davidmelis
New member
PRIMA AMIGO QUICK IMPRESSIONS
Help, I need a quick filler!
My daily driver got caught in a 3-day rain. The paint still looks good, but I knew that protection was almost gone when my wool wash mitt did not glide over the paint like it normally does. After inspection, I noticed some new scratches on the driver's side back quarter panel. (Arrrg! Black car owners were not meant to have kids I guess? Or the other way around, maybe.) Also, though I was very careful with drying, there were some water spots left on the “naked” paint. Because of these issues, I decided the car needed a Pre-Wax Cleaner before I slapped some Carnauba back on the paint.
A wonderful forum member just sent me a sample of Prima Amigo to try. So, here is a review of that product. Personally, I understand a product much better when I can compare it to things I am familiar with. *So for this review, I tested the product side-by-side with Pinnacle Paint Cleansing Lotion, Mother’s Pre-Wax Cleaner, and a standard all-in-one cleaner sealant (Mother’s Reflections).
(Notice the scratches and the water spots left on the "naked" paint.)
ABOUT PRIMA
From the company's copy, "Prima Amigo is amazingly unique. It is a paintwork cleanser...It is a polymer-based glaze... It is even a super-fine polish which levels up to 3000 grit imperfections- when used with a Porter Cable (or similar) polisher. Combine all three properties and you can see why we think it doesn't fall into any currently defined categories of car care products. Mild cleaners in Amigo break up oxidation and remove "dead" paint. Embedded grime is gently lifted from the surface. Mineral deposits from water spots disappear. It is the perfect prep-step for well-cared-for paint that needs a cleansing before wax application. As a polymer-based glaze, it fills slight imperfections, adds stunning gloss while leaving the finish slick to the touch. What's unique about Amigo as a glaze is that it is polymer-based. Although it doesn't provide protection the way Prima Epic will, it does allow you to go directly to your wax step without any bonding or durability issues. Try that with a "normal" glaze and your protection will simply rinse off. Prima Amigo allows you to fill imperfections, add gloss then seal it in with your wax. No other product on the market gives you what Prima Amigo gives you. If you have ever fought with black paint as you tried to remove the very last bit of hazing left by your polish steps, you will truly appreciate Prima Amigo. Used with your PC polisher, it will remove the lightest of surface imperfections. Black becomes a crystal lagoon of depth and clarity. Red becomes a bright liquidy glow of its former self. Light colors pop with brilliance. Prima Amigo is your last step to perfection. Whether you are cleaning, glazing or polishing, spend some time with Amigo and you will see why we think it will be your new best friend."
IMPRESSIONS
- Prima Amigo is a polymer product which is very dark in color. It is almost black. Smell was decent - it did enhance the experience.
- It fills - It is supposed to cover swirls while cleaning the paint in preparation for a sealant or wax. It does fill like crazy! Not that there were swirls on my paint but I also tried it on a pearl blue mini-van.
- It darkens - It covered a-lot, but it also muted the metalic in the dark blue way to much. On my black paint it looked good. Good enough, I am happy to use it on the rest of the car in the coming days.
- It is slick - After wipping the product off it left a slick sealant feel to the paint.
Only negative is that it did leave behind some texture. Like that of a cheap sealant. Pinnacle Paint Cleansing Lotion had much more clarity.
COMPARISONS
Smell
Mother’s Pre-Wax Cleaner had my favorite smell followed by Amigo. Pinnacle is very chemically and so is Mother’s Reflections (not the Top Coat). Pinnacle comes in last in the smell.
Filling
Amigo gets the prize followed by Mother’s Reflections. I chose to add Reflections to the comparison because it is a polymer cleaner like Amigo. I say Pinnacle filled the least but that can be a good thing.
Ease-of-Use
Pinnacle seemed to be the easiest to apply followed by Reflections. Amigo came in third. As far as removal Amigo came in second topped only by Reflections.
The Look
1st - Pinnacle
2nd - Amigo (only because of the texture)
3rd - Pre-Wax Cleaner - it did a great job but left a cheap filler on the paint that lightened the black.
4th - Reflections - It created too much of a mirror-like finish. I don’t want my black paint to be a reflective mirror! Instead I want it to be a deep dark pool of wetness.
Overall Quality
*Pinnacle wins. I like the clean, very smooth finish it left. The paint felt kind of sticky - very ready for an LSP. Amigo left a polymer behind that was sealant quality.
(If you look carefully at the garage roof-line in the reflection, you will notice quite a bit of texture. Personally, I like some of this softness yet it was a little too much in this test.)
FINAL IMPRESSIONS
Amigo does just what I need it to do, but I will reserve it for a time when there are some more flaws on the paint. I will use Pinnacle on the whole car this time. Amigo's claimed correcting ability will be needed soon (no doubt) when the paint is a little more degraded. My next full correction will probably be in June. I will probably use Amigo to buy some time sometime before the next full correction.
NOTES
- I could not capture the subtle differences on camera. Sorry, that there are not photo side-by-sides of the results.
* - Prima Amigo and Mother’s Pre-Wax cleaner claim to have some abrasives. I did not get impressions on the abilities of these products to correct. I am almost positive Amigo would win out big time. A more apples-to-apples would be comparing Amigo to the similar XMT 360 from Pinnacle or Blackfire's Total Polish & Seal neither of which I own.
- All products were applied by hand.
- Thank you to those who have reviewed this product in the past. It made great reading and I respect your opinions.
- Have you tried it? What have been your opinions and the impressions of the product?
Happy Detailing!
