New Product Review: Black Label Diamond Paint Sealant

[Todd@RUPES]

Pinnacle Car Care Products have long been known for creating dazzling show car finishes using the finest handcrafted carnauba waxes. When I was told that Pinnacle Black Label would be introducing a synthetic paint sealant, I was incredulous.

During testing, it was amazing to watch Project850 evolve, and to witness first hand the first synthetic paint sealant to earn the name: Pinnacle.

Pinnacle Black Label Diamond Paint Sealant features a new type of resin-based polymer that will bond tighter, last longer, and stay slicker then what was previously thought possible. You can expect:

• Near-instantaneous slickness.
• A slick feel that lasts for months upon months, not days or weeks
• Extreme fast drying and curing times
• A look with the organic warmth of a premium carnauba wax
• Extremely high reflectivity

The look created by Pinnacle Black Label Diamond Paint Sealant is unique and stunning. Paint, of any color or type (such as original, pale "sunflower" yellow Corvette below) will look wet, with a richness and warmth associated with premium-grade carnauba pastes. Beyond that, it coats the paint in an extremely bright and reflective shine that gives paint protected with Diamond Paint Sealant a truly organic, 3-dimensional shine.


Pinnacle Black Label Diamond Paint Sealant is packaged in an attractive 8-ounce bottle with a pump dispenser. For application, I chose to use the Lake Country Coating Applicator.




For initial application, I chose to prime the applicator by drawing a figure "8" on it. Keep in mind that Pinnacle Black Label Diamond Paint Sealant is a thick product. The resin-based polymers attach to the paint almost immediately, giving the impression that it may not spread thin. However, it spreads with ease; this highly-concentrated formula offered excellent coverage.




1/2 of a pump, drawn diagonally across the applicator is enough to coat a large section of paint for subsequent applications.




Apply in overlapping strokes, whether tiny circles, large sweeping passes, or whichever your prefer. Spread Black Label Diamond Paint Sealant into a thin, even coating across the paint.




The application is easy and the removal is effortless. I applied Diamond Paint Sealant with both the foam applicator (shown above) and with a Gold CCS foam pad. I found, much like a premium carnauba wax, I preferred hand application.

Allow Diamond Paint Sealant to cure for 10 minutes. Again, I tested removal by hand and with a microfiber-bonnet covered pad on a Porter Cable. In both cases it wiped away easily. Lightly buffing by hand revealed a finish that was already extremely slick as the towel made a b-line down the String Ray`s hood.

If you remove by machine, the initial slickness isn`t quite as dramatic, although within 15 minutes it is on par with the hand-removed side. Again, for a product like this, I much preferred hand removal.

The result, on this original paint 1966 Corvette 427 pre-production prototype.. STUNNING!




The normally pale yellow, original paint finish Corvette exploded in the sun with richness. In its 48 years, it is likely the paint NEVER looked this good.






Pinnacle Black Label Diamond Paint Sealant works great on hard metals too, such as these original chrome-plated bumpers. I couldn`t help but take this following picture, with a big smile on my face.








Keep in mind that is a 48-year old, "pale" yellow Corvette. In the sun it had a richness and warm that changed, depending on the angle it was viewed. A truly organic, warm shine.








A q-tip and Pinnacle Black Label Diamond Paint Sealant did great at detailing these original "Sting Ray" emblems.

[Todd@RUPES]

Questions or Comments Welcome!

[tropicsteve]

love the finish it left. very warm look.

p.s. awesome ride !

[classofshine]

Any other prep before the sealant? Just a wash and sealant? I assume it was in pretty good shape before the sealant was applied?

[The Guz]

The reflections are fantastic. I`m sure the owners were more than happy with the results.

[Wors]

The reflection is amazing! How great did it look in person? I love the chrome reflection picture.

[camaro2ssblack]

It looks amazing, great job!

[glfahlc1]

great looking vette todd. how much prep did you put into making it look this amazing. compare pinnacle to blackfire afpp. thoughts?

[radarryan]

Thank you for the review Todd. Phenomenal job, as always.

Question for you: this is a synthetic sealant in the Pinnacle line, but I thought the whole point of Pinnacle Natural Brilliance line was products sourced from natural ingredients. To me, it seems going to a synthetic product flies in the face of the "ethos" of the Pinnacle line.

Has the line abandoned this aspect of the product, which I would assume is a major selling point for some enthusiasts, or is the "Black Label" a separate line that doesn`t adhere to the prior Pinnacle selling point? Maybe more emphasis on the "Science" part of the slogan, rather than the "Nature"?

I`m sure the line is great, especially judging by your review, but I`m just wondering how this can fit in the old Pinnacle Natural Brilliance line of products.

[Swanicyouth]

How does the beading of the sealant compare to the paint coating?

[Evan.J]

Thank you for the review Todd. Phenomenal job, as always.

Question for you: this is a synthetic sealant in the Pinnacle line, but I thought the whole point of Pinnacle Natural Brilliance line was products sourced from natural ingredients. To me, it seems going to a synthetic product flies in the face of the "ethos" of the Pinnacle line.

Has the line abandoned this aspect of the product, which I would assume is a major selling point for some enthusiasts, or is the "Black Label" a separate line that doesn`t adhere to the prior Pinnacle selling point? Maybe more emphasis on the "Science" part of the slogan, rather than the "Nature"?

I`m sure the line is great, especially judging by your review, but I`m just wondering how this can fit in the old Pinnacle Natural Brilliance line of products.

Someone asked a similar question and here was Nicks reply

It has all the qualifications of the Pinnacle name, but it`s an entirely new line that utilizes ingredients never seen in a Pinnacle product - nano-glass ceramic particles, resin-based polymers, etc

[JSFM35X]

Todd, You made that Vette look so good it makes me want to place an order for the whole line! Damm, I know that the whole WOW behind the process is based on the talent behind the polisher. That said, WOW that car looks good!

Can you share some of the finer points:
1. How long do you figure the coating would last?
2. Is this considered a semi perm coating like EXO or Cquartz or a Perm like Opticoat?
3. How long is the cure time before it can get wet?
4. How is it in wash/Mar resistance compared to the above coatings?
5. Will Ironx take it off If I choose to decontaminate the paint say 10 months in?
6. Is the beading nice and tight like EXO or larger and uniform like Opticoate (Just curious)
7. Is the finish slick after cure like EXO ir smooth like OC 2.0?


Sorry for the long list. Vette looks just INSANE.

[Todd@RUPES]

love the finish it left. very warm look.

p.s. awesome ride !

Yes, it is a pre-production 427 450 horsepower car. The production 427`s had 425 horsepower. It is also, except for a few touch ups, 100% original.

Any other prep before the sealant? Just a wash and sealant? I assume it was in pretty good shape before the sealant was applied?

The original paint was polished with Wolfgang Uber Compound and a white pad. Then I applied Black Label Surface Cleansing Polish using a black pad to ensure perfect binding.

The reflections are fantastic. I`m sure the owners were more than happy with the results.

He is!

The reflection is amazing! How great did it look in person? I love the chrome reflection picture.

I feel that the pictures did a good job of capturing the shine. This is a 48 year old, PALE yellow car. The gloss created by the sealant was a welcome addition.

It looks amazing, great job!

Thank you!

great looking vette todd. how much prep did you put into making it look this amazing. compare pinnacle to blackfire afpp. thoughts?

Well, Pinnacle has a brighter, more reflective look in my opinion. This doesn`t take away from Wet Diamond AFPP` s look at all, they are completely different. Pinnacle will last up to a year, which makes it far more durable.

Thank you for the review Todd. Phenomenal job, as always.

Question for you: this is a synthetic sealant in the Pinnacle line, but I thought the whole point of Pinnacle Natural Brilliance line was products sourced from natural ingredients. To me, it seems going to a synthetic product flies in the face of the "ethos" of the Pinnacle line.

Has the line abandoned this aspect of the product, which I would assume is a major selling point for some enthusiasts, or is the "Black Label" a separate line that doesn`t adhere to the prior Pinnacle selling point? Maybe more emphasis on the "Science" part of the slogan, rather than the "Nature"?

I`m sure the line is great, especially judging by your review, but I`m just wondering how this can fit in the old Pinnacle Natural Brilliance line of products.

Pinnacle is divided into three separate lines:

Natural Brilliance- The original, based around natural ingredients and famous for its amazing waxes.

XMT (eXtreme Machine Technology)- A line designed to get professional results in less time.

Black Label- To maintain the looks and aesthetics of Pinnacle while expanding the line, a new territory had to be foraged. Black Label products are made with the same precision as other Pinnacle products, only using the most advanced, crystallizing nano-ceramic glass ingredients.

How does the beading of the sealant compare to the paint coating?

Beading is a little tighter, sheeting is a little less, IME.

Todd, You made that Vette look so good it makes me want to place an order for the whole line! Damm, I know that the whole WOW behind the process is based on the talent behind the polisher. That said, WOW that car looks good!

Can you share some of the finer points:
1. How long do you figure the coating would last?
2. Is this considered a semi perm coating like EXO or Cquartz or a Perm like Opticoat?
3. How long is the cure time before it can get wet?
4. How is it in wash/Mar resistance compared to the above coatings?
5. Will Ironx take it off If I choose to decontaminate the paint say 10 months in?
6. Is the beading nice and tight like EXO or larger and uniform like Opticoate (Just curious)
7. Is the finish slick after cure like EXO ir smooth like OC 2.0?


Sorry for the long list. Vette looks just INSANE.

1. The coating? Up to 3 years. The sealant? Up to a year (which is more than some "coatings"
2. The coatings? Semi-permanent. The sealant, with 12 months of durability will last longer than some of the other coatings out there.
3. For the coating AND sealant- 24 hours is ideal. You can get it wet before then but do not agitate the surface while it is wet.
4. For which? The sealant used on the Vette or the Diamond coatings in general?
5. Iron X will likely reduce the sealant, it will have no effect on the coatings.
6. For which? The sealant or the coatings?
7. For which? The sealant or the coatings?

[TroyScherer]

The car looks great.

I love the fact that these new sealants are having durability claims of 1yr. The longer the better IMO.

How does the "look" of BLDPS compare to something like 4*UPP? The $*UPP is the most nuba looking sealant I have used.

[Todd@RUPES]

The car looks great.

I love the fact that these new sealants are having durability claims of 1yr. The longer the better IMO.

How does the "look" of BLDPS compare to something like 4*UPP? The $*UPP is the most nuba looking sealant I have used.

The look is very unique. It has a definitely, Pinnacle-quality carnauba shine, but with exceptional gloss. Candy carnauba?