Surf City Barrier Reef Wax

**PerroneFord** · 06-21-2009, 08:43 PM

A week ago, I got an email from a member of my British Car club. He was trying to sell a Buick LeSabre and asked if I would detail it for him. I had made an offer to club members for the month of June to do a basic cleanup on their classic British cars for $100. No paint correction or anything, just a cleanup. Idea being a wash, interior wipedown, and an AIO. He knows he can`t get that deal, but we settle on a price based on pictures of the vehicle.

Saturday I head out with my gear to do the car. I show up at 8am. It`s about 90F and the sun is rising quickly. I decide doing the interior before it gets sweltering is the best course of action. I open it up, and realize I am in trouble. It`s classic late 90s Buick. Tons of plastic, bad fake leather, and 117k miles on the clock. I don`t think the car has ever had the interior cleaned. The center arm rest looked stained. I`d find out later it wasn`t. The buildup of sweat was so thick it looked like the console was a different color. Anyway, I clean up the interior, and do the wheels and tires. It`s after noon, and it`s 102 with a heat index of 106. There is no shade on the property. I call it a day, and decide to come back Sunday to tackle the outside of the car.

In thinking about my arsenal, I`ve got sealants, and I`ve got AIOs, but the only wax I have is a rather expensive paste, and I am NOT going to use that for a quickie pre-sale cleanup. I want something quick and easy. So I decide to try the Surf City Barrier Reef product. I`ve heard others on various forums sing it`s praises, and I`ve had excellent experience with their other products. So I grab some at the local Pep Boys.

Sunday morning, I am on site at 7am. It`s only 95F when I arrive. I jump on the car doing a 2BM wash and forgoing the normal pre-soak. I just don`t have the time. I spray the engine down with Surf City Grime Destroyer cut 3:1. I use the Daytoma Speedmaster Brush to get that all cleaned up, and spray it down. The car gets dried with a WW towel after being misted with DP Rinseless mixed at clay lube ratio. Car comes out very nice and clean. I spot clay a few areas, and then apply the wax.

This is the first time I`ve waxed without polishing, and it felt like I was cheating. the wax went on very nicely. I applied wax on one full side of the car, then went back and buffed it off. Came off easily. I quickly finished up the car. The surface gloss was amazing for what I had done. Essentially a wash and wax on a car with 117k miles. It needed a 2-step polish at least, but that just wasn`t going to happen.

I dressed the tires and wheel wells, took some pics, and went home.

I will say this. Given what I saw from the Barrier Reef product today, I give it my full recommendation as a liquid carnauba LSP. Absolutely amazing results from it. I am going to detail my car again in July, and this will be my topper over Poli-Seal. I will also use it on the classic cars I will be doing in the coming weeks. Looks like I am going to be prepping a Triumph TR3 toward the end of July, and an Austin Healey 3000 also in July or August.

I have pics and they will be uploaded in the morning.

**Chicagoareanew** · 06-21-2009, 08:48 PM

That`s good to hear; I`ve been curious about that product for a while. I believed their claims that it`s easy to apply, but I was unsure about how good it would look after the fact.

**PerroneFord** · 06-21-2009, 08:56 PM

Best $20 I ever spent on an LSP. But you can imagine how thirsty this paint was. I don`t think the owner had ever waxed the car. It was a swirled mess. I was going to buy some p21s to prep showcars with, but I am going to hold off on that for a while and see how this product does. I don`t think for a minute it`s going to be as good as P21, but at less than half the price, it`ll certainly be good enough for the non-concours level stuff I am doing.

**Chicagoareanew** · 06-21-2009, 10:00 PM

I`d love hear more about it, after you use it on cars that aren`t in such bad shape. From what it sounds like, anything would sound good on that old one.

**PerroneFord** · 06-21-2009, 10:04 PM

LOL, probably true. I was really going to do my hood today in a 4-way test. I`ll have to save it for later. I was beat.

I think I am going to test Wolfgang Sealant, Liquid Glass Sealant, Poli-Seal, and the Surf City Wax. I could probably add in some CG 50/50 and Klasse Twins. We`ll see.

**ta240** · 06-21-2009, 10:29 PM

it`s on special at:

Surf City Garage

**Chicagoareanew** · 06-21-2009, 11:07 PM

Even with shipping and handling it comes out cheaper at that store rather than buying it in person, great find! Now I`m wondering if there`s anything else I should get there...this is dangerous lol.

**Legacy** · 06-21-2009, 11:39 PM

SC Grime Destroyer, Glass cleaner and Hot Rod Detailer are other great products.

**blucpe** · 06-22-2009, 02:04 PM

you should definitly try their hotrod detailer protectant. i was amazed, it`s as good or better than fk425 imho.

**PerroneFord** · 06-22-2009, 02:22 PM

A couple of photos...

This is what I was dealing with on the interior. 50/50 of the arm rest:

This is how the engine cleaned up:

Trunk reflecting after NO POLISH and SC Barrier Reef:

Hood reflections, again no polishing at all on 117k mile paint:

Final Shot:

**PerroneFord** · 06-22-2009, 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by Legacy99

SC Grime Destroyer, Glass cleaner and Hot Rod Detailer are other great products.

I take the Grime Destroyer on every detail I do. Absolutely stunning product for making quick work of engines, undercarriages, door hinges, and anything else with stubborn dirt.

I used it 3:1 on the engine in these photos and only needed a single application to do what you see here. There was over 100k miles of grime on that motor that was absolutely erased in one application of Grime Destroyer cut 3:1.

Proof is in the pictures.

**Chicagoareanew** · 06-23-2009, 02:17 PM

I have the grime destroyer too, and while I like it a lot and will continue to buy it, I don`t think it`s as strong as automotive formula goo - gone. I know some people are going to cringe at the thought of goo gone making something for cars, but it`s the absolute strongest thing I`ve seen to remove tar.

I have to detail my engine, and I was going to either use the grime destroyer or p21s all purpose, but since I just found out today that Nissan Altimas are very prone to having problems with engine detailing due to the large amount of electrical things in the engine, I`m pretty certain that I`ll have to go with grime destroyer. There is just no way that an all - purpose will be strong enough to clean my engine without blasts of water. I`d need your guys` opinion on whether I should cut the grime destroyer or use it full strength. Keep in mind, I can`t just wash out the engine with water or else I`ll have problems. so I`m wondering if that means that using something like GD will be flammable or something if I can`t remove it completely.