Review: 3M Perfect-it SHOW CAR wax

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I have had this stuff sitting around unopened for months. I picked it up just to give it a try, but never got around to it.



Since I am going to strip down my klasse for blackfire & souveran next week, I figured I would give it a try and see how it turned out.



Price: $12.76, more expensive than meguiars #26 and goldclass, but still cheaper than P21S, Blitz, etc



Availability: They have plenty of it stocked at my local Murrys Discount Auto, but I don't think I have seen it at AutoZone. Depends on what chains are in your area.



Application: I was pretty surprised. I used a yosteve foam applicator, and it really went on smoothly. With little effort, I was able to put a very thin coat of wax all over the car. I didn't have to use very much wax to cover all painted areas on the car.



Smell: Smells like chemicals, but it’s a very very faint smell. I had to put the bottle right up to my nose before I smelled anything. Apparently my GF was watching me from inside, and was quite puzzled on why I smelled the wax. Going inside afterwards with wax on the end of my nose didn't help the situation ;).

That does show how close I had to get before I started to smell anything.



Removal: Oh my lord, this stuff did not want to come off. I went inside for a small break before trying to buff it off. Probably waited about twenty minutes. Even with a very thin coat of the wax, it smeared everywhere instead of buffing off. The MF I was using got saturated in wax very quickly and would not pick up anymore. Further, the wax that did get on the towel was very very tacky. I figured I needed to let it sit longer, and it would buff off easier if it was completely dry.



Nope, I waited an hour and a half and it still would not buff off. It was as dry as wax gets, but I ended up using four towels front and back to get it all off. I used #26 as a topper for a PT Cruiser yesterday, and it came off much easier so I don't think I am just used to the easy-on-off of souveran/blitz/klasse/etc.



Results: Pretty good, better than I thought. Its not up to par with blitz, but its pretty close. I doubt I would use it again because of the pain of removal, and I don't mind ordering easier to use products. It has pretty good depth, and it does have a nice Carnauba warmth, that compliments the gloss of klasse. If you can get this product locally, and have arms of steel, you may want to try it out. :xyxthumbs
 
Excellent review.. I agree with you completely. I bought it, but never got the chance of using it. I then used it ontop of 3 layers of SG on my fathers 740, and it is a very big PITA to remove. I bought it locally at a Pep-Boys. However, i dont remember paying $13.00 for it.. I remember it being around $9-10.
 
Nice Review. :xyxthumbs I have tried the paste version and I was impressed with the initial shine but the durability was horrible. Lasted about a week on my car, very disappointed considering 3M typically makes good products.
 
I used it also 11.99 went on smooth and I waited 10 minutes to take it off, not really a problem.Great shine that lasts about 9 days at most NEVER AGAIN,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Its for show cars so there is no duarabilty
 
Good review. I have found the paste version to be very easy to apply and remove. When I used it as a topper for my Meguiars Medallion, the shine was outstanding. As far as durability, I can't really say. Our cars are garaged about 16 out of the 24 hours in a day, so they don't have a real tough life. My first experience with Platinum was today and it looks great, but I don't think the shine is any better than the Medallion-3M combination. It was a one step, very easy process though. The reputed durability of the Platinum was one of the reasons for trying it.



Charles
 
Thanks for the review!!

This wax is localy available and was planning on trying it sometime in the future ... guess I'll pass
 
ShowroomLincoln is right-the paste version is far more user friendly-the only real removal problem is some streaking which a QD easily takes care of. It doesn't spread nearly as easy as Pinnacle waxes either.



The shine is very nice initially, but after a few weeks... :(



Durability is not good at all. I can get an easy 12 weeks of beading from Meguiars #26, Pinnacle Paste Glaz or Souveran, or Formula 113 (probably because Protect All Quick and Easy Wash is so gentle on waxes), but I was lucky to get 3 weeks out of 3Ms Perfect it. If it went on and off as easily as Souveran, that wouldn't be a huge problem.
 
About 3 weeks and 3 washes later it has diminished to a point of no water beading just water sheating. Initial shine was outstanding. I guess I need to wax tha van again.



I used the paste and really had no problem buffing off. Maybe since I have applied Z 4x times now that I have come to appreciate thin layers. I wondered if maybe I had applied it to thin and that is why it didn't last longer. But by the sounds of it the durablility factor is not there.
 
I use the paste version on my Cadillac. I love it. I wax every 2 wweks, so I dont really care about durability. It mkaes the White Diamond Paint look excellent. Never have used it on dark cars. Only Big White!



Alex
 
Sounds like duribility is on par with goldclass from what everyone is saying. Paste is easier to apply/remove.



Don't think I will be using this product again :) , but good to keep in mind for potential recomendations (ya never know).
 
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