BLACKFIRE Total Trim & Tire Sealant - Review

[Angus]

For this review, I`m going to share my experience applying BLACKFIRE’s brand-new Total Trim & Tire Sealant:



From ACC`s product page for BLACKFIRE’s Total Trim & Tire Sealant:

“Restore and protect your vehicle’s trim and tires with BLACKFIRE!

• Thick, gel-like formula penetrates for maximum restoration and protection.
• Dries completely without any greasy, sticky residue.
• Lasts for months, even in wet conditions.”

Prior to applying TT&TS to my wife’s 2012 Subaru Impreza, I:

• Washed the car with DP’s Power Wash,(review here)
• Prepped the trim pieces with Detailer’s Pro Series Cleanse-All Exterior Cleaner.
• Thoroughly scrubbed the tires clean with Tuff Shine Tire Cleaner

TT&TS instructions seem simple enough:



Surfaces clean, cool and dry, check check and check. Apply a nickel-sized amount to applicator, check:



TT&TS has a thick non-runny gel like consistency. The color reminds me of blueberry yogurt. It has no noticeable odor. Even though the directions don`t call for it, I still gave the bottle a quick shake before use.

TT&TS on trim:
While applying to trim, TT&TS spreads very easily. I did need to buff off a little excess so scale back your nickel to a dime size or smaller amount when needed. The results are excellent as demonstrated by this 50/50 shot:



Close up:



For a 2 year old garage kept car, I wasn’t expecting to see such a clear difference in treated vs untreated surfaces but TT&TS clearly restored the trim to a much darker state.

TT&TS on tires:
Again, application is fairly straight forward with the included poly foam applicator. However, TT&TS does get caught in textured surfaces:



As a way to deal with this, I used my trusty tire dressing applicator brush and very slowly brushed the excess product up and out of the textured areas. This helps avoid fling TT&TS onto the paint:



Brushed:



Once the whole tire is brushed, a quick wipe with the dry side of the poly foam applicator further evens out the application.

After waiting a short time TT&TS is dry and ready for a 50/50 shot:



Looking from the top down:



Again, TT&TS preformed well leaving the tires with an even semi-gloss deep black. For good measure I added a second coating of TT&TS for longer lasting protection.

Conclusion:
On smooth trim surfaces, BLACKFIRE Total Trim & Tire Sealant does what it claims. It`s easy to use and darkens the surface applied to with only minor buffing required. On tires it also does what it claims, however with textured surfaces, make sure you have a brush handy to even out the initial poly foam application. This isn’t being critical of TT&TS, I’ve had the same issue with UTTG+ on textured tire surfaces as well.

Long term durability is yet to be confirmed however I`m planning on updating this thread with observations over the coming months.

Atmospheric conditions at time of review:



Additional comments:
While removing the shipping seal under the cap, I forgot about my super-human strength and managed to snap the flip top off:



Oops! If this happens to you, the flip top from any PBMG 2oz sample bottle fits the TT&TS bottle perfectly.

List of products used:

• BLACKFIRE Total Trim & Tire Sealant
• DP Cleanse-All Exterior Cleaner
• TUF SHINE Tire Cleaner
• Carrand Brush & Shine Tire Dressing Applicator

As always, I hope this review was helpful!

[The Guz]

Thanks for the review. This looks like a winner.

[RaysWay]

Looking good! Now I want to try it on my tires.

[Pats300zx]

Great review. Got in on my list !!

[Angus]

Thanks for the review. This looks like a winner.

Thanks, and yes it does!

Looking good! Now I want to try it on my tires.

Seriously, Vega - get your act together already and get those tires done!

Great review. Got in on my list !!

Thanks! You`re going to love TT&TS

[wdmaccord]

Great review. I have this in my cart for next order. Do you have BF Total Eclipse Tire Gel? I`d be curious in seeing them side-by-side and how they last against each other (on the tires that is).

[Angus]

Great review. I have this in my cart for next order. Do you have BF Total Eclipse Tire Gel? I`d be curious in seeing them side-by-side and how they last against each other (on the tires that is).

Thank you!

To answer your question I don`t have any BF TETG but would imagine BF TT&TS would outlast it since it has a greater water proof quality.

A side-by-side test I am thinking about doing however is pitting TT&TS against UTTG+ (new formula) on a my daily driver`s faded out front grill. Given the nearly identical claims of both products, a direct comparison should be interesting. Stay tuned!

[Angus]

*24hr Update*

Well I didn’t think I’d be updating this review a day later, but after walking past the Subaru this morning I noticed sandy grit clinging to all 4 tires. On closer inspection it appears the grit is particularly attracted to the tire surfaces with 2 applications of TT&TS. I know this because the area I did the 50/50 shot on I only had time to apply a single coat of TT&TS to the bare side after I took the photo for the review.

Original 50/50 shot:



From this morning. Single application of TT&TS on left/ 2X on right:



See the sand sticking to the right side? Notice how it gets worse the closer to you get to the rim:



The other 3 tires are ringed with the same level grit.

The trim however seems to be fine. Perhaps it`s because I gave it a light buff to remove the access? Further testing is in order.

For now, I`d suggest sticking to a single coat of TT&TS on your tires.

[512detail]

great review. very thorough and lots of pics

I should get mine by tomorrow and look forward to trying it out on my faded running boards.

[Angus]

great review. very thorough and lots of pics

I should get mine by tomorrow and look forward to trying it out on my faded running boards.

Thanks! Glad the information was useful.

Looking forward to hearing how your running boards turn out!

[RaysWay]

Thanks for the update Angus. Is it actually sand? I wonder if you would`ve noticed the sand like grit sticking with any other dressing?

[Angus]

Thanks for the update Angus. Is it actually sand? I wonder if you would`ve noticed the sand like grit sticking with any other dressing?

It`s a good question, Vega. To be sure I walked out and ran my finger over a gritty section of tire and it feels like a fine sand to me. So far I haven`t noticed UTTG+ attracting grit in this way on my Civics tires.

How close are you to a car friendly beach? Maybe you could do a little dune buggy style testing in your Civic?? Ha!

[wdmaccord]

Is there a "cure" time we should be observing with this product perhaps (at least on tires anyway) before taking it on the road? Or maybe it just needs to be buffed out, especially with 2 coats applied? I`ve never had anything like this happen with my BF TETG with one or 2 coats (or maybe I haven`t looked close enough...but Angus, it sounds like this was jumping out at you). God bless you testers!

[Angus]

Is there a "cure" time we should be observing with this product perhaps (at least on tires anyway) before taking it on the road? Or maybe it just needs to be buffed out, especially with 2 coats applied? I`ve never had anything like this happen with my BF TETG with one or 2 coats (or maybe I haven`t looked close enough...but Angus, it sounds like this was jumping out at you). God bless you testers!

Ha! Thanks The grit was obvious as soon as I walked by. It would have caught your eye too.

The car actually sat in the garage for 7 days (was away on vacation) before being driven so the tires had way more than enough time to fully cure. I`d suggest if you`re going to put 2 coats of BF3TS (new abbreviation BLACKFIRE Total Trim & Tire Sealant) a light buffing after ~20 minutes of the final coat going on is a good idea. However, I will say one coat of BF3TS leaves a very nice finish.

[512detail]

Angus i will test the 20minute after buff on my tires. Like the new abbrev,haha.

Just got them clean and dry. Wonderful street sweeper came by and dusted my freshly washed black srt sitting outside as my truck now has the garage