Finish Kare Product - I tried them....

mgm2003

mgm2003

New member
Finish Kare Products



I've been using Finish Kare Pink Wax a lot lately, and other than the solvent smell, I like it a lot! That said, I decided to give the folks at Finish Kare a call to ask about a few other products (namely -their sealer and decon system). I ended up buying a 15oz bottle of their #2180 sealer, and they sent me samples of their car wash/wax, #425 Poly Wipe Spray, FX-100 spray sealer, and 185-FX-Quick-Gloss glaze. Our Tahoe was just 'done up' a few weeks ago, so why not strip it down and do it again!



Process used:



Wash - Finish Kare wash & wax. Nice product, good suds & lube. Not as slick as SS&S, but on par with Optimum. I use a lot less, compared to SS&S and Optimum. I used the Finish Kare wool sponge block, which I like too since I usually don't put my hand in a wash mitt.



Polish - FPII via cyclo to clean up a few minor scratches/marks & prep the surface.

Glaze - 185-FX-Quick-Gloss via cyclo. Works into the finish quick, and leaves a very nice looking gloss.

Seal. FX-100 spray sealer. Misted a polishing pad and applied via PC at 4.5. You have to wipe it up when it starts to haze. If you let it dry it is a pain to remove (similar to SG). Next I applied a coat of #2180 sealer, using a finishing pad @ 4. Compared to UPP, WG, FMJ, etc.... it didn't feel very slick after I removed the product. In fact, I wasn't impressed at all, compared to all of the other sealers on the market.



I called Finish Kare back, and said 'nice products' but I'll probably stick with Pink Wax for the time being. They asked me to hold off for 2-3 days and re-evaluate.



Fast forward a few days....... here's what I noticed.



-Improved depth. There was a noticeable difference in the appearance after 3 days.



-My wife (I'll blame her...) attracted 2-3 bird bombs on the hood that sat in the sun for a few hours. Not good on black! When I washed the truck they came off with little/no effort and didn't leave any marks (probably luck!).



-Washing. I could not believe the slickness! It was as good or better in the 'slickness' department as anything I've ever used. In fact, I don't recall using another sealer that improves it's slickness over time.



After the wash step, I applied a coat of pink wax & wiped the finish down with #425 poly wipe (which is supposed to keep the slickness going).



In summary...... At first I wasn't too impressed with the Finish Kare glaze & sealer products because they didn't really do anything to 'stand out' in my collection of sealers (UPP, WG, EX, EX-P, FMJ, etc...). I'm starting to re-think this. I visited their site, and I'll have to say they have a lot of product info posted. What products, pads, buffer speed to use, comparison charts to other products/brands, etc... Just a lot of useful info.



Here are a few shots of the truck after the #2180 was applied (this is before it sat for 3 days and got a coat of pink wax)





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Here are a few shots of my CTS after 2 coats of Pink Wax



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mgm121499 - Interesting results. After the 2-3 days worth of curing, would you say the slickness was as good as that of UPP?
 
I'll second Accumulator-interesting results!



I've noticed most sealants take a little while to hit maximum slickness but 2-3 days? Must have a long cure time. Paint looks pretty good, that's for sure. :)



Keep us posted as time passes how the FK products hold up.
 
Accumulator said:
mgm121499 - Interesting results. After the 2-3 days worth of curing, would you say the slickness was as good as that of UPP?
Click to expand...



For me....... I notice a pretty big drop off in UPP slickness after a wash or two (especially if it has rained). Just the opposite with #2180. It felt much slicker when I washed/dried the truck a few days later. Probably not as slick as a fresh coat of UPP but definately a lot slicker than after the initial application.



I'm planning to apply #2180 to a neighbors black car that sits outside 24 x 7 sometime over the next week or so. I'll use that to measure durability and slickness retention. I change products on my rides too often to get a decent read.
 
Neat review. Sounds like a "sleeper" product line....or maybe it's more of a professional line. Doesn't "Jim" (detailer in Indiana) use this line?
 
mgm121499 said:
For me....... I notice a pretty big drop off in UPP slickness after a wash or two (especially if it has rained). Just the opposite with #2180. It felt much slicker when I washed/dried the truck a few days later. Probably not as slick as a fresh coat of UPP but definately a lot slicker than after the initial application...
Click to expand...



OK, thanks, that answers my question perfectly.
 
post your durability results-the 2180 interests me due to the acid rain protection that Finish Kare claims(live near 2 coal plants). The photos look good too. Also FK has a mold release line and if you've ever read about how fiberglass products are made a mold release line is one sign of a quality product. Truthfully I'd like to see if some of the in voque sealants would be capable of doing mold release duty.
 
pigeonbus said:
Neat review. Sounds like a "sleeper" product line....or maybe it's more of a professional line. Doesn't "Jim" (detailer in Indiana) use this line?
Click to expand...



I believe Jim uses the Klasse twins almost exclusively.
 
Scottwax said:
I'll second Accumulator-interesting results!



I've noticed most sealants take a little while to hit maximum slickness but 2-3 days? Must have a long cure time. Paint looks pretty good, that's for sure. :)



Keep us posted as time passes how the FK products hold up.
Click to expand...



I think the "cure" issue has to do more with the layers of

products than anything else. The more products that

are put on top of each other in the same day, the more

time that would be required for all the layers to cure.

Applying 218 over polished paint takes about a day to

reach max shine, while 218, then 2180, then Pink Wax may

take a full 3 days for max shine. But once the

products cure, there is definitely a dramatic difference.
 
I'll report back to let folks know how it holds up. My neighbor has a black Grand Prix that sits out 24 x 7 and is in dire need of some attention. I'd like to apply the FK products to it and see how they hold up.
 
Scottwax said:
I believe Jim uses the Klasse twins almost exclusively.
Click to expand...



That's right...I was confused because he uses the ValuGard (or AutoInt) ABC System for decontamination, which is comparable to the Finish Kare Decontamination system.
 
wannafbody said:
based on the temperature info for 2180 at the FK site it seems it would also be a good choice for wheels
Click to expand...



It does a very nice job on wheels. But if you want them to

sparkle, try some 425. It won't last as long as using the

Klasse Twins, but it definitely makes wheels glisten.

425 is great on chrome and polished wheels.
 
I'm not sold on #2180 just yet. I have a pint of #218 on the way. The pink wax is another story. IMO, it's a top shelf product.



Here are a few shots after topping #2180 with pink wax last night.



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Not sure who this question is for, but I'll throw in my

2 cents..



2180 to me, is more warm looking than say KSG,

but not nearly as warm as something like WG. It's

geared more towards a wet, reflective look. It

is clear, and does not alter the color of the paint.

Does not provide any real depth, per say with one

coat. But multiple coats does bring on depth. To me,

it's simpler to go with one coat of 2180 or 218

as a good base, and then follow up with one

or more layers of Pink Wax. Just one layer of Pink

Wax on my hood gave very nice depth, while

2 layers made the paint look very deep.
 
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