View Full Version : The blue tape test, you will never guess what won....
ron231
03-12-2007, 08:13 PM
So I decided to do a blue tape test to compare the look of various products. I did this on my car which is clearcoat black with no metallic or anything. And to my surprise, NXT paste wax made the paint darker and deeper than everything else I tried which includes: zymol carbon, meguiars #7, meguiars deep crystal step 2 (this was on par with nxt but it has no protective qualities), mothers carnauba (the one in the big red tin, had left over from pre-autopian days), and rejex.
Keep in mind, the surface was thoroughly cleaned with griots paint prep to remove all wax and sealants before testing.
The #7 did NOTHING, I tried different application techniques, etc... The deep crystal step 2 got better with multiple applications, filling more light swirls etc... I found zymol carbon to have light swirl hiding abilities actually (my car only has very very light swirls). Mothers carnauba was so so...
I happened to have one of my buddies over at the time who knows nothing about detailing, I asked him to come over and pick wich he thought looked the nicest without telling him which was which product, first thing he did was point at the nxt paste section and say "well this one is way darker than the rest". I asked a few other people, 2 picked deep crystal 2 while only one picked zymol, but then changed her decision to nxt.
I now have renewed faith in NXT, If someone else on here would do a blue tape test vs a few other priducts on a black or very dark blue or red car that would be great.
Why would nxt be beating 2 carnaubas? It doesnt even have that sealant look in my test, not super reflective, very dark...
Please someone do a test, I want to make sure I am not crazy...
RallyG
03-12-2007, 09:25 PM
How did the rejex compare to the other products?
ron231
03-12-2007, 09:27 PM
How did the rejex compare to the other products?
That does have the shiny sealant look, I have good experience with it on silver cars. Very very easy to use, completely idiot proof.
If you cant use rejex, you shouldnt drive, it is that easy...
RallyG
03-12-2007, 09:32 PM
You are right it is idiot proof. I have used rejex with CG 5050 over it and it looks great.
ron231
03-13-2007, 08:21 AM
Will anyone else with nxt be willing to do a tape test against a good carnauba?
Let us know how long the NXT last for you.
ron231
03-13-2007, 12:00 PM
Let us know how long the NXT last for you.
I strip wax too often it would be impossible to tell. I dont need durability, just looks because usually I will be adding a new coat in a week anyway.
WordOfMouth
03-14-2007, 12:47 PM
I strip wax too often it would be impossible to tell. I dont need durability, just looks because usually I will be adding a new coat in a week anyway.
With 3 cars in the garage, it would be REALLY tough to keep up at that pace. I`d opt for 1x a month, or every other month if I can. Since I`d rather get paid by others than wax my own cars all the time, I`d be curious about the longevity of the NXT product.
sixty7mustang22
03-14-2007, 01:06 PM
Let us know how long the NXT last for you.
I used NXT before I started using my car to experiment other waxes with and I have to say, it beaded up for a good 3 months and I got great continuing shine just using Meg`s QD spray about once a month. This is on a daily driven, no garage car.
It last longer than people say. I have been telling people that NXT is underated for a while. People don`t like the fact that you can buy it at Autozone or the like.
LT1Squirrel
03-14-2007, 09:22 PM
Will anyone else with nxt be willing to do a tape test against a good carnauba?
if i have any nxt floating around ill give it a side by side on my jeep with #16
giama
03-15-2007, 12:21 AM
i dont belive that. ive used NXT tech wax for 2 years and it lasts 1-2 weeks max!
i know this coz its the best wax ive used and hides everything but after 2 washes, the car shows its true colours again. 3 months is ********. it might still have beeding action but wont have the filling/masking effect of defects anymore after 2 washes
Driven Auto Detail
03-15-2007, 07:08 AM
Remember though, NXT is a sheeting wax, not a beading wax. This could be cause for some of the confusion about how long NXT lasts. The Squeak Test would be a better way to tell if the wax was still there: The Squeak Test - How to test for the presence of wax - Car Care Forums: Meguiar`s Online (http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6825&highlight=Squeak)
Alfisti
03-15-2007, 10:49 AM
Will anyone else with nxt be willing to do a tape test against a good carnauba?
ron, the "tape test" can only give you part of the picture. To get a true impression of a LSP you need to also see it on curves and edges...much harder to compare.
I`m not disputing your results; just be cautious because you`re not getting the complete picture. For example, I`ve used both Megs Step 3 and Mothers Step 3 on white. In that comparison I liked the Mothers better...it looked wetter and glossier. The durability was poor. On a dark colour the results may have been different. But only when you do a major part of the car can you get an accurate picture. :bigups
ron231
03-15-2007, 11:57 AM
ron, the "tape test" can only give you part of the picture. To get a true impression of a LSP you need to also see it on curves and edges...much harder to compare.
I`m not disputing your results; just be cautious because you`re not getting the complete picture. For example, I`ve used both Megs Step 3 and Mothers Step 3 on white. In that comparison I liked the Mothers better...it looked wetter and glossier. The durability was poor. On a dark colour the results may have been different. But only when you do a major part of the car can you get an accurate picture. :bigups
True, however the parts of the car I tested it on did have curves. I took some pics of it on my hood, the NXT was in a square shape and its so funny after I took the blue tape off I couldnt see where the others were on the hood and there was this dark square sitting in the middle of my hood.
I will post pics when I get home.
Only problem is this test was 2 days ago, and since then I have used crystal mist (old formula, the one on sale) twice and now there is no evidence of the nxt square at all...
Seankf1105
03-15-2007, 04:01 PM
ive used NXT quite a few times and love the look of it. it seems like it has a little bit of depth like a carnuaba and a little bit of reflection like a sealant. great stuff for OTC. the one thing i dont like about NXT is it has to dry or else there will be a ton of residue all over the paint... and i find it takes a LONG time to dry indoors (around 30 minutes for me) :wall
anyone else notice the rainbow effect of NXT`s residue? is this due to petroleum solvents or something?