tom p.
Active member
(I hope you guys don’t mind my neurotic and repetitive weekend update threads
- - cabin fever - - that’s what I’m going to blame. Waiting for some warmer weather so I can get down to business.)
I sample a lot of different detailing and car-related products. I use many items that seem to be an initial disappointment yet others rave about the product so I figure they're worth a second look. :nixweiss
Here are the items I tinkered with the past weekend:
The Ultimate Hose nozzle was anything but for me. I got a new 3/4" hose as recommended by the vendor and that did little to improve the overall flow. This is not a keeper and can be used by someone with high water pressure only.
(hose glamour shot 1 hose glamour shot 2 )
This UV2 protectant is similar to Vinylex but appears to be thicker and offers better coverage. It offers a semi-glossy appearance. I had some other comments about it here.
I have just about depleted my Wolfgang soap. The first time around I wasn’t too impressed. I generally mix soaps at ½ strength (or less) and find this works OK for me. I prefer to minimize the use of soap as it doesn’t really benefit our beloved wax finishes. This time I used the Wolfgang soap at about 75% of recommended strength and found it to work much better than when I initially tried it. It really generates a lot of foam, almost to the point of being excessive. I found my wash bucket was just a mass of bubbles and little free rinse water towards the bottom.
1Z Cockpit Premium. This is a most unusual product. I used it once or twice before and thought it was nice and did a decent job cleaning and left an attractive finish. I can’t say I have ever experienced another product quite like it. I had been using an MF mitt and the Cockpit Premium and cleaning up dusty and dirty surfaces. It does a GREAT job.
My wife had been working in the kitchen trying to remove tiny handprints that cover the wood cabinets. She was having no luck cleaning stubborn prints. I grabbed the 1Z and let her try it with the MF mitt and it was able to take care of the handprints. Pretty cool. I like products that can do duty in the car and house!
EngineKote is a little bit of an unknown. I misted some in the wheel wells after washing the car. I think I should have let the wheel wells dry…it appears most of the EK just dripped on the ground. Oh, well. I still have the better part of a gallon to try again.
I had used Meguiar’s #00 wash a number of years ago and was disappointed. I think I used it once and threw the bottle away. Again, people here seemed to offer good reviews so I bought another bottle and tried it again. I used close to the mfr’s recommended strength and found it did a respectable job. Pleasant surprise! The cleaning seem good and lubricity was good but it is devoid of any sexy tropical odors.
One Grand Wash ‘n’ Wax is a product I have used for a long time. Know how long it takes to use up a gallon of car wash? The product is your basic auto shampoo and I have found it to be very disappointing. What I have done in the past is to add an ounce to whatever shampoo I am using to bolster the shine. The Wash ‘n’ Wax is said to contain water-soluble wax. It does leave a high gloss when blended with other car soaps. On its own, not very good.
I sample a lot of different detailing and car-related products. I use many items that seem to be an initial disappointment yet others rave about the product so I figure they're worth a second look. :nixweiss
Here are the items I tinkered with the past weekend:
The Ultimate Hose nozzle was anything but for me. I got a new 3/4" hose as recommended by the vendor and that did little to improve the overall flow. This is not a keeper and can be used by someone with high water pressure only.
(hose glamour shot 1 hose glamour shot 2 )
This UV2 protectant is similar to Vinylex but appears to be thicker and offers better coverage. It offers a semi-glossy appearance. I had some other comments about it here.
I have just about depleted my Wolfgang soap. The first time around I wasn’t too impressed. I generally mix soaps at ½ strength (or less) and find this works OK for me. I prefer to minimize the use of soap as it doesn’t really benefit our beloved wax finishes. This time I used the Wolfgang soap at about 75% of recommended strength and found it to work much better than when I initially tried it. It really generates a lot of foam, almost to the point of being excessive. I found my wash bucket was just a mass of bubbles and little free rinse water towards the bottom.
1Z Cockpit Premium. This is a most unusual product. I used it once or twice before and thought it was nice and did a decent job cleaning and left an attractive finish. I can’t say I have ever experienced another product quite like it. I had been using an MF mitt and the Cockpit Premium and cleaning up dusty and dirty surfaces. It does a GREAT job.
My wife had been working in the kitchen trying to remove tiny handprints that cover the wood cabinets. She was having no luck cleaning stubborn prints. I grabbed the 1Z and let her try it with the MF mitt and it was able to take care of the handprints. Pretty cool. I like products that can do duty in the car and house!
EngineKote is a little bit of an unknown. I misted some in the wheel wells after washing the car. I think I should have let the wheel wells dry…it appears most of the EK just dripped on the ground. Oh, well. I still have the better part of a gallon to try again.
I had used Meguiar’s #00 wash a number of years ago and was disappointed. I think I used it once and threw the bottle away. Again, people here seemed to offer good reviews so I bought another bottle and tried it again. I used close to the mfr’s recommended strength and found it did a respectable job. Pleasant surprise! The cleaning seem good and lubricity was good but it is devoid of any sexy tropical odors.
One Grand Wash ‘n’ Wax is a product I have used for a long time. Know how long it takes to use up a gallon of car wash? The product is your basic auto shampoo and I have found it to be very disappointing. What I have done in the past is to add an ounce to whatever shampoo I am using to bolster the shine. The Wash ‘n’ Wax is said to contain water-soluble wax. It does leave a high gloss when blended with other car soaps. On its own, not very good.
)
