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View Full Version : ColorX a good recommendation for your "Joe Average" friends



JustinR32
06-27-2004, 08:53 PM
Guys, this is one of those $5 bottles of wax that, if used properly, gets you about 85% of the way there. It is extremely easy to use, giving it a VERY high results-to-effort ratio, thus making it one of those products that your friends will thank you for recommending.



I used this on my wifemobile, a 2001 Chev Impala LS in mahogany metallic red.



My intent was to do an "enlightened" Joe Average job on the car, which was last waxed in... November (shudder), with MPPC/MPPP.



I washed with #00, 2 buckets, and sheepskin mitts with the cuffs cut off. All the MPP* was gone, as evidenced by water pooling all over the car.



Instead of drying, I went right to claying, with the new Meg`s Quik Clay. Nice stuff. I used 1/4 of a bar, and for once didn`t drop the clay. When I was finished, I had a nice smooth surface to work with. I was going to ColorX with the PC, but instead I did what an enlightened Joe Average would do; I used a terry-covered pad to apply the product.



ColorX goes on fairly "wet"; it has a high water content. I found that I actually preferred using a bit more product than I use with other waxes for that reason; it seems to have a lower concentration of "active ingredient" compared to other products. It also has an interesting clean smell, one that I rather liked.



I applied the ColorX, working it in until it felt smooth under the pad, and keeping enough product on the pad to leave it feeling lubricated. I worked outside in the shade, on a 73* day with low humidity and light breeze. The product goes on very easily (due to the high water content) and dried VERY quickly under those conditions. I applied and removed CX two panels at a time, rather than doing the whole car and then removing. Removal of CX is like removing #20; wipe it off with a mf towel, with absolutely no effort. There is minor dusting, and I didn`t notice any staining of trim. Total time to apply and remove was maybe half an hour to 40 minutes.



CX doesn`t make any claims to remove swirls and spiderwebs, but this car doesn`t really show them all that much. Not that they`re not there, but the car doesn`t show them. One application of CX had no noticeable effect on them. I would imagine that repeated applications, perhaps bi-weekly during the summer, would reduce them slightly.



CX isn`t all that aggressive, like MPPC and ScratchX are. I would describe its cleaning ability as "enough". It will remove minor bug stains and minor sap and bird drop marks easily, but it won`t deal with real etching at all (and of course you don`t want it to). It readily produces a clean, even surface.



The finished look is pretty impressive, especially for a $5 bottle of wax. The most obvious characteristic for me is the amount of darkening that CX provides. I`ve used this on two cars now, and I noticed it on both. CX gives a very attractive dark and reflective look. It`s not as liquid and glossy as the Meg`s "wet" kings, #26 and NXT, but more the "handsome" look of Gold Class, dark and very "clean". It`s the kind of look that lets the color of the paint through, and doesn`t change it much.



This is the cleaner/wax that I`d reach for first, and it`s going to be the Malibu`s steady diet this summer, based on appearance and how easy it is to use.



Pictures? I dunno. All internet car pictures look good. It looks like a clean dark mahogany Malibu.







Tom

travisdecpn
06-27-2004, 09:03 PM
I agree with you 100%, i used this product on a lightly oxidized vehicle with great success. Granted you aren`t going to remove any serious defects or swirls, you get a great one stepper at a low price with colorx.

Slackmeister
06-27-2004, 10:21 PM
I`ve gotten decent results using it by hand on two white (single stage) Hondas to clean up some minor oxidation. And like Tom, I`ve been pleased with it`s appearance on dark red paint. Great product for the price.

shaf
06-28-2004, 03:26 AM
Interesting info about its use and effectiveness Tom, thanks for the review. :up



Are you planning on doing any durability testing at all?



I`m always interested in making better car care more accessable to the average Joe car owner. :)





Off Topic: By the way, are you still using that TW Platinum Ultra Gloss, and if so, how`s it holding up (or how did it)? Just curious.

JustinR32
06-28-2004, 07:38 AM
Durability testing on the wifemobile is a given. I might get another chance to do it in August, or maybe not.



Brian, I don`t like the smell of the TW. There are so many other great products that I do like the smell of, so that one has been backshelved.





Tom

RatedG
06-28-2004, 01:14 PM
Quick noob question: What would be the more professional/thorough equivalent to ColorX? 3M SMR? I always had the impression that the harder to find 3M SMR will do everything that ColorX does but better.



I keep holding off on getting ColorX with the hopes of running into 3M SMR one day.

shaf
06-29-2004, 01:28 AM
Originally posted by RatedG

Quick noob question: What would be the more professional/thorough equivalent to ColorX? 3M SMR? I always had the impression that the harder to find 3M SMR will do everything that ColorX does but better.



I keep holding off on getting ColorX with the hopes of running into 3M SMR one day. I don`t think so... SMR doesn`t have any "wax" in it like ColorX seems to, so it doesn`t offer any protection. I think the next closest thing would be Meguiar`s #80, but that sounds stronger.

trueblueblood
06-29-2004, 11:34 AM
I had good results using it to detail my door jambs and under the trim that never sees the light of day, cleaned it up good and left a nice shine to match the rest of the car! I might be off but I consider it a cheaper AIO.

imported_Aurora40
06-29-2004, 01:15 PM
Originally posted by RatedG

Quick noob question: What would be the more professional/thorough equivalent to ColorX? 3M SMR? I always had the impression that the harder to find 3M SMR will do everything that ColorX does but better.



I keep holding off on getting ColorX with the hopes of running into 3M SMR one day.



Isn`t SMR more for swirls? ColorX seems more a chemical cleaner IMO. It`s actually a lot like Klasse AIO. I don`t believe there`s a Meg`s pro equivalent. I`d say MPPC is the closest, except it leaves no protection behind. ColorX is neat stuff. I like it on glass a lot. :)

Jesstzn
06-29-2004, 11:13 PM
I`ll track the durability of ColorX too .. I did a blue Audi with it yesterday and he will be a steady wash customer.



This car had been regularly maintained by our local detail shop and he was loosing faith in them so he asked me to give it a shot.



His complaint was the car was always shiney but seemed cloudy .. not brilliant.



The car was good and I just hit a few spots with DACP and a white pad to clean them up and noticed right away .. no cloudyness



So I thought AIO and as I went to get it I saw the ColorX sitting there and said why not .. I used a white pad .. did a fender and wow .. no cloudy.



Seems that the reg detailer was just washing and throwing on some commercial carnuba and calling it detailed.



The ColorX on a white pad cleared it all up and it must have a mild abrasive because the fine swirls were taken care of too.



When I return cars I always park them in the sun and go over what I did and couldn`t do .. He came out and was stunned .. he said he hasn`t had the metallic pop like that in 2 years.



It got me a $25 tip .. sorry for thread theft .. :o