These products have been around a while... But they are new to me inthe UK, and it was with great pleasure that they hit my rotary pads for testing... Now, be aware that in this test, I have used these products in a way quite unlike they were designed to be - Mystique does not have abrasives which deminish and is designed to have various pads to vary its cut (an all-in-one polishing creme) - but I was keen to see just what correction could be achieved along with finish whern using them on foam pads which are the mainstay of many detailers armoury. Using my more traditional long working techniques delivered results I found pleasently surprising in terms of cut, and impressive in terms of finish. Anyways, enough of the chat - down to business. MarkV Mystique Let us begin, in true KG tradition, with a wirewooled scrap panel! (You'll be used to these by now, and they will actually be getting replaced with new ones soon!) The Mystique is described as a microcompound, a product designed for the removal of moderate to severe marring. Yet, sharing with System One, an ability to be easy to use and also, with the correct pad, finish down to a hologram free finish. This is quite a task for any product, as major correction requires aggressive abrasives and getting these to finish down LSP ready is no mean feat! Experimenting with the polish revealed to me that it seemed to be a little oilier than the System One that I previously tried, and indeed its work time did seem a little longer and it was less prone to any dust, while the S1 did produce a little. Compared to the likes of Menzerna, I actually found the MarkV Mystique responded better to a higher polishing speed, I favoured working this polish at 2000rpm, much like Meguiars #83. My chosen method of use for the polish, after a few trials and cups of tea, was the following applied using a Makita rotary and a Meguiars W8006 Yellow Foam Polishing Pad: > 600rpm: 1 pass to spread the polish > 1200rpm: 2 or 3 passes to begin working the polish > 2000rpm: roughly 10 passes to work the polish, residue nearly vanished after this > 1200rpm: 2 or 3 passes to refine the finish The results achieved: First of all, the level of correction here was very impressive - general swirling all removed, along with at least 90% of the deeper scratches and marks. The polish seemed to have a cut higher than that of Intensive Polish / #83 / SSR2.5 and the like, placing it more in the league of Power Gloss and #84. I was very impressed by this as evaluating the quality of the finish revealed no hologramming despite the fast work speeds and the obviously aggressive cut that the product possesses. Indeed, the finish could pass as being LSP ready quite happily as the levels of gloss and clarity were excellent to the eye in the flesh. Using Menzerna PO85RD Final Finish (my favourite finishing polish, and the benchmark to which I currently judge the finish of all polishes I trial until something better comes along for finishing purposes) made little impact in the levels of gloss achieved suggesting the Mystique did finish down very well indeed, although on some paints (espeically soft ones) it is likely that a finishing polish would deliver just that little bit extra. All in all, this polish retained the System One characteristic of being easy to use, yet highly effective. Trying silly fast work times and methods and the polish still behaved admirably, suggesting that this would be a great polish for those just starting with the rotary to get a feel for the tool - though the level of cut it can produce should not be underestimated. Hone the technique and this polish can finish down to compete with the best of the finishing polishes which is hugely impressive given its ability to cut aggressively. All in all, I have found this to be a very impressive product and one which I will now personally be adding to my collection for machine polishing purposes as it delivers results for me. Pros Effective cutting combined with excellent finishing abilities Easy to use, even for a beginner Required no additional lube and had a nice long work time Cons The cut is quite aggressive, so this should be carefully monitored MarkV IP 200 Depth Restorer Quite a mouthful of a name this one, but instructions on the bottle suggest that this would be more of a finishing polish whereas the Mystique is more of the cutting compound - although as results above show, it will have to do well to finish as well as the Mystique! It also says its particularly good on colours such as red and black... so good job I have a red panel ready for it!! The panel before: Now, trialling with the IP200 suggested that first of all, the work time is much less than Mystique - I found it very quick and this surprised me at first as I was convinced the finish would be hologrammed with so few passes but indeed it did finish pretty well. Also, this polish seemed better to respond to slower speeds of 1800rpm or below. The method I settled on with a Meguiars W8006 Polishing Pad: > 600rpm: 1 pass to spread > 1200rpm: 2 passes to begin working > 1800rpm: 5 - 7 passes to work till residue nearly vanishes > 1200rpm: 2 passes to refine The results: First thing I noticed was that it didn't quite have the cut of the Mystique (perhaps down to shorter work time), but it was still very effective at removing all of the general swirls and a good 60 - 70% of the deeper marks... This product seems to fall more in the Intensive Polish / #83 cutting region, perhaps just a little less. Second thing I noticed was what surprised me a little - the clarity and quality of the finish was not all that much better than the Mystique. It seemed maybe a little sharper, and the gloss a little deeper, but it was not a huge difference by any means. Not to say they finish was a bad one, it was indeed a very good one, and this is more a show of just how well the Mystique performs! Without the lights, the gloss achieved: For comparison, this section of the bonnet was now treated with Menzerna PO85RD Final Finish on a Meguiars W9006 Finishing Pad. This is my benchmark finishing system, the one I always turn to when going for the ultimate as it is the combo I can get personally to perform to give the sharpest, clearest, deepest finishes... The results of using this: The difference was very small. The use of Final Finish deepened the gloss and enhanced the clarity very slightly - it did exactly what a dedicated finishing polish should do, but the fact the improvement was slight shows just how well the more aggressive MarkV products will finish. Again, this is something which has hugely impressed me today. Pros Quick work time for those in a hurry Easy to use Effective cut combined with very good finishing abilities Cons Not quite the clarity of a dedicated finishing polish Quick working - not ideal if you prefer a longer work time All in all, the MarkV products have hugely impressed me today, and the biggest thing that has struck me is the way in which two notably aggressive cutting polishes can finish down so well - not quite the clarity of a dedicated finishing polish such as Menzerna PO85RD, but still very close while maintaining a very effective cut. The products are also very easy to use and more forgiving than many others on the market when it comes to what they will "let you away with" without resulting in holgramming! I think if MarkV produced a dedicated finsihing polish, they would complete what is already a very competent range of products... But even without it, these polishes deserve to do well in the market with detailers simply for the way they cut effectively combined with an excellent finishing ability.
A mix of 80% Glisten and 20% IP 200 makes a very nice protection/polish combo Dave, work it in with the rotary. Highly recommended. :thumb:
Mark-V does have awsome products. Qwick Kut 350 cuts faster then Powergloss but finishes out very nicly. Mystique is a keeper, thats for sure.
Its a good job I've bought myself some Glisten lately then Many thanks for introducing me to these products, Ben, they are going to play a notable part in my detailing this year.
