ACE
What's that smell?
OK - about 10 days in the hot NY summer with UPP over AIO on one half of the hood of my Galactic Blue Jetta and EX over Pro Polish on the other. My initial impression was that I could not tell the products apart, except for some slight streaking on the AIO side. A rain shower about 2 days later revealed absolutely identical beading patterns. Today I washed the car with Coats Hawaiian Shine Soap (don't ask) and I noticed a very distinct difference. The UPP side was beading with a small, tight pattern, while the EX was sheeting like mad. I tried many different hose spray patterns and different angles, but the results were the same. For the final rinse with no nozzle, the UPP sheeted quite a bit, but the EX sheeted almost dry. After drying with a Big Blue, I still don't think I could detect any differences in the look or feel of the products. I finished up with some Griots QD and a MF towel and both sides looked pretty much the same - great. It appears that the EX has gone through some changes in the curing process. I know that in the case of acrylics, you cannot judge the protection by the beading and it's possible that the carnuba in the EX expired under the hot sun on this dark hood, leaving the acrylic sheeting protection. I will tell you, the UPP beads will warm the heart of any carnuba fan. Why is that, if it's pure acrylic? More of this fascinating stuff to come as we move into August.