Flannigan
New member
Blackfire Total Eclipse Tire Gel
Here is the new Blackfire Total Eclipse Tire Gel and the applicator I used to apply it.
About the product:
When I prepare to do a review I like to first read all the directions on the package, and also take note of the color, smell, and consistency of the product. The new BFTETG’s package clearly states that it is water based, and contains no solvents. Right away I went to look at the old BFTG and while it doesn’t say it contains solvents, it is quite obvious from the fell that it is solvent based. So already we are dealing with a totally different product. The new BFTETG is a very pale pink color and smells very fruity, I want to say cherry, but I could be wrong. The old BFTG is almost clear in color and smells like chemicals. So we can be sure this is an ALL NEW product. The directions on the new BFTETG state that you can apply one coat for a natural look, or two coats for a high gloss look. So let’s get on to the application!!
Here is the product on the applicator.
The first night I received it, it was raining outside, but I wanted to try this new product. So I pulled out a wheel from one of my old cars and tested it out. I will admit that I just wiped this tire down since I had no way to rinse it. You will notice a little bit of brown in the undressed sections. Don’t worry, later on in the review you will see a perfectly clean tire.
I wanted to see the difference between this product and the old, so I put down some tape on the tire so we could see a clear difference between the two. Here is how they both looked right after application. Nothing has been wiped down, and nothing is “dry”. The new product is on the right, and the old product is on the left.
And a closer look
Right away we can see the difference. The older product leaves a very very deep black look, but also has a lot of shine. I personally like a bit of shine, but I know there are a lot of people that don’t care for it. As you can see the new product leave a nice dark finish, but there isn’t much shine, and it isn’t quite as dark as the original product.
To get a better idea of the final look I went ahead and wiped down both sides with a MF towel. This knocked down some shine on each side, but for the most part they both look similar to the pics from before the wipe down.
Now personally, I like the look of the old product more, but that isn’t to say the new product isn’t good. For a low gloss dressing it looks great in my opinion. It darkens the tire very well for being water based, and is very easy to apply.
Next I wanted to get a tire that was properly cleaned first so I could do a durability test. I cleaned the tire on my wife’s Explorer with APC, and then wiped it down with solvent to insure a perfectly clean base. Again I put a piece of tape in the middle and dressed the left side with the new dressing, and the right side with the old dressing. I will be checking the tire every few days to see how both products are holding up.
Conclusion:
Overall I think the new BFTETG is a great product that many people will enjoy using. It is water based so you don't have to worry about an oily mess building up on your tires, it dries to the touch, and it is very user friendly (spreads easily). If you are a fan of a low to medium gloss look on tires I think you would be very happy with this new product!
Finally I just wanted to add two more pictures of each product on a clean tire by itself, so you can see what each one looks like. The first picture is of the old product on a GTR tire, and the second picture is TWO coats of the new product on a Mercedes tire from a detail I did over the weekend. Again, I prefer the look of the old dressing, but the new product still looks great as well.
Thanks for taking the time to read my review. I will update it on a regular basis with durability of each product! I look forward to any comments or questions you may have!
