2010 Dodge Challenger R/T

Kean

Kean

New member
Ok. So it's been about 7 yeas since I joined and I don't think I have ever started a thread of my own. So here it goes....



I have been entertaining the idea of replacing my '03 Subaru WRX (basically my weekend toy) with something else for the past year or so. More recently I have settled on a 2010 Dodge Challenger R/T. The color I will likely go with is their Brilliant Black. The car will also likely have the hood to fender R/T stripes. My questions are to those of you who own a late model Challenger/Charger and/or have detailed one (or more) in the past....



1) How would you describe the paint quality overall?



2) I know its all relative but would you use the words "hard" or "soft" to describe the paint? My '03 Subaru is Midnight Black Pearl and quite soft IMO. So much so that if Dodge black/paint is similar, it might change my mind regarding color choice.



3) What about the decals? The hood to fender stripes are a little easier to deal with than ones that are the full length of the car but what tips do you have when polishing and as far as LSP choice? I have quite a few LSP's already in my cabinets but would be willing to use something else if it is more effective & safer. ....some of my current LSP's on hand are Opti-Seal, Collinite 845, FK1000P, Zaino Z-5/Z-2/Z-AIO, P21 Carnauba, Klasse AIO... to name a few).



Any other tips, tricks, opinions or advice based on your exeriences with this car would be greatly appreciated.



Thanks,

Kean
 
....thanks for the bump at least. I think I will try giving Phil @ DD, the AG folks, etc. a shout to see what their experiences have been.
 
My coworker bought the Chrysler 300 in brilliant black. (minus the stripes obviously). I gave him a half used bottle of Klasse AIO and the car looks fantastic. Not sure about the hardness of the paint, though
 
....well, I bought the car last Wed so I guess I will find out soon enough how tough or easy the paint is to correct and maintain.
 
Kean,

Curious what sealant/wax you use on your Challenger R/T, more specifically the factory stripes?



I own a 2007 Superbee SRT-8 and have yet to go over the stripes with anything but if it can save me some taping time I would like to just go over them.



Jeff
 
Hi JC,



I would suspect most non-staining/non-residue products that would work well on trim would also work just fine for decals such as these. The biggest concern (in my mind) would be how the product you use affects the finish or “look” of the vinyl. On the Challenger forums I’ve seen some folks use quick waxes/quick detailers, various sealants, protectants (like 303), etc., etc. Personally, I simply use the same sealant I use for the rest of the car (provided it’s non-staining). In this case I am currently using Wolfgang Fuzion. Prior to this I used Optimum Opti-Seal just so I could throw something on them for temporary protection until I had time to do a full detail.



My situation is a little more complicated however. When I first took delivery of the car I had nasty water spots/stains on the finish, trim, glass, ….pretty much all of the surfaces of the vehicle. I had to use a WSR – water spot remover panel by panel and then Meguiars Ultimate Compound lightly over a couple of trouble areas to finally get rid of them all. In the process (and in a rush) I had taped off the edges of my stripes to avoid ruining the matte finish. ….rookie mistake as I discovered when I removed the tape. I had accidentally over-run the protected edges in a couple of spots and created an ever so slight sheen to the exposed decals (enough for me to notice at least and to realize I should have taped them off completely). Unfortunately, I was sick at the time and it wasn’t until recently that I finally addressed the problem during my full detail. Anyhow, I ended up (carefully & lightly) going over the decals with Meg M205 and a finishing pad to so they matched the areas I previously buffed by accident. ….they actually came out really nice. They are no longer matte but I wouldn’t say they are full satin either. The Fuzion adds to that effect and likely would produce a more muted shine by itself on the stock, matte vinyl.



This is my first car with vinyl/decals. ….at least my first one where I have actually kept them on the car. Having said that, I have used some sealants and other products on trim for quite some time with no issue (matte and other types of finishes alike). IMO, I would think any product that is safe to use (or that you would feel comfortable using) on trim would be safe to use on these graphics. Avoiding buffing or over use of LSP’s that contain cleaners would be advisable if you’re trying to avoid creating sheen.



I’m not sure if any of this helps. I would advise looking to the Dodge/Charger forums to get an idea of what others may be using on theirs (and scouring this forum as well). In fact, there is a member here (SuperBee364) I would recommend trying to get in touch with. I think he would be a good source for information. ….not only because he owns the same car but due to the fact that I value his opinion.
 
Kean,

Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it.



How do you like the Fuzion on your Challenger R/T?



My good friend owns a Black 2009 Challenger R/T (no stripes though) and uses Zaino and it really does make the metallic paint come alive,he swears by the stuff. I tried Zaino on my Solar Yellow SRT-4 Neon but want to try something different with the darker Yellow on my Superbee.



I see we share some of the same LSP sealants/waxes...like to hear you thought on Opti-seal VS FK1000 VS Z2/Z5 VS Klasse AIO (my favorite cleaner).



Sorry to hear about the water spot damage to your car but it looks like you took care of the problem. Hopefully the dealership took care of you for your trouble.



I think I have read all of SuperBee364 posts as he really is what makes Autopia a great place to learn about detailing.



I just don't want this to happen to my 'Bee if I try Ultima Paint Guard Plus-



http://www.autopia.org/forum/profes...s-leaves-white-spots-09-challenger-decal.html



Jeff
 
…..sorry for the delay in response but there are a lot of questions to answer here. :lol:



yeah, I read that thread when it was posted but I wonder it if may have just been an anomaly. Either way, I can understand the concern.



I just applied the Fuzion about 3 weeks ago so I have no long term opinion of the product. However, my initial impression is that application/removal is quite easy and I like that it doesn’t stain trim (a trait I look for in most of the LSP’s I use). It leaves the finish relatively slick but nothing that really “wows” me. As for appearance, I’ll be honest…. It looks good but I have never been one to really notice the subtle differences between some LSP’s that others can. I guess its sort of like wine. ;) Prep on the other hand makes a huge impact in the end result and (to me) makes all the difference. These are not the best pics and don’t really show off the finish but they were taken just this past weekend at the Crusin for a Cure event I attended (I was invited by a local club to ride along with them):



dawnIMG_3440.jpg


challIMG_3661.jpg




I didn’t buy the Fuzion. It was a freebie that came with my Flex 3401 I bought a couple of months ago (along with 2 ozs of WG Paint Sealant 3.0). I don’t know if I would actually buy a jar of Fuzion but I guess it will depend how the product works out for me for the long haul.



Opti-Seal: I still use this on occasion but not really as a base or stand-alone LSP anymore. I usually use it to throw over an aging LSP or on trim. In fact, I have even been experimenting with application via an airbrush. I have done this several times to coat trim, paint and wheels. I find it’s a fast and easy way to coat the entire vehicle. ….I got the idea from another member who does this in his detail shop. I may get shot for this, but I was never really that impressed with OS. I find (in my case) that it loses its slickness/characteristics within a few washes. I’m not saying the protection is gone, but it just never really “feels” like its there for very long. Still, is so silly-easy to use that it will likely always have a home in my cabinet.



FK1000: Believe it or not, I finally had the opportunity to use this for the first time as a stand-alone LSP on my wife’s Forester. I have had it in my cabinet for quite a while and event though I have been using on wheels and occasionally on paintwork, this is the first time I will be using it exclusively on a car. It’s a bit of a bear to apply at times (kept applying too much) so I resorted to heating up the product with a hair dryer to make it more workable. However, any excess that may have been hard to remove was easily dispatched with a little FK425 during wipe-down. I have only applied one coat so far (will do another soon), but I found it quite slick and produced a noticeable, glossy-like shine (for lack of a better term) ….the car is a gold metallic btw. It’s been only been a little over a week and I still haven’t had a chance to wash the car. However, if my experience with the product on wheels is any indication to its performance, I’m sure I won’t be disappointed. I will do an FK425 wipe down and one more coat of the 1000p and call it quits. …..btw, the one thing I really don’t like about FK1000 is the fact that it dries chalky like a like a traditional carnauba (which can be a bit of a bar to remove from cracks, crevices, emblems, trim, etc. if you’re not careful).



Zaino: I can best sum up Zaino Z-5 and Z-2 as sort of the way I feel about comfort foods. While it may not be particularly the best or my favorite LSP, I have used it for years and feel very comfortable with it. Everything about it is very consistent for me (i.e. application/removal, drying times, appearance, etc.). I know what to expect and it has never really let me down. Longevity is nice and the slickness/characteristics of the product lasts for months. Its one of those products that I manage to keep around in my arsenal.



KAIO: I tried this once a long time ago on one of my vehicles but simply never went back to it. That’s not to say I don’t like it for its cleaning abilities. In fact, I still use it for some trim bits when I need a little restorative ability but nothing too aggressive to alter the finish. …a tip I picked up from Accumulator a while back. I also have Z-AIO for those times when a little more persuasion is required.



I knew about the water spots/stains when I took delivery but I also knew they were correctable (I examined the car carefully and out in the Sun at mid-day). I told the dealer not to touch the car and drove it home “as is”. ….they kept asking if I was sure I didn’t want them to at least wash it and clean the windows. Anyhow, I opted to use CG WSR to remove what I could since the finish itself was in relatively good shape in regard to scratches and other blemishes. I felt a chemical solution was better than an abrasive one. The WSR allowed me to address the issue without compromising the clearcoat unnecessarily. To be honest, I think something like Valugard ABC would have been perfect for my scenario.
 
Kean,

Before I tackle my Superbees detail I wanted to ask you about Dodges paint.



Would you classify it as hard, medium, or soft?



Now, for something totally off topic-



My Wife saw me posting to you and was curious how you pronounced your name?

Is it like Dean?



We have a six year old Son by the name of Kef (said like Dads name-Jeff) and Teachers, Coaches, and strangers all think his name is Kev, short for Kevin.



My Wife and I are expecting our third child December 30th and while we have a girls name picked out we are working on a boy name.



Jeff
 
JCturboT said:
Kean,

Before I tackle my Superbees detail I wanted to ask you about Dodges paint.



Would you classify it as hard, medium, or soft?



Now, for something totally off topic-



My Wife saw me posting to you and was curious how you pronounced your name?

Is it like Dean?



We have a six year old Son by the name of Kef (said like Dads name-Jeff) and Teachers, Coaches, and strangers all think his name is Kev, short for Kevin.



My Wife and I are expecting our third child December 30th and while we have a girls name picked out we are working on a boy name.



Jeff
Click to expand...
Hi Jeff,



I would say it is “medium” or maybe on the soft side of medium depending on what you are used. ….it’s all relative, right? If you’re looking for comparisons, I would say it’s a little softer than the GM paint on my dad’s Avalanche but definitely harder than the paint on my last two Subarus (which are known to be fairly soft).



Ah, the name…. Many will say “Keen” (like Dean) but the way my parents pronounced it was like “Ian” with a “K” in front of it (like “Key-ann). Kean is actually a derivative of a Gaelic name Cian/Cien (or something along those lines). I’m not Irish (actually 1/3 British) but it was a name my Dad picked for me. Irish folks I have spoken to in the past seem to pronounce it somewhere in between Keen and Key-ann (if that makes any sense). Some emphasis seems to be on the “an” or the “n”.



I found the following doing a search right now and it pretty much sums up what my experience has been:



Pronunciation of name
 
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