I've just recently acquired a 2008 Prius in Silver Pine Mica (translation=light metallic green). Being clueless pre-Autopia discovery, I got some Turtlewax (yes, I was a caveman) and Meguiar's Wax (that should have redeemed me some, shouldn't it?) and went to wash and wax the car. I applied about 3 coats of the Turtlewax and 2x the Meguiar's, waiting about 12 hours between coats. The finish was slick and smooth, that lasted about a week!
Deflated, I came upon this website, and after reading threads and getting a headache with all the new information overload, I started narrowing down what I should try for a durable, glossy protectant. It seems that numbers wise Zaino has a lot of support, but I decided the range was a little too expensive for me. I read a lot about Duragloss, and because of the price/performance reviews, got convinced to try it out. I emailed DG and Jerry flashed a response to my queries the next day! He recommended the 601 and 111 since the car was new, so I ordered these from their website. When my package came I was really pleased that it came with free samples of AquaWax and 901 wash - DG is tops (thanks J, excellent service)!
After reading up on what Autopians use to remove old wax etc, I bought a claybar but was undecided between the IPA 50/50 and dishwashing liquid (didn't want to buy a specialist paint cleaner, call me cheap), so I tested both on a cloth towel with dried wax on it. The dishwashing liquid (Palmolive) removed the wax a lot better than the IPA, so I used the Pal on the car after claying. The paint did get a squeaky finish afterwards, but it's probably ok to have used it just the once (and I used 303 on the trim afterwards anyway - another discovery here from Autopia).
The 601 applied really easily by hand, and dried pretty fast too. It left a slick finish and I was unsure whether it should be slick or sticky, after all it's meant to bond the 111 to the paint, but hey, I'm no chemist. After about 20 minutes I applied the 111 with the included applicator (mmm, smells good), left it on for an hour. Hand-buffed it off with an MF towel (easy, took about a couple of wipes with no residue). The finish was excellent! It had a glossy, wet look that felt slick to the touch (although not as slick as the Meguiar's). I applied 2 more coats, 24 hours between coats, and the paint now looks even better. I then put some AW on, and the finish was like ice! I'm truly impressed with the 601/111/AW combo for new paint. I'll see about durability, but from what people here say, I'm expecting it should last me through the winter.
DG, even though my back is sore from all that cleaning and buffing, count me as one of your impressed customers! And thanks Autopia for all the info, I'm still reading new useful stuff everyday! No, I'm not connected with Duragloss in any way, I'm just a happy customer and if there are any other noobs like me who want less expensive but good performing stuff, give DG a try.
Deflated, I came upon this website, and after reading threads and getting a headache with all the new information overload, I started narrowing down what I should try for a durable, glossy protectant. It seems that numbers wise Zaino has a lot of support, but I decided the range was a little too expensive for me. I read a lot about Duragloss, and because of the price/performance reviews, got convinced to try it out. I emailed DG and Jerry flashed a response to my queries the next day! He recommended the 601 and 111 since the car was new, so I ordered these from their website. When my package came I was really pleased that it came with free samples of AquaWax and 901 wash - DG is tops (thanks J, excellent service)!
After reading up on what Autopians use to remove old wax etc, I bought a claybar but was undecided between the IPA 50/50 and dishwashing liquid (didn't want to buy a specialist paint cleaner, call me cheap), so I tested both on a cloth towel with dried wax on it. The dishwashing liquid (Palmolive) removed the wax a lot better than the IPA, so I used the Pal on the car after claying. The paint did get a squeaky finish afterwards, but it's probably ok to have used it just the once (and I used 303 on the trim afterwards anyway - another discovery here from Autopia).
The 601 applied really easily by hand, and dried pretty fast too. It left a slick finish and I was unsure whether it should be slick or sticky, after all it's meant to bond the 111 to the paint, but hey, I'm no chemist. After about 20 minutes I applied the 111 with the included applicator (mmm, smells good), left it on for an hour. Hand-buffed it off with an MF towel (easy, took about a couple of wipes with no residue). The finish was excellent! It had a glossy, wet look that felt slick to the touch (although not as slick as the Meguiar's). I applied 2 more coats, 24 hours between coats, and the paint now looks even better. I then put some AW on, and the finish was like ice! I'm truly impressed with the 601/111/AW combo for new paint. I'll see about durability, but from what people here say, I'm expecting it should last me through the winter.
DG, even though my back is sore from all that cleaning and buffing, count me as one of your impressed customers! And thanks Autopia for all the info, I'm still reading new useful stuff everyday! No, I'm not connected with Duragloss in any way, I'm just a happy customer and if there are any other noobs like me who want less expensive but good performing stuff, give DG a try.