The Ultimate Glaze Showdown

[Todd@RUPES]

The term “glaze” has been used since the inception of automotive refinishing. Originally a wax without the wax, a glaze was an oil-based liquid designed to amplify the gloss of paint without adding protection. This was necessary as the old, heavy-solvent paints of yesteryear took up to 90 days to fully cure (similar to modern water-based paints today).

As detailing evolved, so did the term glaze. Some glazes (machine glazes) were similar to final polishes. Detailer`s and show goers began using glazes prior to waxing for additional shine. Today, the term glaze can mean a wide variety of things, from final polishes to carnauba waxes. However, a glaze is something still applied to paint in order to improve the appearance of it.

This test will compare 6-of-the-best non-abrasive glazes. Glazes designed to improve the appearance of the paint without polishing it.




Scoring:

The primary job of a non-abrasive glaze is to increase the shine of the paint. This is done by filling in minor imperfections in the paint`s surface, which still providing a clear, highly-reflective finish. The glazes will be scored in 4 catergories plus an extra credit, each with a different point total based on how important that criteria is to the glaze:

Filling Ability: The filling ability of the glaze is its ability to coat over paint imperfections, making them disappear from sight. While abrasive machine polishing is the permanent solution to this problem, sometime paint is too thin or the polishing job would take too much time to complete. This test accounts for 50 or the 100 points total in the test.

Gloss: The amount of gloss produced by each glaze. This is really a measure of how well the glaze fills at the microscopic level (it is still possible to have very gloss, swirled up paint) and how clear it finishes too. This was judged by four independent judges in a blind viewing. Because “Gloss” is more subjective, and released to filling, it is given at weight over 20 points out of 100.

Ease Of Use: This category relates to how easily the glaze applies when used with the machine in this test. The ability of the glaze to spread across the paint, how smoothly the pad spins, and how evenly it applies are all

Ease Of Removal: How difficult is it to remove the glaze form the paint. Some glazes wiped off with little effort while others required more effort due to smearing or caking on to the finish. Worth 15 of the 100 total points.

Extra Credit: Up to 10 additional points are allowed, based on subjective feel, for any unique attribute the glaze may receive.


The Test:

A carefully-washed, daily-driven, black hood was used for this test. The large hood has seen years and years of use and was littered with the traditional paint defects common to daily driving. It was washed and dried carefully, the decontaminated with BLACKFIRE Poly Clay prior to use. Tape was used to divide the hood into 6 sections for testing.


The hood showed the signed of daily use and could benefit from a machine correction. It would be a good test for the glazes in this comparision.



It was divided into six equal sections.


For application, a Porter Cable 7424XP and Lake Country “xxx” 5.5-inch pads were used for application. Each glaze was applied using speed 4 and making 4 slow, overlapping, passes over each section.








The glaze “film” was removed with a soft microfiber towel.



How easily the film wiped away, along with other aspects of the test, was carefully recorded.


Including myself, 4 separate sets of eyeballs inspected the results using the new Brinkmann Tuff Max LED Swirl Finder Spot Light.


The Stig enjoying the brisk Flordia morning.



Brian getting in on the action.



And Jeff, who took his duty very seriously.


When it was all said and done, we had a very glossy hood, and six very different glazes. Read on to learn more about the contestants.


The Glazes:


Wolf`s Chemicals Carnauba Glaze

Wolf`s Chemicals Carnauba Glaze is a light polish, glaze and wax designed to improve the gloss of your paint. Unlike many of the glazes in this contest, the application calls for use with a rotary polisher. Ultimately, the difference in machines may have altered the result because when used with the DA-action of the Porter Cable, Carnauba Glaze left noticeable hazing/micro marring on the paint.

Wipe off was difficult as well, although, despite the noticeable haze in the paint, Carnauba Glaze left behind a high-gloss finish that was reasonably slick.


Wolf`s Chemicals Carnauba Glaze left behind a noticable haze in the paint, likely caused by the DA application. When tested with a rotary polisher it was able to finish haze free. Despite the haze, Wolf`s did an admirable job of filling in the deeper imperfections, leading to a head-scratching result.

Extra Credit- Wolf`s received a full 10 points of extra credit because the thick carnauba content added noticeable gloss and slickness to the paint, while providing up to 2 months of protection.


Pinnacle XMT Carnauba Finishing Glaze

Pinnacle XMT Finishing Glaze is designed to give you a show car shine in less time. This in a non-abrasive glaze, made with Pinnacle`s high-quality carnauba wax, which seals in the glazing effect as your apply it. It was a dream to apply and wipe off was effortless.

In terms of filling power, Pinnacle was better than average, making all light-to-medium marks disappear. However deeper scratches remained. In terms of gloss, Pinnacle`s carnauba formulation shown brightly, creating a rich, dazzling shine.


Pinnacle XMT Carnauba Finishing Glaze filled in a good number of light-to-moderate imperfections, leaving behind deeper tracer marks. In terms of finish quality, the surface was haze and swirl free.

Extra Credit: Pinnacle XMT received a full 10 points as well, for the rich, carnauba-like shine and slick feel.


Prima Amigo Pre-Wax Cleanser & Gloss Enhancer

Prima Amigo is your friend in glazing. This product proved extremely easy to apply and wipe off, and the finish was left clean looking. Prima Amigo is a favorite amongst enthusiasts, and one application showed why.

Amigo spread with easy and created an even film on the paint that disappeared slightly when worked in. Wipe off was a breeze and the difference in gloss was noticeable. Prima`s finish wasn`t as dark as Pinnacle`s, but it did do a better job on the deeper defects.


Prima Amigo did an excellent job and filling in the deeper defects, although it didn`t quite have the leveling and gloss ability of some others in this test. Overall, it was very strong showing for Prima.

Extra Credit- The effortless application earned Prima an additional 4 points.


Chemical Guy`s Glossworkz Glaze

Chemical Guy`s Glossworkz Glaze is known to fill in defects, and fill in defects it did. It is a completely non-abrasive glaze, that uses durable polymers for long-lasting results. Glossworkz Glaze was near-Amigo easy to apply and wiped away with just a slight amount of effort. The finish left behind was slick.

In terms of defect filling, Glossworkz did a very nice job, producing a finish quality almost on par with Pinnacle XMT. It removed all light-to-moderate defects (not quite as much as XMT) and left behind a finish that looked like it has been final polished for hours. As the name implies, Glossworkz did well when it came to gloss enhancement.


Glossworkz Glaze did an exceptional job on filling in the light-to-moderate paint defects, making it a great choice for maintaining properly washed vehicles.

Extra Credit- Glossworkz Glaze did everything well but did not stand out enough in any particular aspect to earn extra credit.


Sonus SwirlBuster Polish

Sonus SwirlBuster has been on the market for a long time, yet still proves relevant today. Once the go-to choice in defect masking, how would this glaze stand up against more modern counterparts? Quite well, actually. SwirlBuster provided a high level of defect filling, removing most of the deep defects in addition to the lighter swirl and towel marks.

However, it proved to be the most difficult to apply and remove. During application, firm pressure had to be applied to the machine in order to get the product to spread. It also required some effort, along with scrubbing, to remove it completely from the paint. While it did a great job and masking the defects, the gloss levels weren`t quite up to par with the some of the best in this test.


The haze in this picture is a result of excess product that still needed to be wiped away. SwirlBuster did an excellent job and masking deep-to-moderate defects, although the gloss enhancement was surprisingly not as good.

Extra Credit- Sonus SwirlBuster worked well, and despite its age in the marketplace, put up a strong fight. However, it did not receive any extra credit.


Poorboy`s World Black Hole Glaze

From the second you start applying Black Hole Glaze, you will feel the difference as it spreads effortlessly across the working section and creates a fine, uniform, coat. Poorboy`s World Black Hole Glaze was a pleasure to work with, nearly as easy as Prima Amigo. It was just effortless.

Once you wipe away the residue, you will be amazed at the finish. In this test, Black Hole Glaze filled in the majority of deeper defects, and all of the fine and moderate imperfections, leaving behind a glossy finish that otherwise would take days to create.

Being the only glaze in this test designed for dark vehicles, Poorboy`s World Black Hole Glaze had high expectations going in, and it exceeded all of them.


While you can barely see the marks of the deepest imperfections, Black Hole Glaze left the surface with incredible gloss and a near flawless finish. It`s filling ability, in this test, was unmatched.

Extra Credit- Poorboy`s World Black Hole Glaze didn`t receive any extra credit, but that is not a negative based on its performance. Instead, BHG did everything it was supposed it with incredible ease, it just didn`t offer anything unique (no carnauba protection, no overly slick feel), it just did everything well. In many way`s the lack of extra credit is a testimony to how well it performed.


A quick recap:

Wolf`s Chemicals Carnauba Glaze was likely the victim of unfortunate testing parameters. This thick formula is designed work with a rotary polisher, and the results likely bore this out. When used with a rotary polisher, Carnauba Glaze hit stride, finishing haze and hologram free, while leaving behind considerable protection. If you are professional who prefers rotary work, Carnauba Glaze is a great choice for a time-saving 1-step polish & wax solution.

Pinnacle XMT Carnauba Glaze creates a brilliant shine in just one step. It`s ability to add a rich, unique, Pinnacle shine to the paint while filling in light-to-moderate defects makes it the ideal choice for maintaining properly cared for daily drivers as well as show cars with original paint.

Prima Amigo is one of the most user-friendly products in this test, with performance that is on par with most of them. If you prefer extreme ease-of-use above any other attribue, let Amigo be your friend. The fact that it can be topped with both a wax or sealant is an added bonus.

Much like Amigo, Glossworkz Glaze is an ideal choice for a daily driver. It does trade just a smidge of user-friendliness for improved gloss (and a little less filling) making it the same color, yet a different shade of gray.

Sonus SwirlBuster Polish did great, offering impressive filling and decent gloss, although it was the most difficult to remove. When it comes down to it, fans of Sonus will continue to be pleased with this product and the paint-saving benefits it offers.

Designed for dark colored paint, Poorboy`s World Black Hole was at an advantage going into this test; An advantage it didn`t squander. It was nearly as easy as Amigo to apply, and came close to the glossy benefits of Pinnacle while offering incredible filling.


And the Winner Is...



When it comes to achieving the highest score, Poorboy`s World Black Hole Glaze achieved 95 out of 100 points, without receiving any extra credit. Simply put, this product was amazing in this comparison.

If you count the extra credit, Pinnacle XMT is the second place winner by a small margin, if you don`t, Prima Amigo slides into number 2. Between the too, Pinnacle creates a rich, wet, carnauba-like shine that, to me made it the perfect show car glaze. Prima, with its increased filling, may be suited to more frequently driven cars.

In a case of "the numbers" don`t do these products justice, Chemical Guy`s Glossworkz and Sonus SwirlBuster both did really well. Sonus had the second-highest filling, but was hampered by a difficult wipe off which hindered the other three ratings.

The product that was most affected by the testing was Wolf`s Chemicals Carnauba Glaze which is designed for rotary application. When applied with a longer working time and a rotary, this product delivered amazing filling and a flawless-appearing finish. Still, hampered by the difficult removal, it would have finished with almost 90 points.

Conclusion:

While the highest scoring glaze in this test, Poorboy`s may not be the best choice for you. Unless you are working on a dark colored car, its effectiveness may be limited. Luckily, the offer White Diamond Glaze for lighter finishes.

If you are working on show cars and charged with keeping them looking like they dripping wet, Pinnacle XMT is the easy choice.

If you are working on anything in between, either Prima Amigo, Chemical Guy`s Glossworkz, or Sonus will work great depending on if you need ease-of-use, a high gloss, or massive filling.

As mentioned above, if you are using a rotary polisher, grab Wolf`s and enjoy. It comes to life under a direct drive machine and offers a considerable layer of protection that will speed up any detail.


Additional Photos:

Here are some additional photos from testing...



Pinnacle on the left and Wolf`s on the right.


Glossworkz Glaze on the top and Amigo on the bottom. Both of these competitors proved extremely close in results.


On the bottom is Sonus Swirl Buster, and on the top is Poorboy`s Black Hole Glaze. Both products proved to have an ample amount of filling ability.


In the sunlight, the haze created by Wolf`s is noticeable but not distracting.


Amigo on the right and Sonus on the left. While its hard to tell in this photo, Sonus filled a little more while Amigo provided more gloss.


The black, highly-polished appearance of Poorboy`s World Black Hole Glaze.


Ultimately, all products in this test improved the appearance of the paint. Some added more protection, while others added more gloss, some were required some towel buffing, while others required a light swipe. You cannot go wrong, but by reading over this review, you can select the best product for you.

[Wors]

Amazing write up Todd!

The CG results surprised me. PB`s Black Hole Glaze looks great on the hood. Thanks for taking the time to put together the Glaze Showdown.

[Orinda Auto Detail]

I see it coming! Oh your a poorboy??? You can`t afford a correction but want your car to look like a black hole? No worries we got ya covered! Thanks Todd for the awesome write up and review!

[Swanicyouth]

I knew my favs wouldn`t let me down.



But now I`ll have to try XMT and Glossworks. Some people hate on glazes. I think its because they think its "cheating" and because they offer the possibility of presenting non corrected paint as swirl free.

But I use glazes differently. I always have swirl free paint and just use them for a little "extra" pop. Amigo is just awesome because it cleans and glazes in one step. Its so easy to remove, I don`t even bother taping up the car to use it.

A glaze myth is that you can`t use a glaze with a sealant. Bull donkey. While this may be true with old style glazes (like M #7) I have done some chemical resistance testing with Black Hole and sealants and have found the glaze has little or no affect to the durability of the sealant.

Todd, these kind of "head to heads" are awesome and really distinguish this forum from the others.

If anyone is interested, I have found Swissvax Cleaner Fluid Regular to be an AWESOME glaze and paint cleaner. It leaves black super wet and glossy. Definitely worth the $

[Bunky]

Great review!!!

[TacoHerder]

I knew PoorBoy`s World would steal the show! Awesome review, thanks a lot.
Also, I got the white version as well. Since my car is grey I mix a bit of the 2 in order to get a lighter shade of glaze. Not sure if that is ok, but it seems to work out fine for me

[Pats300zx]

Great stuff Todd !!!!! Thanks for taking the time to put this test together.

[SHOWTIMESHOES]

Awesome comparo Todd Helme. For some reason i`ve never really considered buying anything Poorboys, but now i will buy a bottle of Black Hole. How would you say Meguiars #7 and Pinnacle Paint Cleansing Lotion compares?

[juliom2]

That`s candy Maestro Todd!!!
Sweet dialog s and description.
Great showdown.

[mrclean81]

I called it. Black Hole ftw

[classofshine]

Awesome Todd! Thanks for your work in putting it together for us. Ive never used black hole, but I do like their white diamond!

[psynx]

TODD!!!!! DEATAILING 101!!!! WEARING YOUR WATCH WHILE WORKING ON THE CAR???!!!

LOL just messin with ya.

I wasnt a fan of glazes until i tried PB BH, it hasnt disappointed me so i didnt bother to buy anything else. I guess i got lucky with picking BH and WD from PB

Great extensive and detailed review Todd, love the chart as well.

[Paul Mitchell]

Great review!

[mnehls86]

Another great review Todd! I think there should be a forum section specifically called "Showdowns" so we can keep track of all the comparisons that you have done.

[radarryan]

Todd, as always, fantastic job! I thought it would be between Poorboys and Chemical Guys, so I am definitely happy to see that the test was done since I was way off (at least with the CG).

I assume that the new Menzerna glaze would not have been allowed in this test because it has cutting ability? Nonetheless, I hope we will get to see you test it in some capacity!

I`ve always wanted to try PB Black Hole and now I have no excuse!

Keep up the reviews & comparisons!