Product reviews

[nc6600]

Okay guys,

lets start a product review thread. List the product you used, what you thought of it, and if you have them post some before & after pics.

Okay Thursday i did a carbon metallic 04 Denali that hadn't been clayed since new.

I used Adam's Clay and DS which worked really well even though it took me 2 full clay bars to do this whole truck!

I then used some SSR2.5 on an orange pad followed by SSR1 on a white pad.

Did a quick wipe down with DS

Then applied Klasse All-In-One,

waxed with Adams Superwax on a black pad.

Tires down with VRT, and stoners IG inside and out glass.

truck looked awesome will get some pics uploaded when i get back in town.

 

[3blackchevys]

Due to all the rain we had during the week, I decided to wash with Gold Glass then used Adams spray glaze. ( Just clay bared with Adams, polised with Poor Boys and wax with Migliore last week) First time with the Adams and it is a great product. It has a nice smell to it as well. I also washed my mothers ML 350 with gold glass and then also waxed with gold glass. I'll get some photo's up later of both. Here's the Tahoe from last week.






pictures taken this morning from yesterday..got a little dusty. i'm trying to use up all of my gold glass car was, I need to switch to something else.

 

[Timmy]

well me and mike were gonna start one of these, but i guess this works.

here's my list

Washes

Armor all car wash concentrate- I wasn’t really impressed by the results. I felt that it took the wax off of my truck entirely too fast. The viscosity was horrible and it was just an overall lack-luster product. Overall 5/10

Blue Corral High Foam Concentrate- again, this product lacked a lot of viscosity. It cleaned pretty well until it came to tar. It was kind of like using plain water. Overall 4/10

McGuiars Gold Class- Really not a bad product for OTC. It honestly is not the best that I’ve used, but it’s definitely not the worst. I will probably not use it after some of the other shampoos that I’ve used; I would recommend this if you don’t have time to order some off the internet. Overall 7/10

RainX with Yellow Beads- not a bad wash for the price. I, again, have used better. I honestly would use this again if I had to. It worked well on bugs and tar. Overall 7.5/10

Poorboy’s World Super Slick ‘n Suds- this is hands down the best car wash shampoo I have ever used. I’m almost tempted to order a case and give it out as a Christmas present to people (well not that far, but it is GREAT). I highly recommend this if you have the time to wait for it. Overall 9/10

Waxes-

McGuiars Gold Class Liquid- not a bad over the counter wax. If lasts decently, but will not provide the shine of some of paste wax. It’s really easy to apply, but dries hard. Beware of unpainted plastics- good luck getting it off. I honestly say for a liquid wax, this is one of the best you can get OTC that I have used. Overall a very nice product- 7/10 liquid

McGuiars Deep Crystal Liquid Wax- about the same as gold class. It goes on easy, but is, again, hard to take off. Overall 6/10 as the shine is not what it could be.

Turtle Wax- this is a decent product. Not the best paste wax, but you can do worse. Easy on and off. Overall 6/10

Turtle Wax Ice- Paste- A very good OTC product. I think that it is very close to one of the best waxes available OTC. Easy on and off. It provides a GREAT shine for just a little bit of money. Overall 7/10 paste.
McGuiars NXT 2.0 Paste- Rivals TW Ice as one of the best OTC waxes available. I feel that on the car I used it on, it was a very easy to apply wax. It also has to be the easiest waxes I’ve ever had to take off. The shine that it gives is simply awesome and after a good clay bar, would be AMAZING. Overall 7/10

Migliore Fine Wax Original Blend- this is hands down one of the best waxes I’ve used to date. It is really hard to get used to, but since it has alot carnauba, it takes longer to set up because of the oils. This wax smells amazing, and while I know that doesn’t help the shine, it helps while you’re waxing. This wax provides one of the best shines with a deep, wet look to it. Overall 9/10

Migliore Competizione- A brand new wax for Migliore. It is pretty easy on and off. The shine it provides is like none I’ve ever produced. Overall 9.5/10

 

[Timmy]

and here is mikes.

Poorboy’s

Poorboy’s SSR1: SSR1 is great for light and minor swirl marks or imperfections. It’s very easy to use and has a quick breakdown time which helps when using a DA polisher such as the Porter Cable. The old Formula tended to cause a lot of dusting whereas the new formula is supposed to correct that problem almost entirely.

Poorboy’s SSR2: SSR2 is great for those imperfections that are in between Light to Medium. It can substitute SSR1 if you’re only doing a light correction. Old formula had dusting as well, just like all of the SSR’s so I shouldn’t need to repeat that. The new formula is supposed to correct that..

Poorboy’s SSR2.5: SSR2.5 can be used on Medium to Heavy imperfections. It should be followed by SSR1 if you are going for a Full correction. It’s not always necessary though.

Poorboy’s SSR3: SSR3 should be used for Heavy imperfections. It may cause other marring in the process of removing the imperfections and should be followed with SSR1 or 2.

Poorboy’s Polish With Carnauba: Polish w/ Carnauba can be used after correction. It helps clear anything else up along with adding some protection to the paint

Poorboy’s Polish With Sealant: Pretty much same thing as the Polish w/ Carnauba but with Sealant.

Poorboy’s White Diamond: A very nice glaze to use on light colored vehicles. Really makes light colors pop a lot. Easy on/off application. Can be applied by hand or by machine.

Poorboy’s Black Hole: Another great glaze. Same thing as the White Diamond but is primarily used for dark colors.

Natty’s Regular: Provides a nice shine. Easy on/off formula. Doesn’t last very long so be prepared to be adding more frequently. Some people have felt that it might attract some dust. If it does, use some quick detailer on the applicator pad to help out with this problem..

Natty’s Blue: Great wax. Leave a nice overall result. Smells great. Doesn’t last too long though. Easy on/off formula

Natty’s Red: Leaves a wetter look then Natty’s Blue. Longevity is around the same. Easy on/off formula.

Poorboy’s EX: A great sealant by Poorboy’s. Last a long time and leave a nice shine. Let it cure for a minimum of 30 minutes to 1 hour. Extremely easy to take off and apply. Should be used on light colored vehicles

Poorboy’s EX-P: Same as EX but for Dark colored vehicles.

Poorboy’s Quick Wax Plus: This is an absolutely amazing product. It’s great for quick touch ups and really helps the overall appearance of any vehicle. It hides almost all imperfections. Great for use at shows. Very easy to apply and remove. Can be used on glass and chrome as well. It has the ability to remove light water spots as well. For me it’s a must have.

Poorboy’s Quick Detailer Plus: This is essentially the new version of QW+ as they decided to stop making it. It has more cleaning ability than the QW+ which makes it more desirable to use for something that needs a little bit of cleaning. Easy on/off formula you can’t go wrong with.

Poorboy’s Wheel Sealant: Again, another one of Poorboy’s products that is an easy/off product. Lasts a long time and provides a nice finish.

Poorboy’s Wheel Cleaner: I found this product to work the best out of any wheel cleaner I have tried. It did require some scrubbing but still a great result. You will notice, or at least I did, instant rust forming on the rotors after use. After a little bit of breaking it will be gone. Make sure you use in an open environment…this isn’t the kind of high you really want.

Poorboy’s Trim Restore: Brings back some of the most faded plastics I’ve seen. You really need to get it soaked in though. It may take a lot of product to get your desired look. It is a restorer, not a glaze. Penetrates most plastics with ease. Great product.

Poorboy’s Bug Squash: Definitely one of my favorite Poorboy’s products. This stuff works amazing. Must have. I treat every car with it before I begin washing. It really helps out a lot. Makes like a lot easier. Can be used diluted, in fact that’s what you should do as it doesn’t take much.

Poorboy’s Spray N Wipe: Another one of those “must have’s” from Poorboy’s. Cleans by far the best out of any quick detailer I have ever used. Worked great on all surfaces. Can be used to clean glass, chrome, plastics, of course paint, etc. A little bit goes a long way. It took me 1 year to go through the gallon using it multiple times a week.

Poorboy’s Spray N Gloss: Decent. Leaves a nice finish. Has little cleaning ability but it does work great for adding a little bit of shine to paint that is just dusty.

Optimum

Optimum Compound: Great product for a rotary. It has a long breakdown time so it works best with a rotary polisher. Provides great results. If the product isn’t broken down all the way while polishing you may see some holograms. For use with Light – Medium imperfections.

Optimum Hyper Compound: Talk about heavy duty. This is to be used with Heavy correction. It can be mixed 50/50 with regular Compound. Make sure you break down this product all the way and follow with regular compound or Optimum Polish if you’re following the Optimum lineup.

Optimum Polish: Great for oxidized paint. Once again, a long break down product. I had a hard time getting it out of the bottle so it may take taking off the top and squeezing some out that way to get it out..

Optimum Tire Shine: It’s one of those Spray and Walk Away products. Very good for that. Before shows I’ll take the tires off the truck, use cutout of cardboard to cover up the wheel, and soak the tires and let them sit like that for a couple hours. It provides a Matte finish with a bit of gloss. If you rub it in you will get a full Matte finish. It has a medium longevity. It will last about a week to 2 weeks depending on where you live and what you drive in.

Migliore

Migliore Original Paste: One of my favorite every day waxes. It lasts a LONG time and provides an incredible shine. The downside to this product is it is hard to remove. Application needs to be done in a very light coat with a moist applicator. When removing, it can take up to 2-3 passes over the vehicle. To help with this, you can use some quick detailer to help out. You can finish in 1-2 passes with some quick detailer. Letting it cure for a longer amount of time will help with removal as well.

Migliore Original Liquid: Well…It’s not really a liquid. It’s more of a gel. It’s in between the paste idea of wax and liquid. This has made for an easier application and removal. You also end up with the same finish. This doesn’t last quite as long as the paste, but longer then any other liquid I have tried. Same thing applies for removal although this one is usually a bit easier.

Migliore Frutta: This is identical to the Original minus the fact it contains exotic oils that are made to bring out and pop bright colored vehicles.

Migliore Primo: By far my favorite wax on the market. It contains an incredibly high amount of Carnauba. The application is easy, same with removal. Again, it might help to mist a bit of quick detailer to speed things up. This has made every color I’ve tried it on pop. It comes in a very high content, personally engraved jar. That jar can EASILY last up to 5 years. I have been using a 4oz jar and have used it on 10 different cars (not including multiple uses on certain vehicles) and it barely looks like I’ve even used it. I highly recommend setting the jar in the sun about 10 minutes prior to use due to how hard of a wax it is. This will soften it up a bit and make it easier to work with.

Migliore Tire Shine: For those that have a low profile tire and enjoy a long last, deep Matte finish, then this is something to consider. It lasts about 2-3 weeks after 2 light coats and maintains a very deep Matte finish. Applies just like any tire glaze.

Migliore Trim Glaze: Another excellent product. This is not a restorer, but rather a dressing. It does have the ability to bring back some faded plastics after a few coats. Works great in engine bays as well. I have tested it side by side to Poorboy’s Trim Restore and it lasted about a week longer and maintained its finish throughout that time. It may take multiple coats to get your desired look.

Migliore Wheel Sealant: Long lasting product. Very easy to apply and remove. Reminds me of a coffee shop when you smell it. It works wonders on chrome. It does have a slight cleaning ability to it as well. Great product in my opinion.

Migliore Quick Detailer: I wish I could drink it. Smells amazing. Great product. Gives the paint of the vehicle a nice pop due to some of the ingredients. Its cleaning ability is mediocre. It’s more for giving the paint a nice pop and it does an excellent job of that.


Adam’s

Adam’s APC: One of the best APC’s (All Purpose Cleaners) I have used. Works great on everything. Can be diluted depending on what you are using it on. It will always be in my detailing arsenal.

Adam’s Underbody Dressing: If you want a really wet finish for your underbody this is a great choice. Works great at shows. Lots of comments are made about and it smells amazing. Great to keep around.

Adam’s Shampoo: Great shampoo. Stays very slick and will produce a lot of suds through a foam gun. Smells great and cleans efficiently. I’m almost afraid to use too much of it as it will run out quicker…

Adam’s Quick Detailer: Decent quick detailer. I use it weekly on some customer’s cars. It doesn’t have the cleaning ability of Spray N Wipe but its good. Has a decent finish to it s well.

Adam’s Glass Cleaner: I wasn’t impressed. I now use it to clean the mirrors in my bathroom rather then use it on cars. Windex even worked better in my opinion.

 

[Timmy]

Chemical Guys

Chemical Guy’s ONE: Amazing product. One of those must tries. Has a decent cleaning ability but it’s all about the finish. It’s the same concept behind Spray N Glaze…however, this works a lot better.

Meguiar’s

Meguiar’s NXT 2.0 Paste/Liquid: The best OTC (Over The Counter) wax available. Long lasting, great finish, good price, easy on/off formula. Definitely something to look into if you’re one of those people who like to buy everything OTC.

Meguiar’s NXT Shampoo: Great shampoo, especially for being OTC. Very slick, provides nice suds with the foam gun. Gives the paint a nice shine as well. I use it on all of my vehicles.

Meguiar’s Gold Class Shampoo: Decent. Cleans a little better then NXT but doesn’t leave quite the finish. Mix both together for some nice results.

Meguiar’s Clay Bar Kit: Decent kit. Can’t really go too wrong with clay these days. The white bar you receive in this kit seems to be a little “under powered” so to speak. It comes with Cleaner Wax, Quick Detailer (for a lubricant) and 2 bars of clay.

Meguiar’s Quick Detailer: Decent. Get’s the job done. Don’t expect any type of flashy look afterword like the Non-OTC detailers but it does clean the vehicle.

Meguiar’s Ultimate Detailer: This one does leave a nice finish after cleaning. Pretty good for OTC. Cleans and leaves a slick look. Not bad.

Meguiar’s #80 Speed Glaze: It’s not really a glaze as it removes Light- Medium swirls. Very versatile product as far as machines/hand goes. Provides a nice finish afterwards as well. Low dusting also.

Meguiar’s M105: Great product for Medium to Heavy imperfections. Quick break down period. You do not need to use a lot. Using a lot can cause the pad to clutter up a bit, minimizing the results you want to get..

Meguiar’s M205: This was made to follow M105. Essentially it’s the same idea of the SSR’s or Optimum. It’s able to remove Light imperfections. Decent product as it gets the job done and leaves a nice result.






Misc.

Total Auto Wash (TAW): Great product. Can be used on anything…yes anything. You may need to dilute it depending on what type of surface you are using it on. I use it to clean all leather. It does an amazing job at that. Can be used to clean the engine bay, cloth, plastics, wheels, etc etc. Buy 2 bottles…you wont regret it.

Red Moose Glaze: Another great glaze. Works amazing on dark colored vehicles. Easily applied either by hand or machine. Definitely something to consider if it’s in the budget.

Bickmore #4: Bickmore is a leather cleaner and conditioner that most people do not know about. #4 is the conditioner. I have used it for about 2 years and have tried 4-6 different types of conditioners and like this the best. Very easy to use with great results.

Oakwood Leather Conditioner: Again, not a name most will recognize. It is a good quality conditioner. Can be used on anything leather. It does leave a little bit of an oily residue so it will need to be wiped down twice.

Lexol Leather Conditioner: Again, a good conditioner. It’s also a better known name. I still prefer the Bickmore over it. It is good, and easily found. They have some wipes available that are nice for a quick touchup.

 

[3blackchevys]

much appreciated Timmy

 

[Chris@glimmerglass]

Nice writeup Timmy! Have you tried Optimum Finish Polish yet? Also, I'm surprised you dont have M105 as a heavier corecting product. I've done some of the heaviest work w/ that product. Use it either w/ a purple foamed wool pad on a rotary or 5.5" ccs pad on the PC (but applying a lot of pressure), and it'll do wonders!

And yea, if anyone wants my personal opinions on anything we carry, feel free to ask.

 

[nc6600]

Thank you for the reviews timmy. And Chris i believe it was you that recommended the CG 5050 that stuff was awesome, thanks.

 

[Rollin Thunder]

dawn dish soap, and 6 dollar towels from walmart, then some Turtle spray on wax.

 

[Chris@glimmerglass]

Thank you for the reviews timmy. And Chris i believe it was you that recommended the CG 5050 that stuff was awesome, thanks.

Yep, I love 5050... No doubt its one of, if not, my favorite wax