We got a lot of info from Mike over the last few days. I felt the need to turn imagination into experience, so I decided to polish up the wifemobile.
It had last been done over the weekend of the 4th, with Liquid Souveran: for those interested, LS is an easy to use "wipe on / wipe off" wax that gives a vibrant shine, very reflective and (dare I say it?) expensive looking:
However, like all things "Souv", 3 weeks is a long time. It still held a bead, but I'm an Autopian now... the fact that it'd been 3 weeks since the last waxing was reason enough for me to do it again!
I applied the #26 (plastic jar version) as Mike instructed, in a thin layer, evenly, to the entire car. My method for getting a light, even coat is to saturate the pad, apply, and then re-wax the pad whenever I feel it start to "drag". I then allowed it to haze for 20 minutes. Well, actually, I did the tires and windows while waiting, which turned out to be 10 minutes. The entire car appeared to be "hazed". It was easy, at that point, to see where it was on too thick; it had a "cake icing" look in those areas.
I polished the #26 off with a Koala towel instead of a MF (per Mike's instructions). Here's where it gets interesting. In the places where it was on too thick, or where it hadn't set long enough, it was a real SOB to get off. However, over most of the car, it pretty much wiped right off, no problem. No, it's not as easy to use as LS, but in return it's much easier to see where you've been working, because of the hazing, and there was absolutely NO streaking.
The results? My first impression is that #26 is not quite as reflective as LS, nor perhaps as deep, but it has a very elegant look to it. LS makes the Malibu look like a more expensive car than it is, but #26 makes it look like a better car than it is:
Even in the different light, you can see the difference in gloss and reflectiveness. Yes, these are nuances, but let's face it, there are a lot of truly excellent products out there, and nuances and perceptions of nuances are what makes us prefer one product over another.
I was about ready to close the book on #26; I opened the door to get in and pull the Malibu into the garage, when I noticed a slight haze on the windshield, the windshield that I'd already cleaned. I thought for a second, then I got a clean Koala towel and rebuffed the entire car; IMO, this brought up another level of shine that wasn't there before. I believe that it can be seen in the following picture, even taking into account the waning daylight:
WOW!
IMO, this reduces considerably the difference in appearance between LS and #26. There is still a difference, but neither is better, it's just what you prefer. I could live with either. One is easier to use (LS), one is cheaper (#26). I'm keeping them both.
Tom
It had last been done over the weekend of the 4th, with Liquid Souveran: for those interested, LS is an easy to use "wipe on / wipe off" wax that gives a vibrant shine, very reflective and (dare I say it?) expensive looking:
However, like all things "Souv", 3 weeks is a long time. It still held a bead, but I'm an Autopian now... the fact that it'd been 3 weeks since the last waxing was reason enough for me to do it again!
I applied the #26 (plastic jar version) as Mike instructed, in a thin layer, evenly, to the entire car. My method for getting a light, even coat is to saturate the pad, apply, and then re-wax the pad whenever I feel it start to "drag". I then allowed it to haze for 20 minutes. Well, actually, I did the tires and windows while waiting, which turned out to be 10 minutes. The entire car appeared to be "hazed". It was easy, at that point, to see where it was on too thick; it had a "cake icing" look in those areas.
I polished the #26 off with a Koala towel instead of a MF (per Mike's instructions). Here's where it gets interesting. In the places where it was on too thick, or where it hadn't set long enough, it was a real SOB to get off. However, over most of the car, it pretty much wiped right off, no problem. No, it's not as easy to use as LS, but in return it's much easier to see where you've been working, because of the hazing, and there was absolutely NO streaking.
The results? My first impression is that #26 is not quite as reflective as LS, nor perhaps as deep, but it has a very elegant look to it. LS makes the Malibu look like a more expensive car than it is, but #26 makes it look like a better car than it is:
Even in the different light, you can see the difference in gloss and reflectiveness. Yes, these are nuances, but let's face it, there are a lot of truly excellent products out there, and nuances and perceptions of nuances are what makes us prefer one product over another.
I was about ready to close the book on #26; I opened the door to get in and pull the Malibu into the garage, when I noticed a slight haze on the windshield, the windshield that I'd already cleaned. I thought for a second, then I got a clean Koala towel and rebuffed the entire car; IMO, this brought up another level of shine that wasn't there before. I believe that it can be seen in the following picture, even taking into account the waning daylight:
WOW!
IMO, this reduces considerably the difference in appearance between LS and #26. There is still a difference, but neither is better, it's just what you prefer. I could live with either. One is easier to use (LS), one is cheaper (#26). I'm keeping them both.
Tom
