Best QD's, OTC and other

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Wheelman916

New member
I was wondering what some of you consider the best Quick Detailer's? Both readily available OTC and special order/boutique. in terms of looks/restored gloss, and in terms of lubricity/cleaning power, and in terms of what you're using it OVER (over a carnauba or sealant LSP)

Also, why you think your choices are best?

I haven't had a chance to use anything besides OTC products yet, Mothers Showtime, Meg's QD and Meg's Ultimate QD...

Mothers i'd say felt the slickest. Meg's Ultimate definitely had the best water beading/sheeting action as a booster over Meg's Tech 2.0. Meg's standard QD i would venture to say is so-so in all regards. Cheapest but you can tell why after using it.

As far as looks, I really can't tell the 3 apart.

Also, can Spray waxes be used as QD's ever?
 
Griots spray on wax, which is used during drying isn't bad. I've never had to pay for it though. There could be others someone will chime in with cost/results comparison.
 
Mainstream brands is what you'll generally find in most local retailers. If you take note to general consensus to favorites among members, typically they are brands that are pretty much exclusive to online retailers. That's not me being biased in anyway, just the truth.

With that being said, when you branch out to other brands out there, you may find something unique or that will fit your needs exactly. Long ago I was one to stop by Auto Barn and get some of the Megs and Mothers products and be content with that. Then I was introduced to the real world of car care (which is much to take on at first) However, that isn't to say that Megs and Mother's don't make some of the best stuff around, sometimes it depends on the task at hand or a personal niche.

I then was able to try other brands like Optimum, P21S, Wolfgang, Poorboys, DoDo Juice, Ultima, ect. It opened up a whole new world to me as far as car care goes and I've never looked back. If you have the chance to try out other brands, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Some of my recommendations would be; Optimum Instant Detailer and Gloss Enhancer, Finish Kare #425, and Poorboy's QD+

Hope that shines some light on your spray detailer situation.
 
mc2hill said:
I prefer Adam's Detail Spray. Works fine for water displacement and adds a nice gloss after the wash.
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Do you know is Adam's is enhanced with carnauba or polymer sealant at all? That's my main goal is to find good QD's that clean, and play nice with various LSP's.

[email protected] said:
Mainstream brands is what you'll generally find in most local retailers. If you take note to general consensus to favorites among members, typically they are brands that are pretty much exclusive to online retailers. That's not me being biased in anyway, just the truth.

With that being said, when you branch out to other brands out there, you may find something unique or that will fit your needs exactly. Long ago I was one to stop by Auto Barn and get some of the Megs and Mothers products and be content with that. Then I was introduced to the real world of car care (which is much to take on at first) However, that isn't to say that Megs and Mother's don't make some of the best stuff around, sometimes it depends on the task at hand or a personal niche.

I then was able to try other brands like Optimum, P21S, Wolfgang, Poorboys, DoDo Juice, Ultima, ect. It opened up a whole new world to me as far as car care goes and I've never looked back. If you have the chance to try out other brands, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Some of my recommendations would be; Optimum Instant Detailer and Gloss Enhancer, Finish Kare #425, and Poorboy's QD+

Hope that shines some light on your spray detailer situation.
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Yeah i have some Poorboy's Spray & Gloss on order, and i'm considering some Griot's stuff as well. I was looking into the Optimum Instant detailer & gloss enhancer... it sounds nice but seems like it's mainly for cars that have a polymer sealant as their LSP. For example, if i have a car that has Poorboys BH, under a couple EX-P coats, topped with Natty's or some other carnauba, wouldn't using a quick detailer enhanced with polymer sealant be sandwiching the carnauba between two layers of sealant? Would the sealant mute the warmth or depth of the underlying carnauba?

Using the Meg's Ultimate QD (which claims to have hydrophobic polymers, which according to the info on the bottle need 12 hours to cure) over a Tech waxed car, really seemed to extend the life of the sealant... on the other hand, the standard Meg's QD didn't seem to have long term effects as far as boosting the LSP at all, except for a short term increase in gloss...

In short, i'm looking for those brands that have QD's with LSP-boosting qualities... especially carnauba boosting (as that is my current preference in LSP's for the summer) while also cleaning well.
 
My current favorite is Prima Hydro.


Hydro: A remarkably durable wax-as-you-dry spray. After washing your car but before you dry, simply mist Hydro on the surface. Proceed to dry normally. The result? A beautiful glossy slick surface with solid protection. Why wax when you can Hydro?
 
My list of QD's will surely be eclipsed by Mr. QD, our own JaredP. If I had to name a favorite, I would probably go with Adam's DS. Though truthfully I could pick most of the QDs I've used. IMO, in the QD realm, the boutique online options have not proven to be "better" than some of the commonly found OTC offerings.

Just picking 3 OTC options (that immediately come to mind and I have on hand at the moment) I could pit these against many of the "premium" branded options and you probably couldn't tell the difference w/o the smell test:

Mequiar's Quik Detailer
Mother's Showtime
Surf City's Hot Rod Detailer

I also loved the pre-Voc Meguiar's Final Detail.

The "old" 4 Star Platinum UGE was really nice, but again no way I could classify it as definitively better than the products mentioned above.

One highly touted boutique QD that just underwhelmed me was the ClearKote Quick Shine.
 
hands down, DP FINAL GLOSS DETAILER! can be used after a wash while the vehicle is still wet. or used dry. adds another layer of carnuba with each use. i have used many and this one stands out!
 
I would have to say the best QD for me is FK 425. I just love the stuff. I am a QD junkie and have so many different ones. I would have to say a really good OTC would be Mothers Showtime and Meguiars Ultimate QD. However the sprayer that comes with the Megs is awful. I can't tell you how many have broken on me.
 
PA DETAILER said:
hands down, DP FINAL GLOSS DETAILER! can be used after a wash while the vehicle is still wet. or used dry. adds another layer of carnuba with each use. i have used many and this one stands out!
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THAT sounds more like something i'm interested in.

Pats300zx said:
I would have to say the best QD for me is FK 425. I just love the stuff. I am a QD junkie and have so many different ones. I would have to say a really good OTC would be Mothers Showtime and Meguiars Ultimate QD. However the sprayer that comes with the Megs is awful. I can't tell you how many have broken on me.
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FK 425 hm? i'll have to check that out as well. I 100% agree that the sprayer on the Meg's Ultimate QD (as well as most sprayable Meg's products) is crap. the sprayers on Mothers products works much better.
 
Wheelman916 said:
THAT sounds more like something i'm interested in.
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Take a look, it's definitely worth some consideration. A 32 ounce bottle for 19.99 certainly goes a long way. Find it at Autopia-Carcare.com and use your forum discount code, "autopiaforums" for an extra 15% off. You can't go wrong.:D
 
Ah found the FK. Sounds interesting. I like the idea of anti-static... Where can i find Adam's? Who makes that? Is that the brand name?
 
JaredPointer said:
Adam's Detail Spray
Duragloss Aqua WaxFK 425
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Got it and like it as well, just don't really think of it as a QD, though it is just as easy to use.

And I know we are both fans of PB's QD+.

Never did pick up any of the FK products, but I know they are well regarded.
 
Wheelman916 said:
Ah found the FK. Sounds interesting. I like the idea of anti-static... Where can i find Adam's? Who makes that? Is that the brand name?
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adamspolishes.com I think

FK 425 is not as anti-static as the advertising makes it sound. Not from my experience anyway...
 
JaredPointer said:
FK 425 is not as anti-static as the advertising makes it sound. Not from my experience anyway...
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I have used FK425 several times and also did not notice anything special about the anti-static properties. It is very easy to apply and remove. It did not seem to look special or superior slickness compared to others mentioned above so I assume most like it for its ease of use.

I consider Adam's closer to a spray wax in terms of application (little more buffing) and leaves a nice hard shine. I do not see why people would use it as a clay lube given its price.

I actually use the waterless wash detailers the most where cleaning is better in my opinion. PB's Spray and Wipe does work better in the sun that others. I use detail sprays mostly on jams, etc. and post wash wipedowns when needed with a waterless wash since easy to wipe off.

If I want more, I have Mothers FX Spray Wax which gives some shine plus will last more than one rain as a booster.
 
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