Spyral's reviews from this weekends detail

In my never ending search for "my system" I have been buying and trying a lot of products. This thread will serve as my little sounding board for me to review what I have used, get advice on how to use my products better and try to perfect my technique.

This weekend I used a few of the new products I have been collecting. Let's see what I got.

05/16/09 Wolfgang (Gilmour) Foam Gun:
This thing is the shit! I love it. I used it in combination with Poor Boy's slick suds. It laid down a nice thick coat of foamy suds that lifter the surface dirt off and allowed me to safely wash it off before sponge washing the vehicle. My process went like this - foamed, rinsed, foamed, 2-bucket washed, rinsed, foamed, clayed, rinsed, foamed, 2-bucket washed again and rinsed. That may be overkill but it came out great! I would recommend this gun (or any Gilmour variant).

05/16/09 FLEX 3401:
All I have to say is wow. I LOVE this buffer. It felt better in my hands than my PC 7424 and felt like an all around better machine. This was my first time using a FLEX and I can't see going back to a PC. Excellent machine.

05/16/09 Menzerna Micro Polish PO85RD:
I have 7 different Menzerna items, but I have only used this one. I used this with an orange pad on a cleaned and clayed surface. I applied it on a small section first to test it out, varying speeds like I have read bout here. Very easy to apply and very easy to wipe off. Many of the fine swirl marks I am fighting (black car) were eradicated easily. Not so good on heavier swirls, but I guess that's why it is rated as a light cut polish. Very cooperative and it made my car "squeak" to the touch after it was wiped off. As is no surprise to anyone on this forum, this is a highly recommended product. I will be giving some of the higher cut products a try next weekend and will update my review then.

05/16/09 CG EZ-Creme Glaze:
Upon opening the bottle of purple fluid, I was greeted with the awesome smell of grape soda! I swear if these detailing chemicals were around when I was a kid I would never have made it. I would have eaten and drank all of them! This glaze is awesome. Easy on, easy off and very easy to manage. I had one little issue, I slung some product, but it was my fault as I had not placed the buffer on the car or spread the product around yet, just a brain fart and a shirt full of purple. Application via the FLEX was easy and impressive. Good coverage and no issues. I definitely see why people told me to get this one.

05/16/06 CG Jetseal 109:
OK, not my first time using this, but first time writing about it. I gave the car 2 coats of this awesome sealant. It covered well the first time, but figured I would follow the instructions and give the car 2 coats. Very easy application, not very time consuming (except waiting between coats).

05/16/06 Rubbish Boy's OE wax:
I know everyone raves about this wax, that's why I bought it. This stuff has a very nice lemony smell. I read the instructions and other peoples recommendations to find the best way to apply this wax. I tried the finger applicator RB supplied, it was a chore and my fingers became tired fast. So, I wound up using a paperclip to dig out some of the very hard wax and hand rub it on the car. I found it difficult to work up the heat to get the wax to spread evenly without clumping. I did one side of the car and waited for the wax to haze over. Once it did I got out an MF and started to wipe it off. This was harder than the application! By the time I was done with half of the car I needed a break. My arms were that tired! It looked great when wiped off, but not better than the car did with Supernatural, so I decided to shelve the RBOE for the rest of the detail as I was already 6 hours into it and in no mood for killing my arms. Please note, I am in NO WAY deriding this product, just stating my experiences. It left an awesome shine!

05/16/09 Poor Boy's Natty's Blue Paste Wax:
Strangely, after opening this wax I wanted some bubble gum! This blue wax is very soft. I was able to hand rub this wax easily with very even coverage. The thin layer I applied hazed nicely and wiped off without any effort. The shine it produced was very nice for a wax that requires so little work to apply and remove. I could see this being a good casual detail wax, when you don't really want to break a sweat.

05/16/09 Dodo Juice Red Mist:
After all the waxing was done, I broke out one of my bottles of Dodo Juice Red Mist Tropical. This detail spray comes in a nice see through bottle that has a controlled mist dispenser and a really nice smell. One pull of the trigger gives you a nice blast of misted product. I noticed that once you spray and wipe, you should wait a few seconds before wiping again, just to let it work. I applied this to the entire car after waxing, it made the metal flake in my paint pop even more! Very impressive product.

05/16/09 Poor Boy's Natural Look:
I really like this stuff. Another AWESOME smelling product. This bad boy is great on tires, trim, dash, vinyl, pretty much anywhere. A small bit of product spreads well and covers great. It doesn't dry glossy, it dries clean looking and does not seem to attract dust. So far, I really like this for the interior. We'll see how it holds up this week.

05/16/09 Poor Boy's Wheel Sealant:
I have new wheels on my car, they have polished lips. I applied 4 coats of this product, a day later the brake dust just slides right off! I highly recommend this product if you have brakes that dust a lot. I applied it like a wax with a foam applicator, easy application and removal. That seems to be a common trait with all of the Poor Boy's products I have used.

05/16/09 EZ Detail Brush:
God made this brush, didn't he? This worked wonders on my wheels. Getting between the spokes and into the rivets was a breeze with this brush. I was also able to get my tail pipes clean and get into the nooks and crannies around them. No one should be without this brush. I see Justin has a smaller version, I may pick one of those up too.

05/17/09 Poor Boy's QD+:
I used this today, a day after my full detail to get some dust off the car and to make her shine a bit more. This is another really good QD. I really like the bottles PB uses, the sprayers are top notch and don't feel like they will come apart on you. The spray went on easy and wiped down good. I noticed I had to make sure I wiped it down completely or it would leave a light haze, so I had to go over the car twice, but the final results are hard to argue with. Another fine product. that I will buy more of.

05/16/09 CG Monster Microfiber:
These blue 16x16 towels with black silk border are pretty good, not the best, but for $10 a 3-pack, you can't go wrong. Nice and soft, thick pile on one side with short on the other. Good for removing product and buffing. Versatile, I like that.

05/16/09 The Rag Shack Gladiator:
This is by far my favorite towel. Softer than a pile of kittens and more useful! This is my final buffing towel and I need more! Time to order some from Justin.

05/16/09 The Rag Shack Superfly:
These red MF's are excellent utility MF's. They are great for QD and wipe downs. I will be stocking up on these.

05/16/09 Cobra 550 MF's:
Great towel to remove polish and glaze, etc. Very soft and gentle on the car. Only downside is that they have a tag sewn onto them. Why do they do this?

Well, that's my review this week. I will be back next week with reviews of the new products I use. Please post up any questions or comments, every bit of feedback is appreciated. I am looking to hone my skills and would love to hear what you guys think of my product selection, usage, combination, etc.

Coming next week: Uber pads, Cockpit, and the Uber interior kit for leather interiors! Stay tuned!

Memorial Day Weekend Detail, Part One! 05/23/09

Well, I got to the warehouse early to get started and a bevy of problems precluded me from commencing until almost 11am! So, I had to cut this detail into 2 days. Tomorrow I will do the interior and add the reviews of those products. Last week had a Poor Boy's theme, this week has a Dodo Juice theme.

05/23/09 Menzerna 203:
This was my savior. After trying a few combinations, I finally used 203 and an orange LC pad to correct my trunk almost 95%. This polish went on easy, not a lot of work to it, just a decent amount of time. Taking your time with this polish yields massive results on damage clear.

05/23/09 Uber Pads:
I bought a bunch of Uber pads from Phil at DD and I must say, they are very nice. Great coverage and they seemed to work very nicely. They are also VERY easy to clean. I have the green, blue and black pads. No complaints from me, very good pad.

05/23/09 Dodo Juice Lime Prime:
Where has this stuff been all my life? After polishing I applied a coat of Lime Prime with a white LC pad and wiped it off with a CG Monster MF. Lime Prime goes on VERY easy and wipes off just as easily. Once removed, the surface was ready for a coat of Supernatural. I almost wanted to do another coat of Lime Prime (I had a blast applying it), but wasn't sure if that was defeating it's own purpose, so I just did one.

05/23/09 Dodo Juice Supernatural (Iroku pot):
This is, so far, my favorite wax. I have applied it a few times, but this is the first review. This wax has no fruity smell, or outlandish color, ala other Dodo Juice products, it is just pure hotness in a wooden tub. I apply wax by hand and SN is very easy to work with and covers beautifully. A little bit goes a very long way. Once the wax dries to a haze, it is easily removed with a nice MF. I love using SN, it produces a shine that is hard to argue with.

05/23/06 Grit Guard 2 bucket system:
Another purchase from Phil at DD. These buckets are the greatest thing since foam guns. They came with high quality dollies with 5 very quiet wheels, buckets with grit guards, 0-ring seal covers and 2 seat cushions! That was the icing on the cake. I acquired 2 rolling work stools..lol. Anyone who does not have a set of these needs to seriously look into it. My wash tools were kept clean and the grit went to the bottom of the rinse bucket. Easy to manage with the dollies and very convenient. One of the best things I have bought.

05/23/09 Poor Boy's APC:
I diluted this 1:1 in a 32oz sprayer I got from Phil at DD. I used this on my wheels, brakes and exhaust. Even without scrubbing, or touching them with a brush, the chrome on my tail pipes was shining like a mofugger! The wheels were the same, clean without even touching them! I will find many more uses for this cleaner, I am sure.

05/23/09 Home Depot Grouting Sponge:
Ok, so my DD sponge is on back order. I read about these and while I was picking up my wet/dry vacuum, I got 2 of these. They are very nice. They hold a TON of water and suds, they seemed very gentle on the finish and for the price, if I throw them out after every use, I'm only out $1.79!

That's all for today, I will be back with a review of the interior products I use in part 2 tomorrow! Thanks for reading!

Memorial Day Weekend Detail Part 2! 05/24/06

Today I went back to the warehouse to complete the interior detail. I did not do the leather since 2 out of three components from LM were back ordered, so I will review the Leather Master system when they come in.

05/24/09 Adam's Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner:
At first glance, smell and even taste, this product seems to be just water. I mean, no discernable smell, no color, no taste, NOTHING! So, I was a bit hesitant that it would actually work. I had just finished vacuuming out my trunk and used this product on a stain on the trunk liner carpet. I followed the directions, sprayed it on, agitated it and wiped it off. Lo and behold, it worked. The stains were gone! I then hit the trunk with the vacuum once more to get any residue out. The trunk looks better than it did new. I figured I would give this stuff a workout, so I did my drivers side floor mat. Unreal. It cleaned the hell out of that beat up piece of carpet. I am sold on this stuff!

05/24/09 Adam's Glass Cleaner:
This was not bad, but in my opinion Stoner is better. I applied this with a glass MF from DD. I was not overly impressed. I think I will stick with the Stoner aerosol and one of these windom MF's.

05/24/09 Swissvax Detail brush:
Nice brush, gets in creives and does it's job. Not an overly exciting product to review, but it performed as expected from a Swissvax product. No bristles fell out and my car did not explode. I call that a win!

05/24/09 Ridgid wet/dry vac with car care kit:
Nice. A very good wet/vac at a great price. Ridgid 2.2HP 6 gallon wet/dry. I bought the optional car care kit, it comes with a much nicer hose and a bunch of attachments. I use the "car claw" on carpets and rugs and the various crevice tools and brushes to get the carpet and interior looking good. I paid $44.00 for the vasc and $37 for the kit, but it is more than worth it. How did I clean a car before I had a wet/dry?

05/24/09 1Z Plastic Cleaner:
The warnings on this one made me very weary of using it so I started in the trunk with some plastic trim that is well hidden. I guess it did it's job, the plastic was very clean, but the fact that if you leave this stuff laying around it could damage trim is a little disturbing. Be careful when you use it and I am sure you will be OK.

05/24/09 Detailers Domain Interior Detail Sponges:
These will forever be known as "Detail biscuits" from now on! I love these little guys! Used in combination with a dressing like Poor Boy's Natural Look, they are amazing. You can evenly apply product and maximize usage while negating any lost product. They get into all the tight spots too. Great product.

That's it for today! I'll probably be back tomorrow, a board member and myself are going to detail a car together maybe I can learn something!
Thanks!

Saturday, 05/30/09

Ok, so I posted a separate post in the show and shine section for the detail lifemal and I did last Monday. Here are the reviews of the new products I used today, 05/30/09.

05/30/09 1Z Cockpit Plus:
I got a few (4) bottles of this from lifemal Monday when we traded some product. I have heard great things about Cockpit Plus and they are all true. Excellent on my interior, needed vary little to do the job and it left a pleasant smell. With any interior products I like to see what kind of durability you get out of them so I will report back in a week to let you know how it holds up. So far, it gives a very nice, even, clean look to my dash and plastic bits in my interior. I used 1Z Plastic Cleaner first, then the Cockpit Plus. Great combination.

05/30/09 Poor Boy's Natural Look - FOLLOW UP REVIEW-
Natural look has been the dressing of choice in my interior for the past few weeks. I just wanted to follow up with a durability report. Used as an interior dressing, it stays matte, not wet and glossy, it smells great for at least 5 days after application. Overall, it is a great dressing if you are like me and detail your car every weekend. Using it on tires, it lasts about 5 days. It does not make it a full week, so I will be relegating Natural Look to an interior dressing only and start my hunt for a good tire dressing that lasts a week and is not all glossy and wet looking. I still rate Natural Look as one of my favorite products, it is very versatile.

05/30/09 Black Wow:
I picked this up from Justin at Obsessive Detail when I placed an order for some Gladiators (5) and Superflys (3). Just a side note, Justin is an excellent vendor and sent me 2 free MF's to try out. Ok, first off, they need to change the name of this stuff to "Black DAYUUUUUMMMMMMMM!!!" It's that good. I read the instructions, i watched the videos, I tried it before I washed the car. Just a pea sized dollop on a foam applicator pad and BLAMO! Faded wiper cowl trim turns deep black. Not wet, mind you, just black once more. I could not believe how little you need to use of this stuff, it covers like a dream and smells like watermelon! Excellent product to restore black trim. I will report back in a week to let you know how it holds up.

05/30/09 Pinnacle Souveran Paste Wax:
Ok, I am a beginner wax whore. I have like 6 waxes and have 3 more on the way (Concourso, 50/50 and Americana). Souveran just placed itself in the top 2 of my collection for ease of use and results. On a black car, this wax gives an extremely deep gloss and reflectivity that is just outstanding. I applied it with my FLEX and a black Uber pad. I watched the Pinnacle video and took the wax out of the pot (it slid out pretty easy) and just rubbed it on the pad. Easy coverage, easy removal, no waiting. I am thoroughly impressed with Souveran.

Well, that is it for this week. I hope to have my Leather Masters kit in by next weekend, it is time to do my seats and I really want to see how well this stuff works! As always, any questions or comments are more than welcome!

Saturday 06/06/09!

Not much new this week.

06/06/09 CG 5050 Wax:
This has jumped into the top 3 of my favorite waxes. Easy to apply, easy to remove and startling results. Depth, clarity and reflectivity you would expect from a higher priced wax. I am SOLD on 5050. Using it in combination with EZ Creme Glaze and Jet Seal 109 is a pretty stout combo!

Saturday, 06/13/09!

Well, today was just a wash and wax with full interior and leather cleaning/conditioning. Let's get to it!

06/13/09 Majestic Solutions Ultra Gloss Car Wash:
By far, my new favorite car wash soap! I read a lot about it and saw most people said it was the best maintenance wash soap out there, so I got a sample from a board member and gave it a shot. This stuff smells great and was so slick! It even worked great in the foam gun! I highly recommend this product. I have a gallon on the way from Majestic Solutions.

06/13/09 Majestic Solutions Super Green Stuff:
I also got thias as a sample from a board member. Diluted 2:1 this is an excellent APC. I used it on my brakes, wheel arches and tail pipes. Hassle free cleaner that works on contact. I also have a gallon of this on order from Majestic Solutions.

06/13/09 CG Sticky Wheel Gel:
I got 3/4 gallon of this in a trade with a board member. I diluted it down 3:1 and sprayed it on the wheels. The stuff clung to the wheel nicely and pretty much cleaned the entire wheel without much interference from me or my wheel brush! The one complaint I have (if you can call it a complaint) is that it takes longer to rinse off than my normal treatment of APC. However, it is a small inconvenience compared to the cleaning benefit of the product.

06/13/09 CG Pete's 53 Wax:
It seems like you really can't go wrong with CG products. This wax is no exception. Compared to 5050 (one of my top waxes) this comes in a close second. The only reason I say this is because it seems a bit harder to remove than 5050. The results, however, on a well prepped black car are undeniable. Just brilliant!

06/13/09 Leather Masters System:
I picked up the complete Leather Masters system from Phil at DD. I got a bottle of Strong Cleaner, Vital and Protection along with an SV leather brush. I was sure to read the instructions carefully as well as reading up about these products in the interior detailing section. I started by using the Strong Cleaner on my seats. It foamed nicely when used with a detailing biscuit and was easy to work into the leather with the SV brush. I was amazed at how clean the seats were when I was done with this step. Everything in the seams was gone and the leather was restored to it's original red. Next I used the Vital. This stuff went on nice and easy and did not gum up in the perforations on my seats. I was thankful for that! I waited the prescribed hour after applying Vital. During this time I applied a second layer of Pete's 53. Once I was done, it was time to apply the Protection Creme. The Protection Creme, at first, made the seats look glossy and I was not amused. However, after a few minutes the creme began to work into the leather and eventually left a beautiful even finish. I waited the half hour they tell you to and when I checked on the interior, the seats looked better than thtye did when the car was new. The entire process takes a little while and requires a little elbow grease to do it right (if your seats were never taken care of like mine) but the results are worth it. This is an excellent leather care system.

06/13/09 Adam's VRT:
I used VRT on the tires today. I have used this before but never reviewed it. Compared to other tire products (mostly OTC stuff I have used) this is by far superior. It goes on easy, covers well and does not sling all over the place. I will keep you posted on how long it lasts, from myu earlier reviews, I have stopped using Natural Look due to it's durability issues.

That's all for this week! I'm going to find a nice place to take some pictures now!

06/20/09

Ok, this weekend I only used a few new products, but I will include my review of the FLEX 3403 VRG Lightweight rotary..I can't believe I forgot to post my review on this!

06/20/09 CG CWC:
I got a 16oz bottle of this as a sample. I used it in the foam gun and in my bucket this weekend. Nice soap, good foaming action and a great smell. Most people swear by this soap and I will say, I liked it. However, I am a bigger fan of MS UG at this point.

06/20/09 1Z Final Finish:
I got this as a sample from Dankfanatic. The smell is unusual, it smells almost sanitary, like a hospital..lol. I used it on one fender and was impressed wit it, but figured I would save it for a time when I was doing a full detail to see how I really like it. I will say this, it leaves one hell of a deep gloss and it does not dust at all.

06/20/09 Poor Boy's World Black Hole Glaze:
Again, I only used this on one fender. This glaze has some decent masking capabilities and did a good job of hiding a few swirl marks on the fender. This will probably never get used on my car again, not because it is bad, but because I am working on correcting the paint. not hiding problems. However, it will be great for customer cars, especially darker ones.

06/20/09 Bilt Hambler Soft Clay:
Wow, this stuff is SOFT! I had to basically keep it in a small bucket with an ONR solution to keep it from sticking to the car, but it was real easy to work with after I figured that out, it removed what little contaminants I had, nicely and without issue. It seemed gentler than the Riccardo yellow, not as aggressive. Good for light contamination.

06/20/09 Riccardo Yellow clay:
Hey Lucie! Ok, so Riccardo yellow was used on my hood and front bumper, the Mecca for contamination. it is more aggressive than the BH Soft clay and removed plenty of contaminants from the paint. Easy to work with, I would recommend this clay to anyone who can get it.

06/20/09 1Z Klima:
This stuff had me a little apprehensive. Something about spraying foam into your AC vents just scared me a bit. So I did it any way. I am glad I did! The smell was real nice, and is beginning to fade, but the air coming out of the vents has none of that musty smell I used to get for the first minute or so. Remember, the car spent the first 2 years of it's life in Florida where the humidity is bad. This is a must have for going that little bit extra in a detail. Most people out there would never think this kind of product was even available.

06/06/09 FLEX 3403 VRG Lightweight Rotary Polisher with 3M UK backing plate:
Ok, better late than never. I am a n00b. I am new to all of this, my 7424, then my 3401, now the 3403, the logical progression, right? Well, I was a bit on the scared side, not wanting to burn clear or paint, but I went for it and used the rotary for the first time. I don't know what I was afraid of. After watching Nica's rotary videos I was more than prepared. I was able to achieve a high level of correction on my car in the worst spots, the trunk lid and spoiler. I found that as long as you take your time, follow a logical procedure and keep panel temps in mind, you will be fine. The machine is very light, not very loud and very powerful. I am thoroughly impressed with FLEX tools, they have my endorsement! The 3M UK backing plate is awesome, nice and forgiving, it makes those transition spots much easier to deal with and inspired confidence. In combination with the Uber pads, it was a real good correction tool.

That's it for now, I have some decent orders coming in this week and I think I am going to take the wax off and try a new combination next weekend! I'll keep you all posted!

06/23/09 CG Microfiber Wash:
I got a gallon of this today and used it on some MF's that were left over from the weekend detail. I used 5 cap fulls in the washing machine and let it go. After that, I put the MF's in the dryer. 30 minutes later, they were done. The towels felt amazing. They were perfectly restored to their original softness and pile. I am very pleased with this product. It works great!

Friday and Saturday, 07/03-07/04/09

Well, this three day weekends has been productive so far. I got to use the Gloss It line on my car and a few other new products. I also got to do a full correction detail on a pretty ragged out car. Let's see what we have today!

07/04/09 CG BLITZ Sealant:
This is a sealant that you spray on and spread around with a MF, let haze then buff off. Easy enough, right? Well, it took me a few minutes to realize I had to use two separate towels, but I figured it out..lol. The stuff goes on easy and comes off easy and no doubt it adds some serious gloss. I chose this over my CG JS109 because I had never used it and figured it could not hurt. Glad I used it, I really like it.

07/04/09 Uber Boars Hair Brush:
What can I say about this brush? It works great on wheel faces and door jambs and engine bays, etc. However, when it is drying, it smells like, well, a wet Boar.

07/04/09 RaceGlaze (Envy) brush set:
I picked up the full set from Ken at AE. Nice brushes, they did their job, no hair loss. Very nice. My only complaint is the plastic handles and the hole in them. They are hollow. If you let them sit in your wash bucket while doing jambs and badges, like I do, when you take them out of the water and go to use them, water pours out of the handle. This is easily remedied by tipping them over and pouring out the water over the bucket. Of course, I did not do that every time and got soapy water on my shoes several times.

07/03/09 Gloss It products:
Another pick up from Ken at AE. I read about GI products on here and decided to give it a shot. The GI stuff is a bit pricey, but come on, some of us have $8000 waxes..lol. It reminded me a bit of Zaino with the regimented application process, but without the horrendous wait times. I used the Gloss Activator, Gloss Finish, Concourso Gloss and Gloss Enhancer QD spray. With GI, a very little goes a long way. Hardly any product was used (that's a good thing, these bottles are SMALL) and the results were phenomenal. I am a wax whore so not applying an LSP was a bit weird for me, but I can't deny the results. Follow the directions, there is a write up on here for these products, follow it! GI will be relegated to customer car duty. I like detailing my car too much to use the GI line, especially when they tell you 4-6 months between major details. Maybe I'll trade it off?

07/04/09 4" DA Pad Kit:
I picked up the 4" DA Pad Kit from Justin at OD. I am using it on my other rotary (Chicago Electric - Harbor Freight) for clean up work and tight spaces. With 3 machines to chose from, my detail cart is going to need to be upgraded..lol. This BP and pads worked great on the pillars, nose and trunk of the car I detailed today. This was my first time using a small BP and pads on a rotary, so I was a bit apprehensive, but it worked out great. I have to try out the Uber pads on it next.

07/03/09 CG VRP:
I picked up a gallon of this stuff. It is the best tire dressing I have used. I am pretty sure VRT and VRP are the same thing.

CG Pro QD Plus Carnauba:
This is a real nice QD spray. It won't replace my beloved Red Mist, but it has a place in my arsenal. Mostly for customer cars since I have a gallon of it. It smells pretty damned good too! No streaking and real nice gloss enhancement.

As always, questions and comments are very much appreciated! That's it for this weekend! Look for some more reviews next week!

07/11/09 just a few this weekend, and a few updates.

So, today was just a wash with Ultra Gloss and a layer of Dodo Juice Rainforest Rub.

07/11/09 Dodo Juice Rainforest Rub:
I am a wax whore. I am really fond of the entire Dodo Juice line. My first wax purchase ever was the Iroku pot of Super Natural. I have 6 other Dodo waxes and have not used ANY of them..until today. I finally used Rainforest Rub. I will be using a different Dodo wax each weekend until I have tested them all (and by then there will be 4 more Dodo waxes in my stable - Austintacious, Hard Candy, Light Fantastic and Diamond White). Upon opening the pot, you will notice the pleasant smell, the norm for Dodo products, and the cool green color of the wax. Upon touching the wax you notice it is a soft wax. Since this is a soft wax, I opted for application by hand. I dug out a small dollop of wax and spread it out in my hands, warming it up. I applied it thin and even over the initial fender and let it cure for a good 10 minutes. I did not proceed to other panels because I wanted to watch the wax closely, to see how it reacted and hazed over time. Right at the 10 minute mark, it had hazed nicely. After 15 minutes it was coming off dry with a finger swipe. So, I grabbed a Gladiator and went to town! The wax came off easy with hardly any effort. The fender shined and felt super slick! I proceeded onto the rest of the car, noting curing times and applied and removed accordingly. Overall, this is a very nice and easy to use wax. I am thoroughly impressed.

07/11/09 TARDIS:
I got a gallon of Tardis from Nica this week. I was really excited about this product and boy did it deliver! This product is a bronze colored liquid that smells HEAVILY of solvents. It is a heavy duty product, you can tell just by smelling it. This, however, had me using it very sparingly. I put it in a new sprayer and went at it on my wheel wells and inside my wheels where there was some tar residue. Simply spray this onto the area you want cleaned and let it dwell. You can physically see the tar breaking down and melting away in mere seconds! No agitation was required on the tar spots I removed, but for heavier spots you may need to do that. Once the tar spots were broken down I wiped the area down with a demoted MF towel and to be safe, cleaned the area with an ONR/water mixture. Flawless removal of tar. Excellent product. Use in a well ventilated area or you may get all goofy and slap happy.

07/11/09 FOLLOWUP REVIEW - Black Wow:
It has been 6 weeks since I first used Black Wow on my car. The wiper cowl, an area on GTO's that historically takes a beating and looks like crap, is still as deep black as the day I applied it with no signs of product degradation. My car is a daily driver that lives outside and we have had constant sun and hardly any rain for the past 2 months (weird for Seattle). I have not taken it easy on the wiper cowl, it gets washed right along with the rest of the car. I am truly amazed at the durability of this product. For something that requires so little product, the benefits are amazing. If you don't have this, get it. Well worth the price.

07/11/09 FOLLOWUP REVIEW - 1Z KLIMA:
It has been about 3 weeks or so since I used this on my AC system. The air is still somewhat scented with the Klima, but more importantly, the musty smell that used to be present during the start up of the AC system is totally gone and has not made a reappearance. Another great 1Z product.

That's it for this weekend, next weekend will have some 3M UK pads and some other items I have coming in! Thanks, as always!

09/26/09 Full detail

So, I know it has been a while, but I had a few really good experiences this weekend.

09/26/09 Adam's Americana Paste Wax
Pleasantly surprised does not sum this one up enough. What a nice wax! Easy on, easy off and a really incredible gloss/depth/shine. The car looks absolutely wet. The tub of wax is HUGE and it comes with a very nice foam applicator. I honestly think this is one of the best waxes I have used.

09/26/09 1Z Gummipledge
Awesome, awesome, AWESOME! I love it. THe best applicator for rubber trim and seals yet. It is the perfect size for the rubber seals and trim on my car. Excellent coverage.

09/26/09 1Z Leatherpfledge
Another exccellent 1Z product. I used it on my seats and they look great. Easy on and off, good smell and excellent feel to the leather. I am glad I am looking more into the 1Z line, so far they are all pretty damned good.

That's it for tonight. I may post up some reviews I did not put up yet tomorrow. Kind of trying to get this thread back on track! lol

 

NICE...:applause:

 

Thank you for taking the time to post the reviews :thumb:

 

Thanks, posting the reviews is no problem, I really enjoy detailing and this site.

 

An orange LC pad?

 

Yes, the place I bought my FLEX from threw in 2 orange and 2 white pads.

 

Thanks for the reviews.

 

I know you were trying to get some stuff out, but you should use RD with a blue pad to really see it's potential. At most, a white. I'm not trying to pick on you, I just want you to get the full potential of the polish. You mentioned that you have 7 different Menz polishes, so I would have stepped up to 106 or SIP for the correction and then finish with the RD. RD is an amazing polish when you use it with a soft (no cut) pad (blue) and really work it.

BTW, thanks for the reviews! :thumb:

 

I have a full set of Uber pads coming and some more LC pads with an order I have out. Heavier cut polish with what pad? I will get a list of all the Menz products I have tomorrow, maybe you could point out what to use and what pad to optimize it with?

Uber pads should be here this week, I have blue, green and black coming. As for LC pads, I have white, orange, blue and black.

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate the help.

 

Thanks for your review.
after using the Flex, the only reason to go back to a PC is its 4 inch pads

Kei

 

thanks man! can not wait for more.

 

I'm glad you all enjoy the write up!

 

i just read them and enjoyed them...thanks!

 

Great reviews. I would suggest heating up a foam applicator with a hair dryer and rubbing it in some wax you scraped off into the top with a plastic spoon. The heat from the applicator will make the wax almost melt into the pad and you can spread it thinly and easily. If removal was a chore for you I assure you you used too much and got it on too thick. After a thin application wait 30 minutes and buff it off with no effort at all. I don't like hand application and this method works great for me.

 

I will definitely try this. Now to get a hair dryer..lol

 

Ok, as promised, here is a list of the Menzerna products I have:

PO91E - Intensive Polish
PO115C - Finishing Glaze
PO85U - Finishing Polish
PO203S - Power Finish
PO106FA - Super Finish
POS34A - Power Gloss
PO85RD - Micro Polish

 

I stole my wife's and she wasn't happy about it!! LOL

 

I had to buy a hair dryer because I'm bald! :lol:

 

great reviews thanks!

 

There is no set in stone polish/pad combo. You want to try to keep the pad/polish combos close. IE: Finishing polishes should be used with soft finishing pads. Light polishes with polishing pads, medium polishes with polishing or light cut pads, and so on. You can use the 106 with the black or white LC pad. If that doesn't achieve the correction that you want, step up to the 203 on a white pad. If that doesn't get it, then step up to the orange pad with the 203. If you have any questions, shoot me a PM.