Think I`m done messing around with coatings, final thoughts...

[William_Wallace]

I’ve actually seen some tall beading videos with the defy product as well but have not tried it.

[BudgetPlan1]

I’ve actually seen some tall beading videos with the defy product as well but have not tried it.

We`ll see, I guess. It seems like a bit `more` than just a maintenance product but at only $17 for 8oz, may as well keep things `synergistic` and follow directions so no chance for "You didn`t do what the instructions said" claims, hence wiping down with Detox instead of one of the other 8 panel wipe products I have on my shelf.

The "keep dry for 48 hours after application" is a bit, uh...logistically inconvenient but that`s what the directions said so that`s what I did...however much it pained me to do so. On the plus side, the Cayman doesn`t really need washing after sitting and driving in the wind and rain for 48hrs...metallic gray paint is such a wonderful thing.

[BudgetPlan1]

On the Ethos front, some updates here: https://budgetplan1.wordpress.com/et...Latest_Updates

I wonder if letting the bottle sit on my shelf for 2 months affected it somehow as the water behavior was a bit odd and disappointing. Topping it with Defy has made it more `coating-like` but still the base coating should do better, no? It was purchased in mid-August and then on shelf until Mid-October (inside the house in a dark cabinet)

In other news, really did some superfluous stacking of coating-simpatico products last weekend:

Since it`s near the end of the season here in NE Ohio, spent the weekend cleaning up wife`s Aegean Blue Metallic Civic and throwing some product at it...to the point of wretched excess...mostly just to see what would alter the appearance.

Car is coated w Kamikaze Miyabi + Zipang (Summer 2019), gave it a good wash w heavy foam, Polish Angel Ultrared and CarPro Reset and then started clearing the shelves of what I had leftover from this year.

Had a new jar of Kamikaze Infinity Wax sent up this week, have been using it on this car prior to Winter for past few years. Not a heavily used car, maybe 3500 miles a Winter (no freeway) and it seems to make Spring cleanup a bit easier.

After wash, put on a coat of the Infinity Wax, waited 12hrs and hit it with a coat of Kamikaze Overcoat. 12hrs later, did a coat of Polish Angel High Gloss Paste Wax and 12hrs after that, an application of PA High Gloss Spritz. Fortunately, she needed to drive car this morning or I mighta thrown some Polish Angel Black Wulfenite at it just for grins.

While all of that is irrelevant in a functional sense once we got past the Overcoat, seemed like a fun way to use up some products...and it was.

The Million Dollar Question:

Did all of those (IMO) slightly `aesthetically different` products really add up to something definitive?

To me, the base coatings have a bit of a deeper gloss w a nice candy topping thrown in.

1. Infinity Wax seems to ease the candy a bit, adding a `relaxed high gloss` look to the surface.

2. Overcoat adds a bit of the gloss, not so much `hi-def` as Polish Angel.

3. PA High Gloss Paste Wax is the ultimate in hi-def, ultra-HD reflectivity for my eyes.

4. PA High Gloss Spritz is a bit of a lighter, sharper reflection.

So now that I have all of these things, with slightly different visual characteristics, ladled upon the paint...was it worth it, did it really make a difference as opposed using them individually...I really don`t know.

I *think* it did (to a point, the HG Spritz was probably overkill) but in the end, "I don`t care"; it was fun, no long term harm will come to the `meat in the sandwich` (the base coatings) and whether it`s in my mind or not, it`s a stupidly-killer combo for the next month or so when salt, snow and Winter will render appearance concerns irrelevant for the next 6 months.

So as far as functionality goes, excessive layering quickly gets to a point of diminishing returns IMO. Aesthetically, it`s anyone`s guess how much is too much (Yeah, like there is such a thing ) so try some things out and let your own eyes (and the enjoyment of using fun products) be your guide.

The car I piled all that stuff on this weekend looked absolutely amazing in the garage the next morning, extraordinarily reflective and radiant. Later after pulling it out in the driveway with kinda a cloudy bit of sunshine filtering thru the trees on it. It seemed to have lost a bit of `pop`.vs the garage lighting. If previous experience holds true, if I went out there as the last bit of light is fading that evening and it will again look exceptional, but in a deeper, softer, glassier kinda way. The gas station at 5am under the flourescent/led lighting always looks shinier than anything. It`s not just more or less gloss, but really visually different aspects of gloss, all a treat and pleasing to my eye in a different way.

Anymore, I think I aim to find what looks best in the garage because that`s where *I* see the car most; ...taking out the garbage always takes a few minutes, most of which have nothing to do with taking out the garbage. And sometimes I just wander out there to do nothing more than stare.

While we all like to get caught up in the `science` of this stuff with gloss meters, DOI meters and similar, I think sometimes things like gloss are partly measured by personal feel and, conscious or not, individual and intangible mental gloss-unit scales.

That`s the fun of it...no real definitive right or wrong to it...just your preferences.

[Lonnie]

......3. PA High Gloss Paste Wax is the ultimate in hi-def, ultra-HD reflectivity for my eyes.

According to Esoteric Detailing`s website for Polish Angel products, this wax is $225.00 for 150ml (5.1 fl oz. US). That is quite a steep price for "ultimate reflectivity".To its credit, it IS suppose to be formulated for topping coated vehicles to enhance the gloss. Everyone has their price point and return on investment (ROI). Like my father always said, "You want to run with the big dogs, you gotta pay like the big dogs." [Captain Obvious, you are still a chihuahua! Yo Quiero Taco Bell (reference to a long-ago Taco Bell commercial with such a dog)]

[BudgetPlan1]

According to Esoteric Detailing`s website for Polish Angel products, this wax is $225.00 for 150ml (5.1 fl oz. US). That is quite a steep price for "ultimate reflectivity".To its credit, it IS suppose to be formulated for topping coated vehicles to enhance the gloss. Everyone has their price point and return on investment (ROI). Like my father always said, "You want to run with the big dogs, you gotta pay like the big dogs." [Captain Obvious, you are still a chihuahua! Yo Quiero Taco Bell (reference to a long-ago Taco Bell commercial with such a dog)]

Yup, the High Gloss Paste Wax is certainly not an everyday kinda thing but I really don`t buy too much stuff anymore now that I`ve settled on the LSP combo that works best for me. I used it on both the Cayman and the Civic this Summer and it really did quite well...and it`s just a fun thing that I enjoy using. Visual appearance and gloss can be a somewhat subjective thing but I can say that the HG Paste is one of those things that I`m convinced actually makes a notable difference in appearance.

It was a pleasurable `one and done` experience this Summer as next season I really won`t have a car that is appropriate to use it on. Her Corvette is totally wrapped in PPF, the Cayman is getting a total wrap/coating this Winter as well and paste wax doesn`t really lend itself well to PPF installations. While I liked it on her Civic, it`s not worth the cost for that added touch of reflectivity and my daily driver, well...that`s to the point of just getting coated every 3 years and that`s about it. Only 3 year and 60k miles in and it is now a rolling testament to what happens to a black Honda Accord that spends 95% of the time on the freeway; there`s not enough Dr. Colorchip in the world to fix that up and it`s certainly not worth a re-spray.

Is it worth it? In a `protection sense` probably not but in a personal enjoyment sense, it sure was for me. I`ll miss it next season for sure cuz it`s just so darn fun to use and after using it, the garage just smells so wonderful for a day or two and it reminds me of the fun I had applying it, the compliments I got from using it and how well it did in the rain as the beads flew off of the hood...good stuff, whether it really makes a definitive and measurable difference or not.

[BudgetPlan1]

While it`s hard to tell given the dark bottle the product comes in, the Graphene Matrix Coating is indeed a dark liquid, just like the SPS Graphene. I drew some off and put in a clean, clear bottle which I will leave undisturbed on the shelf for a few months; the SPS Graphene settled out into 2 distinct layers after sitting for 2-3 months (like oil and vinegar in salad dressing) with about 85% clear liquid on the top layer and 15% dark liquid on the bottom if I remember correctly. Not sure exactly what that means, perhaps absolutely nothing, but I`ll watch it nonetheless; entertainment is where ya find it, no?

It appears that the Ethos is starting to separate/settle out:

[William_Wallace]

Soft99 has the hydro paste wax line up for coatings they use a real mild solvent and water it’s paste. they had nice article on the solvents in most normal waxes can effect the coating. It may just be marketing I found it interesting there was three type a gloss, beading and a cleaner with either chemical or abrasives.

@budget also a bummer on the ethos it’s strange some other customers had same experience real disappointing beading so odd think you might be right shelf life.

also all these new wonderful SEMA detailing products coming out but those like myself in the northeast during this time of the year we cannot use unless indoors

[William_Wallace]

I have also seen a lot of video with Jim from Dr Beasley online. He is quite a like able and open person. I have been hesitant to buy the products from Dr Beasleys but after hearing from the owner and learning he the one creating the products I be been looking for reviews of his products and may try the new coating sometime

[BudgetPlan1]

@budget also a bummer on the ethos it’s strange some other customers had same experience real disappointing beading so odd think you might be right shelf life.

I wasn`t aware that some others found it somewhat `meh`...interesting. I had heard of a single case but figr`d it was an isolated incident. Puzzling...but I think I feel better about it knowing more than 1 other experienced it

[Coatings=crack]

Soft99 has the hydro paste wax line up for coatings they use a real mild solvent and water it’s paste. they had nice article on the solvents in most normal waxes can effect the coating. It may just be marketing I found it interesting there was three type a gloss, beading and a cleaner with either chemical or abrasives.

@budget also a bummer on the ethos it’s strange some other customers had same experience real disappointing beading so odd think you might be right shelf life.

also all these new wonderful SEMA detailing products coming out but those like myself in the northeast during this time of the year we cannot use unless indoors

Always thought it was odd new detailing products launched at SEMA. Spring would make more sense.


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[wannafbody]

Always thought it was odd new detailing products launched at SEMA. Spring would make more sense.


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Well, by the time they hit shelves it`s late winter.

[Desertnate]

That is frustrating in it`s own right. You see something unveiled in November, it doesn`t hit shelves until January, and you can`t even try it out until March (if your lucky) when the weather warms up.

[pologuy]

Car is coated w Kamikaze Miyabi + Zipang

After wash, put on a coat of the Infinity Wax, waited 12hrs and hit it with a coat of Kamikaze Overcoat. 12hrs later, did a coat of Polish Angel High Gloss Paste Wax and 12hrs after that, an application of PA High Gloss Spritz.

Pretty much the exact products I am looking at for my Lincoln - black of course...

[BudgetPlan1]

Pretty much the exact products I am looking at for my Lincoln - black of course...

ALL of it ?

[Coatings=crack]

ALL of it ?

What’s funny is all that is still less than what i was quoted to have my car professionally coated. I know my work isn’t as good but it was enjoyable to do and with all that would definitely be as good of quality products as what most pros install


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