please help old dog get rid of outdated / useless products.

[Volvonomics]

I used to be a fanatic with my BMW 5 series Montreal Blue. It always looked glossy
With a deep wet shine until the day i sold it.
Recently broke out my equipment on wife`s solid black, and now I`ve got the bug. I was successful in removiing the halograms and swirls. I have about 4 coats of carnuba on it.
Now my car is metallic black, not to bad shape. Since joining this forum, i see that there are many products. Please help me decide what to keep and what to trash.

Tools : PC 7424, Makita Rotary, 6 inch generic polisher ( gave my 10 in waxer/ polisher to neighbor )
Various foam pads yellow, orange, blue, black, lambs wool and microfiber.

Collinite Marque D`elegance concours wax
Gliptone: Carnuba wax, Pro Buff, clear coat coat compound, body Gloss Coat
Liquid Glass. ( i think co. is out of business, or bought out ?)
Meg`s clay bar, black detailer, #? Glaze, Show car glaze
Some Purple Glaze,
Cherry wet wax, Butter Cream wax
Z Best wax & Detailer
Boyds carnuba Wax
Ibiz wax, detailer
3M perfect it ll 05973, perfect it 06085 both say rubbing compound. OTC polishing compound.
Griot`s garage quick detailer. Really not impresssed.
Surf City glaze and sealer.
There`s a guy who sells a private label detailer and tire dressing that`s out of this world. Brooklyn NY.
No rinse car wash. Thinks its opti. Got it as a gift with some of the above waxes ( keep some mixed with water in car for mishaps and bird droppings)
I`m sure i have more in the garage back shelf.

Wont mention wheel/tire cleaners and protection.

I know that products are subjective.
I`m not looking for longevity. Just that wet, warm, deep shine. I dont mind re-applying every few weeks.

Thanks in advance

[Pats300zx]

Collinite Marque D`elegance concours wax A really good wax. 915 is one of my fav Collonite waxes. It can be difficult to use if you apply it to thick. Great durability
Gliptone: Carnuba wax, Pro Buff, clear coat coat compound, body Gloss Coat Never tried
Liquid Glass. ( i think co. is out of business, or bought out ?) I used this back when I started getting into detailing. There are much better sealants that are so much easier to use
Meg`s clay bar, black detailer, #? Glaze, Show car glaze Good products, Megs#7 is a classic glaze for single stage paints
Some Purple Glaze,
Cherry wet wax, Butter Cream wax Chemical Guys or Adams? Super easy to use but durability stinks
Z Best wax & Detailer
Boyds carnuba Wax
Ibiz wax, detailer Tired IBIZ when I first got into detailing. Nothing really special about it
3M perfect it ll 05973, perfect it 06085 both say rubbing compound. OTC polishing compound.
Griot`s garage quick detailer. Really not impresssed. Speed Shine? It`s a pretty decent carnuaba based QD
Surf City glaze and sealer.

You have some good products in your cabinet. There are so many good sealants out there now that are so easy to use that have great durability. Blackfire, Optimum, Duragloss, etc. Give them a try. The great thing about detailing that there is alway something new on the horizon :)

[JohnZ3MC]

If the car looks like a million bucks, I`d keep most of what you have already. OK, dump the Griots QD if you`re not happy with it.
And, since you`re comfortable with applying something every couple of weeks, think of a top coat of Pinnacle Souveran.
It`s a beauty wax and will give your metallic black a look that will take your breath away and may burn out your retinas if you`re not wearing good eye protection.

I put a coat of it on my Imola Red M Coupe and the wife commented how perfect it looked as I went down the driveway, and she`s never commented on the car, ever!. As I drove slowly through the little township where I lived, cruising down the main street, children in strollers stopped crying, old folks stopped walking in mid pace, birds landed on overhead wires, ice cream cones stopped being licked in mid lick, all to look at the BMW. Quite a day, quite a wax. Pinnacle Souveran - buy it.

[The Guz]

You do have some good products in your possession and as previously stated there are many good sealants on the market.

I don`t see any polishes in your line up. I would look into one of those and maybe a compound just to have it in your possession. I like Meguiar`s M205 polish and Meguiar`s D300 compound. If you want something over the counter then you can pick up Meguiar`s ultimate line up (ultimate, compound, ultimate polish and ultimate wax). Ultimate wax is a sealant so don`t let the name fool you because it says wax. I like ultimate wax and M21 from Meguiar`s as well.

Another good sealant that I like is Detailer`s Pro Poli-Coat paint sealant. Very easy to use.

As far as pads you should go with 5" pads. I would recommend you look into the new Meguiar`s pads. They are really nice. You will also need the 5" backing plate to use with the PC.

[Volvonomics]

[/QUOTE] what to trash[/QUOTE]

Scratchin` my head. I think that sealant was a term used in marine applications.

So would I glaze, seal, then wax? Or wax then seal?
:dunno:
Def getting the Pinnacle. If it made Imola red pop, gotta do wonders on black sapphire.
Thanks for your advice.

[Volvonomics]

Hi,
looked into Pinnacle.
i see a paste, liquid, and spray wax. Anyone in particular?
Besides the price doubling and tripling for each, is there ease of application? Durability differences?
T

[The Guz]

Sealant = Synthetic Wax. You would seal and wax. You want the more durable product first. A gaze will fill in defects. It`s optional. I have used the following in this sequence with good results before Meguiar`s M21 synthetic sealant 2.0 -> M7 show car glaze -> M26. All this was done after I polished the car with M205. I was just fooling around with M7 at the time. But it worked out really well.

Spray waxes are used for maintenance to extend the life of the wax or sealant on the car.

[JohnZ3MC]

You want the paste. Easy on, easy off, and the smell is just delightful. Sort of tropical and my mind starts to wander every time I apply it. I get close to the surface, looking at angles and coverage and the smell hits me like a ton of bricks and I think of tropical things, palm trees, white sand, waves lapping on the shore, hula girls dancing on the other side of the car. At that point the wife hangs over the sun deck and tells me to mow the lawn. It`s just not fair.

As for the glaze, sealant, wax scenario, here`s the scoop on that stuff.

Glazes - shine and fill minor swirls. Glazes don`t last long at all and offer virtually no long term protection.

Sealants are relatively new offerings to the car care world. All artificially/chemically produced and work like a wax. They offer much greater longevity and much greater protection than waxes because of their molecular structure. the molecules `bond` together to offer long term protection and staying power. Huge shine factor but most describe the shine as a bit shallow, sort of like wrapping the car in saran wrap. Modern sealants are changing that look though.
A sealant can be a last step product.

Waxes are natural products, most are blends of carnauba, montan, and maybe even bees wax. Waxes offer more depth of shine than sealants. Waxes don`t bond to the surface like a sealant so waxes need to be applied way more often than sealants. Some waxes fill swirls, some don`t. The `beauty` waxes don`t for the most part.
A wax can be a last step product too. It can even sit on top of a sealant. So imagine this order: glaze, sealant, wax.

A caveat about that order too. Old school glazes contain quite a few oils for that glossy, slick look. A sealant won`t be able to bond to the surface in that situation so it won`t last long at all either. Modern glazes have more of a chemistry compatible with sealants.

More confusion: Quite a few companies make a sealant but market it as a wax. The container actually says `wax`. It`s an attempt to avoid confusion by an uneducated buying public.

So, glazes are optional. Sealants can be used by themselves or can be topped with a carnauba. Sealants will always be `under` a wax if used together. Never on top of a wax.

Sorry for the length, but sometimes clarity warrants it. How about a pic or two. Nothing looks better than glossy black and chrome/silver wheels when the car is gleaming.

[Accumulator]

I`d get rid of the 3M PI-II Rubbing Compounds. Assuming they really *ARE* Rubbing Compounds from the PI-II line, those have silica-based abrasives that are a bit dangerous (you wear a mask when using them? Didn`t think so...) and they`re not very good compared to today`s compounds.

I myself would replace both the rotary and that older PC with a newer/better/more powerful RO polisher.

I`d toss the Liquid Glass. Well, knowing me I`d keep it around for sentimental reasons....