# Review: Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant



## CEE DOG (Nov 13, 2010)

Hi guys, I didn't see anything in the rules but if I'm breaking a rule please delete this thread and let me know. This is a review I posted here in the states about a month ago. I saw a thread here today about trim products so I wanted to share my current favorite trim product UTTG and a new one that seems so far to be equivalent.

*Review: Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant*

*Introduction:*
About a week ago information was posted by Nick on a new Wolfgang Product called Exterior Trim Sealant (ETS). After reading what information was posted I thought this sounds almost identical to Ultima Trim and Tire Guard. The application methods in the description on both hard and porous surfaces also sounded identical to the way I have been applying UTTG. I have now used the ETS on 4 different surfaces and I'm ready to report my findings. I'll give you a hint now. The most important thing to follow will be durability, which will take time.

*Index:*
1.-Rubber Tire
2a.-Smooth Faded Plastic (Cowl and a water softener cover)
2b.-Semi Smooth Faded Plastic (Water softener cover)
3.-Textured Plastic Bumper previously coated with C4
4.-Metal-Aluminum (A cookie sheet wrapped in aluminum foil) 
5.-Intentional "Accidental" Drip Test
6.-Condensation Beading

*Product Claims:*

This one product provides durable, clear protection on plastics, rubber, vinyl, and metal exterior trim. Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant is designed to maintain the beauty of your vehicle, not cover it up. The protection is strong enough for a daily driver but the finish is worthy of a show car.

*Details:*

1.- Packaging: Standard Wolfgang Bottle (I've always liked the design)
2.- Directions: Clearly labeled
3.- Viscosity: Possibly slightly thinner than my bottle of UTTG
4.- Color: Slight Blue Tint
5.- Scent: UTTG
6.- Regular Price: 4 oz. = $19.99 (On sale at time of review)
7.- Regular Price: 8 oz. = $29.99 (On sale at time of review)
8.- Regular Price: 16 oz. = $49.99 (On sale at time of review)
9.- Manufacturer: Wolfgang
10.- Made in: USA (assumed)

*Products used for application:*

1.- Various foam applicators

00-Product










01-Product on MF Suede Towel (Note: tint of blue)










02-ETS and UTTG side by side










03-Average Conditions









*PART 1*

Tire Preparation:

04-Tire Cleaning Products










Video: Preparation of Tire






I began by washing the tire and rinsing it twice with ARO and a nylon brush followed by a mf towel. It was dried with the Metro Master Blaster.

05-Tire Clean (Before Sealant Application)










Tire Application:
I began by placing Nitrile gloves over my hands. After shaking the bottle I applied a few drops to a foam applicator pad. I noted a slight difference on the visibility of ETS during application as opposed to the UTTG. While it was apparent the UTTG was on the tire, the ETS was not quite as apparent. This notation may only be a matter of difference in the amount of product I used on one side as opposed to the other. This observation should be taken with a grain of salt and really doesn't matter with regards to the outcome. Please view the video for complete information.

Video: Application of WG ETS followed by comparison product
Note: Brightness adjusted in video to make tire visible






Tire Observations:
After as close to identical application methods as I could manage both sides look almost identical. Any slight difference would not be known if it was not seen side by side. Directly after application U was maybe 1/10th of a shade darker. As the day would progress it seemed W would end up maybe 1/10th of a shade darker. Again this is really not worth mentioning and not enough to convince me of a difference in the chemical makeup. Both products left a beautiful smooth satin appearance and dried to the touch.

06-Tire After 1










07- Tire After 2










08- Tire After 3










09- Tire After 4










10- Tire After 5










11-Tire After 6










12-ETS










13- UTTG










14-Two Hours later










15-Two Hours later










Video: Dry to the touch






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*PART 2*

Semi Smooth Plastic Preparation:
The cover from my water softener (which is installed outside) has never been sealed with anything (I know, shame on me) so I thought this would be a good faded item for testing. This piece was scrubbed with ARO and a nylon brush.

Semi Smooth Plastic Application and Noted Observations:
Here I decided to do something different. This is a very cheap alternative for a foam applicator (NOT paint safe). I think you'll recognize the material used here. The product was applied and allowed to set for a bit before buffing off but buffing off immediately probably wouldn't have made a difference on this material. Wolfgang ETS darkened the plastic considerably and after buffing was completely dry to the touch. On this surface ETS was just a 10th shade lighter than the its competition.

20-Homemade Trim Applicator


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Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content










21-Homemade Trim Applicator










22-Products










23-Before Sealing (After Cleaning with ARO)










24-During (Applied but not yet buffed off)










25-During (Applied but not yet buffed off)










26-During (Applied but not yet buffed off)










27-During (Applied but not yet buffed off)










28- After Buffing dry an hour later










29- After Buffing










30-After Buffing










31-After Buffing










32-After Buffing










33-Finished










Smooth Plastic Preparation:
The faded and distorted cowl of my Green Saturn is the only remaining plastic on the vehicle not coated with C4 so it was also the subject of our testing. This piece has actually been the part of my daily driver that I just never do anything with. It was washed with Optimum Car Wash along with the rest of the vehicle and blown dry with the Master Blaster

Smooth Plastic Application and Noted Observations:
I used the same home made applicator previously mentioned. As a tip for others I recommend using a mf applicator on smooth plastic surfaces (unlike what I used here) but each user should experiment for himself. While both products seemed very similar here the Wolfgang seemed to be just a shade darker.

39-Before Wolfgang ETS










40-After Wolfgang ETS (Buffed dry as well)










41-Before










42-During (Applied but not yet buffed off)










43-During (Applied but not yet buffed off)










44-After Buffing dry an hour later










45-After Buffing dry an hour later










46-After Buffing dry an hour later










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*PART 3*

Textured Plastic Preparation:
A little over a month ago C4 coating was applied to the trim of this vehicle, so in essence this is another kind of test. We are not sealing the textured plastic but rather the C4 coating. The front bumper was washed with just Optimum Car Wash along with the rest of the vehicle and blown dry with the Master Blaster. Finally it was taped off so we could be sure our WG ETS had darkened the bumper beyond its C4 coating.

Textured Plastic Application and Noted Observations:
I used the same home made applicator previously mentioned to apply and spread the product across the taped off areas of the front bumper. ETS applied very easily and did not leave any streaking. That fact that it darkened beyond what the C4 left for me is a welcome treat and I'm looking forward to finding out if the product will bond to the C4 coating that is in place beneath it.

50-Before










51-After










52-After










53-After










54-After










55-After










56-After










57-After










58-After










59-After










60-After










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*PART 4*

Metal Preparation:
None of the vehicles I was working on yesterday had a suitable metal surface for me to test so I took a cookie sheet and wrapped it in aluminum foil (Thank you R. Wright and K. Brown)

Metal Application and Noted Observations:
I used the same home made applicator previously mentioned to apply a couple drops of the product(s) in question to the testing surface. While the Wolfgang directions state to buff off of hard surfaces I know from experience with Ultima that on some of these surfaces (like high gloss metals) it can be best to wait a bit before removal. I assumed the same was true of ETS. I waited 20+ minutes and it buffed off easily with an mf towel and then moved it into the sun

70-After










71-After










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*PART 5*

Intentional "Accidental" Drip Test:
As a final test I dripped a bit of each product onto the windshield and allowed it to sit 2 hours. After 2 hours in the sun it hadn't completely cured throughout so I thinned it with my finger and allowed it to wait until the next morning.










Video: Intentional "Accidental" Drip Test






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*PART 6*

Condensation Beading the next morning (today):

85-Bumper










86-Bumper










87-Aluminum










88- Aluminum










89- Aluminum










90-Cowl










*Pros:*

1.- Appearance: Beautiful smooth satin look on tires & the perfect look on trim
2.- Versatility: Use on tires, as well as plastic and metal trim
3.- Durability: ??? (Testing in progress)
4.- Dry: (Non-greasy) finish that doesn't run from rain or water
5.- Application: Easy

*???:*

1.- What will the durability be? This question will likely decide if this product is equal to, greater than, or lesser than UTTG
2.- Does ETS match the heat range of UTTG (500F)?
3.-When exceeding its heat range (if used on the engine or exhaust tips for instance) will it disappear harmlessly in the same way Ultima does?

*Cons:*

1.-None so far - Durability is the only question

Final Observations and Summary:
Depending on the surface ETS is a shade darker or lighter than UTTG unless this was caused by inadvertent differences in amount or application. I think on smooth surfaces and tires it is darker while on textured trim it is lighter. The difference in shade would be impossible to tell if not one next to the other. It seemed that ETS might be ever so slightly thinner than UTTG. It seemed to soak into the foam applicator faster. This could just be a function of the particular batch or may be a consistently true statement. Durability studies are pending but so far Wolfgang ETS has behaved, performed, and appeared very similar to Ultima TTG. This is a high compliment. Personally I am expecting the durability results to be very similar but we will see. A question of whether ETS can withstand 500F is in order. I have seen nothing on that front and if it cannot, UTTG would have an advantage there. I have found it to be the best option in the engine bay (unless you like a greasy look). If ETS can match the UTTG heat range and if durability does hold up then ETS will equal UTTG as the very best trim and tire sealant (not coating) available without question. I look forward to trying it on Skybaby's rims next time I seal them.

Thank you for taking the time to read this review! Cheers


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## CEE DOG (Nov 13, 2010)

*Update 1*

*Heat Resistance: Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant*
Additional products used: Hot pad

If you read my review you know I was curious about the heat resistance of ETS compared with the known heat resistance of UTTG. Well, I couldn't leave you guys hanging so I decided to perform a little test. I turned on the "testing oven" J and turned it to 450F. I didn't place it at 500F because I was hoping the ETS would hold up to UTTG and I wouldn't be releasing any vapors. Also it would be hard to test if I burnt the coatings off. It had been outside getting rained on today so I dabbed it with a paper towel before placing the testing sheet into the oven.

At about 325F my wife noticed my strange behavior. I had been acting like I was doing other things in front of the oven so she wouldn't see it was on! LOL, Busted! Well, with just the right level of diplomacy (and 13 years of experience) I was able to negotiate more time to finish my test!

After allowing the oven to reach 450F I waited approximately 5 more minutes before turning it off and retrieving the panel. Next I allowed it to cool for one hour outside. Finally I brought it back in and placed it under running water where I observed the reactions compared to the "no sealant tapeline". It appears both coatings are fully intact. Now we will leave the panel outside for the night and in the morning take a picture of the condensation, which will easily show the difference in bead sizes if the coatings are still intact.

Please enjoy the media:






*Update 2 - Durability: Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant*

It was a very rainy week and rained for a good portion of at least 2 days with the test areas receiving afternoon showers on a couple other days as well. In total I believe it received rain 4 of the 7 days this week. Both vehicles were exposed to rain and road spray at highway speeds on more than one occasion. I'm happy with the results so far. I expected the durability not to have any issues in just a week on normal surfaces but didn't know what would come of adding it on top of the C4 so I'm specifically excited about the fact the products didn't wash off of the C4 area. I'll let you judge the comparisons for yourself.






















































































































*Update 3 - Durability: Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant

(2 week update)*

It was a not a very rainy week but it rained a bit until yesterday when we had heavy storms for a good portion of the day and night.

I'm happy to report the products are still showing on the C4 area.

Both vehicles were driven hundreds of miles.

THIS IS THE SIDE OF THE TIRE WE HAVE FOCUSED ON PREVIOUSLY










DUE TO IT BEING AGAINST THE GROUND AND HAVING DIRT ALL OVER IT I SWITCHED TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TIRE FOR THE REST OF THE PICTURES






















































































































*Update: 1 Month*

After 1 month, a good amount of rainstorms, and a lot of miles both trim products are holding up well (as expected).

Heres are the pictures:

*On Tire*























































*On textured Bumper Trim over C4*



















*On Smooth Plastic*


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## ronwash (Mar 26, 2011)

Wow,thats some test youve got there..
thanx very much,its great.


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## james_death (Aug 9, 2010)

That is extensive testing...:thumb:


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## CEE DOG (Nov 13, 2010)

Thanks a lot guys!


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## CEE DOG (Nov 13, 2010)

Update 4 months

Ok, so I stopped with the updates about 2 months ago. The tires started to turn yellow or blue after a month and I let them go a month longer for those updates. So after 2… I scrubbed them down with ARO eventually and started applying PERL 1:1 every few weeks (my go to tire product) scrubbing with ARO almost every time. Well today I washed the car again and noticed as I scrubbed the tires a ********** line. I just thought this was really neat so I figured I would share.

This first picture is when I first applied it 4 MONTHS AGO.










This is what it looked like as I was rinsing it after a good scrubbing today. One of many scrubbings it has had each time I apply PERL over it. The UTTG and WG ETS are still there underneath as if they dyed the rubber.










And after I dried it




























Btw: its still quite obviously there on my front bumper over C4 as well.


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## ITHAQVA (Feb 20, 2011)

Briliant write up mate, subscribed :thumb: 

Durability on tyres is very difficult to maintain, need to look into this stuff, cheers :thumb:


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## Spirit Detailing (Mar 29, 2007)

Nicely recorded and presented there, Corey. Interesting how the product affected the surface so much it would still show after 4 months of usage.

You were still scrubbing with ARO all through the weekly care routine and it didn't seem to affect the dressing that much. Are these ones water or solvent based dressings?


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