Glare Polish

Cars are expensive in Singapore, so it is no wonder that owners try to keep their cars in perfect condition. One of the things they do is investment in a paint protection system. Not unexpectedly, where there is a demand, there’ll be an endless selection of paint protection solutions in the market. We all want the “perfect” solution that maintains the showroom condition shine, gloss and cleanliness, with minimal wash and maintenance. Of course there’s no such thing.

So we try to rationalize and select the best solution amongst the many choices. This is pretty hard. Every solution tries to tell you they’re the best. How do you tell others you’re “better” when everyone says they’re best? Well, try to come up with a convincing scientific reason or explanation about how your technology works, and how it works better than others. Unfortunately, everyone seems to be quite good at making convincing presentations too.

So what did I do when it came time to select the paint protection system for my Stream? Fortunately for me, it was not very difficult to choose, because I had chosen one before for my previous Altis. It was Glare Professional Polish. Nothing has changed much in the paint protection technology since my previous Altis, and since there wasn’t really anything bad with what I chose previously, I just went for the same thing.

Ah, of course then the next question is why did I choose Glare for my previous Altis? Well, my choice was not very scientific in nature. Afterall, how would I know which is better? For all it’s worth, the “scientific” pitch from the various paint protection solutions could be riddled with mistruths and inaccuracies anyway. I chose Glare partly because their argument was slightly more unique. Most others seem to spin roughly the same story. Also, I had some friends going with Glare, and they hadn’t any complaints about it. I guess these were good enough reasons for me, better so than leaving it to random selection.

Glare’s pitch is that it forms a layer of glass that bonds itself to the paint surface, so that it becomes part of the paint. The glass is able to filter out ultra-violet rays, thus protecting the paintwork underneath. The glass is “rock hard” and stands up against the many elements that the car’s surface is exposed to. Glare claims to be used in the aviation industry, and conforms or exceeds Boeing’s D6-17487 test and specifications for all aircraft exterior.

(Of course, I take all that with a pinch of salt. To me, the plus point is that their pitch is more unique than others…)

The Glare Professional Polish costs $488 for a compact MPV. I had also considered another choice: Toughseal. One of my neighbours did Toughseal. Their rather “unglam” BMW has suddenly become very shiny (of course, maybe because they also wash it more regularly now). Yet another alternative to paint protection systems is to simply go for more regular waxing. Waxes, however, don’t last long. Since you have to repeat each application more regularly, the cost may come up to be quite similar. You’d have to spend more time though.

Glare has two outlets: One at Paya Ubi Ind Park, and the other at Orchard Hotel basement car park. (They also have other franchisees.) I like the one at Orchard Hotel, because you can leave your car there, then head out to shop or do other things at Orchard Road. You get complimentary car parking when you patronize Glare at Orchard Hotel.