My List of Favorite Detailing Products

[SilverLexus]

Hey, I figured it worked for Sean, so I decided to come up with my own list. :) Thanks Sean for the great concept...royalty check is in the mail. ;)



I`ve been at this for about two years experimenting with hundreds of products and maybe two dozen major lines. Here`s what I like.



Interiors:

Carpet/Upholstery Shampoo â€â€œ Woolite mixture

Carpet Pre-Treat Spot Remover â€â€œ Folex

Vinyl/Plastic/Rubber Cleaner â€â€œ 303 Aerospace

Lightly soiled plastics - 1Z Cockpit Premium + Waynes UltraPlush

Heavily soiled Vinyl/Plastic/Rubber â€â€œ 1Z Plastic Reiniger

Leather Conditioner â€â€œ Zaino Z-10 Leather in a Bottle + Terry applicator

Vinyl/Plastic/Rubber Protectant - 303 Aerospace (dash), 1Z Cockpit Premium (non-dash)

Glass Cleaner â€â€œ 1Z Scheibenklar (Sonus Vision yet to be tested) or Stoner IG with WW Cobra glass MF



Exteriors:

Car Wash (moderate soil) â€â€œ P21S Bodywork Shampoo (I keep coming back to this classic)

Car Wash (heavy soil) - Zaino Z-7 has the bite I like

Waterless Wash â€â€œ QEW but I live in Atlanta so I use water usually all the time. :)

Clay & Lube â€â€œ Sonus Block & Glyde

Bug/Tar Remover â€â€œ Porsche Tequipment, Stoners Tarminator

Quick Detailer â€â€œ Pinnacle Crystal Mist or Eiman Fabrik Clear Pearl (both are terrific)

Metal Polish â€â€œ Flitz and Wenol and P21S Multi-finish Restorer

Plastic Polish (bad) â€â€œ Meguiars PlastX

Plastic Polish (good) â€â€œ Plexus

Exterior Trim â€â€œ Poorboyâ€â„¢s Trim Restorer

Door Seals - 303 Aerospace

Light Cut Polish (chemical) â€â€œ Klasse AIO

Medium Cut Polish (abrasive) â€â€œ Poorboys SSR2.5

Heavy Cut Polish (abrasive) - Meguiars DACP

Aggressive Cut Polish â€â€œ Sonus SFX System

Sealant (durability and looks) â€â€œ Zaino or EX-P+

Carnauba Wax (light cars) â€â€œ P21S Paste Wax

Carnauba Wax (dark cars) - Pinnacle Souveran

Carnauba Wax (ease of use) - P21S

Pre-Carnauba Paint Lotion - GEPC, close second is Pinnacle PCL



Rims, Tires, Wells:

Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner â€â€œ Eagle One A2Z

Light Duty Wheel Cleaner â€â€œ P21S Gel Wheel Cleaner

Tire Dressing â€â€œ Zaino Z-16

Wheel Wax - AIO + Poorboy`s Wheel Sealant (coming soon)



Microfiber Towels:

Drying â€â€œ Sonus WW Ultimate Drying Towel

Quick Detailing/Glass â€â€œ Cobra Glass Waffle Weave Towel

Polish Removal â€â€œ ExcelDetail 16x16 Edgeless

Buffing & QD - Pakshak Ultra Fine

All-Purpose - Waynes Ultra Plush in Green



Buffing Pads:

Cutting, Polishing, Finishing - Lake Country 7.5" Concaved Foam Pads from Specialty Motoring

Cleaning Solution - Sonus Wunder Wasche



Other Items:

Wash Bucket-Baja Sol from Target (dented on one side for convenience)

Hose Nozzle-Ultimate hose nozzle from Home Depot

Sheepskin Mitt-Australian mitt from ExcelDetail

Towel Storage-Rubbermaid 19" deep clear containers

Workbenches-Metro shelving and Sam`s Club food prep table in stainless steel

Detailing Swabs-Autogeek "qtips" with narrow ends.

Detailing Brishes-assortment from Emmons Coachworks

Applicators-PakShak fine MF applicators

Wheel Well Scrub Brush-Griot`s Garage

MF Wash (lightly soiled) - Pinnacle MicroRejuvenator

MF Wash (heavily soiled) - Charlie`s Soap



I`m always trying new things so feel free to suggest any products I should try. :)

[imported_Burlyq]

Most of your list are my fav`s too. Just curious, have you tried the menzerna line of polishes and you prefer poorboys and DACP or have you not tried menzerna?

Lol, I just bought that baha bucket and love it too. I was sad however, a whole section for auto supply`s at Target and no Mothers Mag Polish, that`s one product I can`t do without.



Do you use a light Woolite mixure to clean your leather, and have you are anyone ever had any streaking or problems with doing that? I`m thinking about trying it on my girlfriends couch, then putting leather in a bottle to soften it up.

[Pats300zx]

Detailing Swabs-Autogeek "qtips" with narrow ends.



:up I just got some of these yesterday. I can`t wait to try them out. They seem alot nice than my standard medical swabs I was using.

[Carl Anderson]

That is an incredible list! It makes me realize how product defecient I really am. At my current rate it will be another couple of years before I could compile such a list; at present I just do not have enough experience with enough products. I did purchase EX and SSR2.5 and the Menzerna twins and Pakshak ultrafines as gifts for myself for Christmas. I am anxiously awaiting trying the EX and SSR2.5. I have already used the Pakshak ultrafines for product removal and they are terrific.

[SilverLexus]

"Just curious, have you tried the menzerna line of polishes and you prefer poorboys and DACP or have you not tried menzerna?"



I have not tried the Menzerna line yet though I got some FP from Sean in a trade. I do intend to try some soon. mtodde just won some PowerGloss so there may be some horsetrading for a sample soon. :)



"They seem alot nice than my standard medical swabs I was using."



LOL. medical swabs...you might be Autopian if...they work great actually for getting into narrow crevies on exterior and interior trim. Mtodde told me about these and they are priced to move at $5 per hundred.



"That is an incredible list! It makes me realize how product defecient I really am."



Thanks Carl. I have probably gone overboard given I usually only work on a few cars. Although I don`t have the Mezerna twins, I love EX, the PakShak ultrafine (soft as the proverbial baby`s butt), and SSR2.5 is my fave swirl remover.

[SilverLexus]

I`m hopeful that the two Davids get the Sonus wash bucket out soon as I would like to have a bucket with a grit guard I can use as a seat. Could save me from buying a creeper seat...





Okay, you know I will get that also. ;)

[fertzguy]

Like all your favorites but i really like the 1z polish line better

[stilez]

Nice list Lee!



I see our`s differ quite a bit, but a bunch of items on your list I haven`t tried. I just got about 6 new products in just today to try out. This is never ending!

[SilverLexus]

"This is never ending!"



So true Sean. Just when I think I have found the best glass cleaner, David introduces Sonus Vision. I just keep buying stuff. After audio and cars the prices seem reasonably affordable, but all the mail orders add up. I think I have at least bought enough Sonus stuff to give David a Porsche down payment for a 2005 Type 997. Hopefully he will let me drive it. :D



Seriously I have really come to respect an industry that is made up of a lot of owner-operators with generally superior customer service and a defined commitment to innovative products.



As far as our list differences, I like almost everything on your list and have less experience detailing cars so yours may still be the best for quality. If one thing works in my favor its that I have tried a boat load of stuff. Some of my choices would probably not be practical or cost-effective on a daily detail basis.



"Like all your favorites but i really like the 1z polish line better"



Stay tuned. I`ve gotten some new 1Z polishes I will try.

[JasonD]

Originally posted by SilverLexus

Stay tuned. I`ve gotten some new 1Z polishes I will try.



I can`t wait to hear what you think about them, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.



Sean,

Have you ever tried 1Z before with your rotary, I`ve heard they work very well that way. Possibly even better than by PC.

[SilverLexus]

If the polishes are like the rest of the line Jason, I am sure you are right. I`m going to order some more from Autopia. I got some Metallic Paint Polish last week. It`s been so cold here in Georgia I am worried about the polishes breaking down. I also owe David a review of the SFX system and the cold weather has held that up as well.

[RCBuddha]

Lee,



I noticed you use charlie`s soap for heavily soild MF`s....Have you found it to work better than using a "Free" detergent or Woolite? Nice list btw...



Buddha

[SilverLexus]

Thanks Buddha. I used Charlies Soap the past few days on my towels. I had used Pinnacle MicroRejuvenator on a Purple WW Drying set I got from Autopia on special. I had used a corner to test a polish and it got real dirty and the Pinnacle did not remove it. I used Charlies Soap on it today and the stain came out.



So yes, so far I am quite impressed. Also interesting is the smell of the soaps in Charlies product...I swear I smell some of the same chemicals in Sonus Wunder Wasche and Pinnacle...

[RCBuddha]

Sounds good, i just ordered some Charlie`s soap from Excel. How much do you use per wash?

[SilverLexus]

One ounce (1/8th of a cup) per full load. It`s concentrated. On the first wash with it I opened the washer door on the Neptune and saw lots of quality suds.



Bret buys it in gallon size which I think may be the most economical. They have a 6 bottle deal as well which I split with a friend.