Which Magazine Car Polish Survey
09-06-2004, 11:47 AM
#11
Thread Starter
I'm a bit wary of repeating the survey's narrative verbatim - I don't know how picky Which are about breach of copyright - but it's worth adding that ...
Which scientists (no doubt ably assisted by Dr Bunsen Honeydew at the Muppet Labs) tested the polishes for lustre/shine (quality & longevity), water repellance and resistance to substanes such as bird lime (the scientific term for bird sh*t). They also assessed applicability, smearing, and ability at covering swirls.
Shiskine
Which scientists (no doubt ably assisted by Dr Bunsen Honeydew at the Muppet Labs) tested the polishes for lustre/shine (quality & longevity), water repellance and resistance to substanes such as bird lime (the scientific term for bird sh*t). They also assessed applicability, smearing, and ability at covering swirls.
Shiskine
09-06-2004, 12:31 PM
#13
Thread Starter
With regard to P1's porker-owning friend's pink trim, I reckon that if your car is (fast) black, you're relatively safe with a colour keyed polish as most of the trim is black anyway.
Certainly no side effects from my last application of the Colour Magic stuff ...
Shiskine
Certainly no side effects from my last application of the Colour Magic stuff ...
Shiskine
09-06-2004, 12:42 PM
#14
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Bristol
Posts: 3,577
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
09-06-2004, 12:52 PM
#15
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Lothians
Posts: 10,138
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was using the Turtle colour polish on friday night to polish back where I had used Scratch-X to reduce some nasty scratches - worked really well together, very impressed with the job it did. Chipstick I find a bit cr@p on the S as the paintwork is of such poor quality - it's not hard enough to be able to rub the stick in without causing more damage. Worked a treat on my Saab, but a 
on the S IMHO.
on the S IMHO.
09-06-2004, 02:48 PM
#16
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Surrey
Posts: 7,438
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Some good points you have raised in your original post so let me see if I can input some of my thoughts.
If some people want a clean look and a decent shine this can be achieved with many products. As you have listed so many products it is difficult to talk about all of them but I can say one thing in general. You can achieve good results but which is better is subjective. Secondly how good the protection qualities of each product are also needs to be tested.
Having said all this there are some people who want the ultimate shine when done applying products, to get that ultimate wet look and depth to the colour. There is something very satisfying to me about a finished product like this so I try different products and combine them in an attempt to outdo my last attempt. This is a hobby not a compulsion. This attention to detail does indeed take a lot of time as does any other process where the end result needs to be perfect or near as to perfect.
For instance, I haven't waxed or polished my car in over three weeks and don't intend to for another two weeks at least. I washed my car 3 weeks ago, yes it is a bit dusty and I have done more than 800 miles since but I don't have a need to clean it just yet.
So the questions for me are, do I feel the car needs a clean or wax at the moment? Actually no. It still has a nice sparkle to it and in the sun doesn't look bad at all but once I clean it it will look awesome again. I too love driving my car more than cleaning it so I know. I also want products which can be applied easily in all weather conditions and which do not leave a white residue.
As to the machine, there are only two main reasons for the purchase of one; 1. to remove swirls and 2. to apply an even and thin coat of wax. Now I know swirls can be removed by hand but trust me when I say it is not easy. With a machine it will take about 1 minute to do a 2'x2' and by hand at least 15min and a lot of effort. Secondly to apply an even coat and thin coat of wax it is one of the best tools out there and we are not talking about the halfords or argos crap. They just don't have the power. Finally I have not used AG stuff for a while not because it is bad but rather because of the residue it left behind which took me longer to remove than the whole application of the product in the first place.
So here are my top tip for those who want a deep shine in 30-40 mins but only want to wax every two months or so and nothing more in between except for washing the car:
VM hand glaze
EX-P/P21S
You can apply one or the other of the P21S/EX-P since they both are sealants and the last step. The benfit of applying both lies in the fact thay they bring out different qualities of the colour of the car. Also EX is longer lasting than the P21S. In fact you can apply VM and EX and not have to apply another wax/protection product for at least 4 months.
You will not use any other products again. It is deep and wet looking and very easy to apply in direct sunlight and humidity. Also it leaves no residue and you don't need a machine for application. They are also cheap and avilable in the UK for a combined price of
If some people want a clean look and a decent shine this can be achieved with many products. As you have listed so many products it is difficult to talk about all of them but I can say one thing in general. You can achieve good results but which is better is subjective. Secondly how good the protection qualities of each product are also needs to be tested.
Having said all this there are some people who want the ultimate shine when done applying products, to get that ultimate wet look and depth to the colour. There is something very satisfying to me about a finished product like this so I try different products and combine them in an attempt to outdo my last attempt. This is a hobby not a compulsion. This attention to detail does indeed take a lot of time as does any other process where the end result needs to be perfect or near as to perfect.
For instance, I haven't waxed or polished my car in over three weeks and don't intend to for another two weeks at least. I washed my car 3 weeks ago, yes it is a bit dusty and I have done more than 800 miles since but I don't have a need to clean it just yet.
So the questions for me are, do I feel the car needs a clean or wax at the moment? Actually no. It still has a nice sparkle to it and in the sun doesn't look bad at all but once I clean it it will look awesome again. I too love driving my car more than cleaning it so I know. I also want products which can be applied easily in all weather conditions and which do not leave a white residue.
As to the machine, there are only two main reasons for the purchase of one; 1. to remove swirls and 2. to apply an even and thin coat of wax. Now I know swirls can be removed by hand but trust me when I say it is not easy. With a machine it will take about 1 minute to do a 2'x2' and by hand at least 15min and a lot of effort. Secondly to apply an even coat and thin coat of wax it is one of the best tools out there and we are not talking about the halfords or argos crap. They just don't have the power. Finally I have not used AG stuff for a while not because it is bad but rather because of the residue it left behind which took me longer to remove than the whole application of the product in the first place.
So here are my top tip for those who want a deep shine in 30-40 mins but only want to wax every two months or so and nothing more in between except for washing the car:
VM hand glaze
EX-P/P21S
You can apply one or the other of the P21S/EX-P since they both are sealants and the last step. The benfit of applying both lies in the fact thay they bring out different qualities of the colour of the car. Also EX is longer lasting than the P21S. In fact you can apply VM and EX and not have to apply another wax/protection product for at least 4 months.
You will not use any other products again. It is deep and wet looking and very easy to apply in direct sunlight and humidity. Also it leaves no residue and you don't need a machine for application. They are also cheap and avilable in the UK for a combined price of
09-06-2004, 02:52 PM
#17
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Surrey
Posts: 7,438
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
One thing I forgot to mention about waxes which have colour in them. Think of your paint as follows:
The bodywork is metal with primer on it.
Paint is layered on top and then a clearcoat is applied on top of the paint. The best way to imagine this is to think of clearcoat to be like a sheet of glass which sits on top of the paint. It is this which had the swirls in it and also as the name suggests it is clear to show the colour underneath. It is there to protect against UV, contamination and other problems from ruining the finish. Therefore when you apply a wax with colour in it all you are really doing is dyeing the clearcoat which just doesn't work. Rub some of this stuff on your window, what does it do? It just creates a smear of colour but doesn't enhance anything because the glass is clear.
The bodywork is metal with primer on it.
Paint is layered on top and then a clearcoat is applied on top of the paint. The best way to imagine this is to think of clearcoat to be like a sheet of glass which sits on top of the paint. It is this which had the swirls in it and also as the name suggests it is clear to show the colour underneath. It is there to protect against UV, contamination and other problems from ruining the finish. Therefore when you apply a wax with colour in it all you are really doing is dyeing the clearcoat which just doesn't work. Rub some of this stuff on your window, what does it do? It just creates a smear of colour but doesn't enhance anything because the glass is clear.
09-06-2004, 11:58 PM
#19
Thread Starter
Rahula
I take your point about discolouring the clear coat, but hey, if it delivers the results, is easy to apply, and lasts a long time, it gets my vote!
Shiskine
I take your point about discolouring the clear coat, but hey, if it delivers the results, is easy to apply, and lasts a long time, it gets my vote!
Shiskine
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post