Meguiar's Final Detail

Aurora40 · 03-13-03, 10:29

Ok, I guess it's time to post a review of this stuff. I bought one gallon of this for $17 because I wanted to get something that added more slickness and gloss to my car after washes. I've never really noticed any benefit from QD's other than to get rid of the water spots from a wash, to remove turds, or to lubricate clay. But I really wanted to try out something that would add slickness and gloss to the finish after washing. I also wanted something cheap so I wouldn't feel like I need to save it (like I do with Pinnacle Crystal Mist). Anyway, this led me to try out a gallon of Final Detail. I thought about getting QuickShine, but the ~$45 price delivered was a bit of a turn-off ($23 for a quart). It isn't paint-shop safe, but almost no QD's are. So this really wasn't a concern or factor.

I am very impressed with this product so far. It adds noticeable slickness and gloss to my finish. It is much much better than FI in this respect. And, I think it is even better than Crystal Mist, though it doesn't add wax like CM does. It is slicker and glossier than CM, and it feels more lubricating/substantial than FI.

It is easy to apply and doesn't streak easily (I suppose if you sprayed a ton on and didn't wipe it well, it might, but then what wouldn't?). It also smells nice. It doesn't take much product, either. I have tried it in the sun on paint hot enough to steam the Final Detail. It would streak if you just quickly wiped it off, but you only had to lightly buff it to remove them. So it does work pretty well in the sun, though not as well as in the shade. I am looking forward to trying it with the Detailer clay one of these days. I really like this product because it is cheap and I have a lot of it, so I don't mind just spraying away whenever I feel like it. Plus, I really like that it makes a noticeable difference in slickness and gloss (something I never really noticed with Quik Det, FI, BF, and barely with CM).

P.S. I also got the Meg's spray bottle and sprayer to go with it, and its misting ability is second only to the Meg's consumer QD bottle.

SYKER · 03-13-03, 11:13

I 2nd that. Great stuff

audio1der · 03-13-03, 12:43

I don't mean to take anything away from your review, but don't most QD's do this?
I have tried my old Mothers Showtime spray on red, white, med. blue and pewter cars, with fantastic results on each one.
-Can the Meg's QD be used over a polish like Zaino effectively?
(after each wash, and when an in-between wax is wanted)
TIA

Aurora40 · 03-13-03, 03:56

Quote:

Originally posted by audio1der
I don't mean to take anything away from your review, but don't most QD's do this?
I have tried my old Mothers Showtime spray on red, white, med. blue and pewter cars, with fantastic results on each one.
-Can the Meg's QD be used over a polish like Zaino effectively?
(after each wash, and when an in-between wax is wanted)
TIA

Well, not in my opinion. As I said, I never really noticed much with Quik Det or FI, nor with BF, and CM just barely improved slickness, but not really gloss. I haven't used Mother's Showtime much, just once with clay, but it didn't strike me as being particularly slick or glossy either (though it was a bit streak prone). So sure, other QD's do this for everyone else, but in my opinion Final Detail is slicker and glossier than anything I've used yet. Maybe my "resolution" isn't as fine as everyone else so I just can't detect the change. But I can detect it with Final Detail, so it changes it enough to be within my scope.

I don't see why you couldn't use FD anywhere that you would use something like Showtime or QuikShine. Maybe if you were going to slap on a layer of Zaino after it, then Z-6 would be more appropriate. I certainly plan on using FD over Blackfire and Klasse, but maybe not on a day I'm going to add a layer. Then I might use #34 or BF QD. I'll have to see.

Scottwax · 03-13-03, 10:08

I used #34 exclusively for 8 years until I came across Quikshine at the local ricer shop. I can buy it for $11 a quart which ends up costing a bit less than a $38 gallon and $8 shipping and even though it runs more than twice the cost of #34, I think the performance difference is worth it.

...but for $17 a gallon, #34 is a great deal.

flyby · 03-13-03, 10:55

Darn, i thought i was getting a deal @ 23.00/gal out the door in Cali.

NattyBumppo · 03-14-03, 06:47

Thx for taking the time to post this Aurora! Always wondered about that product. Next time I'm at the local Meg's distributor I may have to pick some up. So this is a non-carnauba QD, correct?

FWIW.....Of the QDs I've used I think the price to performance winner is Mother's Showtime. I've noticed a substantial increase in surface slickness and gloss with Showtime. Add that it can be used over anything and it's a win win.

For sealant finishes I love Platinum QD. Incredibly slick stuff.

Aurora40 · 03-14-03, 06:51

Quote:

Originally posted by Scottwax
...but for $17 a gallon, #34 is a great deal.

Perhaps you could get Final Detail even cheaper, then. At my distributor, a gallon of FI is about $22 and FD is about $17. I think you will find FD glossier and slicker than FI.

Natty, yes it is a non-carnauba.

CharlesW · 03-14-03, 07:08

Aurora:
#34, Final Insoection is listed by Meguiar's as being bodyshop safe.
#51 Final Detail is not.
While most of us are not painting, one reason many products are not bodyshop friendly is the high silicone and oil content.
I was wondering if the Final Detail has enough silicone & oil to be a problem with attracting dust.
What has your experience been with dust attraction with FD?

Charles

Aurora40 · 03-14-03, 10:09

I haven't noticed any change in dusting. But I don't pay a whole lot of attention to that. So I can say it isn't dusty enough that I notice it. As far as being body-shop safe, you are exactly right. But I think most QD's out there are not body-shop safe. They just may not be as clear about it as Meguiar's tends to be.

Aurora40 · 03-15-03, 08:16

You know, one thing I totally forgot to mention is that I use Final Detail on my wood trim now as well. It fills in nicely as a quick touch-up to it. So I will continue to use wood wax once or twice a year and just keep it clean with FD. It leaves a nice finish behind and it removes any vinyl/rubber protectant that may have gotten on the wood. It specifically mentions being safe for wood veneer, though that doesn't mean that other QD's wouldn't also be quite safe.

I usually wipe my dash down when dusty with a damp MF. Every month or two I'll apply some vinyl/rubber treatment, and every 6 months or more I'll slap on some wood wax. So, the FD is something I can apply to the wood when I am doing the v/r treatment. I suppose I could try the FD in place of distilled water for the dust wipe-down, but I doubt I'll do that. As an aside, I don't usually apply leather conditioner when I do v/r. I do the leather whenever I feel like it needs some, or I want some more scent in the car. This tends to be a bit more often than v/r treatments. I probably clean the leather about every 6 months, though sometimes I'll just clean a seat because it got dirty.

Fr0zen · 07-01-03, 03:06

www.dealergoodies.com carrys it for 19.00 for a gallon has anyone tried the deatiler line leather cleaner and conditioner. ?