Waxing in South Florida
I need to protect my newest investment, '02 Suburban. It's parked outside all the time and I can't decide between Pinnacle, 3M or Meguires. Any suggestions? Thanks.
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I use it on all five of my cars three of which stay out 24/7. I also like Collinite as it may give a slippier finish but overall Zaino is the best IMHO. Mequires is okay, I use it also but does not compare to Collinite or Zaino for shine or durabiity
www.zainobros.com.
Rich.
3M Perfect-It Show Car Paste wax is one of my favorites. It's the best wax for 15 bucks (S100 notwithstanding) that you can buy. This is my old reliable wax. I never use anything else on my friends and family members vehicles that I detail. It is a very durable carnauba that looks darn near as good as P21S. And has twice as much in a can.
This summer I put Meguiars on the trunk, P21S on the roof, and left 3M Perfect-It show car paste on the hood of my blaze red Mazda. We had 20 days over 100 degrees, and very dry weather. The Meguiars #26 and P21S were hammered after 6 weeks. No beading. The 3M Perfect-It Paste Wax still held up and it was applied a month earlier. It held up in the heat better than the other carnaubas on my dark car. A white car didn't have the same issue with the other waxes.
"CMA at www.properautocare.com had this to say about the Perfect-It Show Car Paste.
As I applied this wax to the hood of my test vehicle and started to buff I was mentally preparing to write this wax off as a bad experience. When I stood back and looked at the hood, I was stunned at the liquidity this wax created. This wax has a high jetting factor which will make it look great on black, red and dark color vehicles. I was also impressed by the sharply-defined clarity of the reflection. Waxes with a high jetting factor (which creates the illusion of wetness) tend to have softer reflections. This wax had both. The finish had a very liquid-like shimmer and reflections in the hood of the sky and trees were bright and clearly defined. This clarity of reflection will compliment light colors like white, beige, silver, light blue and yellow.
Clearly the chemists at 3M have created a remarkable wax. . . .
This wax has been on our test vehicle for almost 90 days and gone through 10 car washings (by hand). Water still sheets nicely and the beads are uniform without any empty patches. This is excellent for any carnauba wax during a Florida summer. I would rate this wax's durability as above average for a carnauba wax."
It's qualities are improved if you add 3 layers at least 1 week apart. Don't ever apply in the sun. What is fairly easy to remove becomes major difficult if allowed to bake in the sun.
If your car is new I would recommend a paint cleansing lotion rather than a glaze. If it's older use Perfect-It Glaze and Swirl Mark Remover a mild glaze and polish. Pick the lighter one for medium to light cars and the dark one for blacks, reds, hunter greens, midnight blue etc. But the Perfect-It Paste looks good on all colors.
mrdetailer, any recommendations on the cleansing lotion?
It is the same formula as P21S Paint Cleansing Lotion. They seem to be less expensive than Pinnacle Paint Cleansing Lotion. These have absolutely no grit to add swirl marks. It brought up dirt that I couldn't even see, and this was after claying.
When your car gets older and needs a glaze to fill in scratches the best Glaze is 3M Perfect-It machine Glaze and Swirl mark remover ( light works great, but the dark car formula is amazing on maroons and reds.) But that has a very light abrasive which I see as great on older surfaces, but not so great for the first 2-3 years. Imperial Hand Glaze and Meguiars #7 Show Car Glaze are slightly more abrasive but also work well.
Remember that no glaze has significant abrasives like like Meguiars #3 Fine Cut Cleaner, or 3M Finesse-It. I would only use these on a newer finish in emergencies.
-Larry
http://www.properautocare.com/index.html
http://www.yosteveshop.homestead.com/klasseapp.html
http://www.tacscar.com/
http://www.properautocare.com/baresfornewc.html
http://www.properautocare.com/stafrec.html
The Reference Shine kit combines a traditional glaze waxes with both BlackFire synthetic and Pinnacle Sovereign.
Personally I've used the synthetics and the carnaubas, and if I were in a warmer climate I would personally favor a carnauba. I like the look much better. Synthetics to me often look sterile. But I really like their durability.
How about using both? CMA has recommended using a couple of coats of Klass All in One and then topping it with a couple of Carnauba. While I personally love 3M Perfect-It Paste for its durability, P21S sheds dirt better in a steady rain. Fewer water spots and doesn't appear as dirty. Don't know how to explain it.
Sorry if this is adding more confusion to the pot.
I also like Eagle One's leather care products; even better than Lexol IMO. Pinnacle makes some terrific leather care products but they're expensive. Lots of people I know like 303 Aerospace protectant for leather, vinyl, and plastic. I like 303 best on dashboards as the gloss is very muted, unlike other protectants.
Mr. D - It's been awhile since I've been to CMA's website and had not seen those "staff recommendations" until now. I must have 75% of those products in my garage now; only a few on those lists I've never used before. Thanks for the links. Hopefully the lurkers and newbies will take that info to heart.
One question, should I wash with Dawn or does it matter?