PANEL WIPES

My number one choice has been CarPro Eraser. I think Gyeon Prep is similar.

I have also used Gtechniq Panel Wipe, Optimum Panel wipe.

I get similar results from all of them. Some a slicker or seem to be stronger. But in the end I think it’s finding one and using it and changing if you don’t like the way it works.
 
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I still think panel wipes are a waste for most Waxes and Sealants.

I really only use panel wipes for coatings.
 
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That is the big debate. Some people feel for a sealant the cleaner the surface the better the sealant will bond. Then the longer it will last. The other side of the argument is you don’t need them for sealants only for coatings.
 
The popularization and mainstream use of most panels wipes didn't come around until the introduction of coatings. Before coatings were introduced most all of the common Panel Wipes didn't exist.


So can you use them? - Absolutely.

Will they increase the durability? - Possibly.
I have not seen or done a test for my self that shows the a panel wipe truly enhances or increase the durability or a regular wax or sealant.
It would be an interesting test especially for the product companies to show that you should add a panel wipe and increase their sales.
 
I will note that Adam of Adam's Polishes stated in a TRC video (the one where he's doing a winter wash on his Audi wagon, I think it was white) that he thinks panel wipes are nonsense, even for coatings.

Here it is:
 
Bull6791 said:
I thought IPA does not work well with car paint
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Dan said:
It didn't use to be bad until they started selling prep wipes.
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Yeah, I was going to say "that's what the people who make panel wipes want you to think". The "company detailer" on the OPT forum was trying to tell us that IPA leaves residue behind ("IPA clogs paint and impacts bonding with the paint") and you need to use the OPT panel wipe...even thought the OPT panel wipe has IPA in it, along with propyl alcohol. There was more and it all made no sense.
 
I only do the wiping when I need to, and that's almost always to remove Polishing Oils like those [expletive deleted] Meguiar's TSO. And then it's primarily to avoid any concealing of minute flaws (by those oils). I've had pretty awful flaws "come back" with certain polishes (106FF, M205) and I simply hate that.

BUT..I've never had a lack of wiping affect LSP durability when the LSP did bond OK (when it doesn't, it's obvious- a smeary mess).

I still have a lifetime supply of TOL's PrepWash that works fine after decades on the shelf, but I did buy the GG product and it seems to work fine too.

I've had less success using IPA, but I never experienced the swelling/etc. that some say it can cause.

But I usually only do the wiping on the major correction/compounding and the penultimate correction step, using an AIO for the Finishing Polish eliminates the whole issue and leaves a little protection if I don't want to LSP until after the next wash.
 
I'm a fan of Eraser. I've used Gyeon Prep and the old Blackfire one, but found Eraser to have better cleaning ability. Prep seemed to have better lubrication, but Eraser seems to remove polishing oils better.

When I used to use polishes that were more oily, I could see a bit of an oily sheen after the initial buffing and it was really hard to remove. Using a panel prep seemed to remove it really quickly and easily, so I think they are a valuable step when applying a coating.

Bull6791 said:
just asking: would something like CARPRO ERASER as a last step wipe down/panel wipe make a sealant bond better to the paint.
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Wolfgang SiO2 Pain sealant says to use a panel wipe before applying the sealant in the directions. I applied it once with and once without and didn't notice any differences in appearance or durability.
 
Bang for the buck labocosmetica if you can get decent shipping. Much stronger than eraser but dilatable.

In canada you can get a liter of tacsystems oil zero for about $20USD. Pretty much the same as eraser and gyeon. Different smell..

3D sells a gallon too. Not a bad of a price.

However, like some folks mentioned i don't worry about panel prep that much anymore personally. I don't have a garage so i gave up on coatings. And "protection" isn't all that its cracked up to be. Coatings are fine but they don't protect anything. They make the car easier to kept clean, that's the extend of it. Took me 8 years to come to that realization lol

So back to what i like using the most AIO's! :D

I have my first ever bottle of 3D Speed waiting for me tomorrow when i get home.
 
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noorth said:
And "protection" isn't all that its cracked up to be. Coatings are fine but they don't protect anything. They make the car easier to kept clean, that's the extend of it. Took me 8 years to come to that realization lol

So back to what i like using the most AIO's! :D
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Glad to hear someone else came to the same conclusion. AIO+Spray Wax/Sealant/"Ceramic" will keep your paint as nice or better than a coating left alone. The worst are the ceramics that demand toppers. WHAT A JOKE. Send me a $100 and I will apply that ceramic via zoom call, then use your topper. You'll get the same results!
 
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