Review: Car-Lack 68 Nano-Tech

imported_Bence

New member
With its recent reformulation, Car-Lack has improved its popular all-in-one cleaner & sealant. I was able to get a sample thanks to the kind help of Ms. Birgitta Isele.



The sample is fairly large, contains about 100 ml product. It is a light, tannish-white fluid, with a not too pleasant industrial smell. Definitely not for product sniffers.



According to Car-Lack, the protection of the new CL68NT is quite considerable. It will leave a stronger protective layer than the original formula. And it needs up to 48 hours to fully cure. 90% of the curing is completed after 30-50 mins, and the remaining ten percent is the rest.



I was really curious about the performance of CL68NT. I tried it on a dark green Toyota Camry which had virtually no protection on its finish.



I decided not to prep the paint to see its cleaning ability. Application was easy with a Bosch dual-action polisher. The finish was originally remarkably scratch-free and just a bit oxidized. However two quick visits in an automatic car wash resulted in nice, intentional, to-be-destroyed swirls.

I used the product with a white Riwax polishing pad and a gray finishing pad. A quick dab on the pad, and here we go! First, I worked in the CL68NT with the polisher set at speed 4. After two passes, I increased the speed to 6. The product spreads thin and easily workable. Two or three minutes were enough to produce excellent results. Removal was also remarkably easy with a high nap LUX microfiber towel.



The finish was clear, with beautiful reflections. I did a second session with the gray finishing pad. The second application increased the paint slickness further, and added a little gloss.

In the next 24-48 hours, the look improved and the surface gained even more slickness. In typical acrylic fashion, it has a silvery, reflective look, but softer. It glows warmer than typical sealants (except AG EGP), and a really nice overall appearance. Excellent depth, and wetness.

After two days, water beading was tight, with pretty good contact angles. It has brought out the metallic flakes exceptionally, as good polymers do. However, the eventual bigger swirls were also highlighted in direct (weak) sunlight.



Then I went to full prep mode. First, I applied 1Z Pasta Intensiv (body shop safe pro version of Extra/Ultra) with the Bosch DA set on 6. The 1ZPI has pretty rough abrasives, but they break down so fine that it leaves the paint absolutely mar-free. No cloudiness, no haziness. Then I went over it with the CL68NT twice. It resulted in an exceptional finish. And despite of the old wisdom, the difference between the 1st and 2nd application was dramatic. Considerably smoother, slicker. Interesting, that the mentioned industrial smell is perceptible on the finish until it completely cures.



To test it further, I applied it to a scratched plastic surface with the Bosch set on 4, with a white pad. I was surpised by the raw bite it had on plastic! I was pushing down the DA with about 2-3 lbs. of pressure. I was curious how it will smooth out the edges of the bigger scratches. Well, it removed even the bigger ones, and it smoothed beautifully the "canyons". It did a very thorough job. And on that dark gray plastic surface I could clearly see the progress, the cutting, and the final finish. It didn't mar the soft plastic, and it gave a beautiful, RTW finish.



Overall, a friendly, easy-to-use product, with excellent optical qualities.
 
Great review, Bence! Good commentary...I could visualise you doing the work. :D



Now...where does one get to try this stuff?
 
Alfisti said:
Great review, Bence! Good commentary...I could visualise you doing the work. :D



Now...where does one get to try this stuff?



Stainless Piping Products Pty Ltd

40 Port Jackson Road

Terrigal NSW 2260, Australia

Tel: +61-2-4385-8666

Fax: +61-2-4385-9666

Email: [email protected]
 
Hi,



Sorry for the late reply. Yep, it is - in Europe. Its formula is somewhat different, because according to Car-Lack AIO contains more "Polierkreide" aka abrasive, and a special silicone. That's why they are only 95% the same. I don't have informations about a possible American nano-AIO...



:nixweiss
 
I guess I have the old Carlack.

In use, I haven't been able to tell any difference between it and AIO. Although I've always topped both with something, so I've never tested the durability of either by themselves.



07.jpg


What does the new bottle look like?
 
The bottle looks absolutely the same - except for a little sticker.



Yes and no, there are similarities to the Mercedes-Benz paints, but in the CL68NT, the abrasive particles are so small, therefore the product can cut on the micro-fine level, while in the CeramiClear clearcoat PPG uses nanoparticle technology in the final coating, protecting the color coat while providing adurable, glossy appearance. The patented nanoparticle technology creates a highly cross-linked network at the surface of the coating for superior resistance to damage caused by day-to-day use (car washes and acid rain and tree sap, etc).



In the new (not yet available) Alubeam color, they even use a nano-flake technology to achieve a silky, natural-pearl appearance.



The CL68NT debuted last fall at the Automechanika in Frankfurt, Germany, in 2004.



This is the sticker:
 

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Bboy850, I dont' know, what type of silicone is it. Although I have insights to the CL products, they are tight-lipped about this. The Car-Lack vs. Klasse discussion is generally a sensitive area here.



The Klasse formula hasn't changed, so it included that silicone before too. And no bonding issues at all. I had a little sample of AIO, and I could examine it under my microscope. I was surprised because the abrasives were quite rough; bigger in particle size than expected. However the new one is much finer now.
 
No. But it was never intended to do it. And as acrylics do, it will highlight them even more. A sealant's silvery reflectivity will show every little hairline.



For me it was the main point of the test to see what it can do, does it have enough cleaning power, etc. If I'd filled those scratches, I would never be able to tell that I removed them or not. Even though, I schpritzed IPA over the area, but no filling.



It rained yesterday, and we have very dirty rain in Hungary. The prepped/sealed area was about twice as long wet, as the totally unprotected/swirled.

Results: No waterspots on the unprotected side, and heavy, dirty spots on the sealed. That's why a good water-sheeting product can be the ideal thing.
 
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