We purchased our glacier blue Honda CR-V in May 2009. I have only used one protectant on it--Ultima Paint Guard Plus. I love this product, principally because of its ease of us. In less than 15 minutes I can seal the paint, cladding, and trim. One single product does it all, and I don't even have to go back and buff off the residue. And UPGP's durability ain't too shabby either. Three to four months would be a fair estimate, based on our experience. It's difficult for me to judge, as I will usually apply a fresh coat of UPGP in mid-summer, simply because it's so very easy to apply. I applied the mid-summer coat in early July, and it was still going strong three months later.
But rather than going with UPGP as my winter protectant, as I did last year, I decided to switch to Finish Kare 1000p, which is known for its outstanding durability. I've had this tin of the stuff for over a year. If I don't use it now, when will I ever use it? And though I am quite satisfied with UPGP's durability, my sense is that five months of winter exceeds its protective limits.
Yesterday I decided to do my fall detail of our CR-V. I washed the vehicle with a double dose of CG's Citrus Wash Clear and then clayed it. I had intended to go over the paint with a pre-wax cleanser; but I simply did not have the energy and time. I then pulled out my tin of 1000p. What a monster tin! The "Big White" indeed! There's enough sealant in it to last me until the next millennium. 1000p has to be one of the best wax values on the market. I opened up the tin with a screwdriver and smelled it. It has a chemical smell, but it's not overpowering in the way, e.g., the smell of Collinite 845 is. I really didn't notice it during the waxing process.
The advantage of the large tin is that it allows one to get all of the foam applicator into the tin and swirl it around. This is a hard wax. My experience with paste waxes have been limited, for the most part, to boutique waxes like Souveran, Fuzion, and Midnight Sun, all of which seem to melt into the applicator pad. Even Harly Wax liquifies fairly quickly in comparison. 1000p is different in this regard.
Based on advice given in various 1000p threads, I decided to pre-moisten the pad with a spray of quick detailer. I think this was a mistake. It made it more difficult for me to determine whether I was actually getting wax onto the pad and then onto the car. Remember, my CR-V is silver blue. It's difficult to tell if any way whatsoever is getting applied to the paint surface. I have to rely on touch and feel, and the lubricity added by the quick detailer just made things more difficult for me, so I eventually switched to a fresh applicator and started over again. Much better.
I tried to apply the wax thin. 1000p's hardness actually makes this easy to do. I worked my way around the vehicle at a leisurely pace. By the time I had finished the car, the wax on the hood had begun to haze. I then proceed to buff off the wax, using my Meguiar's Ultimate Wipe towels. I really like these towels both for quick detailing and wax removal. I have read that some have found 1000p difficult to remove; but that was not my experience at all. It came off quite easily.
I did not apply the 1000p to the cladding and plastic trim. Hence by choosing to use 1000p an additional work step was added to the process: I had to spend an additional 45 minutes sealing the cladding and trim with Ultima Tire and Trim Guard Plus. I really like this trim dressing, though I've only been using it on the windshield cowl, relying instead of UPGP to protect everything else. UTTGP comes with a large foam applicator with foam handle. I confess I was skeptical whether the darn thing would work, but it actually worked great on the cladding. I used foam make-up wedges to apply it to narrow and small trim pieces.
I applied the second coat of 1000p the next morning. I had written Finish Kare and asked them how long I should allow the first coat of 1000p to cure before applying a second coat. They advised 24+ hours. This is contrary to others have heard from Finish Kare on the subject, so I messaged one of my favorite Autopia gurus, Bence. Bence appears to have a comprehensive grasp on all matters Finish Kare. He advised me to wait 12-24 hours. So I sliced the difference and waited 18 hours.
The question everyone wants to know, of course, is: How does it look? Answer: it looks great. But I have to admit that I find it hard seeing an optical difference between the UPGP and the 1000p. I haven't pulled the car out into the sun yet (it's an overcast day), so perhaps I'll see something when I do. Bence also tells me that the look will change after the curing process has completed in about three days. Some folks have mentioned that 1000p makes the paint look like an additional layer of clear coat has been added. I have't seen that illusion yet, but I'll report back after three days to share my observations.
The most important question for me is: Will two coats of 1000p get me through the winter months. Ideally, the protectant will still be going strong in April. We shall see.
I concluded the session by dressing the tires with Surf City Garage's Beyond Black. I think my wife will be very pleased when she returns home from her visit to her mother's.
Cheers,
Al
But rather than going with UPGP as my winter protectant, as I did last year, I decided to switch to Finish Kare 1000p, which is known for its outstanding durability. I've had this tin of the stuff for over a year. If I don't use it now, when will I ever use it? And though I am quite satisfied with UPGP's durability, my sense is that five months of winter exceeds its protective limits.
Yesterday I decided to do my fall detail of our CR-V. I washed the vehicle with a double dose of CG's Citrus Wash Clear and then clayed it. I had intended to go over the paint with a pre-wax cleanser; but I simply did not have the energy and time. I then pulled out my tin of 1000p. What a monster tin! The "Big White" indeed! There's enough sealant in it to last me until the next millennium. 1000p has to be one of the best wax values on the market. I opened up the tin with a screwdriver and smelled it. It has a chemical smell, but it's not overpowering in the way, e.g., the smell of Collinite 845 is. I really didn't notice it during the waxing process.
The advantage of the large tin is that it allows one to get all of the foam applicator into the tin and swirl it around. This is a hard wax. My experience with paste waxes have been limited, for the most part, to boutique waxes like Souveran, Fuzion, and Midnight Sun, all of which seem to melt into the applicator pad. Even Harly Wax liquifies fairly quickly in comparison. 1000p is different in this regard.
Based on advice given in various 1000p threads, I decided to pre-moisten the pad with a spray of quick detailer. I think this was a mistake. It made it more difficult for me to determine whether I was actually getting wax onto the pad and then onto the car. Remember, my CR-V is silver blue. It's difficult to tell if any way whatsoever is getting applied to the paint surface. I have to rely on touch and feel, and the lubricity added by the quick detailer just made things more difficult for me, so I eventually switched to a fresh applicator and started over again. Much better.
I tried to apply the wax thin. 1000p's hardness actually makes this easy to do. I worked my way around the vehicle at a leisurely pace. By the time I had finished the car, the wax on the hood had begun to haze. I then proceed to buff off the wax, using my Meguiar's Ultimate Wipe towels. I really like these towels both for quick detailing and wax removal. I have read that some have found 1000p difficult to remove; but that was not my experience at all. It came off quite easily.
I did not apply the 1000p to the cladding and plastic trim. Hence by choosing to use 1000p an additional work step was added to the process: I had to spend an additional 45 minutes sealing the cladding and trim with Ultima Tire and Trim Guard Plus. I really like this trim dressing, though I've only been using it on the windshield cowl, relying instead of UPGP to protect everything else. UTTGP comes with a large foam applicator with foam handle. I confess I was skeptical whether the darn thing would work, but it actually worked great on the cladding. I used foam make-up wedges to apply it to narrow and small trim pieces.
I applied the second coat of 1000p the next morning. I had written Finish Kare and asked them how long I should allow the first coat of 1000p to cure before applying a second coat. They advised 24+ hours. This is contrary to others have heard from Finish Kare on the subject, so I messaged one of my favorite Autopia gurus, Bence. Bence appears to have a comprehensive grasp on all matters Finish Kare. He advised me to wait 12-24 hours. So I sliced the difference and waited 18 hours.
The question everyone wants to know, of course, is: How does it look? Answer: it looks great. But I have to admit that I find it hard seeing an optical difference between the UPGP and the 1000p. I haven't pulled the car out into the sun yet (it's an overcast day), so perhaps I'll see something when I do. Bence also tells me that the look will change after the curing process has completed in about three days. Some folks have mentioned that 1000p makes the paint look like an additional layer of clear coat has been added. I have't seen that illusion yet, but I'll report back after three days to share my observations.
The most important question for me is: Will two coats of 1000p get me through the winter months. Ideally, the protectant will still be going strong in April. We shall see.
I concluded the session by dressing the tires with Surf City Garage's Beyond Black. I think my wife will be very pleased when she returns home from her visit to her mother's.
Cheers,
Al
By the fourth or fifth layer I was, uhm...expressing displeasure. A bit of gentle rub-rub-rub with a FK425-damp MF worked OK except where I got the FK1000P on just a little too thick, but sheesh, I'm Mr. Ultra-thin-application so it's not like I was just slopping it on.