Griots Garage products

A

Altec

New member
So what does everyone think of their products? I have been using them for about 5 years now with great results on my cars. I have damn near the whole catalog at the shop, their MF towels are awesome and their clay is second to none I have tried so far.



But, is there something better for the same price? Is it worth the money for the Griots products?



I have been offered a job to detail a $1 million+ street rod sometime in the next 3 years when it goes on tour and was wondering if I should switch and familiarize myself to a new product line. I was thinking something like the zymol line or swissvax line.



thanks everyone! :cool:
 
Some Griot's products are excellent--like their car soap and Speed Shine. But there are many things that are overpriced and for which you can find cheaper and better-performing alternatives elsewhere. You just have to be selective with what you pick from that catalog. I think the general consensus is that their marketing is very, very good, but that doesn't mean they don't have a few star products--because they definitely do.
 
+1 on Pennypacker. I use the car soap and the Speed Shine is OK. I have used other Griot's products, and I will say that particularly for towels, polish, and LSPs, you can do well for less cash in other areas.
 
I get all the products through the company I work for with no cost to me out of my own pocket. They keep the cabinets fully stocked and its just what is available to me, and its free... so why not! lol.



thanks for the input guys!



any suggestions for a new product line? Cost really isnt of concern.
 
Chemical Guys certainly has a large product selection. :bolt



If you can have multiple lines, why not select from Menzerna, Jeff's Werkstatt, Zaino, Optimum, etc etc. :dance
 
Altec said:
I get all the products through the company I work for with no cost to me out of my own pocket. They keep the cabinets fully stocked and its just what is available to me, and its free... any suggestions for a new product line? Cost really isnt of concern.
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My late father was a big Griot's fan, so I got a lot of GG's stuff at no cost too :D Heh heh, over the years I've done my share to keep Richard in business on my own dime too.



If you need to do serious correction you'll need something much more aggressive than his Machine Polishes and those orange pads.



Otherwise, with the possible exception of the newer Menzerna final polishes for scratch resistant clears (which are said to finish out better than *anything* else), the only real advantages of other polishes are that *many* are much more user-friendly than the Griot's. Although I'll say that I can't get quite the finish I want with just Griot's stuff (not that I expect anybody else would see the difference)..IMO there are final polishes that just somehow give a nicer look than the GG's stuff does.



When it comes to LSPs (Last Step Products), IMO there are a *LOT* of products that look and last a lot better than Griot's waxes (never tried his sealants). If you do the prep right- most "boutique waxes" (and even some from Meguiar's and *Collinite*) would get my vote long before Griot's waxes.



Noting that I'm not a big fan of fixing that which isn't broken (and you seem happy with the GG's stuff), there wouldn't be much of a learning curve if you want to use a different LSP. Prep is prep, and other than the final pre-LSP stuff (penultimate product :D ) like Zymol's HD Cleanse, it's not like you'd have to change much.
 
What is the best choices for polish, because I for the most part detail garage queens that dont need much correction when I detail. But my mustang could use a more aggressive polish and pad. Ive done the entire 3 step polish system on my car and got nice results, but its not perfect...



what would you suggest I use for a pad and polish? (using a PC orbital of course)
 
Altec said:
What is the best choices for polish, because I for the most part detail garage queens that dont need much correction when I detail. But my mustang could use a more aggressive polish and pad. Ive done the entire 3 step polish system on my car and got nice results, but its not perfect...



what would you suggest I use for a pad and polish? (using a PC orbital of course)
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Sounds like just what I was wondering about...the GG's stuff works well on garage queens but even the MP#1 can come up short when applied to drivers.



I found that just using more aggressive pads can make a difference...I used MP#2 with my Cyclo and its green pads and *man* did it work better than it ever did by PC with the GG's orange pads! Something along the lines of a (non-GG's brand) orange light-cut pad (or the more aggressive yellow cutting pad if you *really* have serious marring), used with the MP#1 or MP#2 might do the trick, hard to say. Note that the GG's orange pad is OK for use with very mild final polishes..that's just not what you want for serious correction, it puts all the burden on the product and you can only use a certain level of product via PC (because really aggressive stuff generally won't break down properly).



Also, using 4" pads (on an appropriate backing plate) allows the PC to be *much* more aggressive/effective. I'd use 4" pads for any significant correction by PC.



An aggressive (yet safe) product that works well is Hi-Temp Extreme Cut Leveler. It'll need a follow-up with something milder of course. I get mine (and lots of other stuff) here: Top of the Line Auto Detailing Supplies



If you don't mind products that leave wax behind (sorta like GG's MP#4 does) then check out the 1z line here: Aloha & Welcome to Our Oasis for All Your Auto Detailing Supplies & Accessories . Their Extra (or do they call it Ultra these days?) Polish is about the most aggressive stuff you can use with mild application methods, it even works well by *hand*.



I sometimes mix the H-T EC and the 1z Ultra together, works well. And FWIW, generally speaking, I *greatly* prefer the 1z polishes over GG's stuff. You might have issues going back to GG's after using the 1z stuff ;)



Heh heh, back when my dad was buying GG's products that I could use, I was spending my own money on other brands just because I liked them so much better. Might be worth it for you in some cases too.
 
Accumulator said:
I sometimes mix the H-T EC and the 1z Ultra together, works well. And FWIW, generally speaking, I *greatly* prefer the 1z polishes over GG's stuff. You might have issues going back to GG's after using the 1z stuff ;)



Heh heh, back when my dad was buying GG's products that I could use, I was spending my own money on other brands just because I liked them so much better. Might be worth it for you in some cases too.
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Luckily for me, they order what I want. So if I want to try something different, I use the card and get it delivered. Ill look in to thos products... where do I get the 1z stuff at?
 
funny, i asked this same very question on Rennlist (being an ex-997 owner, there are some very experienced detailing enthusiasts on that board too) and got somewhat similar results if not a bit more negative. given that i've now entered the "hobbyist" stage and have spent what i consider a good amount of money on product, i decided to give some of their items a try. i've done my research and what i decided to order from them is as follows:



-speed shine

-car wash

-wheel cleaner

-rubber cleaner

-long handled wheel cleaner

-glass (fine) polish



as you see, and as Accumulator suggested, i found better value in the waxes/sealants/towels at other vendors (autopia, superiorcarcare). i also feel that spending the money that i have on P21s washes/cleaners might be bettered at griot's. hopefully the mix of griots products and my other vendor items will make a nice combination.



regards
 
oajr- Welcome top Autopia!



Yeah, some GG's stuff is really great...their Car Wash is my hands-down favorite and the only thing I use. And it seems like I still recommend a lot of their stuff pretty often (I have the pn 15520 memorized :D It's the set of little BHBs that I use to clean nooks and crannies when I wash).



If your wheels don't get too dirty, you can cut the wheel cleaner with a little water. The rubber cleaner is pretty mild so don't expect miracles when you use it on tires (expect several applications and lots of scrubbing)...I still like it though.



If by the "long handled wheel cleaner" you mean their long-handled Boar's Hair Brush ("BHB") for wheels, I like that for cleaning undercarriages but prefer the short-handled one for wheels (which sorta surprised me).





altec- OK, good to have options and the freeedom to explore them.



For 1Z stuff, go to these two vendors: Welcome to Exceldetail.com! and Aloha & Welcome to Our Oasis for All Your Auto Detailing Supplies & Accessories . They both have scads of other can't-live-without-it stuff too.



Heh heh, once you try 1Z polishes I bet your GG's ones will sit on the shelf ;) There's no way for me to exaggerate how user-friendly and effective 1z polishes are. There are a few situations where I'd use/recommend something else, but overall those are my #1 recommendation for people who are in the "starting to get serious" stage of detailing.
 
Accumulator, thank you for the warm welcome. In reference to the long handled wheel cleaning brushes, I meant to suggest the longer (11") handled "wands" that have some sort of foam at the ends (popsicle stick like) for cleaning the inside of the actual wheels.



yes, like you, i use a Mequires long handled (very) soft brush for the undercarriage and hard to reach areas.



thanks again!
 
oajr said:
In reference to the long handled wheel cleaning brushes, I meant to suggest the longer (11") handled "wands" that have some sort of foam at the ends (popsicle stick like) for cleaning the inside of the actual wheels...
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Ah, OK.



detail-newb- Good point. I forgot about that in my enthusiasm to send business to my usual vendors. Yeah, for stuff that those guys don't handle the direct ordering is a lot better than using an inferior product.
 
detail-newb said:
1z products can also be ordered direct from them: 1z | einszett North America Shop Storefront or go to the "Shop" link at Car Wax, Car Polish, Car Care Products - einszett USA.



They have some products there I haven't found readily elsewhere such as the Pro-Line products. I've ordered from them once and got good service and quick delivery. ;)
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Waynes Towels has 1Z products..most are the original formulas before the VOC change ..he has the Original Formula

Einszett Metallic Polish Pro Line 1000ml regularly $24.95

now only $14.95!!





he has good deals on them now



AL
 
Accumulator, for whatever it's worth, I have been purchasing almost all my product (klasse, sonus towels, p21s, etc) from the good people at Autopia, they seem to have excellent customer service. Having said that, I have found some goods that are both more expensive and less expensive at other places hence my branching out to some other vendors for certain items. would love to hear of any suggestions you might have. thanks again.



regards
 
oajr- I too like to patronize the Autopia store/Better Car Care whenever possible, though I sometimes buy the same products form other Autopia-member vendors (they often buy stuff wholesale from David at Autopia anyhow so I don't feel I'm depriving him of a sale).



Otherwise, I shop for specific products at the vendors I know carry them. A list of said vendors would fill this page so I won't be typing that all in ;)



As you gain experience and read about what others are using, you'll find some products intriguing..and there are always good suggestions here about where to find them.
 
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