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Cladding Finish

EXT4ME said:
CERAKOTE Ceramic Trim Coat - Guaranteed Restoration to Last Over 200 Washes - A Ceramic Coating Not a Dressing - Quick and Easy to Apply

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I used to use Refinish Restorer with good results, but since I found the CERAKOTE, that is my go to product now.

The cladding on my 2003 Z-66 was a splotchy, chalky grey all over when I bought the truck used a couple of years ago.

I bought it from the original owner and it had never been treated during it's entire life up to when I bought it.
Click to expand...
Looks good with the Cerakote, how long has it lasted for you (have you gotten 2 years or close)?
 
Before I tell my story, from what I see with Cerakote, if it does indeed last 2 years and for the price of $20, I might consider using that, seems good and easy as well however, I did my entire truck with "my stuff" and I still have more than 3/4 of a quart left.

I researched the hell out of this "issue" when I got my Avalache 2 years ago (2003 Z71). The truck had never been treated. I wasn't going to bother with a 1-3 month solution as I know that I would not apply every month or so. I wasn't going to pay $15 for a one ounce bottle of the restorer stuff that last 6-9 months or so (I'm too cheap). So, I looked at the ingredients of the good stuff and did some more research and found something with almost the identical ingredients and cost under $8 for a quart and is available a HomeDepot or Lowes (now it cost a little more $10)...

Penetrol by Flood. It works amazingly well (same as other stuff), is easy and cheap and best of all my first use lasted over 1.5 years (it did lighten up a little but not much and the side cladding, bumpers, storage lids still look good after 2 years--but the bed panels and sail panels and rear window wrap went back to full faded). It held strong and looked great the entire time, however once it started to fade, it faded fast--really weird in about 6 weeks it went from real nice to like it was never done. If you go to the producer's website, you can see that it is safe on plastics and it is actually used to restore faded fiberglass gel coat and other items. It soaks in so there is no flaking or other issues like with painting.

I did my first treatment in October 2019 and I am just now doing it again (10/21) but it has been "ready" to be done for a few months.

I did not clean as well as I could have (in hind site) but it actually looked better in person than the images. I washed the plastic with Dawn (the soap not the girlfriend) and then did a fast wipe down with mineral spirits. Let dry completely (waited a day) and then applied Penetrol one coat and touched up while still wet.

Here are some before and after pics:

IMG_20190414_190141350.jpg

IMG_20190414_190101390.jpgIMG_20190414_190135803.jpgAttach1704_20191030_160840.jpgAttach1705_20191030_160835.jpgAttach1707_20191029_184546.jpg
 
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2003VAAV said:
Looks good with the Cerakote, how long has it lasted for you (have you gotten 2 years or close)?
Click to expand...

Well, here is where you are going to have to really determine what is important to you.

You will probably never find a wipe on product from anyone that is going to last two years.

It's just not going to happen.

To get close to that time frame, the truck most likely will have to be kept inside all of the time and never be washed or see the sun.

That being said, if an extremely long lasting solution is what you seek, then your only real option is to spend the money and have the plastic professionally painted.

Like I've said before, I was originally a big fan of the Refinish Restorer product for many years.

I still am.

Here is a picture of the bed cover panels on my 2004 EXT after they have been treated with Refinish Restorer.

These panels were heavily faded, chalky, blotchy and almost white in color before I applied my first treatment.

EXTBEDPANELS001.JPG

As you can see, the original color returned after the Refinish Restorer application.

But, ever since I found the CERAKOTE Ceramic Trim Coat, I have switched over to that exclusively.

What I have experienced with each of those products is the lower body cladding definitely holds up better than the upper body cladding, particularly the bed cover panels and upper sail pieces since those tend to take the most constant direct exposure to the sun.

For my money, the CERAKOTE provides a smoother, harder, drier and richer finish that the Refinish Restorer.

While the Refinish Restorer does actually "dry" and does not leave any true sticky residue once fully cured, it does have a certain "feel" to it for quite some time.

One of the biggest attractions for me with both of these products is they each simply bring out the original color and finish of the plastic cladding to which they are applied.

They do not add to or change the color, whereas paint most certainly will.

The few Avalanches around here that have opted to paint are very obvious because they have opted to have the cladding painted almost jet black.

It's not a totally bad look, but it definitely sticks out and is not the look I prefer.

So, to my way of thinking, if only longevity was my main concern, I would plan to contact a professional painter and have them look at an example of the factory original color of the cladding and spend the money to have all of the plastic prepped and painted in that color and with the same type of texture as the original cladding.

Personally, I am not a fan of the first gen fully cladded Avalanches with the cladding totally smoothed out before painting.

Now, if I owned a first gen WBH Avalanche, I would entertain the idea of finding a set of smooth EXT upper cladding and having that body color matched.

But that would not work as well for a fully cladded truck, I am thinking.

I am a huge fan of the smooth body color painted EXT upper cladding, but a mix and match approach does little for me.

And any approach still leaves the bed panels to consider.

Since painting my cladding is not really something that I care to seriously consider, other than possibly the bed panels, I will more than likely continue to use the wipe on products.

Also, since I find enjoyment with spending time detailing and maintaining my vehicles, the idea of having to reapply either of these products as needed, is not a deterrent to me using them.

Spending time touching up, clay barring and applying ceramic wax to my paint, completely detailing the interior and treating my plastic cladding is something I enjoy doing over a couple of days time every now and then, as needed.

Sure, there are going to be times when the appearance of my trucks is not 100 percent perfect, but after I spend time doing a full detail I can feel good about my trucks looking their very best.

And you have to admit they both look pretty good for each having a quarter million miles on them.

I can say that when comparing these two products, I feel that given the great number of times I wash and dry my trucks, the CERAKOTE product does seem to last longer than the Refinish Restorer product.

Since the Avalanche has to sit outside on my driveway all of the time, if the weather permits, it gets washed at least once a week.

I fully dry the trucks right after being washed since the water around here leaves some pretty nasty spots if not removed.

That's just how I have always rolled.

It may also be good to note that you will need to purchase the "Two Vehicle" packaging of the CERAKOTE to have enough to fully apply the product to a fully cladded Avalanche.

Each kit will come with 10 inner applicator packs and you will end up with a few applicator packs left over.

One kit will not get the job done, so you are looking at a cost of around $40 instead of $20.

Still, I think that is a good price for what it does.
 
EXT4ME said:
But, ever since I found the CERAKOTE Ceramic Trim Coat, I have switched over to that exclusively.
Click to expand...
how often do you apply the Cerakote wipes? yearly? twice a year? how long does the $40 solution last?


when i bought my truck the previous owner said he used the Meguires Ultimate Black
https://www.meguiars.com/automotive/products/ultimate-black-plastic-restorer-aerosol

i recently bought the non aerosol version and a "tire shine sponge"

Search Results | Meguiar's

www.meguiars.com www.meguiars.com

Im about $13 in, but assuming the sponge holds up i could re-apply for ~$10. but if i can get more time out of the $40 solution, or potentially spend less man hours applying, the $40 Cerakote may be a good alternative.

i have yet to get a change to apply my product with the tire sponge, but i know the cladding looked AMAZING when i bought it. the lower cladding still looks really good, but the bed covers definitely need some attention (like it has been mentioned, they take more sun abuse).
 
I reapply once or twice a year or whenever I feel the desire to spend some quality time with my truck.

I probably apply more often than a lot of people would bother with.

But, I enjoy the process and the results.
 
And the cost is relative.

I gladly spend my money on this where I would not drop a dime on some other things that others deem worthwhile.

I even go so far as to stay stocked on this product.

When I use a kit, I order my next kit to have in stock.
 
Feel experienced enough to answer this question, lol. I have had the original 02 with cladding and all the rest of mine have been without cladding. I found out with the 1st one that it was easier to take it to a good body shop and have it all painted black with the original texture and then clear coated.
Every other avalanche I have owned I have immediately taken them to The Body Shop and had black trim on the bumpers, the 3 bed, covers and the top cladding all painted. It is cheap, Looks factory, and no maintenance.
 
EXT4ME said:
Well, here is where you are going to have to really determine what is important to you.

You will probably never find a wipe on product from anyone that is going to last two years.

It's just not going to happen.

To get close to that time frame, the truck most likely will have to be kept inside all of the time and never be washed or see the sun.

That being said, if an extremely long lasting solution is what you seek, then your only real option is to spend the money and have the plastic professionally painted.

Like I've said before, I was originally a big fan of the Refinish Restorer product for many years.

I still am.

Here is a picture of the bed cover panels on my 2004 EXT after they have been treated with Refinish Restorer.

These panels were heavily faded, chalky, blotchy and almost white in color before I applied my first treatment.

View attachment 233236

As you can see, the original color returned after the Refinish Restorer application.

But, ever since I found the CERAKOTE Ceramic Trim Coat, I have switched over to that exclusively.

What I have experienced with each of those products is the lower body cladding definitely holds up better than the upper body cladding, particularly the bed cover panels and upper sail pieces since those tend to take the most constant direct exposure to the sun.

For my money, the CERAKOTE provides a smoother, harder, drier and richer finish that the Refinish Restorer.

While the Refinish Restorer does actually "dry" and does not leave any true sticky residue once fully cured, it does have a certain "feel" to it for quite some time.

One of the biggest attractions for me with both of these products is they each simply bring out the original color and finish of the plastic cladding to which they are applied.

They do not add to or change the color, whereas paint most certainly will.

The few Avalanches around here that have opted to paint are very obvious because they have opted to have the cladding painted almost jet black.

It's not a totally bad look, but it definitely sticks out and is not the look I prefer.

So, to my way of thinking, if only longevity was my main concern, I would plan to contact a professional painter and have them look at an example of the factory original color of the cladding and spend the money to have all of the plastic prepped and painted in that color and with the same type of texture as the original cladding.

Personally, I am not a fan of the first gen fully cladded Avalanches with the cladding totally smoothed out before painting.

Now, if I owned a first gen WBH Avalanche, I would entertain the idea of finding a set of smooth EXT upper cladding and having that body color matched.

But that would not work as well for a fully cladded truck, I am thinking.

I am a huge fan of the smooth body color painted EXT upper cladding, but a mix and match approach does little for me.

And any approach still leaves the bed panels to consider.

Since painting my cladding is not really something that I care to seriously consider, other than possibly the bed panels, I will more than likely continue to use the wipe on products.

Also, since I find enjoyment with spending time detailing and maintaining my vehicles, the idea of having to reapply either of these products as needed, is not a deterrent to me using them.

Spending time touching up, clay barring and applying ceramic wax to my paint, completely detailing the interior and treating my plastic cladding is something I enjoy doing over a couple of days time every now and then, as needed.

Sure, there are going to be times when the appearance of my trucks is not 100 percent perfect, but after I spend time doing a full detail I can feel good about my trucks looking their very best.

And you have to admit they both look pretty good for each having a quarter million miles on them.

I can say that when comparing these two products, I feel that given the great number of times I wash and dry my trucks, the CERAKOTE product does seem to last longer than the Refinish Restorer product.

Since the Avalanche has to sit outside on my driveway all of the time, if the weather permits, it gets washed at least once a week.

I fully dry the trucks right after being washed since the water around here leaves some pretty nasty spots if not removed.

That's just how I have always rolled.

It may also be good to note that you will need to purchase the "Two Vehicle" packaging of the CERAKOTE to have enough to fully apply the product to a fully cladded Avalanche.

Each kit will come with 10 inner applicator packs and you will end up with a few applicator packs left over.

One kit will not get the job done, so you are looking at a cost of around $40 instead of $20.

Still, I think that is a good price for what it does.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info on the need for the two pack of Cerakote. For me, that is too expensive. I'm getting ready to do my Penetrol application again, I'll post new pics when done. Can't beat 1.5 years for $2 and it looks great!
 
I am lucky that the original owner of mine had all the cladding painted by the dealer, so everything has faded at the same rate, and even the scratches match! The bed panels are the only thing not painted, and I’ve been considering what to do with them, so this gives me good ideas
 
04avvy said:
Just sprayed on something I use for my quad looks great so far

Maxima 78920-3PK SC1 High Gloss Coating 51.6 FL. OZ. 1524 mL - NET WT. 36 OZ. (1020g), 3-Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014C1FP4...abc_609VNA1VZADVQZ0T7M34?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Click to expand...
I like the idea but I read the review questions on how long it lasts and it is not very long.

If you look a few replies up this thread, you'll see that I use Penetrol (by Flood, available at HomeDepot and Lowes for about $10/qt) which will do 3 applications on a fully cladded AV and lasted just under 1.5 years for my first time. I just did my second application and it looks great again. I did a quickie without any prep other than a wash a week prior. It came out nice but the bed [panels and outside sail panels were a little darker the first time around in which I did better prep with a mineral spirits wipe down (and let dry) prior to the Penetrol application. It may also have to do with the temperature since my first use was applied in the summer when it's warm out and possibly the plastic's "pores" are open more and more absorbent. This time, I just did it two days ago (in VA) and the temps have been Fall temps (bouncing around low to high 50's) so "pores" are not open for business so to say.

BTW, my pics above from my first application was on my truck that had never had the cladding taken care of so the bed covers and sail panels (as you can see) were almost white from age.

The Penetrol shine will soften after a while but the color restore "look" basically last the entire time until all of a sudden it starts fading and then within a month it's totally faded (on bed and sail panels), the storage lids and bottom and bumper cladding still looked good after 2 years, just did again because the bed and sail panels were "white" again.
 
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