Best Cheap-o OTC Tire Shine?

M

mcc

New member
Ok, so I've had my mobile detailing business going for 3 years now, but I'm starting to expand into the basic car wash/express detail market in order to get some regular business that I can count on. I have a large marketing firm that I will start washing cars at this week, and I am going to be applying tire shine as part of the package. Personally, I have always liked the Meguiar's Insane Shine but it is $7 or so locally per can. This new service I'm offering is a budget service, as people here tend to shy away from spending too much on their vehicles. So, price is more important than overall quality in this instance.



So, do you guys have any suggestions as to what I could use?



I'm looking for something I can spray on quickly, and that is typically readily available at the local Wal-Mart, Big Lots, Dollar Store, Pep Boys, etc. It doesn't have to be the most durable product, but the wow factor is important. It needs to shine and really "pop" when the customer comes out to see it.
 
I bought me a lot of the Nascar tire shine...



shine.jpg




It was $3 at Big Lots... Someone said it has decent looks for the price but can't really vouch yet as I have not tried.



I also got a bunch of that No Touch



6856322.jpg




at Checkers for $6 for 2 cans recently. It looks good but I'll stick to my Prima Nero as I prefer low-shine.
 
I love the armor all tire shine. i think it is only 2.75 a can at wal mart. If i need more shine a spray some regular armor all on top of it.
 
I use "No-Touch Wet N' Protect" and Sams Club has 4 cans for $10. It actually works really well and I've never had a problem with sling.
 
Stoners more shine is the best otc dressing in my book...



The aerosol comes real handy when dressing wheel wells





Great look, good durability.



Should be avail. at auto zone, murrays....
 
Good luck with your new venture. However, a couple things here have me scratching my head. Im guessing that over the last 3 years you've been using a better quality product at a higher price (Megs Insane Shine?) but during these new express details, you want to keep overhead low since you wont be charging much for this service. Is that because you just wont get the business if you charge that extra couple bucks to cover the tire shine cost?



This new service I'm offering is a budget service, as people here tend to shy away from spending too much on their vehicles. So, price is more important than overall quality in this instance
Click to expand...



I can NEVER see myself sacraficing quality. Doing a H/A job to make a buck and pump out some volume is how car wash/express detail places lose their customers. Some folks understand that $6 isnt going to get them the best car wash, but IMO, when someone pays for a "detail", their expectations become much more specific. Not trying to be a downer, just informing you of my experience as a former car wash/express detail manager.



As for a tire shine, you might call your local Zep representative. Ours out here always gives us 3 or 4 free cans every time we make an order, no matter how small. Apparently its not THAT expensive, and it looks pretty nice. Gives that -in the middle- look. Good luck!
 
I just don't get why someone who's looking to save money by doing bulk, budget work wouldn't want to purchase bulk-sized products to save them money to begin with. Plus it would save you all that money spent in gas having to constantly buy more supply from the local auto parts stores.



If it's due to your new account starting in a week's time, I'd look into finding a PBE store or supplier near you, that way you can have your product right then and there.
 
I agree that a bulk dressing is probably the way to go to make the most of your money. However, Armor All Tire Foam is awesome stuff that you can get for like $2.50 at Wal Mart. I think you will like it, it has a nice look, decent durability, and the cleaning agents are pretty impressive.
 
looks good, and is only $2.77 a can at walmart... :up



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also... i really like this tire gel, and you get 30+ tire applications per bottle and is only $5.87... :2thumbs:



r_arm_etsgelcrtn_0706.jpg
 
Car Quest carries a house brand of dressing that may be what you are looking for. It is fairly cheap...less than $15 per gallon and gives decent results.
 
If you are going to get something locally you might be able to get Meguiars Dressing from a body paint supply shop. I use their all season dressing which runs me about $25 a gallon. I use a brush for application and the cost per car is 12-25 cents depending on the tire size and gloss I want. Since I'm not a big fan of the super shiny tires I will probably start using the dressing I use for fenderwells on tires. It's Stoners Trim Shine. It has a nice shine but no super shiny. 5 gallons for $59 ($54 with a $5 off) with free shipping.
 
Meg's All Season Dressing is good when you factor in price and performance although it's not my favorite dressing nor does it last the longest or look the best. One thing I do like about it though is that even though it is solvent-based, it still applies nicely despite the tires being slightly wet. I find that some products work better when tires are completely dry.



But it sounds like the OP wants something really shiny since he wants it to "pop" and if that's what he's looking for, I don't think he'll achieve that with Meg's ASD. It has about a medium gloss and even with multiple coats, I think it might not be shiny enough for his taste.



A good high shine OTC tire dressing I like is the Duragloss one (I think it's called Extreme Shine?). It lasts for quite a bit of time and even though I'm not a high shine person, it has the perfect amount of gloss for me while not giving off that grimey look. On my tires it works like most other dressings I've used on my car, but on my father-in-law's car man this stuff has worked the best. It's been sitting on his car for 1 month now and has seen 2 washes, yet still looks decent enough where I don't have to apply any dressing. It just has a new tire look now. The downside to this product though is that it's expensive at $10 a bottle, and IIRC, over $50 per gallon.
 
I have always been obsessed with tire wet. I've been in the Car dealership business for 5 years. Maybe its just me but especially on the used cars, the tire wet makes the sale. I'm not even joking. Wash a car and look at the tires. something is missing. But the tire gloss really takes about 30K miles off the car. Maybe its just me,...



With that said, I've used, Megs tire gel, Zaino, Black Magic, Armorall, Tire Care and a few others I can't seem to remember.



My favorites without a doubt are Zaino, Black Magic, and Armorall. The Zaino is good but expensive, less wetness but more gloss. The Armorall Extreme is also very good, very wet and shiny, and the Black Magic in the applicator that looks like a shoe polish is quite possibly the best but a PITA to put on. All these are cheap"er" alternatives that give the same shine and they all last about a week,... Zaino seems to last about 3 but you get what you pay for. Be careful with the black magic though. Don't drive the car for at least 3-5 hours because if it doesn't adhere to the tires it will spray all over the freshly cleaned paint.



DG
 
kapinnn said:
I bought me a lot of the Nascar tire shine...



shine.jpg




It was $3 at Big Lots... Someone said it has decent looks for the price but can't really vouch yet as I have not tried.
Click to expand...



I bought a ton of those. A little shinier than Armor All but most of my customers prefer at least somewhat shiny tires. 23 oz for $3 is a great deal.



Armor All actually works very well too. Pep Boy's sells it by the half gallon for $11.49.
 
I think No Touch is the cheapest. 4 cans for $10 at Costco. The shine is more natural than others & it last up to 3-4 weeks for me.
 
Thanks to everyone for their suggestions so far! :thx



To those expressing concerns over my approach, let me explain a few things. Maybe you will better understand, or maybe you will have suggestions. Price here is and has been very critical in my business. See my post in the professional detailers category about $120 to detail a limo, and you'll get some background on what I deal with in my area. I have watched detailer after detailer, both fixed and mobile, go down to the lack of business. Even some of the $5 express car washes have been going down lately and closing shop. Why do I think I can do such washes and get more for them? Because I will be going directly to my customers, taking care of the car while they work, and because I will offer both exterior washing but some basic interior services as well, all with low overhead.



It would be easy for me to get on my high horse and say that I would never sacrifice quality for my business, but then again, it is a business, and the goal of such is to make money. I have to work within the framework of the pricing that is acceptable in my area. If I don't sacrifice some quality at times, I won't have much of a business, more like a hobby that doesn't make me much money. I would rather lose a little in quality than my business that I've worked hard to build.



And to those that don't understand why I wouldn't just buy bulk product, the answer to that question is very simple. It is because I don't have the business yet to buy bulk product for my wash customers. I have my first business lined up this week, and I don't believe in buying a bunch of product and then seeing if I'll use it while it sits. As I get more businesses to offer my services, I will then look more into bulk product. But for now, it is just one business doing so, though I have many more in the works.



So, for now, I'm just looking for something cheap that provides some good gloss on the tires. I'm not always the biggest fan of extremely high gloss myself, but my customers have always expected shiny for their money here, so that is what I will go for. I work for my customers, not my own personal preferences.
 
I have quite a few products I purchased in bulk (one gallon size) that I'll never go through on my own, but out of all the products, I have to say that the tire dressing has not been wasted. Keep in mind I do not do this everyday for a living nor am I the type that applies dressing after every wash. I just think it would be more economical in the long run. A gallon of tire dressing won't set you back much. You don't have to buy everything in bulk all at once and if I had a limited choice, I'd get my car wash soap and tire dressing in a one gallon jug instead because you'll probably go through these 2 items the quickest. I go through a lot of APC also, but you don't necessarily have to buy a detailing-related APC since some members on here get by with using Simple Green diluted properly.
 
Scottwax said:
I bought a ton of those. A little shinier than Armor All but most of my customers prefer at least somewhat shiny tires. 23 oz for $3 is a great deal.



Armor All actually works very well too. Pep Boy's sells it by the half gallon for $11.49.
Click to expand...





That's who suggested the Nascar Tire Dressing.... Mr. Scottwax!
 
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