Collinite VS Natty Test (pics)

**TheSopranos16** · 12-03-2004, 01:21 PM

I just received my can of Collinite #885 Fleetwax. For those of you who haven`t read the other recent threads, this is the exact same wax as the #476 Super Doublecoat (its just a better value in 12 OZ fleetwax can). I know that Collinite has a reputation for durability and amazing water beading. Obviously durability can`t be tested in a day but water beading certainly can. So, I conducted a breif test of Collinite against Natty`s. I was really just concerned with the Collinite (we all already know how good Natty`s is) but I needed something to compare it to. Convieniently, my 350Z already has two lines going down the hood so it was easy to apply the different products in sections. Here is what I did:

1) The car was very dusty so I S&W`d the entire hood.
2) I applied and removed Nattys on the left section of the hood (left if you are facing the car head on).
3) I applied and removed the Collinite from the right section of the hood.
4) The middle section I left alone. I had applied 2 coats of FMJ about 5-6 weeks ago so I figured it would be good to see how that compared.

The results:

Here is a pic of the hood after S&W and before applying the waxes

This is after applying the waxes, Natty`s on the left, Collinite on the right and 6 week old FMJ in the middle. You really can`t see a difference in the picture...but here is the story.

Natty`s darkened the finish and hid swirls a little bit.
Collinite Darkened the finish a little bit less but hid more swirls, but it wasn`t nearly as clear...it looked pretty hazy on the paint even after being buffed off. I think it should be QD`d then it might look better and help even the product out.

This pic is after hosing the car down. I used the shower setting on the hose and waited 30 seconds before taking the pic. Clearly, both Natty`s and Collinite are beading better than the FMJ. But in all fairness to Menzerna, its 6 weeks old so by no means a fair comparison. Collinite seemed to have smaller beads and they fell off the surface faster than Natty`s. Overall, collinite beaded better.

This is a picture of the Natty`s side after a 1 minute drive down the block...

This is a pic of the Collinite side after the same 1 min drive...Collinite beaded better and therefore the car was dryer on that side. The water also seemed to fly off the car faster (when I was driving) with Collinite than nattys.

Summary: Natty`s was MUCH easier to use than Collinite and also provided a nicer, clearer look. Collinite hid swirls better and beaded water better, but it was difficult to take off the paint. I would highly recommend doing as small a section as possible (with Collinite) and buffing off asap. The sooner you buff it off, the easier it comes off. Of corse I couldn`t test durability in a day but bassed on reputation and how hard it was to remove, I would imagine that the Collinite will be more durable than Nattys. As far as slickness goes, even after 6 weeks, FMJ was still the slickest, followed by Natty`s than Collinite. Scent? Natty`s smells

and Collinite smells like :fart :hurl

Overall, Natty`s is a superior car wax. However, Collinite beaded water like nothing Ive ever used before. I will probably be putting Collinite on the rest of my car for the winter, then going with natty or souveran for the summer. It just beaded water too darn good and I`m sure its durability will be superior to other carnauba`s also. The way it hid swirls was also impressive, which leads me to believe that 1 coat of collinite leaves more wax on the surface compared to other carnaubas (another sign of durability). I am going to wash my car in a day or two so I will report back and let you all know if the beading changed after a wash. Feel free to ask any questions and I hope you all enjoyed the test/review.

**kimwallace** · 12-03-2004, 01:59 PM

Thanks for the thorough review. It would be interesting to see how they all beaded after setting on the car for a couple days ...

**CharlesW** · 12-03-2004, 02:08 PM

Just a question.
Do you feel that using the Collinite and then using Natty`s as a topper during the winter would give you the best of both worlds?
Since there wouldn`t be any cleaners involved, it seems that you could have the durability and swirl hiding of the Collinite and have the finish look of the Natty`s.

Charles

**TheSopranos16** · 12-03-2004, 03:00 PM

Poorboy Steve brought an interesting point to my attention. He told me that rinsing the car as I did will probably shorten the durability of carnauba waxes because I didin`t give them time to set. So, I will be reapplying Natty`s and Collinite to the hood and leaving it alone until the weekend. That way, the products will have a fair chance...

CharlesW - Good Question. I`m not sure if the solvants in Natty`s would remove some of the Collinite, negating the effects. This is really a better question for Steve or a manufacturer. But I`d certainly be willing to try it on a section of the car to see how it does...Maybe over the weekend I`ll give it a shot...

**shaw** · 12-03-2004, 03:04 PM

When Collinite adjusts the solvent to meet new VOC regs, hopefully it will do something about that awesome smell that everyone loves. Ditto:hurl

Being a small, old school operation, I doubt they will address the issue. On the other hand, some products have amazingly addicting scents. Are we into subliminal marketing? Wake up Collinite!

Nice review!

**G35stilez** · 12-03-2004, 04:45 PM

Nice review Charles

I guess I will be sticking with my Natty`s for now

Are you garaging your Z?

I would love if you left the middle of the hood with just FMJ to see how long is lasts

**Josh** · 12-03-2004, 06:27 PM

I too would enjoy hearing how long the FMJ lasts.

I mean, i love klasse... but menzerna is just soooo good with polishes, their sealant has to be great too.

**Don** · 12-03-2004, 06:36 PM

Did you apply by hand or with a PC? I put 2 coats of 945 insulator on my cavalier with the PC a day apart and I didn`t notice any loss of clarity or hazing, and inspite of my car being yellow, it`s practically a mirror

I like your test though, try using a butter knife to apply a light coat of your #885 to see if you get better results appearance-wise

**NYV6Coupe** · 12-04-2004, 02:55 AM

very nice review, very thorough.

Did you take the #885 off by hand? Try taking it off with a MF towel trapped under a pad on a PC. I`m sure your surface is properly clayed & prepped so try the MF towel method & see if it makes a difference.

My Accord is metallic silver & I`m getting about as much depth & gloss as it can muster .... obviously a poor comparison for black but it`s been over 6 weeks and over 12 washings & the surface feels like glass.

Perhaps it`s not UPP slick but I`m very pleased with the results & I`m wondering if taking the Collinite residue off with way I did had anything to do with it.

Are the FMJ water beads round or are they an odd shape? I found that FMJ does not produce high, tight, round water beads like a carnauba LSP.

**TheSopranos16** · 12-04-2004, 12:24 PM

Hi all.

Just to answer some of the questions...Yes I applied and removed the 885 by hand. I used a traditional yellow foam applicator and a microfiber for removal.

NYV6 - I`ve heard other ppl suggest using a mf under pc. Maybe I`ll give that a try when I do the entire car. The FMJ beads were mixed, some round and some odd shapped. It used to bead tighter when I first applied it but after 6 weeks, its decreased. The only sealant that beads anything close to Collinite is Zaino. Perhaps I`ll do a side by side of those two products one day...

Sean - Yes I`m garaging it

I`m not sure how long Menzerna would last but I doubt its gonna be much longer before I start playing with it...sorry but u know how it is, I can`t leave my baby unattended to like that

**shotime** · 12-04-2004, 04:43 PM

I haven`t had any hazing problems with Collinite. I actually used Natty`s after Collinite in my winter prep.

**TheSopranos16** · 12-05-2004, 01:31 AM

Originally Posted by shotime

I haven`t had any hazing problems with Collinite. I actually used Natty`s after Collinite in my winter prep.

How did that work out? CharlesW asked me what I thought of topping Collinite with Natty`s but you actually tried it...

**shotime** · 12-05-2004, 11:02 AM

It makes the paint almost glow, I`ve never really seen anything like it before. Prior I had on NXT, EX, TS, and it made it look much better than that. It also could be the color, sonic blue (Ford) which is very bright to begin with, it may look different on a darker color. It`s been on for about a month, washed twice, and has shown no signs of giving up. If I can get ahold of a digital I`ll try and post some pics.

**NYV6Coupe** · 12-07-2004, 11:54 PM

The "Z" looks great and to think most people say that Collinite is not a beauty wax. Perhaps it`s not in the same league as LS, Natty`s, s100 and a few others but the Z looks fabulous, glossy, really great depth and sharp reflected images.

Did you try doing the "MF towel under a PC pad" method of removal? I started out using that method `cause I was expecting #476s to be a bit tough to remove even if doing WOWO. It came off easier than expected & I think the MF towel/PC method kind of micro-burnished the surface and the 2nd layer went on/came off even easier.