My products of choice for 2005, what are yours?

DetailGirl said:
Sorry Anthony not meaning to be rude but you did not answer my question. Does that top of the line stuff that you use to get wax off trim discolor the trim?

Thanks!

Megan
Click to expand...



Yes, the GR-40 not only cleans trim but also removes caked in wax and can also restore color back to much of the trim.



I have pictures of it in action somewhere and if I can find them I'll post them up.



And I never take anything as "rude" from a "Hottie":D



Anthony
 
Mark Waldron said:
My list is as follows:



Pressure Washer: Karcher 2500 PSI

Extractor: Python

Orbitals: 2 Pc's/Dewalt 443/Cyclo

Rotarys: Makita/Metabo

Vacuums: Metro Wall Mount Vac n Blo/Metro Hand Held Vac n Blo/Craftsman 6.5 HP Wet/Dry with Pump Out

Blowers: Metro Master Blaster/Century 400 Hurricane Pro/Echo Hand Held

Compressor: Coleman Pro 4 Hp Dual Tank

Wash: Poorboy's S&W

Traditional Wash: Einman Fabrik Power Wash/Dawn

Doorjambs: Stoner APC

Carpet Cleaner: Stoners/Xenit

Interior Cleaner: Xenit (Both Kinds)

Interior Dressing: Stoner Trim Shine (Both Kinds)/303

Glass: Bon Ami

Wheels: Top of The Line Wheel Wash/Poorboy's Spray&Rinse/Dawn

Tires: Einman Fabrik Tire Cleaner/Dawn

Wheelwell/Tire Dressing: Detail Plus Lustre All

Odor Control: Microban/UniSmoke/MicroMagic/UnDuzIt/Fogger

Compounds: Stoner/Poorboy's/1Z

Polish: Stoner/Poorboy's/AIO/1Z

Sealant: Stoner/AIO

Wax: P21

Pads: LC

Pad Cleaner: System 2000



I probably missed some things, but I think I got most of it.
Click to expand...



Mark,



Nice List of stuff:xyxthumbs



I am really interested in the Pad cleaning system. How's that working for you and what are the upsides and downsides? Thanks



Bill -



Where do you get this glass cleaner? I am always looking for a nice glass cleaner as clean glass is #1 priority for me on my clients cars.



Thanks



Scott -



I tried the #80 on one or two cars, not doing the whole car as I always forget I have it so I just try it on a panel or two. So far it looks very nice, works well, removes well and leaves no smears.



Does it have fillers?



Thanks all and Happy New Year to you all and may God Bless you in many ways this coming year.



Anthony
 
Anthony- Thanks for reminding me about all the good stuff that TOL and Hi-Temp offer. And I'm so intrigued by your Cyclo pad posts that I'm holding off on ordering *any* 4" pads until I hear more about your experiences with them.
 
Anthony,



I've been using the System 2000 for over a year now and can't find much wrong with it. It's not mobile for all practical purposes, and sometimes the edges don't get perfectly clean, but other than that, it works flawless. It's basically a 5 gallon bucket with a contraption that drops inside and a lid that's laid over the top and locked in place. The piece that drops in the middle has one large water wheel, which acts a pump to deliver the water to the cleaning surface, and 8 smaller wheels that scrub the pads while being flushed with the water. The water contains a cleaning solution that I add when I change the water. It's called Snappy Clean and it works well. I can probably clean 30-40 pads before I need to change the water. I purchased the system from Top of The Line and recommend it to anyone looking for a simpler way of keeping their pads clean without having to soak them in a bucket, etc. Happy New Year Bro!



Mark Waldron
 
Anthony-I don't think #80 has much in the way of fillers but it does have a lot of polishing oils, which is why it finishes with such a wet look.
 
I think I'm going to look at the following for 2005



1. New PakShak towels natch.

2. Anything new from Sonus or Poorboys (wheel sealant anyone?)

3. Yes, the Cyclo...my wallet says ouch! :)

4. Optimum line.

5. Swissol just for giggles.

6. New Megs 05 line, really keen on some of those brushes.
 
Scottwax said:
Anthony-I don't think #80 has much in the way of fillers but it does have a lot of polishing oils, which is why it finishes with such a wet look.
Click to expand...



Scott, Which LSP's have you successfully applied directly on top of #80 and VM? I know you use Ex/Ex-P on top of VM. I was wondering what you have put on top of bothe of them sucessfully given all the oils (e.g. 4* UPP)
 
petraidm-I've used Wolfgang and NXT over both with excellent results.



I know Ranney (aka pakshak) sells a combo pack with Vanilla Moose and UPP. You might want to contact him and see if there have been any issues using them together...although I imagine if he sells them together, they probably work fine together.
 
Reviving this from the dead.

As Sean(GSRstilez) just updated his favorites, I'm interested in any changes Anthony has. I'm expecting more references to Optimum :P
 
FujiFast said:
Reviving this from the dead.

As Sean(GSRstilez) just updated his favorites, I'm interested in any changes Anthony has. I'm expecting more references to Optimum :P
Click to expand...



:grinno: Well I am now using pretty much the whole Opt line of products. The Tire Gel I use now with my air gun and compressor as it gives me a great look with super ease and it's very economical.



For a bit longer durability and a slightly deeper black look I use Tire Shine which is sprayable from a 32oz bottle. Both products are water based. The Tire Gel makes wheels wells look great.



Interior dressing, for seats (both aniline and coated) and for vinyl I now use Protectant Plus. Leaves a natural clean look and it will also clean the areas lightly. I also use Leathermaster conditioners from time to time as their conditioners leave the leather soft to the touch.



For my degreaser I now use Opt degreaser. It does wheels, tires, wheel wells and dilute it more and you can clean leather, vinyl, carpet and upholstrey. Again very economical. I also carry a bottle of 303 cleaner with me as it has always been a favorite. I have switched from the LC pads to the Optimum pads and I now await the Optimum cyclo pads to try out.



I am also testing the new Optimum Sealant and lastnight I tried out a new undercoating from Optimum that is for wheel wells also which provides not only anti-corrision benefits but also sound deadening. It is applied right not with an air gun and compressor but David is trying to get it to be applied through aerosol. We'll see how it comes along.



Well that's it :xyxthumbs



Anthony
 
Anthony Orosco said:
Well I am now using pretty much the whole Opt line of products....I now await the Optimum cyclo pads ...[and I] I tried out a new undercoating from Optimum that is for wheel wells also which provides not only anti-corrision benefits but also sound deadening. It is applied right not with an air gun and compressor but David is trying to get it to be applied through aerosol. We'll see how it comes along...
Click to expand...



Always interested in developments related to the Cyclo! And I'd like to know more about the Optimum Undercoating- I need something like that for the '95 Caprice as I'm not gonna do it "right" with prep/paint/etc. but I want something beyond the regular rubber-based/bedliner stuff and/or the "Ziebart" approach.
 
Anthony Orosco said:
I also use Leathermaster conditioners from time to time as their conditioners leave the leather soft to the touch.



For my degreaser I now use Opt degreaser. It does wheels, tires, wheel wells and dilute it more and you can clean leather, vinyl, carpet and upholstrey. Again very economical. I also carry a bottle of 303 cleaner with me as it has always been a favorite. I have switched from the LC pads to the Optimum pads and I now await the Optimum cyclo pads to try out.
Click to expand...



I've found the Leathermaster conditioner to be quite good :up





The degreaser sounds sort of like a concentrate, you add water to the ratio desired in a spray bottle. If so, I think when it comes to automotive cleaners, concentrates should really be the way to go. I use household cleaners that come in concentrates.I add water to make 32 oz. per instructions. With concentrates, detailers get the best economy and save on shipping costs. I could possibly see this applying to QDs as well.





Wow, there's this nice selection of Cyclo pads and it seems to not a whole lot are available to everyone. :( We have LC, the old Cyclo, maybe one or two of the new Cyclo pads AFAIK right now. Try to get Optimum to rush these Cyclo pads to market. If the issues of delaminating backings and pads sometimes grinding into one another can be solved, one would have a strong case for using them exclusively. :xyxthumbs
 
Sounds like OPT is really pushing for a "complete" line of products. I had no idea they had developed pads and the undercoating sounds very interesting.
 
I should have some Optimum Cyclo pads coming my way and I know Irene at TOL is going to carry the Optimum black wool pad and also the ultra fine foam finishing pad, should be ready for sale soon on her site.



I would not wash the black wool pads but only spur them. They hardly lint at all and they leave minimal swirling, even with Opt. Compound.



I'll see if I can get some pics up later of the undercoating on my truck. I applied it last night and so far it seems to be holding up nicely but then again it's only been 1 day!



My big interest right now is helping David develop the sealant. He is tweaking a few things with it and sending me two new "tweaked" versions. One with a carnauba added and the other with some new polymers. :clap:



I'll be sure to keep ya'll informed,

Anthony
 
Right now I am big on the SSR line from Poorboys and I like Pinnacle a lot for a wax. I am also trying Zaino.



I really like the NXT glass cleaner and Pinnacle Bodywash and 1Z Exclusiv soaps.
 
BillyBarou said:
Right now I am big on the SSR line from Poorboys and I like Pinnacle a lot for a wax. I am also trying Zaino.



I really like the NXT glass cleaner and Pinnacle Bodywash and 1Z Exclusiv soaps.
Click to expand...



Poorboys is a great line of products, I still use the BnB, great results! Pinnacle for me is highly overpriced for what you get but I say that as a pro not an enthusiast.



I am hearing great things about the NXT glass cleaner from Scottwax, he highly recommends it.



Anthony
 
The NXT Glass cleaner is quite good :up. It really can produce notable results the first time with just about any cloth. I don't think I've had to make more than two passes to get the glass to my satisfaction. As always, I use this type of product in a garage or in the shade only.
 
Yep, the NXT glass cleaner has become my fave due to nice smell and effective cleaning power. The bottle is really cool too with a very comfortable, wide trigger.
 
Like Anthony, I am becoming big on Optimum's products, especially the polish and the car wax. I had been using #80 as my go to polish but Optimum Polish is a bit more aggressive, has a longer working time and finishes down at least as nice as #80 does. I guess it is almost like #80 on steriods but no trade secret oils so when you polish with Optimum, what you see it what you get. The Optimum Car Wax is a terrific product, spray, wipe, done. Got 3 full months of beading and decent slickness over RMG on a Lexus SC430 that sits in the sun during the day. It also works well over carnaubas and sealants. Been playing around with the Tire Shine too. Seems a touch more glossy than Armor All but still not excessively shiny. Haven't had it long enough to see how durable it is though.



This is a quick shot of my car a day after applying OCW and Optimum Tire Shine:



Optimum_tire_shine.jpg




I also really like the Poorboy's SSR line in the sun for deep polishing and VM for light polishing. Used PB's PwC today for the first time in a while and I'd forgotten what a great product it is.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top