Clear Coat Finish

[Grasshopper]

I have a 2012 Mini Hardtop. When I purchased it I was told that I was getting the special $500 clear coating for the body and also for the interior, for no charge. Supposed to protect from sun's rays on dash and interior, and make the Love Bug clean up (I live in Florida) so easy that I won't even know they were on there. They took it away and brought it back in less than 20 minutes, so I'm wondering if they even did it. Beside that, my question is about one of the owners posting here that says they use "Hydro" after a wash. Do I need it if I got the "special" finish? Will it damage the finish?

[docv]

Hate to tell you this but that "special Finish" is basically just a wax, many dealers use similar products under various names, it is just a ploy to boost their bottom line. There are some specialized coatings out there with NANO Technology that will give what ever its put on kinda a Teflon effect, but it takes about six hours to apply correctly. There is no way it could be applied in 20 minutes. You cant even give it a proper wax in 20.

As for the second part HYDRO is pretty good stuff to spray on while car is still wet then dry with a waffle weave towel, and no it wont hut anything they put on your MINI.

[Dave.0]

Sorry but I think you paid $500.00 for a carwash and cheap spray on wax.

Go back and ask to see what they used and how they applied this 20 min "Special Magic" $500.00 treatment inside and out.

I cant even vacuum my car in 20 min.

[Octaneguy]

What you bought was a warranty, not a special coating. Yes, I know they told you that you won't have to wax your car for 5 years, as long as you bring it back every 6 months or whatever it says in the fine print so they can "maintain" it. The product comes in an aerosol can and comes under a number of different names. They spray it on, and that's it. They don't care that your paint has bonded contaminants which will prevent the product from properly bonding to your paint. They make no claims that the paint will be swirl or scratch free thanks to this product.

Check out these pix on a new customers car with this supposed 5 year wax.

The water sticks and clings


The paint is swirled and scratched because they owner thought she didn't have to "maintain" her paint since she had this "special coating"


The neglect can be seen on all surfaces, painted and plastic


You are better off doing a proper wash, clay, and sealant wax yourself and take care to maintain your paint. You can do a much better job than the dealership.

Hydro is a product from Prima Car Care. We are their west coast distributor. You can find the product in 16oz or even more popular, gallon sizes.

ShowCarSupplies.com Shopping Cart - Prima Hydro (Spray/Booster Wax)

ShowCarSupplies.com Shopping Cart - Prima Hydro (Spray/Booster Wax) Gallon Jug

Prima's newest wax is called Hydro Seal. Similar name but totally different product. Both Hydro and Hydro Seal share the name Hydro because they are used with water.

With Hydro, you spray it on a wet car after washing and rinsing but before drying.

With Hydro Seal you use a damp microfiber towel and spray water on the paint surface then buff the product on.

The primary difference is durability and Hydro Seal offers more slickness. Hydro gives 2-4 weeks of protection, Hydro Seal is 3 to 6 months.

Hope that helps.

Richard
Richard

Originally Posted by Grasshopper

I have a 2012 Mini Hardtop. When I purchased it I was told that I was getting the special $500 clear coating for the body and also for the interior, for no charge. Supposed to protect from sun's rays on dash and interior, and make the Love Bug clean up (I live in Florida) so easy that I won't even know they were on there. They took it away and brought it back in less than 20 minutes, so I'm wondering if they even did it. Beside that, my question is about one of the owners posting here that says they use "Hydro" after a wash. Do I need it if I got the "special" finish? Will it damage the finish?