showshine59
New member
Just wondering if anyone has used their products and any reviews.
Surf City Garage
- Thread starter showshine59
- Start date
They've been around a while. I tested their products in the past and they are decent. The good thing is you can grab them at the local Walmart. At least I see them in my local stores. I have no idea where they are priced at though and just assume that if they are in Walmart they probably are not too expensive.
I've used Surf City Garage's hot rod and speed demon QD's, beyond black tire pro and beyond glass cleaner. The detailers and tire shine are all very good (especially the tire shine..spreads/covers easily, nice medium gloss). I'm not crazy about the glass cleaner. It's ok, but nothing special.
i've never used any of their products but one that many seem to like was the grime destroyer. i noticed on their website that they carry a lot of very cool accessories/stuff other than just their products. dylan who used to work for adams polishes now works R&D over there now if i'm not mistaken so hopefully some new products may come out that he may have helped assist in bringing to the market...
showshine59
New member
Thank you for the reviews. I will have to try them out. Thats the fun part about this hobby. Always something new to try.
mx5gary
New member
Seems they're testing the waters with a new "pro" line. Must be limited runs of product as their flagship product HydroSeal has been out of stock for almost 6 weeks shortly after it was introduced.
Question of curiosity:
Has anyone asked car owners of American muscle-cars at car shows if they use Surf City products, since Surf City seems to be targeting these car owners??
I do, indeed, see SOME of their product line at Wal-Mart, but not the ones I'd like to try, like Grime Destroyer APC or their Barrier Reef Liquid/Paste Wax.
That said, it seems like any me-too car-care chemical company who tries to mass-market their products through Wal-Mart faces a daunting task of finding "motivated customers" (IE, customers who know about the product and are willing to spend a little more than what they would on competing Mother's, Meguiar's, or Turtle Wax products). Ask AutoGlym about their foray into the Wal-Mart customer market.
Has anyone asked car owners of American muscle-cars at car shows if they use Surf City products, since Surf City seems to be targeting these car owners??
I do, indeed, see SOME of their product line at Wal-Mart, but not the ones I'd like to try, like Grime Destroyer APC or their Barrier Reef Liquid/Paste Wax.
That said, it seems like any me-too car-care chemical company who tries to mass-market their products through Wal-Mart faces a daunting task of finding "motivated customers" (IE, customers who know about the product and are willing to spend a little more than what they would on competing Mother's, Meguiar's, or Turtle Wax products). Ask AutoGlym about their foray into the Wal-Mart customer market.
Junebug
JAFO
I like Wally for oil, can't get a 5 qt. bottle of Mobil 1 for 25 bucks at any auto parts store. As far as car care, I like the mothers products they have and wish they carried the rest. For what's it worth, Wally had mothers clay kit for under 20 and autofreak had it for 24.95
But JB, you have sales tax at Wally - yeah, checked shipping costs lately?
But JB, you have sales tax at Wally - yeah, checked shipping costs lately?
JuneBug:
Quite honestly I buy some of my car-care chemicals (mostly Meguiar's consumer line) at Wal-Mart, because of price and availability. I'm also with you on the Mobil1 oil; in a 5-quart container/jug, it's hard to beat that price.
Back to Surf City Garage products: I am still waiting for answers from fellow Autopians if they've asked muscle-car owners at car shows if they use their products or even know about them.
I am not dissing their products; it's just that their is so much competition in the car-care chemical business. The fact that companies like HD/3-D have stepped up to the plate to be sponsor within this forum AND all the honest reviews that they garner from respectable Autopians tells me a lot about their products. Will we see HD/3-D at Wal-mart?? Probably never!! That said, I buy some of my car-care chemicals over-the-counter (OTC) , BUT, in today's market, a lot more dollars are spent via the internet or direct-from-the-manufacturer for these chemicals by professional detailers, auto body shops, and new-and-used car dealers than the average car enthusiast/hobbyist/week-end warrior (like me). 3M and Meguiar's (now one-in-the-same company) are one of the few car-care chemical companies who do well in both the mass-market consumer and aforeto-mentioned professional markets. But, they have the name-recognition and advertising that puts them in that position.
It's pretty plain and simple to be a successful car-care chemical manufacturer to most professionals (and consumers for that matter): give me a product that works and is a good value, support it and "improve" it, and I'll keep buying and using it.
Quite honestly I buy some of my car-care chemicals (mostly Meguiar's consumer line) at Wal-Mart, because of price and availability. I'm also with you on the Mobil1 oil; in a 5-quart container/jug, it's hard to beat that price.
Back to Surf City Garage products: I am still waiting for answers from fellow Autopians if they've asked muscle-car owners at car shows if they use their products or even know about them.
I am not dissing their products; it's just that their is so much competition in the car-care chemical business. The fact that companies like HD/3-D have stepped up to the plate to be sponsor within this forum AND all the honest reviews that they garner from respectable Autopians tells me a lot about their products. Will we see HD/3-D at Wal-mart?? Probably never!! That said, I buy some of my car-care chemicals over-the-counter (OTC) , BUT, in today's market, a lot more dollars are spent via the internet or direct-from-the-manufacturer for these chemicals by professional detailers, auto body shops, and new-and-used car dealers than the average car enthusiast/hobbyist/week-end warrior (like me). 3M and Meguiar's (now one-in-the-same company) are one of the few car-care chemical companies who do well in both the mass-market consumer and aforeto-mentioned professional markets. But, they have the name-recognition and advertising that puts them in that position.
It's pretty plain and simple to be a successful car-care chemical manufacturer to most professionals (and consumers for that matter): give me a product that works and is a good value, support it and "improve" it, and I'll keep buying and using it.
Junebug
JAFO
I agree 100 per cent! Names like Turtle wax, Meg's, and Mothers plus Armour All are all the average consumer knows. I talk to my customers about the products I use and I might as well be speaking Klingon! Perception is reality I guess. But, there are some good products at Wally mart and let's not be snobs when it comes to car care. Bruce Lee once was asked about a technique, he said, "if it works, use it"
I just might be of some help here (thanks Dave for the heads up)
Price wise I'd say all the products we put into your local walmart of pepboys is priced competitively and offers good value. Its definitely not the cheapest stuff on the shelf, but in many categories its not the most expensive product either. I'm confident enough in the products to say that any of the retail offerings will be well received by anyone looking for something locally. I'd categorize them (if I had to) as OTC premium, but without the price tag.
Yes, indeed I have been with the team over here at SCG. Left AP at the end of February and started on this project in March. I'm involved in development for the new pro line as well as providing help and technical support on the Enthusiast Grade products available at retail stores. Right now you'll see most of the new products and changes on the Pro Surface Solutions side of things, but that doesn't mean I wont have my hands on the retail products at one point or another.
We actually pulled Hydro for tweaking and reformulation once the first batch sold out. While people liked it we did get a fair amount of complaints about it discoloring lighter colored towels. While some of that was the dye, a good amount of it was the just the chemical composition itself. A new version has been circulating with customers and testers for a couple of weeks now and barring any unforeseen issues it should be available again in the near future along with a slew of other new products.
Certainly there is a 'type' of customer for almost every company. Being on the marketing and develpment side of this business for so long there are very few products that cross all demographics. Most boutique brands simply don't appeal to the average consumer who buys car care products at their local store. Some brands have a perception of low quality based on where they're sold (we combat this constantly with the walmart thing). If you think of some brands certain 'groups' almost immediately pop into your mind. The corvette community for a long time was an army of Zaino users, before that it was liquid glass, many of them still swear by rejex. Companies intentioally or unintentionally will attract a very specific type of customer based on their image, marketing, or just company profile. With us, given the company personality, packaging covered in classic car images, and the fact we own and maintain a collection of over 125 muscle cars and classics we're going to speak more directly to consumers who are into muscle cars and classics than anyone else.
If anyone is interested in checking out a little about the collection take a look here: http://surfcitygarage.com/videogallerycust/?category=SCG%20COLLECTION
I will say this - I was like most guys here probably before SCG approached me with this opportunity. I had tried a few of their products, knew they were available locally, and thought what I had tried was good - especially for an OTC product. Before starting on the new line I got my hands on every single one of the retail products and used them extensively and I can say with complete confidence that not one of them disappointed. Of course in some segments there were online options I'd say were superior, but they either carried a higher price or obviously had the hurdle of shipping. Accross the board though, each product offered good to excellent results especially when considering price and availability in the evaluation. Also, as a store brand there are certain products that just aren't there as they won't make sense to that customer -
Paint correction (machine) products, decon products, rinse-free washes, and coatings for example. The learning curve or lack of customer understanding in those segments makes them virtually impossible to make a part of a retail line. You can't jam all the instructions on how to use a rinse-free wash onto the label and the average customer shopping in that aisle woulnd't have the first clue what it was or what to do with it. Thats where our new line comes in - offering more 'complex' products and concentrates with the understanding that a customer shopping that part of our business has a little more knowledge of whats going on or how to use a product like those.
All that being said - some standout products from the retail line in my personal opinion:
Speed Demon and Hot Rod are both excellent quick detailers.
Road Trip is really unique... think of it like a semi-gel like APC. Sticks where your spray it and breaks down bug guts like no ones business.
Beyond Black Tire Pro has long been a very popular tire dressing for the finish it leaves.
Voodoo Blend Leather Rejuvinator is an excellent lanolin based leather conditioner
Dash Away is a great medium duty interior cleaner that is good on leather, vinyl, plastic, and even works pretty well on carpets and upholstery.
Hope thats all helpful. We're actually in the process of getting over here as sponsors so I won't provide links or any 'spammy' posts until we get that all squared away, but once we are I'll be available to answer anything else you guys have questions on. As always feel free to contact me directly if you have a question - always happy to help.
BobD said:
Price wise I'd say all the products we put into your local walmart of pepboys is priced competitively and offers good value. Its definitely not the cheapest stuff on the shelf, but in many categories its not the most expensive product either. I'm confident enough in the products to say that any of the retail offerings will be well received by anyone looking for something locally. I'd categorize them (if I had to) as OTC premium, but without the price tag.
BigAl3 said:
Yes, indeed I have been with the team over here at SCG. Left AP at the end of February and started on this project in March. I'm involved in development for the new pro line as well as providing help and technical support on the Enthusiast Grade products available at retail stores. Right now you'll see most of the new products and changes on the Pro Surface Solutions side of things, but that doesn't mean I wont have my hands on the retail products at one point or another.
mx5gary said:
We actually pulled Hydro for tweaking and reformulation once the first batch sold out. While people liked it we did get a fair amount of complaints about it discoloring lighter colored towels. While some of that was the dye, a good amount of it was the just the chemical composition itself. A new version has been circulating with customers and testers for a couple of weeks now and barring any unforeseen issues it should be available again in the near future along with a slew of other new products.
Lonnie said:
Certainly there is a 'type' of customer for almost every company. Being on the marketing and develpment side of this business for so long there are very few products that cross all demographics. Most boutique brands simply don't appeal to the average consumer who buys car care products at their local store. Some brands have a perception of low quality based on where they're sold (we combat this constantly with the walmart thing). If you think of some brands certain 'groups' almost immediately pop into your mind. The corvette community for a long time was an army of Zaino users, before that it was liquid glass, many of them still swear by rejex. Companies intentioally or unintentionally will attract a very specific type of customer based on their image, marketing, or just company profile. With us, given the company personality, packaging covered in classic car images, and the fact we own and maintain a collection of over 125 muscle cars and classics we're going to speak more directly to consumers who are into muscle cars and classics than anyone else.
If anyone is interested in checking out a little about the collection take a look here: http://surfcitygarage.com/videogallerycust/?category=SCG%20COLLECTION
I will say this - I was like most guys here probably before SCG approached me with this opportunity. I had tried a few of their products, knew they were available locally, and thought what I had tried was good - especially for an OTC product. Before starting on the new line I got my hands on every single one of the retail products and used them extensively and I can say with complete confidence that not one of them disappointed. Of course in some segments there were online options I'd say were superior, but they either carried a higher price or obviously had the hurdle of shipping. Accross the board though, each product offered good to excellent results especially when considering price and availability in the evaluation. Also, as a store brand there are certain products that just aren't there as they won't make sense to that customer -
Paint correction (machine) products, decon products, rinse-free washes, and coatings for example. The learning curve or lack of customer understanding in those segments makes them virtually impossible to make a part of a retail line. You can't jam all the instructions on how to use a rinse-free wash onto the label and the average customer shopping in that aisle woulnd't have the first clue what it was or what to do with it. Thats where our new line comes in - offering more 'complex' products and concentrates with the understanding that a customer shopping that part of our business has a little more knowledge of whats going on or how to use a product like those.
All that being said - some standout products from the retail line in my personal opinion:
Speed Demon and Hot Rod are both excellent quick detailers.
Road Trip is really unique... think of it like a semi-gel like APC. Sticks where your spray it and breaks down bug guts like no ones business.
Beyond Black Tire Pro has long been a very popular tire dressing for the finish it leaves.
Voodoo Blend Leather Rejuvinator is an excellent lanolin based leather conditioner
Dash Away is a great medium duty interior cleaner that is good on leather, vinyl, plastic, and even works pretty well on carpets and upholstery.
Hope thats all helpful. We're actually in the process of getting over here as sponsors so I won't provide links or any 'spammy' posts until we get that all squared away, but once we are I'll be available to answer anything else you guys have questions on. As always feel free to contact me directly if you have a question - always happy to help.
Junebug
JAFO
Thanks for posting! I look forward to your new line, and will definitely be trying it.
showshine59
New member
Dylan
Thanks for taking time to give us your experiences with SCG products. I am curious to know more and will keep my ears open.
Thanks for taking time to give us your experiences with SCG products. I am curious to know more and will keep my ears open.
Dylan:
Thanks for introducing yourself and taking the time to post your responses to the Autopian community.
I know you have your select detailing users/"beta-testers" for your product development and evaluation. As a marketing tool, I will suggest making up sample kits at affordable prices (Hey, nothing' is free anymore!) for Autopians to "try-before-you-buy" (the big bottle, anyway), Just wishful thinking.
Like many Obsessive-Compulsive Detailers (OCD's), most of us a have a "collection" of car-care chemicals that we've spent an inordinate amount of personal financial resources (according to our spouse/better-half friend/significant other) that we try and them it sits on our garage/shop/basement shelf collecting dust unused because it did not meet our expectation (guess that's why it's called a collection). Maybe it's time to "add" another product line to my collection.
Thanks for introducing yourself and taking the time to post your responses to the Autopian community.
I know you have your select detailing users/"beta-testers" for your product development and evaluation. As a marketing tool, I will suggest making up sample kits at affordable prices (Hey, nothing' is free anymore!) for Autopians to "try-before-you-buy" (the big bottle, anyway), Just wishful thinking.
Like many Obsessive-Compulsive Detailers (OCD's), most of us a have a "collection" of car-care chemicals that we've spent an inordinate amount of personal financial resources (according to our spouse/better-half friend/significant other) that we try and them it sits on our garage/shop/basement shelf collecting dust unused because it did not meet our expectation (guess that's why it's called a collection). Maybe it's time to "add" another product line to my collection.
Extreme_Radiance said:
Since we're not sponsoring yet, I won't post links out of respect for current vendors, but the first dozen + basic products of our pro line are available (mostly cleaners and dressing) on our website under the professional surface solutions tab with more on the way soon.
Lonnie said:
Once we get underway here Lonnie I will definitely be on the hunt for testers. I try to mix up the people I lean on for those purposes as often as possible as I want honest feedback to make decisions and from different sources. As products come up for testing I'm certain I can make those opportunities available to everyone here... can't develop quality products without involving those who will be using them.
As far as the trial pack - I like that idea - I'll put it in front of the production team and marketing to see if we can make something like that happen.
Thank you for the input and thoughts. Looking forward to sharing more with you guys as we increase our involvement here.
Concourswanna b
New member
Road Trip is the one that's harder to find OTC. Would be nice to be able to buy it at the big W...
mg031
Member
Concourswanna b said:
They have it at Pep Boys. I forgot I have a bottle since a year now... need to dig it up. It is pretty good.
Concourswanna b
New member
MelF1fan said:
MelF1fan - thanks- I'll keep that in mind. I still have half bottle of Road Trip, which I use on lower panels sometimes.
The Midwest doesn't seem to have Pep Boys everywhere, like I'm used to on the East coast.
I'm going to Bloomington IN Pep's soon to pick up some AG carwash soap for like $2 a bottle (I got the last few in their system).