I detailed my tires months ago and the dressing I used started to finally wear away. My tires went from that deep, dark shine that we all love, do a dull grey that clearly needed a refresh. The CarPro PERL has been out for some time, but it has been one I wanted to test out on my tires and this is the perfect time to finally pull it off the shelf.
To start I thoroughly cleaned the tires with the Tuf Shine Tire Cleaner and Tuf Shine Tire Brush. I also took care of cleaning up my rims during this process to refresh my wheels and tires for the fall season.
I paired the PERL with the CarPro Tire Swipe Applicator V2, which is a dressing applicator that has a unique asymmetrical radius shape designed for easy application across the front of the tire.
The CarPro PERL does not come with a trigger as the product can be diluted, but I opted to apply at full strength and used a standard CarPro trigger to directly apply to the Tire Swipe.
One spray across the center of the applicator is all that was needed for easy application to about 1/4th of the tire, meaning you are going to need about 4x sprays for one even layer. I applied to 1/4th of the tire at a time, which helped me keep more of the dressing on the surface and allowed for less dripping or mess overall.
Check out the photos below. The first is the tires before application and the second is immediately after the first coat. From here I let the layer dwell on the surface while I applied a single coat of PERL to the rest of my tires. I then came back around and quickly wiped down the surface with a microfiber towel to remove any dressing that had yet soaked in. One final coat of the PERL and my tires were all finished.
The third photo shows a close up after the second coat and I let the tires sit for a few hours before I used the vehicle. It has been around a week since application and the tires look just as good as the day the PERL was applied, so I am confident it should hold up well overall.
Conclusion:
Overall the CarPro PERL is highly recommended if you are looking to refresh your tire or rubber surfaces. I personally really like the thicker formula when used at full strength and the added bonus of being able to dilute the product to different strengths when applying to various surfaces, makes this product very economical. It goes on easy and does not drip as easily like some other dressings on the market. The finished area looks deep and dark, yet natural, so you are not left with any unnatural or extreme shine and are protected from UV rays to help avoid future fading. Will this product protect like a trim coating? No. But if you are balancing ease of use, versatility and protection, the CarPro PERL is a fantastic dressing option.