mjlinane
My name is Mike
No, it's not a BMW.
Over the last month or so, I've received a lot of products that required a more needy car than mine to appropriately review. Well, I got it. I've detailed this C-class MB several times and it never ceases to amaze. It was the car that started my spiral of buying ever more (aggressive) products - that combination of hard black paint and tons of defects. As it is an abused daily driver with way too many uncorrectable (other than by body shop), no full correction was attempted. As this was more of my pro bono work, only was willing to do a single pass with an AIO.
The new products:
Megs Rinse Free Extra Wash (courtesy of Richard, AKA rwright)
Blackfire Total Eclipse Wheel and Tire Cleaner
Blackfire Total Eclipse Tire Shine
Megs Paint Reconditioning Cream
Dupray Hill Injection Steam Cleaner
Special note: without the Dupray, this car would have been on the verge of undoable. Still under water restrictions so my pressure washer was not an option.
Befores:
First up was the Megs RFEW. This was really not a fair test. I mixed it at light strength (before the car arrived) and it was no match. I probably should have gone in and added product but, as it was working - with the steam cleaner reinforcement - after a couple of passes, I soldiered on. Eventually, I got the grime off.
Pros -
1. Great smell
2. Doesn't stick to the media
3. Doesn't foam anywhere nearly as much as CG HFEW
Cons -
1. Cleaning ability. Even though I under mixed it, CG HFEW at a lower dilution cleans much better. Normally, I transfer the left over rinseless into my tire bucket to do the wheels. Didn't see the point so mixed up CG HFEW for the wheels.
As I mentioned, to some extent it was user error, but I have done dirtier cars with CG HFEW with better results. To my defense, the car looked like it was mostly dusty with some grime but really was the opposite. I will have to try again on a lighter dirty car at this ratio and try the heavier duty on the next dirty car.
Next up, BF TE Wheel Cleaner. The process was to "pre-rinse" with the Dupray, liberally spray with BF TEWC and let dwell a bit, agitate with various brushes (soaked in CG HFEW solution), steam rinse with Dupray, wipe down with CG HFEW-soaked MF and finally dry with MF.
Before:
During:
After:
Obviously, this worked really well.
Pros -
1. Cleans well
I know it will come as no surprise but it needed claying. Out with the clay substitute and ONR (clay lube strength).
On to the Megs Paint Reconditioning Cream. As mentioned earlier, this car has tons of defects and hard black paint.
Used with every polisher at my disposal with LC Orange CCS Constant Pressure pads and Optimum MF Polishing Pads (original). I really liked this - for cars this far gone with hard paint. It nicely removed the lighter defects and left a very nice, slick finish.
Before:
After:
Pros -
1. Great strawberry smell
2. Nice correction
3. Very nice finish
Cons -
1. None
Megs PRC allowed me to get above average results in about the time it took me to get the paint clean (3 hours v. 2.5 hours)!
On to the interior. Here the Dupray shined again. After dusting and vacuuming, sprayed down the seats with Lexol Leather Cleaner (trying to get rid of it), steamed it with the triangular head attachment (with MF), and dried with a different MF. This worked exceptionally well (and fast). Steaming the vinyl and wiping cleaned most of the vinyl easily. There were a couple of places that needed a light spritz of APC to get clean. Dressed all with Megs QID. (Forgot to take pics, sorry).
In the home stretch now, next up to bat was BF Total Eclipse Tire Shine (to mix metaphors). One coat was sufficient to leave the look I like.
The spray bottle only streamed - no matter how hard I pulled. With this pattern, "spraying" a tire didn't work (it bounced off). So, for me, Tire Shine and Tire Gel are pretty much the same product.
Then I used the Dupray a little more. Combined it with DP WAW to clean the jambs and with CG Nonsense for the wiper cowl. Excellent. Total of about 1/2 gallon of water used for steaming.
Topped with Optimum Car Wax (car) and Wolfgang DGSS (wheels).
All in all, 8 hours.
Afters:
Over the last month or so, I've received a lot of products that required a more needy car than mine to appropriately review. Well, I got it. I've detailed this C-class MB several times and it never ceases to amaze. It was the car that started my spiral of buying ever more (aggressive) products - that combination of hard black paint and tons of defects. As it is an abused daily driver with way too many uncorrectable (other than by body shop), no full correction was attempted. As this was more of my pro bono work, only was willing to do a single pass with an AIO.
The new products:
Megs Rinse Free Extra Wash (courtesy of Richard, AKA rwright)
Blackfire Total Eclipse Wheel and Tire Cleaner
Blackfire Total Eclipse Tire Shine
Megs Paint Reconditioning Cream
Dupray Hill Injection Steam Cleaner
Special note: without the Dupray, this car would have been on the verge of undoable. Still under water restrictions so my pressure washer was not an option.
Befores:
First up was the Megs RFEW. This was really not a fair test. I mixed it at light strength (before the car arrived) and it was no match. I probably should have gone in and added product but, as it was working - with the steam cleaner reinforcement - after a couple of passes, I soldiered on. Eventually, I got the grime off.
Pros -
1. Great smell
2. Doesn't stick to the media
3. Doesn't foam anywhere nearly as much as CG HFEW
Cons -
1. Cleaning ability. Even though I under mixed it, CG HFEW at a lower dilution cleans much better. Normally, I transfer the left over rinseless into my tire bucket to do the wheels. Didn't see the point so mixed up CG HFEW for the wheels.
As I mentioned, to some extent it was user error, but I have done dirtier cars with CG HFEW with better results. To my defense, the car looked like it was mostly dusty with some grime but really was the opposite. I will have to try again on a lighter dirty car at this ratio and try the heavier duty on the next dirty car.
Next up, BF TE Wheel Cleaner. The process was to "pre-rinse" with the Dupray, liberally spray with BF TEWC and let dwell a bit, agitate with various brushes (soaked in CG HFEW solution), steam rinse with Dupray, wipe down with CG HFEW-soaked MF and finally dry with MF.
Before:
During:
After:
Obviously, this worked really well.
Pros -
1. Cleans well
I know it will come as no surprise but it needed claying. Out with the clay substitute and ONR (clay lube strength).
On to the Megs Paint Reconditioning Cream. As mentioned earlier, this car has tons of defects and hard black paint.
Used with every polisher at my disposal with LC Orange CCS Constant Pressure pads and Optimum MF Polishing Pads (original). I really liked this - for cars this far gone with hard paint. It nicely removed the lighter defects and left a very nice, slick finish.
Before:
After:
Pros -
1. Great strawberry smell
2. Nice correction
3. Very nice finish
Cons -
1. None
Megs PRC allowed me to get above average results in about the time it took me to get the paint clean (3 hours v. 2.5 hours)!
On to the interior. Here the Dupray shined again. After dusting and vacuuming, sprayed down the seats with Lexol Leather Cleaner (trying to get rid of it), steamed it with the triangular head attachment (with MF), and dried with a different MF. This worked exceptionally well (and fast). Steaming the vinyl and wiping cleaned most of the vinyl easily. There were a couple of places that needed a light spritz of APC to get clean. Dressed all with Megs QID. (Forgot to take pics, sorry).
In the home stretch now, next up to bat was BF Total Eclipse Tire Shine (to mix metaphors). One coat was sufficient to leave the look I like.
The spray bottle only streamed - no matter how hard I pulled. With this pattern, "spraying" a tire didn't work (it bounced off). So, for me, Tire Shine and Tire Gel are pretty much the same product.
Then I used the Dupray a little more. Combined it with DP WAW to clean the jambs and with CG Nonsense for the wiper cowl. Excellent. Total of about 1/2 gallon of water used for steaming.
Topped with Optimum Car Wax (car) and Wolfgang DGSS (wheels).
All in all, 8 hours.
Afters:
