mix and match products for me

I

imported_tuffluck

New member
i could spend hours researching products on this site and get so confused and not any better off :nervous:



i have previous experience with nxt and meguiar's #16, and recently with bfwd. that is it. i like the former combo, and thought bfwd was just okay.



that's about all i have in my arsenal. i have a new car arriving tomorrow. it's a black metallic camaro. i want it to look great, but just don't know what products to use. i use optimum compound/polish (spray) to get the swirls out, but after that i don't know what to use as an lsp or sealant. can you guys help me narrow it down to a few products? i've heard good things about opti-seal, but don't know how it compares to bfwd or nxt.



btw the easier the better, and the less time the better. i have a pc 7424, but the whole process of detailing a car is pretty exhausting to me. thanks for any help :)
 
NXT probably won't last long. BFWD is good for maybe 2-3 months. Optiseal good for 12ish weeks, but really only takes 5 minutes per car to apply and walk away and looks really nice on metallic colors.



Something else to consider is Collinite 845, a hybrid with a sharp look.
 
i have a garage, but i work where there is an open parking lot.



i live in dallas so the weather here is mild as far as precipitation goes, although in the summer it just gets blazingly hot.



the 845 insulator wax looks like a great option so far. how does it compare in shine to the opti-seal or BFWD?
 
I think Scottwax will chime in with some +1s for optiseal. Optiseal can make anything look good, as with ALL wax or sealant, the look is from the prep. Optiseal gives a crisp wet look, 845 a crisp bright look. Hard to describe I suppose but then again I haven't really seen either of them on non-prepped paint. So they all look good.



I think Optiseal is right up your alley to be honest, you could layer it every 6 weeks in 5 minutes, awesome on glass, safe on trim, you don't have anything to buff. Win win for ease of use and speed.
 
autoaesthetica said:
I think Scottwax will chime in with some +1s for optiseal. Optiseal can make anything look good, as with ALL wax or sealant, the look is from the prep. Optiseal gives a crisp wet look, 845 a crisp bright look. Hard to describe I suppose but then again I haven't really seen either of them on non-prepped paint. So they all look good.



I think Optiseal is right up your alley to be honest, you could layer it every 6 weeks in 5 minutes, awesome on glass, safe on trim, you don't have anything to buff. Win win for ease of use and speed.
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by "prep" you mean wash, clay, polish? though i would assume the latter two (clay, polish) only need to be done 1-2 times a year, and the rest of the time i can just apply the opti-seal after a wash...
 
tuffluck said:
by "prep" you mean wash, clay, polish? though i would assume the latter two (clay, polish) only need to be done 1-2 times a year, and the rest of the time i can just apply the opti-seal after a wash...
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Wash, clay, polish, remove polishing oils. You're right though. I only polish once a year, the rest of the time I just wash, dry and put on a coat of BFWD. Proper washing technique keeps the swirls away. I lived in Lewisville for 4 years and used Zaino Z2pro. I experimented with some carnaubas but found that on a black car they didn't last long in the summer.
 
pmnewton said:
Wash, clay, polish, remove polishing oils. You're right though. I only polish once a year, the rest of the time I just wash, dry and put on a coat of BFWD. Proper washing technique keeps the swirls away. I lived in Lewisville for 4 years and used Zaino Z2pro. I experimented with some carnaubas but found that on a black car they didn't last long in the summer.
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thanks, will be interested to hear visual difference in BFWD vs. opti-seal.



if the collinite 845 looks that much better than either of the aforementioned, i really don't mind the extra time in applying every several months.
 
You will end up buying at least 3 LSPs at a minimum probably so just start with 845 and see how you like it. Everyone is curious how others look after trying one. I can't really tell a big difference between many LSPs but I don't do this for a living.
 
I'm going to cause some commotion, here goes:



845 Isn't going to look ANY better than #16, NXT or BFWD. Those three are all great looking products, head of the class. #16 and NXT are both very reflective. 845 is also pretty reflective, but not more so than #16. BFWD tries to emulate a quality carnauba wax. If you didn't like the look of BFWD, then you seem to like amped up gloss. In that case I'd recommend Duragloss 111 or Zaino Z2. Both are extremely reflective.
 
I thought I'd absolutely *hate* FK1000P on the Yukon's granite metallic (GM's black metallic for that year), but I applied it anyhow for the protection (after previously having done it with Collinite). After a while the look grew on me to the point that I really liked it, and I got sooo many compliments on it that I'd say the average person thought it was a great.
 
tuffluck said:
btw the easier the better, and the less time the better. i have a pc 7424, but the whole process of detailing a car is pretty exhausting to me. thanks for any help :)
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Tuff: here's the answer you seek: DP's Policoat. It's fairly priced, has outstanding anti-static qualities, offers good longevity and is a thoroughly modern sealant. It's pretty darn close to a one-step (assuming a contaminant-free surface) product and is a breeze to work with. You'll be done in no time at all!



DPpoli.jpg
 
even though i read nxt/#16 didn't last long, and i do know a cutting polish supposedly removes any existing wax on the car, it seemed like the more i applied nxt/#16 over time (even if i also used a polish), the stronger the luster became on the car. i know that makes no technical sense, but i swear there was one point when i went about 1.5 years without applying anything on the car and it was still beading water. it defies every technical aspect of products i've ever read on this site, so maybe i just had paint made from god or something.



the bfwd didn't do squat, never got compliments, and overall i just felt was dull. here is a pic of the camaro with the nxt/#16, then below is a picture of the bmw new, unprepped/waxed. then a picture of the bmw after the prep/bfwd. can you tell a difference? keep in mind with all of these pictures, i wasn't trying to take good car-polish-show-offy photos, i was just taking a picture as my car normally sits. (granted the bmw does look better in a little shade like the camaro was in)



nxt/#16

clutch011.jpg




before:

16296681395_277592244_IM1_02_565x42.jpg




after:

untitled-1.jpg
 
2005GTPinMD said:
Interesting results for BFWD - for me BFWD with Chemical Guys EZ Creme creates a deep sparkle.
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yeah, forgot to mention the 2 cars above stock vs stock are nearly identical in shade of blue. but the nxt detailed car looks soooo much better.



i'm leaning towards the opti-seal only because i have vinyl stripes and masking it off every 6 months to apply any sealants by machine is going to be a real PITA.



what do you guys think of opti-seal vs. the other stuff mentioned on here?
 
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