Products Appearances??

I

Intercooled

New member
I've tried many products over the last year. Now, on a properly prepped car can you really see a difference between products?? For example I topped my Z2 with Z8. Now i liked the look of Z8 but from panel to panel I saw no real difference. I never really see QD;s adding shine either. :nixweiss

When I first apply an LSP I can really see whats going on. But thereafter....Z8, QD's, topping with other products or using 2 different products side by side......NO difference.



I think sometimes we are trained (or Brainwashed) into believeing a product is going to add this extra"Something"!
 
Sometimes I can see subtle differences...sometimes I can't.



Last summer, I had around 6-8 different combinations on my car and really had to look to tell differences. A stranger (or non-Autopian) would have NO idea.
 
Been there and done that. Now I use a LSP that gives me the look I desire all by itself. Trying to extract that last 1-2% difference after a good prep and good LSP is very hard to actual detect visually. Yes, you are right. There is a mental aspect involved when chasing the last bit of enhancement. :xyxthumbs
 
I've noticed this too. I'd rather put my money toward something I know is quality and will last me or a customer a long time.
 
After trying many products or "the next bext thing". I'm ready to start thinning out my collection. Just sticking to what I like and has proven to me. I think I'll be more aprehensive and more patient when considering buying more products. I havn't used a product lately that has really Wowed me!

Nothing is going to out-do proper prep!! :waxing:
 
Intercooled said:
I've tried many products over the last year. Now, on a properly prepped car can you really see a difference between products?? For example I topped my Z2 with Z8. Now i liked the look of Z8 but from panel to panel I saw no real difference. I never really see QD;s adding shine either. :nixweiss
Click to expand...



For me the Z8 isn't so much the additional shine but the additional slickness, resistance to bug and dirt and added durability. That's what I like about Z8. It makes the car much easier to clean and maintain in between detailings. Especially on road trips where the car is washed every day but not waxed. The bugs and dirt come off much easier and the surface is super slick.
 
ZaneO said:
Sometimes I can see subtle differences...sometimes I can't.



Last summer, I had around 6-8 different combinations on my car and really had to look to tell differences. A stranger (or non-Autopian) would have NO idea.
Click to expand...





So I’m not the only one!! I can see the difference between Wax and Sealants on dark colored cars but when I try to compare sealants against sealants or waxes against waxes I have a really hard time telling the difference. I do like waxes over sealants on dark colored cars and I like Souveran over other waxes but I’m sure the hype plays a big part of my decision. Now on light color cars I’m hard press to tell the difference between a Sealant and a Wax much less the difference between sealant or waxes. Most of the QD I don’t see a difference on a freshly done surface but more as a booster.
 
that I agree with every post here. Yep, I too have tried most of every product known to mankind since joining Autopia 3 years ago. Spent less this year on detailing supplies than the previous 2 years. Just don't see wide enough differences amongst the products. Definitely cutting back.



The only product that has zinged me this year is a prepping product, Optimum Polish. Versatile scratch remover or a final polish, no dusting, long working, cleans surface well, leaves a glossy finish, inexpensive. Only drawbacks are in removal and pad cleanup.
 
I like to judge products after a month or two...I lean towards products that have staying power. Many products look great upon application and it can be hard to discern realy differences when trying to make those initial comparisons.
 
Intercooled said:
After trying many products or "the next bext thing". I'm ready to start thinning out my collection. Just sticking to what I like and has proven to me. I think I'll be more aprehensive and more patient when considering buying more products. I havn't used a product lately that has really Wowed me!

Nothing is going to out-do proper prep!! :waxing:
Click to expand...





This is 100% wisdom. Over the last year I've given away a lot of my stuff to fellow autopians. I have a handful of things that work for me, no need to name them. The number one thing that works for me is half a day with the machines and polishes. Then I could spit on the car and it would look great (not much protection, though).



And this is why the product wars are nonsense. At the end of the day, the car either shines or it doesn't, and everything else is mere posturing. No one can deny your nor my obviously superior results by denigrating the products used; the results speak for themselves and need no explanation nor apology. Everything else is an agenda other than car polishing. It's Red Sox-Yankees, it's Manchester U-Liverpool.





Tom
 
I have to say that when I do panel to panel comparisons it is hard to see a big difference but when I tried Zaino for the first time I could not believe the difference, it was not suttle, it was a major improvement and a major difference over what I had always percieved to be the best, Meguiars #26. I have since began trying everything I have read about on here and like in the past most are pretty much the same with minor differences in durability or ease of application etc and only a few come close to the shine and durability Zaino has been giving me. I guess my point being you really need to do your whole car to do an accurate comparison not just a hood or fender. If I just did my hood with Zaino and compared I would have probably just chalked it up as just another polish just like all the rest and never started using it.
 
jmsc said:
that I agree with every post here. Yep, I too have tried most of every product known to mankind since joining Autopia 3 years ago. Spent less this year on detailing supplies than the previous 2 years. Just don't see wide enough differences amongst the products. Definitely cutting back.



The only product that has zinged me this year is a prepping product, Optimum Polish. Versatile scratch remover or a final polish, no dusting, long working, cleans surface well, leaves a glossy finish, inexpensive. Only drawbacks are in removal and pad cleanup.
Click to expand...



Now question on OP; this leaves behind protection? What can you put over it? A polymer or a wax?



Is this like a Klasse AIO? :help:
 
I look for a LSP that doesnt attract dust, doesnt stain trim, easy on easy off, the shine is durable, slick, and looks good .



They all look good, but its the application, does it make me enjoy it, or does it fight me?



Stuff that smells good will make me re consider using it too lol.
 
SidiousXXX said:
Now question on OP; this leaves behind protection? What can you put over it? A polymer or a wax?



Is this like a Klasse AIO? :help:
Click to expand...



No, Opt Polish is only a polish. It leaves behind no silicones or waxes. After using Opt POlish you'll want to use the wax or sealer of your choice.



Anthony
 
mrdetail said:
I have to say that when I do panel to panel comparisons it is hard to see a big difference but when I tried Zaino for the first time I could not believe the difference, it was not suttle, it was a major improvement and a major difference over what I had always percieved to be the best, Meguiars #26. I have since began trying everything I have read about on here and like in the past most are pretty much the same with minor differences in durability or ease of application etc and only a few come close to the shine and durability Zaino has been giving me. I guess my point being you really need to do your whole car to do an accurate comparison not just a hood or fender. If I just did my hood with Zaino and compared I would have probably just chalked it up as just another polish just like all the rest and never started using it.
Click to expand...







I agree totally. I moved from NuFinish(pre-Autopia days) to carnauba and finally up to Zaino.



As I tried each product, I noticed a better and better look to the overall vehicle. And when I first tried Zaino, I absolutely fell in love with the look. I couldn't believe the reflectivity! It blew me away, much more than any nuba ever did.



First impressions mean a lot. :wavey
 
I think everyone can see the difference if given the right lighting and angle, but undoubtely some people have just been gifted to see those differences better than others. My dad doesn't know the names of the products, but he surely can tell that what I applied today is different to what I has 2 weeks ago.



I agree about first impressions, but also personal preference matters a lot: My car (daily driver) has right now Mothers FX synwax topped with FX spraywax 3x. The FX is very shiny and reflective, and the spraywax boosts it. Even though is not a visually impacting color (olive green metallic) it looks nice once waxed. While personally I find its current looks satisfying but not spectacular, I don't think it has received more praises ever before...... Everyone just comments about how shiny the car looks. They are correct, but I think it looked better when I had tropicare TC-3, almost as shiny as FX but quite more metallic flake POP :nixweiss



As many others, I started with Nu-finish and almost anything looks better than it.
 
DennisH said:
So I’m not the only one!! I can see the difference between Wax and Sealants on dark colored cars but when I try to compare sealants against sealants or waxes against waxes I have a really hard time telling the difference. I do like waxes over sealants on dark colored cars and I like Souveran over other waxes but I’m sure the hype plays a big part of my decision. Now on light color cars I’m hard press to tell the difference between a Sealant and a Wax much less the difference between sealant or waxes. Most of the QD I don’t see a difference on a freshly done surface but more as a booster.
Click to expand...



Well said, took the words right out of my mouth.



The biggest difference is between sealants and waxes. When comparing sealants with sealants or waxes with waxes, the differences are much more subtle.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top