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cake

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  1. Ceramic / nano coating?

    in Automobili Lamborghini

    Posted

    Thanks Jonsav for weighing in

     

    As for 7 years - I figured who could really "prove" it lasted that long - but it doesn't matter. In 7 years if we still had the car, we'd probably be replacing PPF and re-doing ceramic anyway.

     

    I agree about putting it over PPF except for the slight difference in sheen. You don't really save much by telling them to only put it on paint so we just have the entire car done.

     

    As for the car that's fully wrapped - it does make it wash easier, and as Fortis said - bugs come off really easily (more so than naked PPF).

     

     

  2. Is the Model X a perfect daily driver?

    in Off Topic

    Posted

    We test drove them a few times.

     

    Impressions:

     

    - Wicked fast but so what? That's not how we drive in every day, typical traffic

    - Quiet (which is good and bad - for us mostly bad)

    - Range - a source of anxiety since we like to travel and don't want to be confined to a route with charging stations. If it were strictly local/around town I can see the appeal

    - Pricey! Very expensive for what you get. Fit/finish not so great. Spartan interior. Hard seats (maybe they've improved in the past couple years). But definitely into MB territory for which you receive a LOT more luxury for same price

    - Service - we finally have a local dealer but the Tesla financial instability is a bit off-putting

    - Tax Credit annoyance: why should we (tax paying citizens) subsidize the relatively affluent early adopters? I know....advancing technology. But I object that my hard-earned tax dollars were going to people who didn't really need the help to buy a six figure battery powered car. While that program has expired it left a bad taste for Tesla in general...

    - looks are subjective and I could get past the look if there were other BIG plusses, but the scale is tipped too far to the negative for me

     

  4. Ceramic / nano coating?

    in Automobili Lamborghini

    Posted

    We have Opticoat ceramic over the GT4, GT3RS and Panamera. We didn't bother with the BMW wagon (newly added to the garage).

     

    The GT4 and Panamera have Xpel clear paint protection film on the front half and other key areas that receive road rash. The RS is covered nose to tail with Xpel - every exterior surface.

     

    In ALL cases the ceramic coating is on top of exterior surfaces. It goes on the paint and the Xpel. It also went on the wheels (face and barrel) and calipers of the RS and Panamera. We skipped the GT4 wheels not knowing if weights would adhere to ceramic coating under high heat loads when on track.

     

    We've had Opticoat on other cars too, and it makes a difference. It not only makes washing faster (especially wheels/brake dust) but also keeps the car a bit cleaner.

     

    Our yellow GT4 showed every spec of dirt the moment it was clean. It was as though the dirt clung via static. The ceramic coating seemed to neutralize the attraction of dirt to clean paint making it stay cleaner longer (easily seen on light/bright color) and makes washing easier.

     

    With this coating you don't wax (although you may if you like). Opticoat has a 7 year life span. It could wear off sooner depending on use and care - but basically we use good products to wash the car. We blow dry with master blaster. It's nice to know if little scratches / swirls happen - it's happening to the ceramic and not the paint.

     

    Caveats:

    - not cheap - we were quoted $1200 for the wagon and we may have paid around $1600 for the RS including wheels & calipers

    - a retired coatings chemist from Dupont told me he was NOT a fan of ceramic coatings. His explanation (in layman terms):

     

    They chemically bond to the paint. Once bonded - the only way to remove is sand it off, or chemically "peel" which would be difficult without harming the paint. His objections stemmed mainly from the concern that if body/paint work is needed - it will be complicated by need to sand off a larger area covered in ceramic in order to blend a respray into the surface. Probably a tough thing to do since a respray never involves distinct edges or borders.

     

    I can see where it would complicate a respray if needed but if that's the only downside - and the upside is that your paint is protected - to us it's worth it.

     

    I think it also helps to create a better uniformity between the paint corrected surface and the Xpel. The clear film is excellent and the latest generations seem to be free of orange peel - but the sheen can be different from paint. When you put ceramic over all of it - it has the same sheen.

     

    Very happy with it. There are DIY products out there. No idea if they are any good or how they compete with the pro types. And not sure how we'll ever know if it really lasts 7 years but so far the GT4 is holding up nicely. And since hubby likes to wash cars A LOT - the ceramic is getting a workout!

     

    Good luck with your decision.

  9. New Owner

    in Automobili Lamborghini

    Posted

    Sooooo happy that you can enjoy together!! YAY!!

     

    Agree on the sound: a friend (who got me hooked) had a 2007 Gallardo that sounded fantastic bone stock. Our LP560 only sounded good on cold start. After that it was surprising quiet/tame.

     

    Can wait to see/hear it. We are planning to be at the next C&C and look forward to seeing you there (weather permitting).

     

    Enjoy for many miles in the best of health!! Glad J is on board too!

  15. Portable steam cleaner suggestions

    in Off Topic

    Posted

    We bought a

     

    Broutech Undercarriage /Drive way Washing Broom Cleaner Set with Interchangeable Nozzles 4000 PSI W/36 inch Extention Wand & Wheel Angle

     

    Promptly return it. Poor quality. The description was inadequate in that it didn’t specify you need a pressure washer with 4000 psi capability (they changed the title/description in response to my comments on why we were returning it).

     

    A friend had his RS America cryo-cleaned and loved the result. It doesn’t harm rubber trim, gaskets, engine components etc. He is borderline OCD (or maybe fully OCD) and was thrilled with the result. I think he used http://cryogenesis-usa.com/ in Elyria, OH

  16. Cayman GT4

    in Archived Content

    Posted

    I just drove a GT4 the other day for the first time, very raw car the sport seats are a bit too much for the street but still badass
    Agree that it’s a fun drive.

    The seat comfort is very personal. Hubby has trouble tolerating them for anything other than a short duration. He has a REALLY bad back. I find them quite comfortable even on long trips (5 hour drive to the Glen for example) as long as my lumbar pillow is in place. I think it depends how the seat fits you, and tolerance for a stiffer, less cushy seat.

     

  18. Cayman GT4

    in Archived Content

    Posted

    Looks refreshingly good. Congrats! :icon_thumleft:
    Thanks VCR!

     

     

    That looks very cool :icon_thumleft:
    Thank you Fortis

     

     

    The link I posted is a vinyl wrap so it would obviously be horrible for a seat material. I just posted the vinyl link because it was a clear photo.

     

    The actual fabric rolls by yd is available from the links below.

     

    http://classiccarservices.co.uk/shop/oem-m...fabric-1-detail

    http://www.kdicustoms.com/store/p7/MK7_Clark_Plaid.html

     

    I have a 2017 GTI as my daily beater and love the seat fabric, I'm sure it would work great for you.

     

    Pic is a corbeau gti clubsport seat a guy added the plaid inserts in. When yours wear out the clark plaid would look fantastic in there!

    Thanks emanon for the additional info! Love the plaid and will add it to my list of possibilities for insertcover.2

     

  19. Cayman GT4

    in Archived Content

    Posted

    Love it great job!
    Thank you!

     

     

    Dang! That is super hot. Nice job!
    Thanks Bryan!

     

     

    That looks fantastic!

     

    Have you looked at the Clark plaid from a new gti? It looks really good.

     

    https://www.ecstuning.com/b-klii-motorwerke...8/k12-33rl~kli/

    Thanks! The Clark plaid looks great! If I'd seen something like that it would have been a no-brainer! My only concern would be that it's vinyl. The fabric I chose is 100% cotton. I'm sure over a long period of time it won't hold up to UV or wear/tear since it's not automotive grade - but I'll just change it if it starts to look bad.

    Vinyl would hold up well - but I wonder about how it would feel during long trips, or on the track.

    But the color combo/pattern is perfect!

     

  21. Cayman GT4

    in Archived Content

    Posted

    Decided to make it a bit more personal. Removed the alcantara insert covers and created my own.

    The fabric choices weren’t great - I was looking for red with gray accents to carry theme. This will be fun for awhile and I’ll continue to search for something better.

     

    Learned a lot in the process. Next time will be easier. Probably will be the cheapest mod ever at around $50 for everything (fabric and Velcro).

     

    Still enjoying the car. Just passed 15,000 miles this week!

    0D238C8C_6485_4C68_8D0D_F9433840B2E0.jpeg

    8FB49260_84C5_4491_92AC_54B473611890.jpeg

     

    not sure why first pic is turned and second pic tiny....uploading pics never seems to work right

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