Are Mothers products good/great?

[imported_Speedy]

Before discovering Autoia (:bow ) I purchased the 3 bottles of Mothers 3-step, last fall.

After reading and learing alot of good info from Autopia, these Mothers products that I thought were the best of the best, seem sub-standard now, to all of these products that seem very exotic-like (Klasse, for example, which has to be specialy ordered)

I know the most important thing is how satisfying the product is to me, and I am very impressed with my paint, after the 3-step. It looks awsome! But am I missing out on better products, that are not commercialy available at the local auto store, or should I still be proud to use the Mothers?

Thanks for any input!

Scott:nixweiss

[Sidney Trainer]

i have used mothers 3 step, its ok.... but trust me.... the products mentioned here, such as klasse... etc. are much better, if you have more questions about products send me a PM or email...

[Patrick]

Scott, its best to learn the basics with those types of products.....Mothers is one of the best "Off the Shelf" products available. Some of the other products we talk about here, require time, in between step "cleanings", whats a glaze to one manufacturer, may be a cleaner to another. Your on the right track, get several jobs down pat. Than you know what your capable of. It all can get very confusing once you start getting into swirl mark removers, glazes, polishes, compounds, waxes, polymers, acrylics etc.....Show us what you can do with your MOthers, and post some pics....!!!

[2wheelsx2]

Mother`s products are great for what they are. They are easy to use, and get great results. However, the limitation is the wax`s durability. Klasse, for instance, will last up to 10 times longer than a carnauba wax, so for me, that was what caused me to switch. There are other waxes which have higher shine than Mother`s, or may be easier to use in certain conditions, but bang for buck, Mother`s products are pretty good value. And as mentioned above, as you get more and more experience, you can try other products to see which ones you like best. You might be surprised at how good off-the-shelf Mother`s products can be.

[gnahc79]

yeah, don`t doubt Mother`s just because it`s cheaper and easy to find :D. I like and use the car wash, QD, clay and the scratch remover kit. I`ve never used their polishes or waxes, though.

[jonw440]

I love the tire cleaner!

[Acura_RL]

Their clay system is pretty good.

[Acura_RL]

Oh yeah, I use the car wash soap too, good stuff.

[forrest@mothers]

Don`t ask me, I`m biased......



:-)

[kbshadow]

I have used almost all of Mothers products and think they are one of the best if not the best.



Some of the more expensive products seem excellent too but from what I have seen the end result with those is that the users are almost professionals, they learn what has to be done, spend the time doing it right and even reasearch the best way to detail for a 5 star finish. The final result is good because the product is good 50% and the users know what they are doing 50%.



I feel I get a 5 star finish with Mothers and I don`t know what I am doing.



Bob

Stockton Ca

[imported_Speedy]

Wow, this is some great feed back!

I have "renewed" confidence in the Mothers stuff, but would like to try Klasse AIO and the SG. I guess I`ll run the Mothers bottles dry and then try it out when that time comes.

I can`t imagine the paint becoming any better than it looks now!

I regret to say this, but I don`t have a digital camera, or a scanner, so as much as I want to, I can`t post pics! I guess the most I can do is "describe" the finish...

It`s a deep polo green STS, `95, and it had always been kept clean, and waxed (with basic stuff). I decided one day I was fed up w/ the micro scratches, and swirls you could see in the sunlight, so I went out and purchased what I thought was the best I could get, some Mothers 3step.

That was last fall, and it was getting cold, so I decided I would try the stuff out in the spring. I gave the STS a "pre-winter" wax with my traditional "Nufinish" (orange bottle...how is that stuff regarded anyway?)and that was it.

Over the past couple of weeks I have been 3-steping the car though, section by section each weekend, and slowly the paint is becoming better than it has ever looked. Nice and deep, rich, almost wet, but I have seen better. I guess I have to keep in mind it is a daily driver, and not a show car, but it would be nice...

So, any way this is my little saga of avg. paint being rejuvinated!

Thanks for listening!

(and I really appreciate the feed back on the Mothers, sorry for not being able to post pics!)

[Acura_RL]

Originally posted by Speedy

Wow, this is some great feed back!

I have "renewed" confidence in the Mothers stuff, but would like to try Klasse AIO and the SG. I guess I`ll run the Mothers bottles dry and then try it out when that time comes.

I can`t imagine the paint becoming any better than it looks now!

I regret to say this, but I don`t have a digital camera, or a scanner, so as much as I want to, I can`t post pics! I guess the most I can do is "describe" the finish...

It`s a deep polo green STS, `95, and it had always been kept clean, and waxed (with basic stuff). I decided one day I was fed up w/ the micro scratches, and swirls you could see in the sunlight, so I went out and purchased what I thought was the best I could get, some Mothers 3step.

That was last fall, and it was getting cold, so I decided I would try the stuff out in the spring. I gave the STS a "pre-winter" wax with my traditional "Nufinish" (orange bottle...how is that stuff regarded anyway?)and that was it.

Over the past couple of weeks I have been 3-steping the car though, section by section each weekend, and slowly the paint is becoming better than it has ever looked. Nice and deep, rich, almost wet, but I have seen better. I guess I have to keep in mind it is a daily driver, and not a show car, but it would be nice...

So, any way this is my little saga of avg. paint being rejuvinated!

Thanks for listening!

(and I really appreciate the feed back on the Mothers, sorry for not being able to post pics!)



I wouldn`t bother redoing the entire 3-step process each week. The pre-wax cleaner I would leave for, at most, every 2 or 3 months. Really, every 2-4 weeks you can just stick with steps 2 and 3.



Also, I recommend you incorporate clay into the process. It works wonders for prepping your finish. You can pick up the mother`s version from Discount Auto.



NuFinish has gotten mixed reviews. Some consider it harsh, while others think it should be relegated for beater cars. If you want the best of sealant technology, try some of the more reputable products like Klasse and Zaino.

[bimmerzhp]

I love Mothers products and used them for years. If you want to try Klasse just top it with Mothers pure blend. This is what I do and the results are excellent! I have tried all waxes even expensive waxes from Zymol (Destiny) and the Mothers seems to be as good. It is okay to make changes to your detailing routine. If you found something you like stick with it. In my case I stayed with Mothers and added Klasse. I forgot, you should clay the car, big difference in results and how the products go on and come off.

[shaf]

Originally posted by Acura_RL

I wouldn`t bother redoing the entire 3-step process each week. The pre-wax cleaner I would leave for, at most, every 2 or 3 months. Really, every 2-4 weeks you can just stick with steps 2 and 3.



Also, I recommend you incorporate clay into the process. It works wonders for prepping your finish. You can pick up the mother`s version from Discount Auto.



NuFinish has gotten mixed reviews. Some consider it harsh, while others think it should be relegated for beater cars. If you want the best of sealant technology, try some of the more reputable products like Klasse and Zaino. Well thanks Acura_RL, you saved me some typing! :D



Speedy, keep in mind that products like Klasse don`t necessarily look hugely better than something like the Mothers system, but they keep good looking for longer periods of time, and (arguably) offer greater protection from the elements as well. Not everyone here goes with a polymer sealant like Klasse, and many still use a "traditional" system like you do right now. Basically this is:



-polish

-glaze

-wax



What you can do to improve your car`s appearance and reduce those swirls further is to replace (or supplement) the Pre-wax cleaner with something a bit stronger. What this product is will depend on how bad the swirls are. Doing this by hand will go a bit easier for you since you`re only doing it a section per weekend anyway. :)