - by the time your car rusts, it will be a redundant wreck somewhere on a smelting line.

[FLY-SRi]

yes can u post pics plz!

[Namus]

yeah that's why i haven't bothered with that stuff; so many differing stories i've heard about it; sounds like more trouble than it's worth really....

[~Kupu~]

I didnt want mine on but the dealership ****ed up.......

[Namus]

yeah u could always take it bak; but that's seems to cause even MORE trouble... :evil:

[~Kupu~]

yeah once they did it it was too late - they gave me 7 years warrenty on it and I dint pay for it... :?

[Namus]

well that's okay i guess.... :?

[Anonymous]

waste of money cos when u try and do a warranty( ie industrial overspray) they knock back the claim so it was polished off and they said would have to get another coat of ming said no no way not paying twice for s.h.i.t.

[Namus]

where the hell is coyote with pics of this thread??

[macca]

its prob gone pear shaped already

[coyotte]

Geeeessss what a response,
I've opened a can of worms here. Sorry I've been interstate. Pics of the car will show you nothing, it has a permanent "wet look" shine about it, similar to a good polish, except it is recommended that you never polish the car.
If you rub the back of your hand over the duco, it actually feels slippery.
Its been on the car now for 4 weeks only.It is a laquer style varnish with a high gloss finish that has had some type of brownish polish over the top. It has a 6 year warranty which covers fading , or loss of gloss, tree sap, bird shit, colour fading, petrol , industrial fallout and sun damage caused by UV etc.
It doesn't cover stone chips thanks to the truck on the Westgate. I HATE TRUCKS.
It is recommended that you rinse the car first, use car shampoo with NO detergent agents, rinse car again and chamoism only.
Waxes & polishes should NOT be used as it will dull the surface.
I don't know what "ming" is so I cannot say if it is like it or not,
and no it doesn't smell of any thing, although my nose is another problem !
I do suspect that if I do have an accident that this may be an issue, re spraying
as it has to go to an authorised dealer for re application.
When I remove the badges, and opelize (my next project) they have advised me that they will redo the sections concerned as glaze is not underneath existing badges. (I'm hoping this is a freebie.)
Finally, I don't know what I was thinking when I had it done as it was a shit load of money, but at the end of the day if it lasts like they say,
A wet look Arden Blue Turbo is a real chick magnet.
I will post a couple of pics when I find my camera.
COYOTTE.

[KippaDee]

sexcellent. Subscribing to thread now to see pics :)

Wonder if they can do anything with a '97 Warm Red Corsa

[kiwi_in_oz]

I have spoken to a couple of panel beater mates and they recon the whole protection thing is a big con.
Apparetly AutoGlym make the same compound it just doesn't last as long. I know whenever I use it on my car it feels like teflon for a good 6-12 months before I have to reaply it. Have a light coloured car so wet look not such a help. But certainly brings out the metalic spakle.

[astro boy]

I had crystal glaze put on as well. Absolute waste of money. I ended up using clay bar, then polishing, then using polish protection. Cost me less than $100 dollars and 3 hours of work. I recommend this to anyone over any form of paint protection.
They offer the paint protection / tinting right after you buy your car because you are feeling good about buying a new car and willing to say yes to anything.

[blackSRi]

FYI, there is "wax" (or some kind of propolyene) sprayed under the car. There is wax in the door sill for impact protection (a wrecker I know mentioned to me they have seen it in the frame in Astras they buy for parts after crashes).
The undercar stuff is for waterproofing and deadening - but - it comes with the car from the factory.
(I saw this stuff when my car bottomed out and I had scraped off some the chassis - it's sprayed on - just have a look - it looks like that spackled plaster).
In one of the services they are mean to check that it's intact for waterproofing/preventing rust - more important in Europe than Oz, cause of the salt spread on the roads there).

Paint protection is a con I agree (You are better off putting on 3M Automotive paint protection film to prevent stone chips).

[NUTTTR]

FYI, there is "wax" (or some kind of propolyene) sprayed under the car. There is wax in the door sill for impact protection (a wrecker I know mentioned to me they have seen it in the frame in Astras they buy for parts after crashes).
The undercar stuff is for waterproofing and deadening - but - it comes with the car from the factory.
(I saw this stuff when my car bottomed out and I had scraped off some the chassis - it's sprayed on - just have a look - it looks like that spackled plaster).
In one of the services they are mean to check that it's intact for waterproofing/preventing rust - more important in Europe than Oz, cause of the salt spread on the roads there).

Paint protection is a con I agree (You are better off putting on 3M Automotive paint protection film to prevent stone chips).


This is a really old thread. but hey.

Yes, paint protection is a con, because it will work given ideal conditions...... outside in australia is hardly ideal....
That said, the most stupid thing i've ever heard is a dealer say "you will need underbody protection on the astra, australia is very different and it will cause problems, it's ok for europe but not australia"......
I nearly went 'what the **** are you on about? In europe it's soaking wet, ice, snow, salt on the roads....... how the hell do we get that here?! What, your underbody might get some dust trapped in it?!'...... seriously, underbody coating isn't even needed here, it's not wet enough and the astra is galvanised anyway.... not ALL cars are, but the astra is..... it won't just rust to bits in australia..... maybe in 30 years time it might...

[corsaboy]

Quick question...is it the same as getting the car teflon coated costs the same $700 and they claim pretty much the same thing. It was in a Hot4s magazine, they had a whole article on it, about the time that the first water restrictions came into effect.

[NUTTTR]

A true teflon coating would need to be extremely high temperature..... it's an extremely thin layer of plastic type substance.... so true teflon coating does not exist, it's probably a fancy name for a gloss that has some teflon in it...... Seriously, unless it's PAINTED on and properly sanded back first, etc, it's probably not worth doing.......

[JohnBu]

next time you buy a new car tell them if they send over the paint protection lady (its always a lady) you wont buy the car just before you sign..

or, if the paint protection lady is giving you the half hour spiel, tell her to bring in the manager and then complain to them that you want to cancel your order, because you dont think the the holden/xxxx paint isnt good.

i've done the first, but haven't been game for the second but it would be interest to see what they say..

[CJB]

next time you buy a new car tell them if they send over the paint protection lady (its always a lady) you wont buy the car just before you sign..

or, if the paint protection lady is giving you the half hour spiel, tell her to bring in the manager and then complain to them that you want to cancel your order, because you dont think the the holden/xxxx paint isnt good.

i've done the first, but haven't been game for the second but it would be interest to see what they say..

How did you know it's a woman???

When the lady attacked me with it all - she seemed pretty "You are buying all of this" - and fool I am I did.

The only thing I really like that Ming did is the tint. Everything else doesn't work. They claimed that by getting the vinyl protection you would never have dust accumulating on your dashboard... yeah right!

[JohnBu]

its always a woman..

and if young and well endowed.. most men will say yes to anything she says! haha

Ming tint is like any other tint... the difference between the top and bottom metalised film is say $50..

by all means get your tint done via the dealer, but dont pay more than say $250 -$300 (any more and the dealer pockets the profit), even for Ming/3M

next time get the tint done as part of the sale of the car.. and say NO to anything else..

[Petey]

Hey Guys & Gals,

I wish these extras for protection of whatever body bit could be put away for good... Just a Myth...My brother worked for many years with a couple of car dealerships here in melbourne.

SAVE your hard earned money. All of these items you can get or do yourself for much cheaper than they will do for you... This is one area they make HUGE margins & increase their profits on. And yes it is always a very good looking lady that is brought in after the deal to entice you to protect your new purchase. Basic psychololy really, if you think about it.

Paint, cloth & rust protection: Just a polymer wax/sealant used to cover the body. Cost is a few dollars per vehicle. Clean & wax/seal your car yourself every year. At least you know its done! No product lasts more than 6 to 8 months, let alone 6 years as they warranty!!!

Cloth protection - ever heard of scotchguard? Very similar item used but bought in bulk. Maybe $10 a spraycan in your local supermarket & it still needs to be re-applied over time to continue its work.

The Astra already has rust protection, as mentioned here before. They don't actually add anything to the underbody/cavities. Its already there!

As for tinted windows - you can find better quality aftermarket film for much cheaper than any dealer. I personally like the Formula1 brand & have used it on three cars so far with no bubbling or spots so far, touch wood. But most companies will have a range of film / colours at different price points... Shop around.

Same with car alarms, they always cost you between $800 - $1000 at a dealership. You can get very good quality (ie. non generic Taiwanese box) alarms & immobilisers for $450 - $650 fully installed. I'm not talking about cheap gear from JB, strathfield & such. The better brands such as italian brand Cobra etc, who source their equipment from Europe or make it here in Oz... Just need to shop around & ask questions... Quality is just that...

A little fired up with this thread as I just hate for people to be taken advantage of when buying their new car. Plus think of the money you save & what better use you could put it too!!! So tell all your friends & relatives about this marketing tool that they use and I hope they save some of their money...

Have a great weekend...

:D :D :D

[extralarge]

this is how glaze protection looks, ive gone out to find pics for you guys :):

http://private.carsales.com.au/photos/715154.jpg

http://private.carsales.com.au/photos/715161.jpg

http://private.carsales.com.au/photos/715163.jpg

its a true gloss like shine 8) but as mentioned above, becomes normal looking within a year :wink: .

[Gildo]

how long befor the photos were taken was the car washed?

[Petey]

:lol:

Hey Extralarge,

Nice photos. Still looks like a good coat of wax or polymer sealant to me though.

If I knew how to put a photo onto this page, I'd put one of my car after it's been washed & it'll look just as good, although it's red. I have a coat of Klasse All-In-One & 2 of Klasse Seal & Glaze. I love the look.

These are wax/sealants that anyone can purchase & put on themselves for far less money than a dealer would charge you. And they last for 4 - 8 months max.[highlight=red:f6a97b4f54] Nothing goes more than a year!!!!!!!!!![/highlight:f6a97b4f54]

[shadow=red:f6a97b4f54]Do you think they really have some super special new technological gear? Nope, they use a basic polymer sealant/wax themselves...[/shadow:f6a97b4f54]

Here's a link for anyone thinking of handing over more money when buying a new car after you've bought it...Hope it helps you make an informed decision...

http://autopia.org/forum/showthread.php?t=35521

It's ok to purchase these items if you have all the facts & are happy to do so. I just hate to see people buy them by being pressured into "protecting" their new baby by salesman & saleswomen...

Enjoy the weekend all, ciao.

:D

[dodgyblue]

when i bought my astra back in 2000, the car protection woman came along and tried to sell me everything. i said no no no no and if she asked once more, i'd actually cancel buying the car. she left :)

[CJB]

I got my rust protection review thing in the mail today! $27 I have to pay to have them verify the warranty and check the car over. Is it worth it?

[dodgyblue]

I use the following products on my car(s).

Armor All Wash & Wax (blue stuff)
Turtlewax Polish (green stuff)
Polyglaze Glide on Glaze (clear stuff)

After the wash, dry with chamois, then follow by vigourous application & polishing with turtlewax which leaves a very nice slick shine. And if I feel extra chirpy, I then go apply a layer of glide-on-glaze. Any round of vigourous buffing. Leaves a slippery smooth surface.

I washed the Camry Sunday a week ago, and did all three. Even applied Rain-x on the windscreen and didn't get the car wet until yesterday. Going at about 80kph, the water just beads off the bonnet, splashes onto the windscreen and beads right off.

Pity can't seem to get anymore of that Glide on Glaze these days at K-mart or Repco. Do they still make it?

[CJB]

I was told not to use ARMOR Wash n Wax cos it gets on your windshield and stuffs it up.... is that right?

I am yet to polish my car!

[NUTTTR]

I got my rust protection review thing in the mail today! $27 I have to pay to have them verify the warranty and check the car over. Is it worth it?

If you already paid for the protection thing, then you might as well, otherwise you wasted the money you spent to start with.... The likelyhood of your car rusting, or having rust, (unless it was in an accident and badly repaired) is nill to none chance... It's australia, our car's rust after 15 years due to not being looked after or gathering dirt somewhere (like behind the quater panels) and then rusting from the inside out....
The chance of this happening to a euro car is low, very low.... They are VERY well rust protected to begin with...
Aaron

[CJB]

I got my rust protection review thing in the mail today! $27 I have to pay to have them verify the warranty and check the car over. Is it worth it?

If you already paid for the protection thing, then you might as well, otherwise you wasted the money you spent to start with.... The likelyhood of your car rusting, or having rust, (unless it was in an accident and badly repaired) is nill to none chance... It's australia, our car's rust after 15 years due to not being looked after or gathering dirt somewhere (like behind the quater panels) and then rusting from the inside out....
The chance of this happening to a euro car is low, very low.... They are VERY well rust protected to begin with...
Aaron


he he, yes, but I don't intend on keeping this car for much longer. :lol:

I doubt by the end of next year it will have rusted away.

[16vopl]

so should i buy this clear coat? red recently polished looks the sh*t, even if i still have to wash it regularly, if this slows fading ill pay it.

[NUTTTR]

It won't... My mum has a 2002 SP20 mazda... It's red, has waxguard and has definately had some fading... Protection stuff is a load of bollocks and i wouldn't pay for it... Red will always fade, esp in australia where it's damn hot

Aaron

[16vopl]

the crystal glaze i mean.

[NUTTTR]

it's the same stuff, all some sort of wax/glaze that only lasts a limited time and you can do at home yourself...

[Alfonzo]

its always a woman..

and if young and well endowed.. most men will say yes to anything she says! haha First car I bought brand new (Mitsushiti) I had the chickie come over and do the sales pitch, to which I declined everything. They were only prepared to do a regular tint, I got darkest legal a few weeks later through a specialist tint place for $100 cheaper again.

Next car after that (current Vectra) they brought the lass over to do the pitch again (different dealership), and I actually laughed at the prices they were talking.

My paint has that wet-ish look and 'slippery' feel that was being described earlier anyway, and the previous owners had the tint done by Holden - I wonder if they actually did the paint protection package too???