If I don't use Meguiar's then what ?

CV_Soccer

New member
I have been reading a few threads on other forums that were not all that nice to Meguiar's or to some of the claims that they make regarding their 'secret oils'.



Presently I have NXT topped with #26 on my very red GTI (see below) and I am looking for something that will gives a wet look & a high gloss shine while providing a good amount of protection. I have a PC7424 and have become very comfortable using it, and have no problem investing a few hours to get things rebuilt.



I want a sealant so if I don't use NXT or Meguiar's #21 what products should I consider to rebuild my protection? I have heard good and bad about Klasse, Zaino is on the list and so is Sonus. Ultima I'm not sure if I believe the hype. Wolfgang & Pinnacle are a mystery to me as I know little if nothing about them



Remember I'm looking for High gloss finish with a wet look, and so long as a gold plated scoop is not included with the wax cost is not my primary concern protection is.



My Red GTI

583a.JPG
 
First, you need to look into claybaring. Get a claybar, use it, then polish your VW once over with an orange LC pad and a light cleaning abrasive polish like Menz IP or Zaino Fusion. After that protect it with whatever sealant you feel is best. There's a lot of great choices out there.



I personally prefer Zaino Z5, put on a few coats and you'll easily get 6 months protection. Maintain it after washing with Z8. It's a very easy 1-2 knockout punch.



Like I said, all the prep work is key to the wet, glossy shine you're looking for, not some wax. Prep it and protect it.
 
JoshVette said:
First, you need to look into claybaring. Get a claybar, use it, then polish your VW once over with an orange LC pad and a light cleaning abrasive polish like Menz IP or Zaino Fusion. After that protect it with whatever sealant you feel is best. There's a lot of great choices out there.



I personally prefer Zaino Z5, put on a few coats and you'll easily get 6 months protection. Maintain it after washing with Z8. It's a very easy 1-2 knockout punch.



Like I said, all the prep work is key to the wet, glossy shine you're looking for, not some wax. Prep it and protect it.
I could not agree more. :2thumbs: Clay then polish for if you do not do a complete prep it will tell in the finished product. I clay my finish when it needs it, and that seems to be about twice a year.
 
I'm not aware of any product line that doesn't have any detractors. Megs has a large following, and sells lots of wax. I think it would be unlikely that they would be given contracts to make stuff for car companies to sell under the car companies labels if they were damaging to the finish. Most of my reading about their "trade secret oils" being 'bad" is that it is only a temporary fix. That is to say, hiding rather than removing the defects. This can be a good thing, or a bad thing.



Overall, though, if you like the stuff, and it seems to work for you, why bother changing just because someone else doesn't like it? As I said earlier, no matter what line you choose, there will likely be someone criticizing your choice. Ya can't please everyone, so ya might as well please yourself.
 
The fact is, with a well polished finish, the wax or sealant used makes up very little of the final look. Switching to another brand isn't going to get you that magic change you think you might get. Sure one product might last long or be easier to use, but the final look won't change that much. NXT and #26 is a great combo, the trade secret oils are more marketing than anything else, it seems that a lot of people are hell bent on discrediting probably the largest detailing product company, when in fact they produce some of the most well balanced product that appeal to a broad market.
 
Meg's does have a lot of products that work. On another detailing site,everyone knows who, they push their own products, then bad mouth most of the others. I use a variety

of different products. Some are more costly than others. There are some noticeable improvements sometime, not always. You just have to experiment and see which one gives you the final results that you want. Some products work better for certian colors or paints. IMO I do not think there is one product that is a cure all,or the only thing to use on every vehicle. Modern technology people are working on new stuff as we are detailing.

They will all claim to have re-invented the wheel, or made it better. All in an effort to get us to spend our hard earned $$$$$ with them. Bottom line is the profit margin.

Dont get discouraged try something new!

Richard:woot2:
 
If you like Meg's and want to try something new, look for the new NXT V2.0 or the #21 V2.0 available very soon.
 
If you're happy with the results, then why change? Meg's definitely makes some well balanced products and 21 and 26 are products that always leave me impressed. Red is a color that just begs for 26.



You'd also get great results with other products..



I've had great results with JW's Prime Strong topped with 26.
 
as said above...the prep is the most important. the products used after that can make a difference, but only to a certain degree.



you can't really go wrong with any of the products you mentioned. you didn't mention Duragloss, so i'll throw that out there too.
 
WilliamHBonney said:
Man I dont know if I would switch because it looks pretty damn good to me man.

I was going to say the same thing. As long as you are getting good results, and it appears you are, there is no need to spend a bunch of money trying new products. Believe me, I have been there and done that.
 
brwill2005 said:
I was going to say the same thing. As long as you are getting good results, and it appears you are, there is no need to spend a bunch of money trying new products. Believe me, I have been there and done that.
Same here. I know what works on my car, Zaino and Wolfgang, and thats all I use. I do however have different products for client cars and used them based on color and paint type.
 
Your car looks great right now. Might not be worth it to spend a bunch of money on other products. I personally like Megs products..........you could try the new #21 2.0 and/or NXT 2.0 when they come out. May also want to look at Mothers Reflections line or JW Prime and Acrylic Jett: Trigger.
 
#26 is hard to beat on red. If I was going to suggest another carnauba, it would be Clearkote's Carnauba Moose Wax. Even then, the difference won't be huge.
 
sspeer said:
If you're happy with the results, then why change?

My supplies are is running low and if I wanted to try something new now would be the best time. Besides I would like to try a sealant that can be layered that does not have a cleaner in it as that will take some of the first layer off when applying layer # 2



WilliamHBonney said:
Man I dont know if I would switch because it looks pretty damn good to me man.

Just to try some new and if it doesn’t work I go back to Meguiars. Oakland Seals fans aren’t the brightest bulb in the fixture, need I say more!
 
Since u are needing product ya id say its the best time to experiment with some other products!!

A few other sealants that are great that wont break the bank are Poorboys Ex-p or Klausse SG... I personally love topping them with Liquid souveran!!
 
CV_Soccer said:
My supplies are is running low and if I wanted to try something new now would be the best time. Besides I would like to try a sealant that can be layered that does not have a cleaner in it as that will take some of the first layer off when applying layer # 2



I've said it before, but it bears repeating: I highly doubt that there are any sealants out there which can truly be layered like a lot of people here think. In other words, once you get beyond 2 or 3 coats, you're not going to get the paint any shinier, nor is it going to be protected any better. Even if there are no cleaners at all in the sealant, I just do not believe you can throw 10 coats of it on the car and see any improvement over the same car with just 2 coats on it. All you're doing is spending more time for nothing.
 
Patman said:
I just do not believe you can throw 10 coats of it on the car and see any improvement over the same car with just 2 coats on it. All you're doing is spending more time for nothing.



A good point, but add wasting money to the list. Also mfg's have a vested interest in telling you that layering works. I find it refreshing that a few companies say you are wasting your time with more than two.
 
yakky said:
A good point, but add wasting money to the list. Also mfg's have a vested interest in telling you that layering works. I find it refreshing that a few companies say you are wasting your time with more than two.





That's one of the reasons why I like Meguiar's so much, their technical experts will tell you that all you need is two coats of any of their LSPs, and anything more is just wasted product.



Liquid Glass is one of the worst, they used to say that if you put multiple coats of their product on your paint that it would actually reduce stone chips!! I don't think so!
 
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