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Starting a discussion about car care products favorites vs least favorite

2K views 13 replies 9 participants last post by  Leadfootluke 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey guys. As i stated in previous discussions i love spending a whole day making my baby nice and shiny. So what is every one using to wash wax and polish their rams? Also what are some products that you have used that you hated?

Favorites

Wash- when it come to car was i just buy the cheapest since i follow with a wax any way

Wax- For black i swear by turtle wax black box wax. for all other colors my favorites are zymol and meguires professional yellow

Tire shine- Basic armor all foam

Metal polish- I havent found a chrome polish i liked yet but for any other metal hands down Wenol found at ace hardware and amazon i havent used it on chrome but jesus its crazy on aluminum and magnesium

Glass- Surf city garage "clearly better" glass cleaner. Only glass cleaner ive seen that you can spray on a hot window in the sun and not leave a streak

Carpet cleaner- Folex

Leather- Lexol is the only one ive used so i cant comment to much on this one

Leather/Plastic dash- meguires quick interior cleaner (no gloss)

Interior plastic/leather trim- basic armor all

Clear exterior plastics- meguiars PlastX

Exterior black plastic trim- mothers back to black

Rubbing compound- 3M rubbing compound

Clay bar- Meguiars professional detailing clay (mild) its a blue clay block in a round black tub. It works better then mothers in my opinion and better then their regular clay bar kit. I use it with Meguiars quick detailer spray wax to lubricate the clay against the paint

Head light restoration- For oxidized headlights 3M headlight restoration kit is the only one id ever recommend, in my opinion it is the only one that truly works

Air freshener- believe it or not but AXE body spray is great for making the interior smell nice and it lasts quite a while. If you have a bad odor how ever ozium gets rid of it really quick its just a little strong and new car sent smells like lemon
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Products i hated:

Turtle wax black tire coat- Jesus this product should have a recall or something... what it basically is is a small can of clear coat paint which is why its "dry to the touch" when i used this product it left my tires with a oil on water rainbow shine after it was on a few days on top of that it left little over spray spots all over my windows which lead to an extreme glare when the sun was hitting it. i used so many things to remove the spots and ended up having to use goof off which even still didnt remove it all... worst car care product ever in my opinion

never dull- although a good product it is terrible on chrome which was my mistake i think because i dont think its advertised to use on chrome

nu finish wax- its not terrible but for a wax i think its one of the least effective ones ive used

liquid glass paint polish- i personally dont feel like it stands up to what it claims to do

headlight restore- blue magic headlight lense restorer. this product is good on non oxidized plastic if you just want to shine it up. if you buy it to remove oxidation on headlights you are wasting your money.

Turtle wax bug and tar remover- it will remove bugs but what standard liquid car soap and a little elbow grease wont. as far as burnt rubber in your wheel well and on your fenders its useless.

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Thats all i can think of so far. Share the products you use and the ones you didnt like. Lets see what every one comes up with :smileup:
 
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#4 ·
For wax Zaino. I also sometimes use Maguiers with a buffer.
Detail spray Zaino or Griots Garage.
Leather cleaner Zaino or Griots Garage
Buffer Porter Cable dual action
Carpet Cleaner I have a steamer from Griots Garage
Glass Cleaner Made by Stoner, I can't remember the name
Protectant Aerospace 303
 
#5 ·
@dodge man: ive used aerospace 303 and that is some great stuff that can be used on tons of different things i forgot all about it. what are some products that you didnt like?
 
#6 · (Edited)
What don't I like? After using Zaino, I pretty much don't like any other wax. Zaino is a man made wax and I got it because I have a black Challenger with black side stripes. The Zaino doesn't leave any kind of residue along the stripes. It also lasts much longer than regular wax. The only problem with Zaino is it doesn't have a lot of cleaning ability so you have to clay bar the car first or somehow clean the paint.

I'm also not a big fan of the Turtle Was bug and Tar remover, its crap, but I have always like Never Dull. Wenol is good stuff also.

For a power buffer I've pretty much narrowed it down to a Maguires product. They list it as a "professional" product so you won't find it at Wal-mart. Its called Mirror Glaze Polymer Sealant. Its also a man made wax and it does a good job of cleaning the paint. I really like it and also have a couple different Maguires buffing compounds for taking out bad scratches with a power buffer.

I'm also not to big on Armor All anymore. It kind of got a bad rap for drying stuff out of the long run. I don't know if thats true or not but I used to use it all the time.



I currently maintain a "fleet" of 5 cars. My wifes 300C, my daughters Impala, my Dodge truck, my Challenger and my sons 2004 GTO. I do all the wrenching I can plus try and keep them halfway clean so anything I can do to save time helps. My son does help with his car but it seems the rest is up to me. I guess I've been cleaning and detailing cars for about 30 years now and I've kind of learned what works with the least amount of effort.
 
#7 ·
I got one for best: Turtle Wax Ice. Gives a good shine, seems to last quite a while, and the part I like best is that it doesn't turn up white if you accidentally get it on the black plastic parts like other waxes do that I've used.
 
#9 ·
@Dodge man: i just read about the wax you are talking about and it looks pretty impressive. im gonna have to order some when i run out of the stuff i have.

@Paulmys: ive never heard of plexus im gonna look into that stuff.
 
#10 ·
I'm always one of those people thats skeptical of the "new great products". I had a friend that had a Corvette that just swore Zaino was the best thing since sliced bread. I have to admit I was impressed and love how long the stuff lasts. The Z2 is what you want to use on your car probably. The Z8 detail spray is also really good. The only problem with Zaino is its cost, its pretty pricey.
 
#12 ·
Wash- Zaino car wash. Super concentrated, just a little bit makes a bucket of the richest, thickest, most luxurious soap suds ever. Meguiars Gold from the store if I'm out of Zaino, but the Megs doesn't even compare.

Wax- I mostly use Zaino on the smaller vehicles, Z-2 usually. But for something like my Ram, which seems like it has an acre of sheet metal, I find Zaino just more work than I am willing to do. So I use products I find easier to apply and remove. A couple I've been using on larger rigs, are Wolfgang Deep Gloss 3.0 and 3M Synthetic wax. The Wolfgang is definitely easier to apply and buff off than Zaino and gives a nice glossy finish. But the 3M is SUPER easy to use, you don't let it dry, just apply by machine and wipe off while still wet. Maybe not quite the shine of Zaino or Wolfgang, but seems to protect fairly well and last fairly long, and so much easier to use than anything that you have to let dry before buffing, it is becoming my go-to for anything with as much sheet metal as a pickup truck.

Tire shine- None. Hate the stuff. Don't like the look of shiny tires for one, absolutely hate the way dirt sticks to the crud for another. Then again, I don't like the look of raised white letters either. Much, much, prefer the uber clean fresh rubber look of using Bleche-Wite on straight black sidewalls. Especially on a truck, which if it is mine, sees a LOT of dirt, none of that gross, shiny, sticky tire dressing crap for dirt to mix with and make spooge - which ends up in the wheel wells as well as on the tires. The clean, fresh natural rubber look is where it's at, for me. Bleche-Wite and a stiff scrub brush. To each his own, but I despise tire dressing...

Metal polish- None. For wheels, I use Poor Boys wheel wax twice a year and just keep them clean with soap and water. Never any need to polish. The Poor Boys wheel wax works great on powder coated stuff too, like the rocker sliders and bumpers on my Jeep.

Glass- Whatever is on sale. They all work, some maybe a little better than others, but I've never seen a real big difference between the cheapest and the most expensive.

Carpet cleaner- None. If the carpet is bad enough to need cleaned, I pull it out and power wash it.

Leather- Couple drops of Zaino car wash in a spray bottle of water, with a soft cotton cloth. I never use any dressing on interior leather, again, I just personally hate the shiny look and feel. Prefer straight clean unadulterated leather.

Leather/Plastic dash- Couple drops of Zaino car wash in a spray bottle of water, with a soft cotton cloth. Again, no dressing on that stuff for me.

Interior plastic/leather trim- Couple drops of Zaino car wash in a spray bottle of water, with a soft cotton cloth.

Clear exterior plastics- I just apply the same wax or sealer to them as the sheet metal.

Exterior black plastic trim- Nothing. If it's faded, I might rub a little straight ATF into the plastic with my finger tips - that seems to last longer than any commercial product I've tried, but usually, just leave it alone.

Rubbing compound- Whatever seems most appropriate for the task at hand. Deep scratches on the sides of my Jeep I might use Meuiars Diamond Cut on a rotary buffer. Just prepping good clean paint for sealant, I might use a mild finishing glaze or polish on a gray pad on the 7424XP.

Clay bar- None, usually. Zaino for the times I do. Usually figure it's just as easy and more thorough to machine polish as to clay bar though.

Head light restoration- 3M probably best of breed. I've just about given up on all of them though.

Air freshener- Ozium spray. Febreze the crap out of carpet and headliner if it really stinks.

- DAA
 
#13 · (Edited)
I always thought that the best product for anything is the product that you will actually use. The best product is the one that you are satisfied with the results given the time and effort you had to use to get those results. My personal favorites may be different than yours but they satisfy me(to be honest I really don't care what you think of my choices, I'm not trying to satisfy you).
I use Wolfgang 3.0 sealant--I use Collinite 845 Wax--I use Opti Spray Car Wax- I use Zanio detailer--and I use Aerospace 303. I have had good success with these products however if I run across a better product or a good product is recommended by someone I trust, I'll probably give it a try. Autopia and autogeek are your friends. They have done all the reasearch for you, all you have to do is spend the time reading about the different products and listening to people like Luke and Primo in this section---they will not steer you wrong.
Jay
 
#14 ·
Favorites

Wash - Optimum Car Wash, leaves the finish looking great, smells great, suds well with great lubricity. I do like Chemical Guys Citrus Wash for stripping the paint and using in a spray bottle as a citrus presoak, but it is usually not my first choice as a maintenance wash [even at the proper dilution].

Wax - Generally I will reach for Collinite 476 Doublecoat or 845 Insulator wax. They are staples in my arsenal with their ease of use, durability, and looks. There are a ton of beauty waxes on the market that would work very well too, but they are a little more costly for a little less durability and it's not suited to my demographic. I would throw in a vote for Optimum Spray Wax too, easy, slick, not as durable. I treat it more like a detail spray on steroids, but it is a wax.

Coating? - I would throw in coatings as they are slowly replacing waxes. There are a ton on the market and I would suggest doing a lot of research before buying/applying one. I have and use OptiCoat and for quicker applications, Detailers Paint Coating.

Tire shine - Water based dressings, Meguiars Hyperdressing is my go to [you can get it in smaller bottles from ADS and other retailers]. However, I have used Optimum Optibond with great results. It is more of a gel, but can be diluted and sprayed.

Metal polish - Depending on the application, I have had good success with P21S Polishing Soap and Collinite Metal Wax #850.

Glass - I still use Stoners Invisible Glass with rain repellent on exterior glass, it was the first cleaner I used and have stuck with it. SprayWay can be found at many hardware stores and works well too, but economically I have loved Meguiars Glass Cleaner. Works very well on abused windows with stains and is very cheap when broken down into cost per gallon [even a weekend warrior can benefit from the 11 gallons when diluted, as it works great on every glass and mirror in the house].

Carpet cleaner - Folex as well, definitely convenient with no rinsing needed. Works great on headliners and seats as well.

Leather - Adams leather cleaner works very well, although in terms of value a properly diluted all purpose cleaner works just as well for cheaper, but I like to keep a small bottle of Adam's cleaner handy because I know it's at a proper strength.

Leather/Plastic dash - Meguiar's Quik Interior Cleaner and Meguiar's #40 Rubber and Vinyl cleaner. Aerospace 303 works great too.

Interior plastic/leather trim - Same as previous post

Clear exterior plastics - Meguiar's #40, Overall, Optimum Power Clean is my favorite APC.

Exterior black plastic trim - Clean with the aforementioned products, dress with Black Wow, Collinite 845, or a sealant.

Rubbing compound - If this is referring to polishes, I would say try anything your heart desires and use it as directed. I like Meguiars M105/M205, M101, D300 and a few others.

Clay bar - Speedy Surface Prep Towels, safe clay alternative, much much quicker than traditional clay.

Head light restoration - Same polishes as paint, but make sure the lenses are sealed with a UV resistant coating or cleancoat.

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Some detailing Must haves for myself are:

Optimum Power Clean for wheels and tires, interior cloth and leather, any plastics and painted surfaces like the undercarriage, wheel wells, engine bay, etc.

Optimum No Rinse or No Rinse Wash and Wax. Both work perfect for rinseless washes, but also as glass cleaners, plastic and vinyl cleaners, water softeners, and quick detailers.

Tuff Shine Tire Brush, if you ever make a detailing purchase from one of the major retailers, get this brush. Cheap and works wonderful.
 
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