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1hot281 06-29-2011 01:21 AM

Product reviews & heads-up comparisons
 
So i thought it would be good if we had a thread where we could post up product/manufacturer reviews and heads-up comparisons. So... here it is.

Feel free to contribute!

1hot281 06-29-2011 01:37 AM

OTC Synthetic Polymer Sealants heads-up
 
So i thought i'd start off by comparing 2 popular, readily available, synthetic polymer sealants.

Meguiar's Tech Wax 2.0 vs Mothers FX SynWax

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/01fb132a.jpg

So i'll start of by saying both products are nearly equal in price, and both smell fairly terrible. That being said, on to the important stuff.

Application:
-Both products were easy to apply.
-I found the Synwax a little easier to apply a thinner, even layer.

Removal:
-Both were fairly easy to remove IF applied thin and not allowed to dry too long.
-If the situation is not ideal; (Working in direct sunlight, product dries excessively long) The Mothers Synwax is much easier to remove in bad conditions and is much more forgiving to lengthy drying times.

Look:
-I found the Techwax to have a more glossy "wrapped in plastic" look. Great reflections.

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v..._2785319_o.jpg
http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v..._8141626_o.jpg

-The Synwax on the otherhand was able to pull off a little depth, similar to a carnauba. I would say it brought the color out nicely and almost made the red car i was working on look saturated.

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/a2c714a6.jpg
http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/ce82daa2.jpg

Protection/longevity:
-The Tech Wax produces great water beading, and lasts a looooong time if maintained with a quick spray detailer like Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Detailer. 4 months after my initial application, the car was still shedding water quickly enough to make washing it difficult.
-I can't say too much about the Synwax as it hasn't been on a car i've worked on for longer than a week at this point. So i'll update this section at a later date.

Conclusions: Both products performed great. But for my money, I'd continue to go with the Mothers Synwax IF it's protection shows decent longevity. It performs great in non-ideal conditions and looks rather unique for a synthetic polymer sealant.

1hot281 07-10-2011 06:48 PM

For my second heads-up review, I'll be comparing two OTC spray or "quick" detailer.

Meguiar's Quik Detailer and Mothers Showtime Instant Detailer

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/119dcb1d.jpg

Both products are very affordable, and in addition to being an instant detailer, both products serve as their respective companies clay lubricant.

Application:
- Both products apply simply. A spray or two per panel, (more if it is particularly dirty) spread quickly and evenly with a microfiber towel. and removed immediately before moving on to the next panel.
- the Mothers Showtime smelled great. A "minty" scent.
- the Mothers Showtime saturated the application towel quicker than the Meguiar's Quik Detailer

Removal:
- Both products were easy to wipe off. A separate towel for removal is ideal.
- The Mothers wiped off smooth and required mild buffing
- the Meguiar's had a slightly greasy texture during removal. It streaked slightly, but after mild buffing, removed well.

Look:
- The Mothers Showtime had a great gloss and slick finish. Restoring the "just waxed" appearance to a recently detailed car in a matter of minutes.
- The Meguiar's Quik Detailer looked decent. It lacked serious gloss, tho was slick to the touch. I'd say after using Quik Detailer the car looked clean, but not fresh waxed.

Conclusions:
- Both products accomplish their goals. They supply adequate lubricity to make cleaning of minor dust and dirt, fingerprints and smudges easy and safe.
- The Mothers Showtime had a better overall finish and looked great. I would use this as a touch-up between washing to keep the car looking freshly waxed. Or as an emergency spot cleaner for things like bird droppings and water spray/kick up.
- The Meguiar's Quik Detailer, while not as good looking, had decent lubricity and since it is cheaper at most stores, would be my "go to" product for cheap clay lubricant.

Dave 07-10-2011 10:46 PM

2 Attachment(s)
I use Mothers Showtime, clay bar, and SynWax on my PJ. What I liked about the SynWax is, I can apply this product over the matte black decals with no worry of stains or damage.

I am a longtime Quik Detailer user. Since the late 1990s (1997-98?). I like the Meguiar's scent over Showtime and yes, Quik Detailer can streak. It has been my belief the streaks happen if the exterior of the vehicle start to heat up. With the vehicle in a basement or garage, I have found it less likely to streak.

I will also admit Jim slowly converted me into a Mothers user. Outside of their Mag Wheel polish and Back-To-Black, I rarely used their product. I think Mothers Hot Wheels Wax converted me. I liked how this wax made my departed SHO look shinny. Even with all the battle scars of street parking and sitting outside 100% of the time.

NeoS281 07-11-2011 12:04 AM

Dave,

The car looks great and I will also add that I currently use the Meguiar's Quik Detailer. I've used a mothers product before however it smeared as Dave stated. I have not yet tried the Mother's Showtime detailer so that will be my next stop.

Great thread 1hot281!

1hot281 07-11-2011 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1hot281 (Post 62100)
- the Meguiar's had a slightly greasy texture during removal. It streaked slightly, but after mild buffing, removed well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave (Post 62129)
...and yes, Quik Detailer can streak.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeoS281 (Post 62136)
I've used a mothers product before however it smeared as Dave stated.

As I and Dave stated, it was the Meguiar's Quik Detailer that streaked, not a Mothers product.

For a readily available store bought product, I highly recommend Mothers Showtime.

NeoS281 07-11-2011 08:04 AM

oh ok. I will try the Mothers brand. Thanks

1hot281 07-14-2011 03:20 PM

For my third heads-up review, I'll be comparing Mothers Sealer Glaze and Poorboys BlackHole Glaze.

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/4f245e5d.jpg

Both products are reasonably priced, though the Poorboy's was easily almost double the price of the Mothers depending on where both are purchased. Mothers Sealer Glaze is available in most autoparts stores, while Poorboy's Blackhole is usually only available through online retailers or direct from the manufacturer. Mothers has a more chemical smell. The PB Blackhole had a strong grape smell, which lasted throughout application and removal.

Application:
- Both products were applied by hand for this comparison. Hand application is not ideal for a glaze/polish product, but both products indicated hand application was an option.
- Glaze products perform best on dark colored vehicles, and in this instance both were applied to vehicles with darker paint.
- Applied by hand, both products went on relatively smooth.
- Mothers Sealer Glaze went on similar to a wax, and required a bit of working in til a shine was seen.
- Blackhole went on buttery smooth, and almost appeared to "soak" into the paint after being worked for a very short time.


Removal:
- Mothers Sealer Glaze was allowed to dry to a haze (per instruction on the bottle) and buffed off similar to a wax. Slightly chalky but nothing extreme.
- The PB Blackhole was allowed to dry... kinda. Since it had pretty much soaked into the paint, it was hard to tell when it finally dried to a haze. Buff off was simple and did show up on the microfiber towel as a slightly darkened moist spot. I went through many towels during removal due to the product saturating the fabric.

Look:
- Both products didn't have as big of an impact applied by hand as they would have by machine. Hand application diminished both of their swirl/scratch hiding and filling abilities.
- The Mothers Sealer glaze had a decent shine and hid some light imperfections. Though i feel when applied by hand, the polishing agents left as many imperfections as they hid.
- The Poorboy's Blackhole left a deep wet shine. Very wet shine actually. Tho, like the Sealer Glaze, when applied by hand it didn't hide any imperfections that i could notice.

Conclusions:
- The PB Blackhole was a weird experience to use. The look couldn't be ignored though. It left such a deep wet shine that I was hesitant to apply any protectant over it. (I did eventually apply 2 coats synthetic polymer sealant)
- The Mothers Sealer Glaze did it's job fairly well. It polished in some shine and luster, and made a good foundation for the carnauba wax that i topped it with.
- The Poorboy's BlackHole Showcar glaze, tho twice the price, had easily twice the looks of the Mothers Sealer Glaze.
- Either glaze will depend heavily on what finishing protectant product it is topped with for overall appearance. But judging on the glaze appearance on it's own merits, the Poorboy's Blackhole just looks stunning.
- Considering both products were applied by hand, which is never ideal for a polish/glaze product, I'd consider this a 50% review which i'll revisit at a later date once i've had a chance to apply both products by orbital buffer.

1hot281 07-15-2011 12:56 AM

Coming soon
 
My next comparo is going to be a 3-way between Poorboy's Natty Blue, AutoGlym HD Wax, and Mother Pure Carnauba paste wax... stay tuned!

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/20a5a8ef.jpg

1hot281 07-19-2011 05:43 AM

My next comparo as promised is a 3-way between Poorboy's Natty Blue, AutoGlym HD Wax, and Mother Pure Carnauba paste wax...

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/20a5a8ef.jpg

Now pricing varies heavily in this comparison. The Mothers is the most reasonably priced depending on your vendor of choice. It can also be found in many auto parts stores. The Natty's is a close second and averages around $20. Usually only found online. The AutoGlym is the most expensive at around $50, but can be found for $40 or $30 if you shop around. It can even be found at Walmart's and PepBoy's if you're lucky.

All three waxes are "pure" waxes and have no cleaners as far as i know. They all layer over other waxes, sealants, and glazes just fine.

Application:
- All 3 products require you to pre-dampen the applicator pad before application
- The AutoGlym HD Wax came with 2 applicator pads sealed in a ziplock bag that were already moistened
- All 3 waxes went on smooth and the damp applicators made laying a thin layer very easy

Removal:
- All 3 products worked best if removed after a few minutes of drying to a haze
- Doing the entire car before removal is not advised
- the Mothers and Natty's, if allowed to dry too long, were very difficult to remove
- The AutoGlym dusted heavily during removal and required more clean towels
- all 3 worked best doing one panel at a time. Apply to the whole panel, wait a little to haze, then buff off

Look:
- Mothers:
http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/eaee6035.jpg

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/c695aa7b.jpg

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/a29ab732.jpg

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v..._1678234_o.jpg

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...6_743425_o.jpg

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...dSaleen2-1.jpg

- The Mothers Pure Carnauba had crystal clear reflections. It really let the metal flake shine out on metallic paint. It brought out the crispness of any color it was applied over and gave it a high gloss shine. It did not darken the colors.

- Natty's:
http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/6ecbf695.jpg

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/f5c1b3c3.jpg

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/a562aff2.jpg

- The Natty's Paste Wax Blue had great gloss and depth of colors. The paint appeared wet and the color was darkened slightly. It did help hide minor imperfections. The reflections were good.

- Sadly I didn't get any pictures of anything while coated with the AutoGlym HD wax
- The AutoGlym had decent gloss, reflections, and color depth and clarity.

Conclusions:
- The Mothers Pure Carnauba Paste Wax by far had the crispest brightest colors and reflections, and was the only one that didn't mute the sparkle of metal flake.
- The Poorboy's Natty Paste Wax Blue had the greatest depth and "wet" look, but darkened colors slightly. For $20 a tub though, it's worth it if boutique waxes are your thing
- The AutoGlym HD Wax fit right in the middle of both. It had decent gloss, color clarity, reflections, and depth
- For the price, I'd go with the Mothers if you like the real look of your paint to shine through. Especially metallic paint.
- The Natty's looks great and that "wet" shine gets attention.
- The AutoGlym is overpriced and lacking in every department. It did everything GOOD but nothing GREAT.
- All 3 don't have the best longevity. But that's expected with carnauba wax.

1hot281 08-13-2011 08:18 PM

My next comparison is between Poorboy's World Spray & Gloss Quick Detailer and Gloss Enhancer, and Mothers Showtime Instant Detailer.

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/f8dbec89.jpg

Between the products, Mothers is the more affordable (about $7 per 24oz versus Poorboy being $9 per 16oz) and Mothers is also easier to come by. Mothers can be found on numerous online supplier websites as well as in stores like Kragen, Autozone, Pepboy's, and many others... Poorboy's is 9 times out of 10 only found online from boutique suppliers or direct from the manufacturer.

Application:
- Both products offer a simple spray on/spread/wipe off application process.
- The Mothers works well. Easy to mist on Very smooth to spread
- The Poorboy's was a little runny. it requires quite a bit of rubbing in to prevent streaking

Removal:
- Both products saturate the wipe-off towel fairly quickly. You'll go through 3 to 4 microfibers in removal alone depending on the size of the car.
- The Mothers removes smooth IF the car has a fairly fresh coat of wax. If the Showtime is slow to buff off, it's time to wax again.
- The Poorboy's requires quite a bit of effort to buff off, and if not buffed well, will streak quite badly

Look:
- The Poorboy's made up ground here. Once buffed in completely it looked fantastic. It produced great gloss and actually darkened the paint slightly, leading me to believe it contains some Carnauba. (Which would explain the streaking)
- The Mothers is no slouch here either. It produces a great gloss and shine and makes a recently waxed car look "just detailed" in a matter of 15-20 minutes.

Conclusions:
- For actually cleaning power, the Mothers wins. It makes quick work of light dust, dirt, finger prints, and sudden messes like bird droppings. The Poorboy's can handle fingerprints and very very light dust... anything heavier and they recommend to use their Spray & Wipe Waterless Wash
- Another thing to bring up is; the Mothers has a vastly superior sprayer nozzle. It has a simple on/off and sprays a great even cloud of mist. By comparison, the Poorboy's nozzle can be adjusted from off to mist to squirt. Squirting a stream of quick detailer? Not really needed. The mist setting on the Poorboy's kinda falls flat because it sprays more of a "O" ring of product instead of a fine mist.
- So, recap; The Poorboy's Spray & Gloss is expensive, has a lackluster spray nozzle, and is a bear to work in to prevent streaking. BUT looks fantastic.
- The Mothers is much more affordable, offers a better spray nozzle, is simple and easy to work with, and looks great.
- For Quick detailing and actual cleaning power, and a quick shine; Mothers wins... for a quick touch up to a just-waxed appearance and pure depth in minutes, I would say the Poorboy's wins ever so slightly if you exclude the price and workability.

I think i'll have to do a comparison between Spray & Gloss and Mothers California Gold Spray Wax next, as i feel it accomplishes the same tasks that Poorboy's S&G does...

lcats 09-24-2011 07:56 PM

You should check out the newest technology. CroftgateUSA product line - Rinse less car wash and wax and other eco-friendly car care product. Read what people are saying on FaceBook about it. You can also checkout my Saleen at my Facebook page Auto Appearance Plus.

1hot281 11-10-2011 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lcats (Post 67430)
You should check out the newest technology. CroftgateUSA product line - Rinse less car wash and wax and other eco-friendly car care product. Read what people are saying on FaceBook about it. You can also checkout my Saleen at my Facebook page Auto Appearance Plus.

I'd hardly say they're the newest technology. I've had a couple chances to check out Croftgate's line. The Aquanil and Quick-N-Slick... It's cool they're a green company and all... but I can't say I've been impressed. Especially for those prices.

Next time i get my hands on a few of their products, I'll write up a review/comparison.

Jim D. 11-10-2011 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1hot281 (Post 70098)
I'd hardly say they're the newest technology. I've had a couple chances to check out Croftgate's line. The Aquanil and Quick-N-Slick... It's cool they're a green company and all... but I can't say I've been impressed. Especially for those prices.

Next time i get my hands on a few of their products, I'll write up a review/comparison.

It might be nice to hear of your experiences.

I get that everyone has their favorite products.

While I can't speak for other major players in the car care business, I can say that every company has to be compliant with Federal EPA rules on chemicals and VOCs, and most companies choose to be compliant with the more stringent California rules since they want to do business here. I know Mothers also uses recycled or recycleable plastics whenever we can.

I will say that any company (such as the "eco-friendly") or any association (such as the automated car wash associations) who states that it takes 140 gallons to wash a car and thus their bottle of magic solution or their service saves water is using fear tactics, pulling the wool over consumers eyes, and at the same time lobbying government administrators who have the power of outlawing wash-at-home privileges in an effort to pad their own pocketbook.

I've done extensive testing on this, and a quickie wash at home can use as little as 8 gallons of water. If you do a thorough wash with wheel wells and wheels, maybe 18-24 gallons -- that's nothing in the scheme of water usage. If you're using 140 gallons a wash (7 washes equating to the 980 gallons saved as stated on the Croftgate), you're letting the water run during the process, and that's absurd and idiotic. And that's why municipalities with water restrictions and administrators who have their heads on straight will allow home washing if you have a positive shut-off valve at the nozzle -- which most everyone has anyways.

Washing at home is, in my opinion, more eco-friendly than using an automated car wash that recycles water uses 8-10 gallons or more of fresh water per wash. When done right, home washing with a concentrate that costs about 15 cents per gallon of suds is much safer for your paint as well as your pocket book -- and it's often therapeutic.

And if you want to take it one more step further, any soil that runs off the vehicle during a wash would run off during the next rain anyway, so washing at home is as eco-friendly as not washing your car. Car wash soaps are generally biodegradable, so that really wouldn't be an issue either.

If one really wants to be really eco-friendly, get out of the car hobby, sell your Saleen and get a bicycle.

1hot281 02-15-2013 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim D. (Post 70115)
It might be nice to hear of your experiences.

It has been quite some time, but I remember the Aquanil, for a waterless wash, did not feel confidence inspiring. It had a somewhat overly watery feel on the paint and seemed to lubricate as well as, or worse than, most other companies quick detailers. The towel felt like it had excessive friction and dragged against the paint, and in some cases left some smudges behind after the first pass. A spritz of straight tap water has a similar feel.

After the Aquanil, I didn't trust using the Quick N Slick on exterior paint. Using it to clean door jams, I found it did an adequate job, but no better than any other product.

I would not say emphatically "Don't use their products!" But, I would say there are other products worthy of a good long look before pulling the trigger on CroftgateUSA products.

1hot281 02-15-2013 08:37 PM

In other news: With spring approaching, I should have some new reviews/comparisons in the coming weeks. I've been honing my skills with the Porter Cable orbital over the winter working on some friends cars, so possibly some polish or AIO product reviews if I get the right paint to use for examples.

XxBoostinxX 02-15-2013 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1hot281 (Post 98640)
In other news: With spring approaching, I should have some new reviews/comparisons in the coming weeks. I've been honing my skills with the Porter Cable orbital over the winter working on some friends cars, so possibly some polish or AIO product reviews if I get the right paint to use for examples.

I will try my best to contribute as well to this thread. I have never seen this thread until now and it seems very promising. I recently got to try some Adam's polishing products and will be doing a big buy on some stuff through autogeek. So when I have some free time I will do a comparison on the Saleen. :biggrin:

1hot281 09-03-2013 02:05 AM

Sorry, I've been slacking with this. Getting my hands on some new products to compare. Will be detailing a few cars with various products soon and getting some good pictures...

1hot281 05-03-2014 02:22 AM

Detail season is upon us! Hoping to get some new products to review and cars to use those products on. I'll be detailing our household cars with some of my preexisting products that I have yet to compare/review.

1hot281 05-09-2014 08:11 PM

1 Attachment(s)
Mothers Carnauba paste wax and Poorboy's Natty Blue paste wax will be going up against Pinnacle Souverän paste wax, which was recently given to me for review.

Also, Mothers older FX SynWax paste, and newer California Gold Synthetic Wax liquid, will face off against Blackfire Wet Diamond paint protection liquid.

Can the bang-for-your-buck product champs hold off the onslaught of high-priced boutique offerings? Stay tuned...

XxBoostinxX 05-09-2014 08:29 PM

Product reviews & heads-up comparisons
 
Poorboys will win the durability hands down. Pinnacle will look better but I don't think it will out last Nattys. Plus it's hard to beat the price.

I have plenty of waxes if anyone is curious about some: Dodo juice supernatural, Wolfgang Fuzion, Dodo juice Purple Haze, Dodo Juice Rainforest Rub - Golden Edition, Pinnacle Souvern, Obie Dan Chocwork, Obie Dan Sterling (not released yet), my own personal and hand poured Obie Dan Wax, and I think that's about it...

Anyhow, I am a huge fan of the Dodo Juice line and of ODK Waxes. If you are wanting a wax that will just make your car glow, look out for ODK Waxes Sterling. Dans wax is a little bit more "oily" but it truly brings out the clarity of the paint. http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/10/jenabety.jpg

06SaleenExtreme 05-09-2014 08:51 PM

You can read the sports page off the reflection of your door. The car looks awesome!

XxBoostinxX 05-09-2014 09:45 PM

Product reviews & heads-up comparisons
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by 06SaleenExtreme (Post 121114)
You can read the sports page off the reflection of your door. The car looks awesome!


Haha! Thanks Wyatt! A lot of hard work went into polishing it, but ODK Waxes was the cherry on top and took it to the next level.

Here is Dan - ODK Waxes - Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/odk.waxes?ref...odk.waxes&_rdr. He is an awesome wax maker and is very passionate about his wax. He is located in England, but is trying to his name out there in the states. I helped him get some samples to some guys on another forum and just for helping him out he sent me my very own personalized wax, his popular Chocwork wax, and a pre-release jar of his upcoming Sterling Wax. I didn't even know he was going to do all of that, he is truly a great guy. He honestly made me a fan for life. He will make anyone their own custom wax if you get in touch with him on Facebook. Not sure how much it would cost, but I know his waxes are very fair priced for what you receive.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/10/3u4a5aju.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/10/butamy5e.jpg

1hot281 05-09-2014 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XxBoostinxX (Post 121108)
Poorboys will win the durability hands down. Pinnacle will look better but I don't think it will out last Nattys. Plus it's hard to beat the price.

I have plenty of waxes if anyone is curious about some: Dodo juice supernatural, Wolfgang Fuzion, Dodo juice Purple Haze, Dodo Juice Rainforest Rub - Golden Edition, Pinnacle Souvern, Obie Dan Chocwork, Obie Dan Sterling (not released yet), my own personal and hand poured Obie Dan Wax, and I think that's about it...

Anyhow, I am a huge fan of the Dodo Juice line and of ODK Waxes. If you are wanting a wax that will just make your car glow, look out for ODK Waxes Sterling. Dans wax is a little bit more "oily" but it truly brings out the clarity of the paint

I like Natty's... Except for its tendency to deepen colors and mute metal flake. The depth and wetness of its look is great otherwise... and it is cheap and easy to work with.

But overall, so far, Mothers carnauba is my top recommendation. It's very affordable and the looks are fantastic. Its appearance is crystal clear and the shine is great. It won't hide imperfections, but it will let the true brilliance of the paintwork shine through. For a car with rough paint, something with swirl hiding and color smoothing/darkening properties is good. But if you're dropping $1000s on a show quality paint job or spending hours leveling and polishing the paint to perfection, you don't want some wax full of fillers and stuff changing the looks of all that.

I am excited to see how it measures up to the $100 Pinnacle Souverän. I need to get my hands on some more Zymol, as it had a very similar look to Mothers for way more money.

On the sealant front, I have not used Mothers Synthetic Wax liquid or BlackFire Wet Diamond before... So it will be a fresh impression on both products. The last time I used it, my impression of Mothers FX SynWax was that is has an interesting look, and I look forward to using it some more.

Coderedsaleen 05-09-2014 10:37 PM

So in what order do you apply the wax, sealants or other stuff to get the deepest shine. I just ordered some Natty's Red.

XxBoostinxX 05-09-2014 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1hot281 (Post 121117)
I like Natty's... Except for its tendency to deepen colors and mute metal flake. The depth and wetness of its look is great otherwise... and it is cheap and easy to work with.



But overall, so far, Mothers carnauba is my top recommendation. It's very affordable and the looks are fantastic. Its appearance is crystal clear and the shine is great. It won't hide imperfections, but it will let the true brilliance of the paintwork shine through. I am excited to see how it measures up to the $100 Pinnacle Souverän. I need to get my hands on some more Zymol, as it had a very similar look to Mothers for way more money.



On the sealant front, I have not used Mothers Synthetic Wax liquid or BlackFire Wet Diamond before... So it will be a fresh impression on both products. The last time I used it, my impression of Mothers FX SynWax was that is has an interesting look, and I look forward to using it some more.


I have a jar of Mother's Carnauba sitting in the fridge. Haven't used it in some time. Might break it out for the g/f's car one day.

I have never been a huge wax fan, though I seem to be. I honestly don't see a huge difference in some waxes. Pinnacle to Fuzion to Supernatural to Meg's Yellow Wax, wax is pretty much wax and all have similar characteristics. Playing with ODK Waxes did let me see how oils can affect appearance. But with a more oily wax comes less durability. So it's a trade off. Looks or durability.

I know a ton of guys that are crazy about Blackfire, but I just haven't jumped on the bandwagon because of the sunshine pumpers on the Autopia Car Care Forum. Every one of them is Blackfire and nothing else compares. Just not my style I guess. I like a variety of products :) . I'd like to see how you think of it though. Keep us posted.

If you are looking into sealants, definitely give Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0 a try. I went out on a limb and bought some early on in my detailing habit and still use it occasionally. Super glossy for a sealant and awesome durability.

XxBoostinxX 05-09-2014 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coderedsaleen (Post 121118)
So in what order do you apply the wax, sealants or other stuff to get the deepest shine. I just ordered some Natty's Red.


It's all in the prep bud. If the paint is properly prepped, aka polished, the paint will look wet as can be. It's all the micro-marring (fine scratches) that take away from your paints finish and makes it appear dull. But some waxes do tend to "fill" the scratches and marring to help give the paint a glossier look. This goes away over time and the paint goes back to original state. The picture of my car above has 95% of the defects removed, Opti-coated, and Waxed. The wax just gave it more depth. But always apply a sealant first, than a wax. Sealants are more durable than waxes. Waxes tend to be more glossy.

If you really want the best of both worlds have your car coated. A coating is like a super hydrophobic barrier against marring and the elements. It can last up to two years (Cquartz) or longer (Opti-Coat 2.0). My car has Opti-Coat 2.0 on it, but I top it with a wax all the time to give it a deeper look.

1hot281 05-09-2014 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coderedsaleen (Post 121118)
So in what order do you apply the wax, sealants or other stuff to get the deepest shine. I just ordered some Natty's Red.

Wash, clay, wash again, prewax cleaner, glaze, sealant, wax.

If your car doesn't need a clay, then skip clay and the second wash. If your paint needs more correction than a glaze can hide, skip the glaze and instead add a polishing step... Then sealant.

Most sealants should be allowed to set overnight before the application of a carnauba wax top coat.

You can also get products that combine two or more steps in to one. Cleaner waxes, for example... Some do simple prewax cleaning and leave behind a wax coat. Some waxes are loaded with fillers and basically combine a pure wax and glaze in one step. There are also "waxes" that combine sealant with carnauba wax.

XxBoostinxX 05-09-2014 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1hot281 (Post 121123)
Wash, clay, wash again, prewax cleaner, glaze, sealant, wax.



If your car doesn't need a clay, then skip clay and the second wash. If your paint needs more correction than a glaze can hide, skip the glaze and instead add a polishing step... Then sealant.



Most sealants should be allowed to set overnight before the application of a carnauba wax top coat.



You can also get products that combine two or more steps in to one. Cleaner waxes, for example... Some do simple prewax cleaning and leave behind a wax coat. Some waxes are loaded with fillers and basically combine a pure wax and glaze in one step. There are also "waxes" that combine sealant with carnauba wax.


Spot on. You still clay though? You need to give the Nanoskin stuff a try bud. That stuff is awesome. I have the medium grade pad and both sponges. They save me a ton of time and it can be reused over and over.

1hot281 08-18-2014 06:10 PM

I finally had a chance to use the Mothers Professional Paint Restoration System. I got to restore a Honda CBR-600RR Sport bike, that a friend of mine recently had returned to her as a theft recovery. The thieves used the bike to practice "stunting" and as a result, the bike was dropped on the pavement a few times. The bike is black. We all know how fun black paint is to work with. Lol

Anyway, the bike was washed and clayed with Dawn dish soap (to degrease and strip any residue) and Mothers California Gold Clay Bar system. Then I used the Mothers PPRS Rubbing Compound and Finishing Polish. Both were applied with a Porter Cable Orbital, using Classic Motoring Accessories 5.5" pads on a 5" back plate. This was not ideal on a bike. A 3" pad would have been much better for the variety of small surfaces on a motorcycle. But the larger pad got the job done.

The experience with the Paint Restoration System was great. The Rubbing Compound is very easy to work with, though the residue removal was a little harder than the Finishing Polish. The defect removal was pretty decent, considering I was using a relatively soft pad, not a cutting pad. The Finishing Polish really jeweled the paint and brought out a great deep shine. Removal of the residue was very easy.

I followed the correction steps with a coat of FX SynWax... Which was allowed to cure overnight. Then two coats of California Gold Pure Carnauba this morning. The flat black plastics of the mirrors, air intakes, and various pieces were treated with Back-to-Black.

The end results were beyond expectation. While the deep scuffs and scratches from the bike's encounter with asphalt remained, the swirls and light scratches were reduced dramatically. With a proper cutting pad on the buffer, leveling the paint to perfection would be a breeze. With the soft pad I had to use, the Professional Rubbing Compound and Finishing Polish were able to bring a luster back to the paint that the owner said exceeds its appearance when the bike was originally purchased. You would never look at this bike now, and think it was obviously an abused theft recovery.

*Pictures are from 8/22/14... About 4 days after completion of initial detail. Corrective steps and sealant on 8/17/14. Final top coat of wax on 8/18/14. I forgot to take pictures the day of.

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...psfp5vdimq.jpg
http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...ps4ebawlyz.jpg
http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...pssgjyxun9.jpg

The Mother Professional Paint Restoration System is definitely an extremely user friendly and capable combo... With the right pads I have no doubts it could remove the ugliest paint imperfections with little issue... and for paint that still shows defects after something like the 3-step Mother California Gold Ultimate Wax System, this combo is perfect.

I will be putting this combo up against the Meguiars Ultimate Compound and Ultimate Polish on my roommates Scion before the end of the summer. Which will come out on top? We'll see!

1hot281 05-25-2015 08:53 PM

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Finally got around to using BlackFire Wet Diamond. I applied a single coat to my girlfriends GTI. No prep work prior to application other than washing. The car is in desperate need of clay and prewax cleaner, and at minimum a polishing. Fairly heavy contamination and swirls. However, due to time constraints, this was simply a wash & wax.

Application:
- I applied by machine for this product. The bottle indicated hand application was an option.
- the product is very watery. I imagine it would be very easy to over apply
- due to its watery consistency, the product soaked in to the applicator pad very quickly and easily, rather than sitting on the surface.
- a little goes a long way. A nickel sized amount was adequate to cover half a hood or entire quarter panel
- it was extremely easy to get a very thin uniform coat during application.

Removal:
- the instructions said to do a panel at a time, allowing the product to dry to a haze before removal
- I found a thin layer would dry to a haze very quickly. A couple minutes was more than enough time
- removal was very very easy. Virtually no residue or powdering, and came off buttery smooth with a microfiber and minimal pressure.

Look:
- the product contains some fillers, as the bottle advertises the ability to diminish the appearance of swirls. I found this to be accurate.
- the overall looks is very wet and shiny. Giving the impression of wet clear coat, but not a deep depth or darkening of color like you'd get with a carnauba wax.
- the look was also crystal clear. The metal flake pops and is not muted at all.

Conclusions:
- the application and removal was some of the easiest of any product I've used thus far.
- the look is very nice. If you want the natural color of your paint to shine through, this is an ideal product.
- also ideal if your paint is heavy on metal flake, as it is allowed to really catch that light and pop.

I will definitely be using this product again.

1hot281 05-25-2015 09:07 PM

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Pictures added for previous post

hfnav 06-12-2015 06:16 PM

unbelievable thank yous
 
I have poked into this section for short moments trying to set more time to investigate. And I just did. The work that you folks have done, the format, and the time is just so helpful and fun. This section is so moving, I'll wash my car this weekend. I truly appreciate your work and expertise and art. I desire to bone up on detailing my cars and find my clay bar! Thank you, thank you.

1hot281 10-18-2015 08:18 PM

Haven't had a lot of time for reviews, or detailing of any kind really. Lots of overtime at work for the past few months.

Anyway, just thought I'd pop in. Still love using my Mothers Showtime to keep my daily driver looking slick all week. Hopefully I'll be able to use and review some of my stockpiled products sometime before the winter season picks up. I've also really been craving some new products. Mothers and Meguiar's Waterless washes are on my radar. With the drought in California, waterless systems are really growing in popularity.

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...ps9prgx7nl.jpg

1hot281 11-28-2015 05:55 AM

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Finally getting a chance to use some new products over this four day weekend. I'll be using Zymol Route66 Wash, applying Mothers Synthetic Wax via Porter Cable, and topping with either Zymol Route66 Spray Wax or Pinnacle.

Excited to see how these new Zymol Route66 products stack up. Zymol lists them as specific for Muscle~Street Rod... The size of the bottles for the price is absurd. I'll get some pictures up over the weekend, but these bottles are tiny.

1hot281 11-28-2015 09:03 PM

Okay, so I finally got to use Zymol Route66 wash on my daily driver Camaro. First, check out the size of these bottles. On the left is the Route66 wash, and the right is the Route66 spray wax. Despite the official images on the Zymol website making the wash look like a much bigger bottle, the reality is right there in front of us.

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...pskogkh1wl.jpg

At $25 for the pair (Route66 wash and spray wax) these products had better be highly concentrated. I'd guess the wash is maybe 12-16oz, and the spray wax is maybe 8oz. The bottles are pretty much plain. Only the Route66 logo. No instructions or other labels of any kind.

Anyway, on to the review.

Application:
- I washed the car using both a bucket, and my foam gun.
- I used about 20 pumps of Route66 wash in a 5 gallon bucket, filled to around 3.5-4 gallons. Around 10 pumps was added to the reservoir of my foam gun.
- a Meguiar's microfiber wash mitt was used for all cleaning
- when filling the bucket with a strong stream of water, the wash seemed to foam up well
- despite the initial high amount of foam, very little foam made it to the car. The suds were also very weak from my foam gun.
- even with a lack of suds, the wash seemed to do the job rather well.

Removal:
- due to lack of suds, the layer of wash on the car seemed thin, and was prone to drying out rather quickly
- the film left behind if allowed to dry looked awful, but rinsed away easy enough
- after a quick rinse, the car didn't seem to easily water spot, and drying was relatively quick and easy.

Look:
- after washing and drying, the car looked pretty clean. I wouldn't say "just waxed" or exceptional in any way.

Conclusions:
- I'm not sure what the issue was, regarding lack of foam/suds. Perhaps next time I use this wash, I will use quite a bit more.
- despite the issue with suds, the wash got the job done. The wash mitt seemed to glide over the paint, lubricated quite well by the wash.
- All things considered, depending how much more product I would have to use to produce satisfactory foaming, the look, and price for such a small bottle, I would not recommend this wash unless you just enjoy having a lot of detailing supplies.

I'm hoping the Route66 spray wax puts on a better show. Perhaps the overall price of the Route66 kit went in to the spray wax, and the wash is more of an afterthought.

Sorry for the lack of pictures. I didn't stop to photograph the car after washing and drying, as I moved right in to claying so I could apply my wax while the sunlight was still with me.

Dave 11-28-2015 09:36 PM

Informative review. Strange bottle sizes and odd lack of instructions for sure.

1hot281 11-28-2015 10:08 PM

Oh, and before I forget... As much as we've compared and reviewed chemical products, the things we use to apply and remove these products are just as important. Coming up sometime soon, I will begin comparing some of the many various products I use while detailing cars.

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...pskanipshb.jpg

My Meguiar's microfiber wash mitt will face off against the plush Mothers Lambswool wash mitt.

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...pszcsft2b7.jpg

Mothers waffle weave Ultra-Soft Drying towel and Ultra-Soft Wheel & Jamb Towel will be compared to Meguiar's Water Magnet microfiber drying towels.

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...psssxemf5j.jpg

And Meguiar's Supreme Shine Microfiber towel, Mothers Ultra-Soft Quick Detail towel, and AutoGeek.net's Microfiber detailing towels, will get in to a three way showdown.

1hot281 11-29-2015 02:32 PM

After washing and claying my daily driver Camaro, application of Mothers Synthetic Wax was finished last night. It has cured for over 12 hours, and will be topped by Pinnacle shortly. Figure I'll review the Mothers Synthetic Wax first.

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...ps5qokhyni.jpg

Application:
- I applied by machine for this product. The bottle indicated hand application was an option.
- the product is a tad watery, but much more manageable than BlackFire. Over application wasn't really an issue.
- Mothers claims Synthetic Wax has some ultra-fine polishes, and when applied by machine, it does appear to clean up and increase shine a bit. Nothing dramatic, but on a daily driver, it saved me the step of using a pre-wax cleaner.
- no harsh smell. It didn't really seem to stain trim at all, if wiped away quickly. I didn't allow any to sit long enough to see if it can dry on and stain.
- it was pretty easy to get a very thin uniform coat during application.

Removal:
- the instructions said to do a panel at a time, allowing the product to dry to a haze before removal
- I found a each thin layer would dry to a haze quickly. A couple minutes was more than enough time
- removal was a breeze. No residue or streaking, and buffed off very easily with a microfiber and minimal pressure.
- after the first few panels, I started leaving panels to dry for longer. Doing a front fender, door, and rear fender, before heading back to the first fender for removal. Still wiped off pretty effortlessly.

Look:
- the product contains some polish, as the bottle advertises the ability to bring out gloss and luster. I found this to me mostly accurate.
- the overall looks is very shiny. Giving the impression of hard candy shell.
- the look was also very clear. If this paint had metal flake, I'm sure it would pop.

Conclusions:
- the application and removal was extremely easy.
- the look is great. If you like a bright glossy shine, this product won't disappoint.
- also ideal if you're applying by machine but want to skip the polish and/or prewax cleaner step. Though it is not marketed as a "Cleaner Wax" I found it to do that job adequately.


For around $9-$10 for a 16oz bottle (versus $40 for 16oz of BlackFire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection) I'm very pleased with Mothers California Gold Synthetic Wax. It is definitely better, in my opinion, than Mothers FX SynWax and Meguiar's NXT Tech Wax 2.0. I won't go out and say it is outright better than BlackFire, because BlackFire is very impressive... but for the price? Would you rather have one bottle of BlackFire or four bottles of Mothers Synthetic Wax? I think Mothers represents a far better value, for sure. And don't get me wrong, it is no slouch compared to the boutique BlackFire.

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...ps3ml0wegv.jpg

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/v...psdnztg1ak.jpg

06-203 02-15-2016 09:23 PM

Not sure if anyone has tried Croftgate, but I have been using it on my 2006 at all car shows. Shines great...

d3c0d3d 10-18-2016 02:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XxBoostinxX (Post 121121)
If you really want the best of both worlds have your car coated. A coating is like a super hydrophobic barrier against marring and the elements. It can last up to two years (Cquartz) or longer (Opti-Coat 2.0). My car has Opti-Coat 2.0 on it, but I top it with a wax all the time to give it a deeper look.

I did the CQuartz Finest route and my personal opinion it is the holy grail of shininess. I tried putting a wax over CQuartz but couldn't tell a difference so I don't apply any. Opti-Coat is a similar product with also great results.

I therefore put all my effort into proper washing technique to minimize any micro scratching which degrades the shine. I use CQuartz for both my car and truck and its amazing.

I hope you do a water / rinse - less wash show down. Here in California there's a drought!

Or a CQuartz vs Opti-Coat comparison *crowd gasps*

kss113 10-30-2016 09:49 PM

I have always used Mothers synthetic or Meguiar's.

Just recently I bought the Meguiar's G3500 DA Power System Tool and did the full detail on both my Saleen and 4Runner, 3 step process compound, polish then wax.

I found this to be awesome, but I would not want to do it every time, it took me all day to do my 4runner and another day to do my Saleen, but the results were amazing and I think do to the polishing step I had NO swirl marks of any kind, just a nice rich deep gloss shine.

And I feel that after doing all 3 steps, the true factor in having a nice deep/wet looking shine is polishing before waxing.

Just my 2 cents.


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