thrillride, i don't think i've seen you suggest anything in particular when assorted products have been mentioned, but i've see you shoot down almost all of them, save a couple that you seemed to consider 'acceptable' and maybe one or two you actually seem to like or have liked.
that said, can you give some personal opinions on some stuff that is available that you prefer for some of the common steps involved in the typical enthusiasts care care regimen? if you've done this type of thing before, please forgive me, but i can't seem to get any type of positive info from your posts in this thread, but it's obvious you know what you are talking about.
if you don't mind, of course, i'd like to list some categories and i'd like you to suggest what you'd use, personally...stuff that is readily available if possible.
-microfiber towels for polish/wax removal
-hand polish, effective vs. light swirling
-final hand wax
-tire treatment
-hand scratch remover type product that is possibly a little more aggressive than a polish. something that will actually help a light clear coat scratch vs. a temp filler hide. for all i know, your polish suggestion might handle this task?
i use what i use for many reasons, but i'd like to know what you use so i can break out of my methodology and try something else based solely on someone else's system vs. piecing together a system through trial and error. individuality and creativity are cool for music and art, but for this- it's a pick it and go mentality that i prefer.
builthatch,
I certainly don't mean to come across as negative, and certainly only negative. I
usually prefer not to offer up opinion on products without be asked, and so far the ones in this thread I don't have a possative critique for. And I don't like do say "that product sucks, use this instead". That doesn't give me much credability for what I do. Now, there are plenty of products out there that I love and feel good about using in my business every day. Some of which you can find by searching these forums. So, since you have asked about specifics here is what I think (keep in mind I use a lot of different products and try out almost everything on the market, so I won't list every thing I love. Want to know more feel free to PM me.):
MF towels for polish/wax removal - Honestly anything with a thick nap, good weave, a 70/30 blend is usually best, and the higher the fibers per sq. inch the better. The thick nap is really key for product removal. If the towel gums up easy its not as effective, so the more it can suck up the better. Cobra is a nice brand, Pak Shak carries good towels, and one the few product from wal-mart that I actually like is their blue microtex MF towels. They have held up really well and performed just fine. Always remove the tags before use and washing prior to first use.
Hand polish for light swirls - Let me first say that anything by hand will not work as well as by machine. The thought of polishing by hand ever again just makes me...(help). A couple of products that I really like by hand are: scratchx (probably the last choice of these but its in stores), Jeff's Werkstatt Prime, Clearkote vanilla moose.
Final Hand Wax - I can't possibly go into this in detail. There are way too many that I like for different reason and for different situations. So just a couple that tend to get used the most often: For Carnaubas Clearkote Carnauba Moose wax, P21S, Pinnacle Souvereign, All Zymol Carbon (love a lot more Zymol but most are too expensive to keep in stock. only get used for the best cars and customers.)
For Synthetics: Optimum opti-seal, clearkote vanilla moose, Optimum car wax (for spray wax), Jeff's Werkstatt AJT.
Tire treatment - I don't usually use high shine products unless a cutomer asks for it, and most prefer a nice low gloss clean looking product anyway. Also High shine products, especially OTC tend to sling. My choices: No touch tire shine, Optimum tire shine, and for a local OTC trick...Nascar tire shine!! Very surprising product, quality water base that doesn't sling, nice looks, and actually has lasted well so far. I am currently working up a comparo for tire shines. Be on the look out in the detailins section for that.
Hand Scratch Remover - The products mentiond for light swirls could be used to take a shot at heavier issues. But without a machine anything by hand is going to be subpar. Products OTC typically only hide and fill these kinds of issues. Best to get a quality polish and machine. The polishes require head and friction greater than you can product by hand, in order to properly break down and do the job.
Hope this little bit helps you and others viewing. As I said I use alot of products for various situations so I could never list everything. If you have
specific questions I can list products I use, otherwise I don't push my choices on anyone.
