Hey guys, Just wanted to weigh in here about the topic of using "off the shelf" waxes/ products as an educated detailer. I know there is a stigma amongst great knowledgable detailers that using a wax from autozone or advanced is kind of a joke. For the most part I understand this sentiment. I have used Swissvax concorso and mystery and wolf's body wrap. In terms of looks both of these products are outstanding. My one complaint about each of them is their beading durability and dirt repellant properties, as well as the slickness they leave on the paint. Wolf's works much better than SV in this area, but I was pretty surprised that shine and seal followed by 2 layers of body wrap and nano shampoo washes with reparation wipe downs resulted in beading that died down significantly after only about one month. Could be the rain and dirt, but in the end isn't that what we're all looking for protection from? I'm 22 and drive my car everyday through every situation life throws at me, and though I am a car and detailing enthusiast, I need products that I can afford to use on a regular basis to keep my car clean, and that work in the circumstances I live in. And, to this point, I have spent thousands on all the hyped high dollar products and must say I don't feel like I've gotten the value for my money. I've seen beading and dirt repellency die quickly. Most concerning is the dirt repellency because if the dirt sticks then its harder to wash your paint without inducing some marring from manually agitating the dirt that's on your paint. I try to get after washing my car once a week, and use all the precautionary methods, but I've found that my paint doesn't stay as slick as I would expect with SV and wolfs. All this being said, I understand that maybe these products are meant more for cars that aren't daily driven/ show cars/ collectors etc. But that's not the situation I'm in personally with my car. All this being said, recently I tried meguiar's new line "ultimate" and wash actually quite impressed. I used their wash n wax and then topped with the ultimate paste wax, and have been very surprised at how slick it made the paint. The beading has also been extremely strong and the looks are great too. Hard not to look great overtop a swirl free paint, but most importantly I feel that it provides the protection I'm in need of as a daily driver. Just thought I'd share my opinion that more expensive isn't always the better product. Don't be afraid of products that seem more "common" just because they are common. The meguiar's ultimate wax and washn wax are stellar products that perform wonderfully, especially for the needs of the everyday car that you still want to keep pampered.
I feel ya there. I'm a 19-year old college student, and though I love my car and try to treat it kindly, life isn't so kind. Like you, my car goes through whatever gets thrown at it. It sits outside 24/7, gets driven in all sorts of weather and sometimes has to go several months without getting any attention from me. I don't have the money for very many expensive products, and I've been learning the art of keeping it simple and inexpensive. Personally, as far as protecting the exterior, I've fallen in love with Collinite 845, Menzerna Powerlock and Autoglym HD. I feel that their durability is a bit above that of some OTC waxes/sealants, and their prices can't be beat. (Well the HD can be expensive but I got it when it was on clearance at walmart so it was pretty cheap for me). But if I had to choose one of those products...I'd say to go with the 845. It cannot be bought OTC (at least, nowhere near me), but most online detailing stores carry it. It's easy to apply, easy to buff off. It lasts a long time and looks good in the process, not to mention it's cheap, just as cheap as products you'd find at Autozone or the like. True, it probably doesn't look as good as other products out there. But my car spends about 95% of the time in some state of being pretty damn dirty. It's just how my life works out...I live in an apartment with no access to a hose, I'm a full-time student with a part-time job, and my car just doesn't get the attention I want to give it most of the time. I'm lucky if it gets washed once a month (ONR FTW), and I'm doing good to wipe down and vacuum the interior at that frequency as well. And the 845 has really shone through as a fantastic product through all this. The 845 holds up fine through all the dirt and grime, and my car looks great on those few occasions when I do manage to clean it up. (By the way, 845 + HD = really great looking and long lasting protection!)
All comes down to your budget, likes, comfortability, and what works for you. Different strokes for different folks. I mainly use 2-3 lines of product manufacturers. Not because I'm close minded or hate other products, I just like what I use and stick with it. I still try other products just to make sure I am using the best products for my budget. All that being said, Meguairs makes top notch products and I never discount anything they produce regardless if its an OTC product. To this day, Deep Crystal is one of my favorite shampoos.
Megs is no joke........ just not as "hyped" as the other products when it comes to things you can buy off the shelf. I have no issue using their off the shelf products. I have been using their paint cleaner wax for years, its as good as anything out there honestly. http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotive/products/ Anything in their classic line will "get the job done"
+1 on the Megs UPW. Very easy to use, can be applied in direct sunlight, easy on easy off, smells great, nice shine and beading, paint feels slick and nice depth too. I use 845 too and while it will probably outlast UPW it is more cumbersome to work with.
When I first got into detailing, I would use megs stuff. Their clay bar works great, as well as the cleaner wax. I used every one of their waxed, and although they worked, I found they didn't work for long. Each of them attracted dust like a mofo and I rarely got more than a month out of them. That's when I started looking into online products, and a detailing friend gave me a link to detailersdomain. I've been hooked ever since lol! But yeah, nothing particularly wrong with the megs lineup, especially when you're on a budget. But its not the first thing I recommend friends/customers if they want a cheap, durable, good looking wax.
Not that it matters, my new LSP of choice is Wolfs hardbody.... LOL.(in regards to dust and static) It is amazing how much dust it repels, and I live in the country basically. 1 bottle is more then enough to do multiple cars if used right, so the cost is actually pretty effective. now back to the Megs talk
Ultimate Paste Wax is one of the best products Meguiars has ever produced. Probably THE best sealant you will find in a brick & mortar store.
^^^ i remember seeing pics of your car, it really popped. What kind of durability have you been getting? Any difference between the paste and the liquid?
I never got around to trying the liquid unfortunately. I got a solid two months but I was washing it with fairly good shampoos (Werkstat, Glossworkz, Optimum Car Wash) and I was washing the SUV at least once a week while the weather was nice. My Winter LSP was Ultimate Paste Wax topped with Wekstat Acrylic Jet Spray and that combination held up very nicely. By the way I traded in that SUV. at the end of this past Winter.
