22ple HPC...well, this was interesting. Got a chance to try this coating yesterday.
Cliff Notes: Kinda strange application characteristics but overall is blindingly easy, product is forgiving as all get out with respect to removal, very high gloss and very slick.
Product Description:
This coating utilizes silica powder which is significantly more expensive than liquid silica and delivers superior performance. On top of utilizing silica powder, HPC features a unique formulation of high grade fluorine. What does all this mean? The powdered silica improves the already outstanding 22ple gloss and the high grade fluorine gives amazing water beading results. This takes coatings to a new level and will really make your paint stand out against the rest. Gloss, gloss, gloss and more gloss! Your car will look like it is entirely coated in glass! Prior to coating be sure to thoroughly clean an polish the paint because HPC will last 3 ~ 4 years. Approximately 20-25 ml is recommended for a mid/large size car.
The victim was yet another fleet vehicle, a 2016 Ford Transit-250 Extended Cargo Van. Pretty good shape so just went over it with Sonax Perfect Finish, Flex 3401 w/ LC Force Hybrid white pad, then prepped by going over twice with Gyeon Prep.
Application was odd, for me in this case anyway. I began applying with Gyeon foam block/microsuede applicator cloth. I did have the recommended 22ple applicator block (below; had to purchase seperately for $5 as no applicator is included with product) but the thing is so small I figured I`d be there forever:
Anyway, the HPC didn`t apply very smoothly using the Gyeon block/cloth; initial contact with the surface and a loaded applicator/cloth was very grabby and uneven, even after the block/cloth got a bit saturated on successive panels. Each section the first swipes seemed to flash nearly immediately but you were able to eventually smooth/distribute the product evenly on each panel; it just din`t have that `gliding` feel as most coatings do. Possibly due to the fluorine in the product? Have heard the same anecdotal experience of quick flashing with Gyeon Booster which is fluorine based? I dunno, I ain`t no chemist, all I know is it did not have a smooth, gliding application using the block/microsuede cloth deal.
So I decided to give the 22ple applicator block a try. It certainly applied smoother bu the very thin layer gray of whatever it is that touches the paint would `catch` very easily if not perfectly flat on surface; almost fumbled/dropped this a few times. At this point I had also increased my `arm speed` of application to help with the quick flashing of the initial swipe. Still not confident of easy, even coverage I grabbed one of those yellow/gray LC applicator blocks and gave it a try:
OK...now we`re getting somewhere...easy to hold, doesn`t try to fold under as easily as the 22ple block...horrible screeching noise at times as it moves over the paint but if applying quickly enough, good, even application...`quickly` being the operative word when I was applying the HPC. Best method came to be dropping about 6 to 8 drops on the applicator and then going over a panel or section as quickly as I could, back and forth, up and down. It was actually near frantic but the product was forgiving enough that once spread on the panel could be gone over a few times to even out the coverage. For whatever reason, a slower `first wipe` with a freshly loaded applicator wasn`t smooth or even but if ya hit the panel running and continued with quick movements, it all came out very evenly. And because of whatever chemistry is involved in this product, removal intervals were pretty much irrelevant (within reason of course...guessing coming back an hour later might lead to issues).
Anyway, once I got going I was able to apply to the entire top half of one side of the van, wander around a bit congratulating myself on how skillful I was, and then remove the flashed product. Wipe off was ridiculously easy using a Gyeon Polish Wipe towel, not much pressure needed, no pushing any coating residue to adjacent panel...stuff removed pretty much like a sealant or liquid wax. Followed up with a light buff using another towel and was left with a very slick, very glossy surface. Will do second coat about 20hrs after initial, perhaps it will glide more during application. Will then follow up with 22ple VS1 Final Coat and call it a day. And a month. And quite possibly a year when it comes to working on vans.
At around a list price of around $110 for 30ml, certainly not the cheapest game in town so we`ll see if effectiveness and longevity justify the higher initial price point. Wasn`t sure if I was gonna have enough (started with two 30ml bottles) to do entire van twice so I used Pearl Nano on the seemingly endless roof of the van. Coating all panels once except for the roof used about 20-25ml of HPC. A 50ml bottle *might* have made it thru 2 coats on all panels but roof; it woulda been close.
Painted surfaces look and feel great after application, can`t wait to see how it does in daily use.
