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  1. #1

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    Hearing all the great things about 425 drove me to pick up the Finish Kare sampler set, like I`m sure a few of you have done.



    118



    This shampoo is basically the last step in the FK decontamination process, neutralizing all of the acids used up to this point. As for a stand-alone wash shampoo, it may be up to that task as well.



    I normally use NXT as it has strong cleaning capability, rinses well, has a nice scent, generates luscious foam through a foam gun, has decent lubricity and is inexpensive per use. Since I only had a small sample of the 118, I didn’t feel like rinsing out the foam gun and trying this my usual way, so I went back to the two-bucket method. Immediately, the lack of foam was noticeable, and a bit troubling. Most people equate foam with protection, but there are numerous products out there (QEW, PB S&W) that won’t mar and do not need foam. The car wasn’t terribly dirty, so I wasn’t too afraid of marring at this point anyway.



    While this shampoo doesn’t exhibit great foaming ability, the lubricity is hard to beat. This is where the protection is, and thus I don’t feel concerned about marring with this shampoo. The wash mitt would simply glide over the car, grabbing what little dirt was there, encapsulating it in the mitt and continuing to slide gracefully. Certain bits of tar remained after the wash which I believe would have been removed by NXT, so the cleaning power is not quite as strong. Some people would think of this as an advantage, since NXT is known to degrade your LSP quicker.



    During the final rinse, it seemed that water was not sheeting as cleanly as seen with other shampoos. It is odd that FK tout the clean sheeting ability of this shampoo so loudly. On the other hand, when the car was dried, the shine was quite incredible. It had an extra pop, almost a sealant-type sparkle. Take a look:







    The only other downsides I can see to this product are scent and cost. We have all come to expect that our products have a decent scent, even if 99% are artificially introduced (probably ‘nubas are the only products that smell great without fillers). This wash has no appreciable scent and as for cost, the average 2 gallon wash (thus 4 oz of shampoo) would cost you $1.55 if buying by the quart. Though seemingly inexpensive, this can add up quickly. If the product was a bit less expensive, I’d consider using this as my go-to shampoo for when the car wasn’t too dirty and I didn’t have time for a QD afterward.



    121



    Seems like your regular APC to me. It’s hard to compare cleaners like this without some sort of rigorous measurement so… I’m just not going to care.



    330



    330, known as Mini Buff. I’m going to recommend that FK rename this to Micro Buff, in honor of the lovely micromarring it produces:







    I tried a lot of product, a little bit of product, working it in until it dusted, working it in until just a haze was left, and nothing mattered. I don’t see this much micromarring with Optimum Compound and a cutting pad! The micromarring was abundant, but thankfully just micro. A quick pass of FPII cleaned that area up nicely:







    This one does not pass go, does not collect $200 and ends up directly in the trash can.



    2180 / Pink Wax



    After the 118 wash, I stripped any existing LSP and decided to try out both 2180 and Pink Wax. Layering wouldn’t allow for a decent review, so I decided to go half and half… well, more like quarter/quarter/quarter/quarter. I decided to do the driver front and passenger rear in PW while driver rear and passenger front got 2180. My hatch gets dirty the quickest, so it’s nice to compare how easy it is to remove dirt. It’s also nice to directly compare shine/depth/clarity, which is easiest on the sides of the car.



    Application of 2180 is a bit difficult, as others have mentioned. Definitely apply just a bit to a microfiber applicator and work it into the paint gently. This isn’t a product you can load up on the applicator and just keep spreading out. Application is a bit tough, sort of like PB EX-P, but removal after curing is again like EX-P, quite easy.



    Pink Wax just glides onto the paint, especially with a damp foam applicator. It doesn’t take long to haze, but don’t let is sit too long. It didn’t make removal difficult, but it did result in an uneven application.



    I normally wait a few days to determine slickness and look while it will take at least a month to get an idea of durability. I will comment more when I can make a true assessment. Nonetheless, here are a few pictures after application:











    108



    "Top Kote" is claimed as a leather, rubber and plastic dressing, for both interior and exterior. This seems definitely more suited to exterior cladding as it is oily, thick and definitely leaves leather greasy. I didn`t notice until a day later, but it actually left a residue on some hard plastic of my dashboard. If using this on the interior, buff it clean and expect some shine:







    425



    Does anyone know what happened to my sample of 425? It seems to be... emptying itself at a rapid rate! :laugh: Mild cleaning power, decent scent, but everything else is a total plus. Easy to use, great shine, etc. I`m not expecting the anti-static part to give me a dust and dirt forcefield, but that didn`t stop me from using it on all the TVs and computers in the house. This stuff works great on glass, paint, whatever. I really like the small pump spray bottle, too, so much that I might get a few more for other chemicals that need a precise spray (tire dressing, etc).



    Anyway, there were a few winners in this batch so it wasn`t a waste of $18.95.

  2. #2

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    I too found the FK polishes and such tobe very agressive, and this was before they were "the tits" around here.

  3. #3

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    Great write-up! :xyxthumbs

  4. #4
    Wasatch's Avatar
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    Excellent write up. I`m still waiting to try my stuff out. After your reviews, I`m not too sure about a few products anymore, but I will make my own determination. Thanks.

  5. #5
    Super Moderator Pats300zx's Avatar
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    Awesome review. Thanks for putting that together.
    Only Z Best Detailing-Automotive Concours Detailing Services
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  6. #6

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    No FX 100 in there?



    425 and FX100 are maybe the two best products I`ve tried since I started using Klasse years ago.

    Pink Wax is coming tomorow.

    Those two products give me results as good as any other brand in about 5 minutes. And they don`t try and screw you on shipping. $5 for a $50 order. And the quantities are generous.
    BoxsterS:GT3 Recaro Pole Position Seats, GT3 Front bumper, 20 lb. 18"Carrera 5 spokes,Toyo RA-1, Valentine 1!

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  7. #7

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    Two interesting things, which changed since I ordered the first sampler.



    Originally they included the 303 instead of 330. For me, the 330 was absolutely LSP ready - on almost black dark green. I`m not familiar with American made Focus paints, but how`d you rate its hardness? BTW my Camry is made in USA. It seems that I have to try the FK polishes on soft paints. What was your process? I worked with them with a DA on speed 6.



    Other is the 108. My bottles (2) are just as thin like water and work beautifully. I`m just shaking one right now... :nixweiss

  8. #8

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    I HAD to use 108 again after reading this post (last used in Nov.). Went out armed with a MF and the sampler 108, and hit the dash of my Camry.



    Result:

    - watery consistency and behavior ensures smooth coverage

    - it produces a SLIGHT tone shift as it deepens the color

    - excellent cleaning; the MF got really dirty (surprised!) because I wipe/dust the dash frequently

    - nothing oily; just a dry and slick touch with a low, satiny sheen

  9. #9

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    thanks for sharing!

  10. #10

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    Great review! Thanks for posting this.
    Ice

  11. #11
    wannafbody
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    anyone try 17?

  12. #12

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    Thanks for the comments so far, everyone.



    Quote Originally Posted by racingbeat
    No FX 100 in there?
    The sampler pack didn`t come with FX-100. I`ve heard good things about it, so if/when I order some more 425, I might pick up the quart-sized FX-100.



    Quote Originally Posted by Bence
    ...330 was absolutely LSP ready - on almost black dark green. I`m not familiar with American made Focus paints, but how`d you rate its hardness? BTW my Camry is made in USA. It seems that I have to try the FK polishes on soft paints. What was your process? I worked with them with a DA on speed 6.


    As for the paint quality of the Focus, I haven`t polished many other vehicles so it is hard to compare. I know that the paint is fairly swirl-prone (what paint isn`t?) and I have found that a combination of Optimum Compound with a light-cutting pad followed by FPII with a polishing pad is the perfect 1-2 punch.



    I used a 4" polishing pad on my PC. I primed the pad with 425 and then put a ring of 330 around it (probably less than a quarter sized blob if it was all in one place). I smeared it onto an 18"x9" area and then worked it in a bit at speed 1. Once fully spread out, I kicked the PC up to speed 6 until I couldn`t see much of the polish left. I cleaned off the residue with 50/50 IPA and a high-nap MF. The polish worked in very quickly, so I figured the pad absorbed a lot of the polish so I loaded up another ring and tried again. This time, I started to get a bit of dusting so I figured I hadn`t worked in the polish enough the first time. I kept going until I figured it was completely broken down and had worked over the paint, removed again with 50/50 IPA and found the same microabrasion.



    The pad wasn`t the issue (come on, it`s just a soft polishing pad!) as I cleaned it out and was able to use it for the FPII that resulted in the perfect finish. I did shake the 330, but maybe since it was such a full bottle that there wasn`t enough room for true mixing. I might give it another try since you say it should be LSP ready; no, I didn`t throw it out.



    Quote Originally Posted by Bence
    Other is the 108. My bottles (2) are just as thin like water and work beautifully. I`m just shaking one right now... :nixweiss
    I guess I shouldn`t have said "thick" when I just meant oily. When sprayed onto the dash, it seemed more oil-based than water-based. Then again, I normally use the 1Z interior spray which leaves absolutely no shine or film and doesn`t change the color of the dash. Maybe if I worked it in a little bit more, making sure that I was applying it evenly, I`d like the way it worked. I`m not saying this is a bad product, just not my style.



    On the other hand, I`m still saying 330 is a bad product unless you can convince me how to make it work! :p

  13. #13

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    I`m having problem`s with their product`s......I`m still working on them to get an outcome I like. If I was smart I would have bought the sampler pack for $18 instead of ordering $100 worth of stuff. So far none of it has done anything ground breaking for me at all. I`ve been doing this detailing for a long time and just can`t get this stuff to pop like I like . So far not impressed at all with it.

  14. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by Fallguy
    I`m having problem`s with their product`s.....
    Which products and what are the specific deficiencies you are seeing?

  15. #15
    wannafbody
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    maybe try little dots of 330 on the pad-it might work like ZPC-the less the better the results

 

 
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