Chemical guys list

T

Tiger1

New member
Hello all,



I am getting into more of the car care now and am hoping you all can help me with my shopping list.



I am going to be ordering my cleaning products from Chemical Guys website, so what I need help with is getting the cleaners I will need the most. This also includes polish and wax as well. My cleaner/polish/wax budget is around $300.





Thanks for any help you give!
 
That's an awful big budget for starting off if it's just chemicals and no machines or towels, brushes, buckets, foam guns, etc. I'm sure you could get an assortment of 16oz bottles of cleaners, polishes, dressings and LSP's for a lot less than $300.
 
OK, I never knew a large budget was a bad thing....lol.



So if I go with the 16 oz bottles, what cleaners do you recommend me getting right off the bat?
 
There is such a huge temptation to try different (brands of) products that you could spend a bunch at CG...then decide that maybe some other brand is better and spend a bunch there, and so on...until your basement looks like mine. I have more detailing products (including towels, brushes, etc.) than I may ever use.



My old-school Autopia recommendation is to focus on process rather than product and try to minimize the overlap in each product segment. But hey, if you've got a lot of disposable income, and storage space, knock yourself out.



Oh, sorry, I don't have that much in the way of CG, you'll have to wait for one of the CG experts to get the specific product recommendations.
 
Some sound advise, thanks!



Do you have a brand you would recommend? I will pick up a few different products and give them a try......
 
IMO your best off shopping around and using the search button to help you.



IME most of the Chemical Guys products are poor performers and badly labeled.



Autogeek has a huge range of different brands, and probably selecting the best of each will give you the best products.



In the CG range i would recommend the 50/50 wax, the leather cleaner, CG EZ glaze is quite nice too. Other then that the shampoos and QDs were good at best the polishes were not as effective or well finishing as Menzerna or Wolfgangs (similar products). The MFs are well priced and the wide range of sealants were mostly flat looking with exception of JS109 which looked nice but never lasted the 3months or more they claim.



However, if you live close enough to visit there shops then it hads another degree to things as you can just drop in and buy stuff!
 
Thanks steelwind, I just stumbled onto Autogeek website, I do like the selection!



Thanks for the feedback on CG range. I was wondering if it was good quality stuff or not. Looks like I will be looking into some other brands....



Thanks for the help!
 
50/50 Petes 53 Jetseal 109 are these poor performers? not in my eyes. CG sells a lot of products and a vast selection but I really cant say poor preformers.That is my opinion
 
I can't say much for most of CG's line as I haven't tried most of it, but I can definitely say that their Citrus Wash and Clear/Citrus Wash and Gloss are hands down the best shampoos I have ever used. Real cleaning power (not just lubricity) combined with the ability to either strip LSP or just have a maintenance wash just by changing the dilution make these soaps a winner in my book.



I have to agree with Setec about getting just a few products with overlapping uses being the way to go. I personally only use less than 10 products total in a full detail.



The CWC/CWG mixed with Meg's APC can be used as an excellent wheel/tire cleaner.

Meg's APC can be used on practically anything, including leather, cloth upholstery, carpets, dashes, door jambs, bug guts and the aforementioned wheels and tires.

ONR can be added to your soap for added lubricity, used as clay lube, quick detailer and glass cleaner.

Polishes are a very personal area as far as preference, but I find that Meg's M105/M205 is a combo that can get me through just about any job. It can even be used on metal!

Opti-Seal is a ridiculously easy to use WOWA LSP that can also be used to protect your wheels.

Meg's HyperDressing can be diluted for your gloss preferences. I use 2.5:1 on exterior and 4:1 on interiors.

The only single-use products I use on a regular basis would be my leather conditioner and fabric protector.

I'm sure I forgot something but you get the idea. Just a handful of products can do all the work of dozens.

Now I'm not saying the products I use are the best as there are many alternatives, but I've been where setec was with dozens of bottles of purpose specific products and all it did was drain my wallet.
 
Auto Detaling Solutions (ADS) is also a great place to buy Megs stuff. I would get a 32oz of M105 and M205. The Megs glass cleaner, APC+, and Hyper Dressings are very nice too. I believe you can get all of this from Autogeek too if you just want to go with one vendor.



CG has some nice stuff just try not to get caugh up into the hype from the website. I see alot of people using the Diablo Wheel Gel here recently. I personally have the Pro Polish and it's good (it's now called the P40 polish) it has the same bite as Menz 106FF/FA and finishes out almost as good but not quite. It also dusts a little more than the Menz. It's considerably cheaper however. I have the M-Seal and have used the Jet-Seal they are decent but not the best. I prefer using Opti-Seal for WOWA or FK1000P for traditional sealant application. The 50/50 and Petes 53 claim to be very good I've never used them. I haven't seen many people say negative things about them though. As mentioned above their wash soaps are probably the best on the market. I've never seen anybody say bad things about them. I also have their Speed Wipe quick detailer it's basically a rip off of the Adams QD which is pretty good. Their compounds are decent I have the Body Shop 1500 Cut and it dusts a bit but it has good cut to it. It won't finish out better than Megs 105 though. I have their MF cleaning detergent it's decent. I didn't notice much difference between it and the DP MF cleaner. I would stay away from anything CG sells in the Gallon sizes until you've tried their products unless it's something like the ECOWash that's pre-diluted in the gallon size. That's one of the products from them I'd like to try.



Best of luck!
 
IC3DT3 said:
I have to agree with Setec about getting just a few products with overlapping uses being the way to go. I personally only use less than 10 products total in a full detail.
Click to expand...



What I really meant about overlapping is too many products that are about the same. I started out on MOL, so I started with the full range of Mirror Glaze 80 series polishes (for PC, anway)--80, 81, 82, 83. I already had 7, 5, 9, old old 2. Then I found this place...Poorboy's was the rage then, so I wound up with SSR1, 2, 2.5, & 3. Then 3M discontinued a couple polishes that Accumulator swore by, so I wound up with a quart of each of them (haven't opened them yet). Then Optimum became the rage, and I wound up with a quart of their 3 polishes. Then I got a new, hard clear car with DISO, and wound up buying Menz PG, IP, and FPII (this was before the ceramiclear polishes had really become the norm). Throw in an odd Sonus or Blackfire, and I have...20 bottles of polish? 5 different lines, that all pretty much do the same thing. And I hardly polish anymore because the cars look pretty good. Grass is always greener.
 
Not sure if you know but The Detail Shoppe is out of Washington and you might find things cheaper if you go through him.
 
IME I think you should look at FK and Optimum products. I have most of Optimum and also love FK425. If you order them from AutoGeek, join the forum and use code AGO and they will ship $95 or more free. CG products I have tried are good but not great except for citrus car wash, but Optimum Car Wash is world class too IMO.
 
From CG, I use the Citrus Wash & Gloss and the Citrus Wash & Clear. I've tried other products and did not order them again.



I use several products from Finish Kare and I've ordered some new ones and haven't had a chance to use them yet.



The only product I use from Optimum is the No Rinse. Awesome stuff. Seriously. A very popular line used by many people here on the forum.



Be sure and sign up for the newsletter and VIP emails from AutoGeek. You'll get emails about all of their specials. I try and hold out for the 15% or 20% and free shipping specials and make a nice size order.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
What I really meant about overlapping is too many products that are about the same. I started out on MOL, so I started with the full range of Mirror Glaze 80 series polishes (for PC, anway)--80, 81, 82, 83. I already had 7, 5, 9, old old 2. Then I found this place...Poorboy's was the rage then, so I wound up with SSR1, 2, 2.5, & 3. Then 3M discontinued a couple polishes that Accumulator swore by, so I wound up with a quart of each of them (haven't opened them yet). Then Optimum became the rage, and I wound up with a quart of their 3 polishes. Then I got a new, hard clear car with DISO, and wound up buying Menz PG, IP, and FPII (this was before the ceramiclear polishes had really become the norm). Throw in an odd Sonus or Blackfire, and I have...20 bottles of polish? 5 different lines, that all pretty much do the same thing. And I hardly polish anymore because the cars look pretty good. Grass is always greener.
Click to expand...



I love this post! :D
 
Autogeek - ONR, men.polish PO85RD, Glaze poorboys black hole, wa Souveran, Detailing with ONR at detailing strengh. Lots a good stuff at AG use Autopia as discount code and get 10% off.
 
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