Ultima Paint Care Challenge - Page 7

chml17l · 10-15-07, 12:53

Thanks ufourya for the update and pics.

Tuan209 · 10-15-07, 01:49

David,

I got my bottle of UPGP this weekend, and thanks for the fast shipping! I tried one application on my car over the weekend and my initial impressions are positive, but I am having trouble with streaking. I am not sure if I am using too much product or what not, and I didnt use the included applicator but a smaller MF one. I used one spray per door panel and the proceeded to work the product. Am I doing somthing wrong? Too much product?

Tuan

SpoiledMan · 10-15-07, 02:38

Tuan, sorry for not responding to your PM. Reading your post brought it back to my memory. What works for *me* is to use one spray on the app and begin spreading. Be sure to go over the area that you started on as that area tends to have an "over-application" of the product. I also use a smaller and thinner app than what came with PGP.

ufourya · 10-20-07, 10:24

Alright, Friends,

Final update of my personal Ultima Paint Guard Plus versus Optimum OptiSeal challenge. To recap briefly, I applied UPGP to the passenger side of my hood and OS to the other. They were both properly prepped and you can see my previous posts in this thread to fill in some progress reports and pictures along the way.

The hood has undergone at least 13 washes and at least twice as many details in the last five weeks or so. That easily simulates what the car would have endured over a normal three month period. I should mention that the car is a daily driver but garaged when at home.

I washed carefully - the most abuse coming from pressure washing with soap at a local car wash - followed by hand-drying with MF. I'd say half the washes were of that nature and the others either foam gun/hand wash or ONR (Optimum No Rinse) 50/50.

The final and 13th wash was with a VERY strong (2 oz. per quart water) Dawn liquid mix. AFTER that FINAL wash, I have attached photos of a simulated rain (spraying h2o into the air and letting it fall onto the hood) and then a flood rinse. You can see that the beading of the simulated rain has more ragged edges than the previous rain pictures – the Dawn obviously degrading both products. There is sheeting exhibited by both products after the final flood rinse, with the UPGP drying faster. I think it only fair to mention that there was about a 20 knot wind blowing from left to right which ‘may’ have accelerated the drying of the UPGP.

Final conclusive remarks:

I would say that both these WOWA products are excellent. The UPGP was initially slicker that the OS, but that ‘advantage’ lessened over time. Their characteristics after flooding the car with water as in a final rinse were different with the UPGP displaying more of a beading effect and the OS a sheeting effect until after the Dawn wash, when they both sheeted. They both are VERY similar in appearance to my eye. I had an independent observer choose the UPGP side over the OS early in the comparison, but personally, I was hard pressed to notice ANY difference. Of course, I am an adherent of the idea that preparation trumps final product in providing dazzling appearance.

SOOooo. I would say making a choice would be driven by a few subjective of factors. Ultima recommends their PPP as a final polish to make UPGP work its best. OS has no such recommendation as any high quality final polish will serve as well. Advantage, OS. UPGP is initially slicker. If you like that - advantage UPGP. UPGP probably protects a little longer (I base that on the quicker drying of the UPGP side after the Dawn, with the noted proviso) – advantage UPGP. I think this boils down essentially to a matter of expense and time. If you hate waxing or sealing your vehicles, the UPGP will probably take you a little further down the road before needing to be replenished. (Ultima recommends doing it every three months.) It will, however cost you more – almost twice as much per ounce ($5.83 vs. $3). Advantage OS. They both apply with equal ease and take about the same amount to cover the same area. If you can’t keep your hands off your car and actually enjoy waxing or sealing it, then either product will do, but OS is going to cost you a lot less. A coat of the OCW (Optimum Car Wax) over OS provides even more slickness than the bare UPGP and is as easily applied as a detail spray. It runs from about $.26 to $.82 an ounce depending on the quantity you purchase. (This has been my routine – OCW over OS since I got my hands on them. I used to do the Klasse twins, but OS/OCW is much less work.)

So, I’m going to use my supplies of each of these products. I would recommend both. If you have any questions, I’ll try my best to objectively answer them. By the way, I was prompted to do this comparison when someone on a thread made the statement that UPGP was 10 times better than OS. I think we can agree that's an overstatement.

SpoiledMan · 10-20-07, 01:57

From what I see there's a real difference between the way that the two sides are holding up.

NSXTASY · 10-20-07, 02:51

Ive have similar results, OS is beading better than Ultima and 3xZ2 pro is beading better than both OS and Ultima so far. 1.3 months in.

ufourya · 10-20-07, 05:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpoiledMan

From what I see there's a real difference between the way that the two sides are holding up.

Hello ~ And that real difference is in what part of what you see?

BlackElantraGT · 10-20-07, 05:56

ufourya, I really enjoyed how controlled your experiment was. Thanks for taking the time to do this for everyone! It's gotta be hard trying to not do anything extra to your car for so long!

Tuan209 · 10-20-07, 06:25

Yea, I really dont see much of difference either. The PGP does look to dry faster from the pics, other than that I dont see how you can see a difference.

SpoiledMan · 10-20-07, 10:12

Do you *not* notice any difference in the beading in this pic from one side to the other??

YoMike · 10-20-07, 10:22

looks like the Drivers side didn't hold up to good to the Dawn wash to me?

ufourya · 10-21-07, 05:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by YoMike

looks like the Drivers side didn't hold up to good to the Dawn wash to me?

I don't think either side held up really well. Yes, I do note some difference, but, as I stated, it is a 'simulated' rain and the OS has exhibited more of a sheeting than beading effect throughout the test. I also suggest that the UPGP will probably last a little longer.

For me it is basically a moot point since I do not normally wash with concentrated Dawn and Ultima suggests re-application after three months anyway. In any case, it takes less than 10 minutes to reapply either product, unless you first re-do the PPP. In that case, OS is easier.