Want to give your car a little TLC and bring it back to its factory shine? The Last Coat is a humble car care product company that offers some great products that make car care quicker and more convenient.
We decided to try out some of The Last Coat’s top products on our own vehicle. The results were very impressive and the products were very easy to use.
Our Subject
For our test, we chose a low mileage 2018 Mazda3 painted in Deep Crystal Blue Metallic. This Mazda factory paint is truly eye-catching, giving off a deep blue hue with subtle metallic flakes.
We also painted a 1994 Mazda Miata Classic Red to demonstrate our GO2 Waterless Wash and CeraTrim Ceramic Powered Trim Restorer. Many older Miatas (including this one) come with a single-stage paint and no clear coat.
This finish is easier to work with than a traditional clear coat, but smudges and swirls can still be visible if not properly cared for.
Rust Coat Rust Coat is a surface protection spray inspired by the company’s namesake ceramic. The spray is hydrophobic (water-repellent) and leaves a deep, glossy shine.
According to the manufacturer, the latest formula (TLC2) is even more durable and coats cars more effectively than before, allowing you to use less product to cover your car.
Application
I applied the Last Coat to my Mazda 3 after thoroughly cleaning it. The instructions on the bottle recommend spraying the product onto a microfiber cloth and spreading the damp cloth over the surface.
When I used this technique, I felt like I couldn’t spread the product evenly across the paint. Perhaps the new microfiber cloth was a little too absorbent for this method.
I got better results by spraying the Last Coat directly onto the paint and working it in with the microfiber cloth. Any excess material was rubbed off with another dry cloth.
Results
Last Coat was incredibly easy to apply, much quicker and easier than traditional waxes. The resulting shine rivals some of the quality waxes I’ve seen. Last Coat also keeps your vehicle clean for much longer than an untreated surface and reduces the visibility of water stains after a rain.
The hydrophobic top layer repels water, making future car washes easier.
The coating doesn’t feel as slippery as traditional waxes. Water on the paint also seemed to match. Although it did get a good bead on the surface, Last Coat doesn’t seem to be as hydrophobic as a quality wax. However, waxing an entire car is a lot of work and requires a lot of effort to do correctly. If you’re not up to it, The Last Coat is a great alternative to wax.
Tip: The Last Coat works as a final coat after fixing dim headlights.
In my opinion, it looks as good as when it was driven off the lot. Maybe even better!
CeraTrim Trim Restorer
This Miata is old enough that a human could drink water, so of course some of the plastic trim has faded over time. This was a great opportunity to see how well I could recreate a deep black on some of the plastic and rubber trim pieces.
Application
Clean the surfaces thoroughly with a good quality interior cleaner. Apply a small amount of CeraTrim to a microfiber cloth (or to the surface itself) and scrub thoroughly with the applicator or microfiber cloth. Wipe off any excess dirt with another dry microfiber cloth.
Results
I was very impressed with how black these old trim pieces looked with so little work. Apart from a few scratches, it is in like new condition.
Be careful where you apply it as it is very slippery. For example, CeraTrim makes it very difficult to grip the shifter when driving a manual transmission car.
GO2 Waterless Wash
You can’t always wash your car in your driveway. There may not be a suitable water supply near your garage or it may be prohibited due to harmful drainage into the storm drain. Waterless car washes can be used in between regular car washes when your car isn’t too dirty. This is perfect for car shows where you need a little touch-up to achieve that perfect shine.
Application
After a day on the track, this Miata was pretty dirty. I sprayed a generous amount of GO2 formula onto the paint and wiped it in one direction with a clean microfiber cloth. If the microfiber cloth looked dirty, I picked up a clean cloth before continuing. The GO2 formula has a great grape scent that made the detailing process even more enjoyable. I finished the entire car in less than 10 minutes.
Results
This cleaning formula works. I had a lot of dirt on my car that I thought would be hard to remove, but that wasn’t the case. It was super easy to remove the dirt and debris that got on the paint. When using this product, you must use a generous amount. Waterless cleaning acts like a lubricant while removing contaminants. Using too little may leave swirl marks.
Of the three products we tried, this was our favorite. Not only is it incredibly effective, but it also makes the cleaning process quicker and easier. If you bring a bottle of GO2 Waterless Wash and enough microfiber cloths, you could theoretically wash your car anywhere.