Do we make it harder than it needs to be?

[Bigpikle]

Having 3 cars of my own to detail, and also looking after plenty more for friends and family, I am always interested in making things go faster...



There are 2 types of products that I have been turning to more and more recently, and am wondering why people just do seem to use them more often? Are we `slavishy` following the `old school` methods when in fact there might be other products that do just as much and much more easily?



`Wipe On Walk Away` (WOWA) sealants - Z-CS, Opti-Seal, Ultima PGP



Spray waxes & sealants - OCW, AW, AJT etc



I have all 3 of the WOWA products and they are all cracking. They all have unique characteristics but any of them makes a cracking LSP, adding gloss and long lasting protection, but best of all, you can wipe over a layer of a decent LSP in just a few minutes. Quite frankly, on big cars, 4x4`s, people carriers etc I wouldnt even think about using anything else these days I used to be able to put a layer on our old CR-V in < 5 mins and cover every inch They also look superb as well, with good gloss and wetness and each has a slightly different look to them.



I`ve been having a great time with spray wax (OCWv2) as well recently and am really loving the super slick, wet gloss finish it gives. Its water based and best of all a spray onto a wet panel and wipe as you dry, means a fresh layer of LSP with no more effort than is usually used to dry a panel, or add a QD. There are probably different spray wax products as well that I`m not familiar with, but we seem to have a fixation with paste products much of the time, despite taking a good bit more time and effort to use? I know a layer of FK1000 is going to provide much longer lasting protection than a layer of OCW, but for general use and regular top-ups, a spray wax over a decent AIO, seems a ridiculously quick and easy type of product to use...



There is a lot of interest and use of spray sealants like Z-8 and Dodo Red Mist etc, which are almost as quick and easy but these dont seem quite as flexible as they want to be used on dry panels IIRC, but likewise they deliver a huge amount for very little effort. Something like AJT can be applied just as quickly as a QD, on a dry car, but will provide substantial protection and good durability.



I know a few of us love to get `hands on` and wax every inch of our cars and bikes lovingly etc etc, but what about those people who are more interested in the result than the process? I find it harder and harder to look beyond a WOWA sealant for the typical person that really doesnt want to spend their entire weekend detailing their cars. Is it just me??

[Cleaning Fool]

Im with ya. Anymore I put a solid base on in spring and then I use Acrylic Jett Trigger, Optiseal, Z8, Ultima PGP or Optimum car wax the rest of the time. Having a family with 4 cars my time is critical.

[Setec Astronomy]

I find it harder and harder to look beyond a WOWA sealant for the typical person that really doesnt want to spend their entire weekend detailing their cars. Is it just me??



Er...no? That WAS the whole marketing thrust behind the Ultima line, was to spend less time getting the results. Certainly most of us have huge arsenals of products that pre-date the WOWA products, but I think most everyone here at Autopia is making use of at least one spray-on or WOWA product.

[Bigpikle]

Er...no? That WAS the whole marketing thrust behind the Ultima line, was to spend less time getting the results. Certainly most of us have huge arsenals of products that pre-date the WOWA products, but I think most everyone here at Autopia is making use of at least one spray-on or WOWA product.



this is where I really see a big difference in the US and UK communities then... In the UK these are just not really accepted as suitable alternatives. A few use them for wheels but not many use them for their intended purpose, believing they are somehow of a lesser standard, and that paste wax is king ;)

[dervdave]

this is where I really see a big difference in the US and UK communities then... In the UK these are just not really accepted as suitable alternatives.



The UKs normal resistance to progress ? :lol:brit

[wfedwar]

I actually find many spray WOWO products (AJT, Z8, etc.) to be easier than Optiseal because you don`t have to worry so much about getting a super thin coat. Anyway, both work well and can be done in <10 minutes.

[Setec Astronomy]

this is where I really see a big difference in the US and UK communities then... In the UK these are just not really accepted as suitable alternatives. A few use them for wheels but not many use them for their intended purpose, believing they are somehow of a lesser standard, and that paste wax is king ;)



Maybe I misunderstood you. I`m not sure that people here in the US have abandoned all their other LSP`s in favor of spray/WOWA (though surely some have), I think most members here are extending their base protection with them. I have commented that I think you could extend a Zaino Z2/Z5 base almost indefinitely with Z8...not to mention sprinkling in ZCS. Surely AJT, AW, OCW, and the WOWA products are slowly causing a shift.



Perhaps the resistance in the UK has something to do with the weather, maybe it`s a bit rougher on the LSP`s.

[Junebug]

I was using DG 111 and just adding a coat of AW every other wash, then I switched to M21 2.0 and just added another coat every 6 weeks since it was so easy to use. Then I found Zaino and love to Z6 and Z8 after a few weeks to keep things looking good. I`ve never tried AJT or any of that line - how would ya`ll compare them?



Forgot to say that I tried OptiSeal and didn`t care for it.

[Accumulator]

Besides the fact that I have enough of my favored (old-tech) LSPs to last the rest of my life...I wonder if the spray-on/W-O-W-A products give as much protection :think:



I use UPP spray on certain things, and as a booster for the regular UPP on the S8, but it doesn`t seem to provide much protection and it needs redone fairly often.



As we`ve been discussing on another thread, I can see using stuff like OCW while drying in the way I currently use a QD, but I figure my primary LSP protection (and other LSP characteristics) come primarily from the conventional LSP, which I often layer quite heavily.