GTechniq Halo Flexible Film Coating

[flexspec]

Will be applying this today and testing it out.
My vehicle is fully wrapped with Xpel Stealth and carbon bits wrapped in Xpel Ultimate Plus.

Will detail my impressions here.
Cheers

[Palala808]

Any particular reason you went with that brand/product?

[flexspec]

Originally Posted by Palala808

Any particular reason you went with that brand/product?

It’s made for PPF. Ease of application.

[flexspec]

Just finished.
Some salient things that were memorable during this process.

1. Optimum Ferrex on PPF is a must. After 1 wash, it was still able to lift iron particles embedded into the PPF. I washed it again after applying the Ferrex.
2. Panel Wipe is a must. Some road tar was quickly removed.
3. Gtechniq HALO is very forgiving. It’s not super tacky if you wait too long. After 3 panels, I was able to get in to a nice rhythm - waiting between 1-2 minutes to wipe off.

I used the entire bottle and did 2 coats with 30ml
Letting it cure until tomorrow. Will post pics then.

[flexspec]

Ok. Here we go.

Let's get some quick business out of the way first.

Prior to using GTechniq's HALO, I was looking for a ceramic coating that was easy to apply and meant for PPF. What I was unaware of was the molecular science behind it and why indeed a search for the "best" may yield a product that is incompatible with a specific use case.

More clearly, GTechniq is meant to be applied to wrapped vehicles (vinyl, clear, stealth) without interfering the customers intended wrap appearance. ie: A matte wrap won't look glossy. Secondly, the ease of use, means a novice like myself won't mess up the process unless I'm totally negligent. Here comes the use case scenario that makes sense logically. Because HALO is meant for wrapped vehicles you won't find its ability to compete with the hardness of Ceramic Pro or EXO remarkable - and why should it? The vehicle is wrapped in PPF. My thinking - and again - this is just my logical thinking - it would seem redundant to add yet another protective layer on top of the PPF - instead the focus should be prolonging the properties of the PPF so that it can do its job. And I believe that is the domain of HALO - maintaining the integrity of your wrap and prolonging its life so that it can continue to protect your paint beneath it without changing the perceived visual properties of the wrap (ie: gloss or matte).

With that said I can't say this enough - this product was extremely easy to apply. I don't mind in the least being described as a novice, at least when it comes to ceramic coatings. Side note: I did ceramic coat 1 of my rims to test C5 - and it became tacky very quickly - and required a ton of elbow grease to wipe off the top layer. Yeah - I waited too long. HALO on the other hand - 2 minutes, 3 minutes - you're still good.

The product doesn't disrupt your PPF. It won't make the stealth wrap shiny, nor leave any permanent changes to the wrap like harder ceramic coatings. However, I did find that it made the paint pop a little more behind the stealth. The car has never looked so clean.

After letting it cure overnight (>12 hrs) I was eager the next day to throw a bottle of water on it. I wasn't disappointed. (link is to my IG) .

Overall, I am a happy customer. What remains to be seen is the longevity of the product (they say it lasts 2 years), and how well it repels water with dissolved contaminants (dirt, etc).

I hope this helps someone make a decision.

Fine print:
Unintended side effects include: 5-minute car washes; constant touching of your wrapped vehicle; mouth drooling; teary eyes; a smile that won't go away after 8 hours - consult a physician

[ROASTM]

Originally Posted by flexspec

Ok. Here we go.

Let's get some quick business out of the way first.

Prior to using GTechniq's HALO, I was looking for a ceramic coating that was easy to apply and meant for PPF. What I was unaware of was the molecular science behind it and why indeed a search for the "best" may yield a product that is incompatible with a specific use case.

More clearly, GTechniq is meant to be applied to wrapped vehicles (vinyl, clear, stealth) without interfering the customers intended wrap appearance. ie: A matte wrap won't look glossy. Secondly, the ease of use, means a novice like myself won't mess up the process unless I'm totally negligent. Here comes the use case scenario that makes sense logically. Because HALO is meant for wrapped vehicles you won't find its ability to compete with the hardness of Ceramic Pro or EXO remarkable - and why should it? The vehicle is wrapped in PPF. My thinking - and again - this is just my logical thinking - it would seem redundant to add yet another protective layer on top of the PPF - instead the focus should be prolonging the properties of the PPF so that it can do its job. And I believe that is the domain of HALO - maintaining the integrity of your wrap and prolonging its life so that it can continue to protect your paint beneath it without changing the perceived visual properties of the wrap (ie: gloss or matte).

With that said I can't say this enough - this product was extremely easy to apply. I don't mind in the least being described as a novice, at least when it comes to ceramic coatings. Side note: I did ceramic coat 1 of my rims to test C5 - and it became tacky very quickly - and required a ton of elbow grease to wipe off the top layer. Yeah - I waited too long. HALO on the other hand - 2 minutes, 3 minutes - you're still good.

The product doesn't disrupt your PPF. It won't make the stealth wrap shiny, nor leave any permanent changes to the wrap like harder ceramic coatings. However, I did find that it made the paint pop a little more behind the stealth. The car has never looked so clean.

After letting it cure overnight (>12 hrs) I was eager the next day to throw a bottle of water on it. I wasn't disappointed. (link is to my IG) .

Overall, I am a happy customer. What remains to be seen is the longevity of the product (they say it lasts 2 years), and how well it repels water with dissolved contaminants (dirt, etc).

I hope this helps someone make a decision.

Fine print:
Unintended side effects include: 5-minute car washes; constant touching of your wrapped vehicle; mouth drooling; teary eyes; a smile that won't go away after 8 hours - consult a physician

Applied Gtechniq Halo to my fully wrapped M2C (XPEL Ultimate Plus) last weekend - I agree with everything you said, and wanted to further emphasize how easy this product was to apply. I'm an experienced detailer, but this was my first bout with a "ceramic coating" - and while I'm aware it's much less extreme than other professional coatings, very happy with the results and will evaluate how long it ends up lasting (1 - 2 year claim).

[White340]

How is this coating holding up today?

[SatinblkF90]

Any updates on how this coating has held up for the claimed “2 years” ?

[flexspec]

Originally Posted by White340

How is this coating holding up today?

Originally Posted by SatinblkF90

Any updates on how this coating has held up for the claimed “2 years” ?

I can say that Halo does live up to it's claims, with a caveat. Provided you wash your vehicle with mild detergents.

The link below was taken Feb, 2022 by the detailer that we use to wash our vehicles. You can see it's still fighting and has an appreciable amount of hydrophobicity.

2 year update