Perma Plate - Clear Coat- Opinion?

tdgreer · October 4, 2006

When I purchased my 04 330, I paid to have Perma Plate, a clear coat put on. Overall the paint job still looks like it just rolled off the showroom floor. Don't even see any swirling. I don't remember how much I paid for the coat.

Question is... would it still look that way if I had not had the Perma Plate done? Is it a gimmick?

I am considering going to the 350 sometime next year. My 15 year old son will need a car and my daughter wants to hand down her Accord to him and she would purchase the 330 from me. So I wonder if I should do the Perma Plate when I purchase the 350.

Also, the 330 is a gold color. I am really picky about where I park it when out and about. I've had it for 2 1/2 years and can't see a door ding at all. I had a black Avalon before the 330. As careful as I could be, dings really showed up on it, as did surface scratches and swirling. I am considering going back to a dark color... love the royal ruby and saphffire pearl. But is a lighter color better? Does the lighter color hide alot, or maybe it's the Perma Plate that is doing the job?

Any opinions on Perma Plate.... and any on light vs dark colors?

TIA!

justin97 · October 5, 2006

When I purchased my 04 330, I paid to have Perma Plate, a clear coat put on. Overall the paint job still looks like it just rolled off the showroom floor. Don't even see any swirling. I don't remember how much I paid for the coat.

Question is... would it still look that way if I had not had the Perma Plate done? Is it a gimmick?

I am considering going to the 350 sometime next year. My 15 year old son will need a car and my daughter wants to hand down her Accord to him and she would purchase the 330 from me. So I wonder if I should do the Perma Plate when I purchase the 350.

Also, the 330 is a gold color. I am really picky about where I park it when out and about. I've had it for 2 1/2 years and can't see a door ding at all. I had a black Avalon before the 330. As careful as I could be, dings really showed up on it, as did surface scratches and swirling. I am considering going back to a dark color... love the royal ruby and saphffire pearl. But is a lighter color better? Does the lighter color hide alot, or maybe it's the Perma Plate that is doing the job?

Any opinions on Perma Plate.... and any on light vs dark colors?

TIA!

my wife drive an 06 tc trhat is blask sand pearl, if dont wash and wax it correctly u can see swirl marks, after one day it looks dusty, and everyone know black shows scratches like crazy.

have you ever heard the old saying if you cant get it right paint it white. cause white hides everything.

tdgreer · October 5, 2006

Yeah, I'm realizing that dark is going to show more than light.

Any thoughts on the Perma Plate coating or the like? Worth it? Gimmick? Like I said in my original post, I did have it put on my 04 when I purchased it. Paint job still looks brand new. But would it look like that anyway, without the coating?

Toysrme · October 5, 2006

Gimmik. The only paint protection that works is actually installing one of those plastic films on them. Which are awesome. :)

justin97 black is ups & downs. I've had nothing but black cars. There's just not a better color to buy. :D

The bad news about black is yeah, you generally never get a clear coat over black, so it will scratch up alittle quicker. It also shows dust earlier than a light color, or a tan.

On the flip side black:

Does NOT fade
Is The easyest color to match when repairing
A TOTAL newbie can repaint 90% his own sratches (not gouges) using a toothpick, 1500 wet sand paper & a buffer, or orbital polisher using a cutting pad once shown how to do it.

About black paint gathering dust very quickly. It doesn't gather the dust. It shows the dust. What gathers dust is the wax the person is using. Many waxes acroos the quality board are very bad to attract dust. Souveran is a high end wax that does look good (not nearly as good as newer carnauba's), but it is freaking notorious for attracting dust.

If you're getting alot of dust & there isn't a reasonable explination for it (non paved road / dust factory nearby). You should ditch what you're currently using.

For non-dust catching I would probably go the Klasse route. It's an acrylic wax. About nothing lasts longer & if you coat the sealant/glaze multiple times, it'll look wet like a good carnauba wax. I would suggest that.

mburnickas · October 5, 2006

I agree with 99% but I feel a sealant will not give the same warmth/glow of a carnauba. One is not better, just different. But one will last longer then other....

I do not like waxes but wax the wifes car with CG and my car only gets JW.

SW03ES · October 6, 2006

Couple things.

First the Perma Plate is not a clearcoat. Clearcoat is the final finishing layers applied to the paint, it is just paint with no pigment. Perma Plate is nothing but a bulk rate polymer sealant, nothing you can't do a better job yourself with a bottle of Zaino for $60.

The car would look just as good if the Perma Plate had never been done, in fact its long since worn off the paint surface (probably lasted 60 days). Total gimmick.

The bad news about black is yeah, you generally never get a clear coat over black, so it will scratch up alittle quicker.

This used to be the case, but not anymore. Almost all carmakers clearcoat their black now, even Lexus (they started clearcoating it in 2001).

Personally, I prefer the single stage Lexus black. Yes it scratched easier, but it polished out just as easily.

Souveran is a high end wax that does look good (not nearly as good as newer carnauba's

Look is a subjective thing, but I can't think of many waxes that look better than Souveran on black, and I've used MANY. Some come close, but Souveran has a glow thats always somehow just missing with other waxes on black.

It does tend to muddy certain dark metallic cars (like mine) where a wax like P21S tends to bring out the flake more. But for black and flat red, Souveran is always my go to wax.

As for dust attraction, wiping the car down with a good quick detailer cuts down its dust attracting properties (which it has, I agree with you.)

I agree with 99% but I feel a sealant will not give the same warmth/glow of a carnauba. One is not better, just different. But one will last longer then other....

I agree with mburn. You will get more longevity out of a polymer, but you won't get the depth, especially on black. You can always get the best of both worlds by topping a pure polymer like Zaino or Klasse with a non-cleaning paste wax.