Over the years, I've experimented with a lot of brands before finally settling with
Meguiar's. Here are my results:
Armor All/STP
1. Detailer's Advantage Protectant - Used this back in 2000, when AA was still using clear bottles. Much greasier than the regular formula and was clear instead of AA's trademark milky color.
2. Armor All Tire Foam/STP Son of a Gun! Tire Foam - Matte black finish doesn't last very long. Leaves residue on wheels, even after wiping off.
3. Paste Wax - Very few people remember that Armor All actually had a paste wax product. Well, it wasn't easy to remove and the durability was pretty short.
4. Protectant Wipes - More tolerable than the spray, even though it's still too glossy.
5. Leather Wipes - Leaves a greasy feel on leather even when dry.
6. Glass Wipes - Just as bad as Windex, as it streaks all over.
Black Magic
1. Tire Wet Gel - Thinner viscosity than
Meguiar's Gold Class
Endurance Tire Gel. Cherry scented (as opposed to Meguiar's grape scent). Slings a lot, compared to other brands.
2. 2-in-1 Engine Detailer - Not worth the $5. You're better off with Gunk Engine Brite.
Blue Coral
1. Orange Cleaner/Degreaser - Actually a decent engine degreaser.
2. Wheel Cleaner - Average at most.
Eagle One
1. Spray Wax - Long before Fükken Wax, Eagle One had an aerosol wax product. It was an easy-on, easy-off deal. Durability was average for the most part.
2. Wax-As-U-Dry - Tried it once, won't go for it again.
3. Bucket-Free Car Wash - Doesn't really clean as good as an old-school bucket wash.
4. Nanowax (Liquid) - Tried it on one of my diecast cars. Wasn't very impressed.
Greased Lightning
1. Orange Blast Wheel Cleaner - Above average cleaning power.
Meguiar's
1. Natural Shine Rubber &
Vinyl Protectant - Excellent product, but tricky to apply evenly on dash. I prefer
NXT Tech Protect, though.
2. Quik Detailer - Great QD product, though IMO, NXT
Speed Detailer is better.
Mothers
1. California Gold Showtime Instant Detailer - One of the best OTC QD products. Glides smoothly and leaves no streaks. Cinnamon scented.
2. California Gold Clay Bar Paint Saving System - Unfortunately, the clay bar is crap. Never really tried out the Carnauba Cleaner Wax that comes with it.
Mr. Clean
1. AutoDry Car Wash - It actually works. The problem is that I went through two units, and both couldn't handle the water pressure and simply leaked all over.
2. Magic Eraser - Actually does a good job cleaning tires.
Stoner
1. Invisible Glass - Undoubtedly a great product. I just don't use it anymore because Meguiar's
NXT Glass Cleaner works better and smells better.
Turtle Wax
1. Color Cure - ChipStik does a poor job covering scratches. The polish itself wears off after a couple of washes.
2. Rubbing Compound - Crap. Go buy Meguiar's
ScratchX instead.
3. Bug & Tar Remover (Aerosol) - Average at most.
4. ClearVue Auto Glass Cleaner - Worst glass cleaner spray that's not Windex.
. I think this stuff is a very nice OTC product!
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