Does One Company Have it all?

[DetailZeus]

I think it depends on how many purpose-built products you want/need. Think "pad cleaner" or "headlight coating." McKee`s comes to mind to cover nearly every base.

Shampoo
APC
Sealant
Cleaner Wax
Rinseless Wash
Tire/Trim Gel

Give me the above from nearly any reputable company and I can can leave you with a pretty darn good looking car

 

[LEDetailng]

Pbmg!

 

[RZJZA80]

Some of the company`s mentioned so far do not answer the OP`s question of "Does one company have it all?" unless you intend on compounding and polishing everything by hand. This is why I said GG is 1st followed by Megs, they have their own polishers and complete lineup of everything else you`d need.

 

[briarpatch]

I agree. If you own a Rupes, their pads and polishes are color coded.

As are the BOSS pads/polishes from Griots

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Gee, it`s great to see how Griot`s Garage has become so widely valued here at Autopia. I just can`t get over the diff between now and just a few years ago.

I recall reading some threads that were from 2014-ish where GG was not looked upon as highly as it is now. When I got into all this stuff in 2016, those threads kept me away from GG and I still haven’t ventured over to them (except for GG 6 DA). I have too much stuff now to start with them, despite all the recent accolades.

Wasn`t the change Jeff Brown taking over product development there? It seems like he`s steered it into a serious detailing company instead of a "Brookstone" or "Sharper Image" one. Maybe that`s a little too simplistic, but that`s the best I can do this morning.

 

[briarpatch]

Wasn`t the change Jeff Brown taking over product development there? It seems like he`s steered it into a serious detailing company instead of a "Brookstone" or "Sharper Image" one. Maybe that`s a little too simplistic, but that`s the best I can do this morning.

Not too simplistic.....seems spot on to me.....I remember when my father in law starting using Griots stuff.....that was around 2009.....seemed like it was geared toward a small niche market.....they appear to have come `down to earth`

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Not too simplistic.....seems spot on to me.....I remember when my father in law starting using Griots stuff.....that was around 2009.....seemed like it was geared toward a small niche market.....they appear to have come `down to earth`

Well...I`m not sure "down to earth" is how I`d describe it now that I`ve had my coffee...Accumulator noted:

And to think that (as best I could tell) the original GG-branded products were relabeled Meguiar`s! BTW, if that was *NOT* the case I`d like somebody to post about it; I absolutely COULD NOT discern a diff between the two and I`d used the Meguiar`s versions for ages so I`d think I could`ve noticed.

So in that scenario it was like Brookstone or Sharper Image in that they used their clever catalog to sell stuff as unique that maybe wasn`t. But then some years ago they hired their own chemists, and capped that with Brownie to develop the BOSS line. So rather than "down to earth" I`d say more like they lifted themselves up to (apparently) first tier supplier.

 

[showbbq]

I think you`ll be fine with sticking with a brand for each job you`re trying to accomplish. eg. For polishing you could use the BOSS system with Griots, coatings and prep with CarPro, etc. It would be silly to have blind loyalty to a brand instead of choosing the best products for your needs.

 

[jatleson]

Griots as a one stop shop is hard to beat. I currently use their interior products, machines and pads, spray wax, speed shine and best of show detailer. Used other products in the past, but all work well. I happen to enjoy mixing and matching, but in a pinch I would stick with Griots without worry. As a bonus you can get a lot of product locally and it is the same stuff they sell online. Much less confusing than dealing with Meguiar`s multiple lines.

 

[Accumulator]

Interesting info Re GG...I`ve never paid any attention to the Behind-the-Scenes stuff there, never heard of Mr. Brown, etc.

Gotta admit I didn`t think of "buy the polisher from `em too", but that`s been going on for a while with some vendors too; I got my first Cyclo through Malm`s Wax, even had a Malm`s sticker on it.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Interesting info Re GG...I`ve never paid any attention to the Behind-the-Scenes stuff there, never heard of Mr. Brown, etc.

Well, it`s not like I pay a LOT of attention...I think it`s over on AGO one of the members links to a lot of Griot`s videos, and a few years ago there was one of Richard in the lab with the chemists making decisions about stuff, and Brownie (Jeff Brown) was kind of front and center when the BOSS polishing system was released.

At some point I think they pictured their bottling operation in the catalog...I don`t know if they are actually blending there, or just bottling. It`s always amused me the places that don`t blend but only bottle...I don`t know if that is just for cost savings, or if it looks to laymen like they "make" the stuff if they are bottling it, or if it`s to keep the warehouse employees from knowing exactly which product that`s coming in is going into which bottle...instead of looking at the return address on the box of pre-bottled stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBvkaYtcFfA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8eIKCHq72A

 

[JustJesus]

Maybe I am not very smart, but am I the only one that gets confused by all the different offerings and all the different colors of products.

You`re not alone. I even made a thread called "Chemical Confusion" or something like that years ago.

 

[KBsToy]

For whats it worth..check out Scotts latest you tube video, Dallas Paint Correction and auto detailing ...Very interesting and maybe shine some light on this

 

[Accumulator]

Setec Astronomy- Thanks for the thumbnail sketch. Your visits to AGO and YouTube viewing are still a lot more exposure to the Detailing World than I get, as I only frequent Autopia.

I`ll admit I wonder why people get into such Detailing Product Exposure that the silly-numerous different product lines become any kind of issue. IMO you can just ignore 99% of all the Detailing stuff out there and still do perfectly good work. I suppose it`s concern about missing out on the next greatest thing.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Setec Astronomy- Thanks for the thumbnail sketch. Your visits to AGO and YouTube viewing are still a lot more exposure to the Detailing World than I get, as I only frequent Autopia.

I`ll admit I wonder why people get into such Detailing Product Exposure that the silly-numerous different product lines become any kind of issue. IMO you can just ignore 99% of all the Detailing stuff out there and still do perfectly good work. I suppose it`s concern about missing out on the next greatest thing.

Well I was certainly on the flavor-of-the-month/next greatest thing bandwagon for a while, but I think I`ve mostly gotten over that...well, somewhat gotten over that. But it took you some time/experience to come to your opinion that you can ignore the 99% (which I`ll take to mean you can get good results with most products)...think about the newb who just got a new car and wants to maintain it and being overwhelmed...and endeavors to study/understand the silly-numerous different product lines. Unless I misunderstood you.

 

[Stokdgs]

Well, it`s not like I pay a LOT of attention...I think it`s over on AGO one of the members links to a lot of Griot`s videos, and a few years ago there was one of Richard in the lab with the chemists making decisions about stuff, and Brownie (Jeff Brown) was kind of front and center when the BOSS polishing system was released.

At some point I think they pictured their bottling operation in the catalog...I don`t know if they are actually blending there, or just bottling. It`s always amused me the places that don`t blend but only bottle...I don`t know if that is just for cost savings, or if it looks to laymen like they "make" the stuff if they are bottling it, or if it`s to keep the warehouse employees from knowing exactly which product that`s coming in is going into which bottle...instead of looking at the return address on the box of pre-bottled stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBvkaYtcFfA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8eIKCHq72A

Setec Astronomy -----
Thanks for the youtube links !
Wow, Richard Griot is getting up there in years! I remember way back when he was just a young whippersnapper...

Something was mentioned about sniffing coffee grounds in between sniff testing and one of the ladies said it was a "myth"...

I dont know if it IS a myth or not, but if one goes into Nordstrom`s, which by the way, also began in Seattle, and is one of the more prestigious stores out here on the West Coast,
they always have some of the nicest coffee beans to smell between samples at the women`s perfume counter or the men`s cologne counter..

I personally found this method to work very well for me...
Dan F

 

[RZJZA80]

For whats it worth..check out Scotts latest you tube video, Dallas Paint Correction and auto detailing ...Very interesting and maybe shine some light on this

Interesting how the photo he mentions in the video was removed less than a day later hahaha!

 

[KBsToy]

Interesting how the photo he mentions in the video was removed less than a day later hahaha!

Proves how many people watch his videos.....

 

[Accumulator]

But it took you some time/experience to come to your opinion that you can ignore the 99% (which I`ll take to mean you can get good results with most products)...think about the newb who just got a new car and wants to maintain it and being overwhelmed...and endeavors to study/understand the silly-numerous different product lines. Unless I misunderstood you.

I dunno...probably some diffs between people`s perceptions and my experience. I sure did try lots of different stuff, mostly a waste in hindsight, but I kinda enjoyed it back then and didn`t mind it it consumed a lot of [resources].

I eventually found that just concentrating on the processes, what`s actually going on and why (e.g., why does paint get marred during the wash? Why did the A8 get etched so terribly despite fresh wax? Why...) was the most beneficial thing I can do. Since then I have basically avoided Buyer`s Remorse and been able to keep our vehicles the way I want them without Detailing consuming a huge chunk of my life.

But *NO*, I did not mean to imply that people can do OK with most products! IMO many Detailing Products are a complete misfire/waste. I don`t know how people do OK with some of the [stuff] I`ve tried or withOUT some things I consider essential. But OK, whatever works for `em.

What I meant was more like, uhm...most people oughta just ignore most products/lines/maybe even processes. Keeping it *very* simple and basic is probably sufficient for most people, and enough of a challenge too. I`d think that "keep your car clean and shiny without marring it up, and protect it from cosmetic damage caused by use and the environment" is more than enough for most people.

There are a lot of product lines I`ve simply never paid any attention to, and I don`t consider it any type of loss. But eh, bet people say that about the FK1000P I recommend too, but note that I ignore everything else they sell (possible exception is FK425).

I do get the "it`s overwhelming" part, but I suspect most people just don`t go about researching/studying Detailing the way they would some other subjects, the "more important" subjects.

Wow, Richard Griot is getting up there in years! I remember way back when he was just a young whippersnapper...

I remember when he was reasonably fit-looking. His weight gain over the past few years is disconcerting

 

[Setec Astronomy]

I dunno...I eventually found that just concentrating on the processes, what`s actually going on and why (e.g., why does paint get marred during the wash? Why did the A8 get etched so terribly despite fresh wax? Why...) was the most beneficial thing I can do.

The old process > product...that used to get said a lot here. Probably still should.