Mother's Vs. Meg's

[daves87rs]

Okay...this is what happens when I start debating about something like wax. I couldn't help but read the Mother's synwax thread and wonder which one I could use.... The reason is that this wax is going on my baby, my 2004 cavalier. I shouldn't worry that much, I guess, since I've used both Mother's and different Meg's products on it. It looks great for nearly being 8 years old. Believe it or not, I used Gold class on it this year...and while the other cars looked great, it really didn't do much for this car. Hence my thought for doing something different. I've heard great things about the Synwax, but never thought to try it. Which got me thinking about using Mirror glaze or Synwax..... Thoughts on these two? My other cars will still see some Gold class either way....

 

[Lead Shoes]

Meg's NXT 2.0 was found to be one of the best waxes you can use get easily, it produces a beautiful shine on everything I put it on, It has a good price/performance going for it. I would not hesitate to use gold class on vehicle, use it up first.

 

[bepperb]

Gold class leaves a better gloss IMO, but SynWax is much much easier to use.

 

[2Fast4U]

Been using synwax probably since 2007. Nothing is easier to apply or remove. The shine is good and I find the UV protection to be superior. My car is a 99 and looks better today then the day it rolled of the lot no joke. I've also put this on my wifes black car with fantastic results. About 1 week before xmas I tried nufinish cling and was horrified at pain of removal and streaking. I ordered duragloss 111 and 2 days after xmas applied that over the nufinish. The car has a wet look shine now unlike it ever had with synwax. Don't get me wrong the synwax shine is still awesome. Duragloss was easy on/off but not as easy as synwax. I'm going to duragloss my wifes black car in the next couple of month but at this time I've found what I like and am sticking with it.

 

[Rolla07]

Gold Class is great on glossy paint finishes. But if your paint is dull or matte in look, Gold Class wont do much. NXT 2.0 has alot less gloss but lasts longer. Dont know anything about Mothers products, but Im going to start using them soon to see how i find they compare.

 

[nleksan]

Having worked as a professional detailer (REAL detailing, not a fancied-up car wash; a Bentley Continental, for example, would take a solid 18hrs of labor for a full detail) for a few years when I was younger, I have used a (possibly literal) ton of products, from the stuff you can get at the supermarket to special-order-only $200/8oz 100% carnauba waxes. I am extremely anal about my own cars, especially my 328, and there hasn't been a swirl or scratch in its paint for years... That said, Meguiar's NXT 2.0 is hands-down the best "wax" you can get without having to order online. I say "wax" because it has properties that are closer to a sealant, but it does give both the depth of a good wax and the gloss/shine of a good sealant, and it lasts a long time: visually, once-a-month is all you'll need; for weather protection, my 740i has still beaded after 6 months without reapplying it. If you're going to use it, get a semi-decent random orbital buffer, a couple bags of pads, and some good microfiber clothes. 1) Wash car (two buckets; one for soapy water, one for rinse) 1.5) Wash wheels (do it so when you rinse the car off, you're going top-to-bottom so wheel cleaner doesn't touch paint) 2) Clay bar the car (the ENTIRE car if it has never been done) 2.5) Clay bar wheels (if necessary) 3) Wash car (get rid of the clay and quick detailing spray) 4) Polish (go from large to fine grit polishes; the more swirls/scratches, the heavier the compound you should begin with) 5) Apply Sealant (Griot's has some good, affordable stuff) 6) Apply Gloss (Meguiar's #21 "Hi-Tech Gloss", I think it's 21, is very good for auto-parts store stuff!) 7) Apply Wax (again, Meguiar's NXT2.0 is fantastic; DO NOT USE ANYTHING LABELED "CLEANER WAX"; it will strip off all the lower layers) 7.5) WheelWax is very good for keeping brake-dust at bay! 8) Clean windows/trim/etc That's a pretty basic overview of how to get your car looking better-than-new. I tend to do a "quick" detail (4hrs) about every weekend in the summer, and a FULL detail every 4-6wks depending on miles/weather/etc. In the summer is when I use the nicer, more expensive, glossier waxes; when I do a "pre-winter detail", I use a strong sealant, apply two layers, then use Meguiar's NXT2.0 as it's the only thing that I have found to really last all winter, while giving additional protection above the sealant. In my opinion, of course...

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: nleksan

Having worked as a professional detailer (REAL detailing, not a fancied-up car wash; a Bentley Continental, for example, would take a solid 18hrs of labor for a full detail) for a few years when I was younger, I have used a (possibly literal) ton of products, from the stuff you can get at the supermarket to special-order-only $200/8oz 100% carnauba waxes. I am extremely anal about my own cars, especially my 328, and there hasn't been a swirl or scratch in its paint for years... That said, Meguiar's NXT 2.0 is hands-down the best "wax" you can get without having to order online. I say "wax" because it has properties that are closer to a sealant, but it does give both the depth of a good wax and the gloss/shine of a good sealant, and it lasts a long time: visually, once-a-month is all you'll need; for weather protection, my 740i has still beaded after 6 months without reapplying it. If you're going to use it, get a semi-decent random orbital buffer, a couple bags of pads, and some good microfiber clothes. 1) Wash car (two buckets; one for soapy water, one for rinse) 1.5) Wash wheels (do it so when you rinse the car off, you're going top-to-bottom so wheel cleaner doesn't touch paint) 2) Clay bar the car (the ENTIRE car if it has never been done) 2.5) Clay bar wheels (if necessary) 3) Wash car (get rid of the clay and quick detailing spray) 4) Polish (go from large to fine grit polishes; the more swirls/scratches, the heavier the compound you should begin with) 5) Apply Sealant (Griot's has some good, affordable stuff) 6) Apply Gloss (Meguiar's #21 "Hi-Tech Gloss", I think it's 21, is very good for auto-parts store stuff!) 7) Apply Wax (again, Meguiar's NXT2.0 is fantastic; DO NOT USE ANYTHING LABELED "CLEANER WAX"; it will strip off all the lower layers) 7.5) WheelWax is very good for keeping brake-dust at bay! 8) Clean windows/trim/etc That's a pretty basic overview of how to get your car looking better-than-new. I tend to do a "quick" detail (4hrs) about every weekend in the summer, and a FULL detail every 4-6wks depending on miles/weather/etc. In the summer is when I use the nicer, more expensive, glossier waxes; when I do a "pre-winter detail", I use a strong sealant, apply two layers, then use Meguiar's NXT2.0 as it's the only thing that I have found to really last all winter, while giving additional protection above the sealant. In my opinion, of course...

You sound like me - I'm a neat freak w/ my cars too! I agree with everything you said. That list was a good "starter" list.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

Originally Posted By: nleksan

Having worked as a professional detailer (REAL detailing, not a fancied-up car wash; a Bentley Continental, for example, would take a solid 18hrs of labor for a full detail) for a few years when I was younger, I have used a (possibly literal) ton of products, from the stuff you can get at the supermarket to special-order-only $200/8oz 100% carnauba waxes. I am extremely anal about my own cars, especially my 328, and there hasn't been a swirl or scratch in its paint for years... That said, Meguiar's NXT 2.0 is hands-down the best "wax" you can get without having to order online. I say "wax" because it has properties that are closer to a sealant, but it does give both the depth of a good wax and the gloss/shine of a good sealant, and it lasts a long time: visually, once-a-month is all you'll need; for weather protection, my 740i has still beaded after 6 months without reapplying it. If you're going to use it, get a semi-decent random orbital buffer, a couple bags of pads, and some good microfiber clothes. 1) Wash car (two buckets; one for soapy water, one for rinse) 1.5) Wash wheels (do it so when you rinse the car off, you're going top-to-bottom so wheel cleaner doesn't touch paint) 2) Clay bar the car (the ENTIRE car if it has never been done) 2.5) Clay bar wheels (if necessary) 3) Wash car (get rid of the clay and quick detailing spray) 4) Polish (go from large to fine grit polishes; the more swirls/scratches, the heavier the compound you should begin with) 5) Apply Sealant (Griot's has some good, affordable stuff) 6) Apply Gloss (Meguiar's #21 "Hi-Tech Gloss", I think it's 21, is very good for auto-parts store stuff!) 7) Apply Wax (again, Meguiar's NXT2.0 is fantastic; DO NOT USE ANYTHING LABELED "CLEANER WAX"; it will strip off all the lower layers) 7.5) WheelWax is very good for keeping brake-dust at bay! 8) Clean windows/trim/etc That's a pretty basic overview of how to get your car looking better-than-new. I tend to do a "quick" detail (4hrs) about every weekend in the summer, and a FULL detail every 4-6wks depending on miles/weather/etc. In the summer is when I use the nicer, more expensive, glossier waxes; when I do a "pre-winter detail", I use a strong sealant, apply two layers, then use Meguiar's NXT2.0 as it's the only thing that I have found to really last all winter, while giving additional protection above the sealant. In my opinion, of course...

You might be a little misinformed. NXT is essentially consumer level #21. And NXT has cleaners (and fillers) to some extent which might strip some of whatever you're putting it over.

 

[nleksan]

Originally Posted By: asiancivicmaniac

Originally Posted By: nleksan

Having worked as a professional detailer (REAL detailing, not a fancied-up car wash; a Bentley Continental, for example, would take a solid 18hrs of labor for a full detail) for a few years when I was younger, I have used a (possibly literal) ton of products, from the stuff you can get at the supermarket to special-order-only $200/8oz 100% carnauba waxes. I am extremely anal about my own cars, especially my 328, and there hasn't been a swirl or scratch in its paint for years... That said, Meguiar's NXT 2.0 is hands-down the best "wax" you can get without having to order online. I say "wax" because it has properties that are closer to a sealant, but it does give both the depth of a good wax and the gloss/shine of a good sealant, and it lasts a long time: visually, once-a-month is all you'll need; for weather protection, my 740i has still beaded after 6 months without reapplying it. If you're going to use it, get a semi-decent random orbital buffer, a couple bags of pads, and some good microfiber clothes. 1) Wash car (two buckets; one for soapy water, one for rinse) 1.5) Wash wheels (do it so when you rinse the car off, you're going top-to-bottom so wheel cleaner doesn't touch paint) 2) Clay bar the car (the ENTIRE car if it has never been done) 2.5) Clay bar wheels (if necessary) 3) Wash car (get rid of the clay and quick detailing spray) 4) Polish (go from large to fine grit polishes; the more swirls/scratches, the heavier the compound you should begin with) 5) Apply Sealant (Griot's has some good, affordable stuff) 6) Apply Gloss (Meguiar's #21 "Hi-Tech Gloss", I think it's 21, is very good for auto-parts store stuff!) 7) Apply Wax (again, Meguiar's NXT2.0 is fantastic; DO NOT USE ANYTHING LABELED "CLEANER WAX"; it will strip off all the lower layers) 7.5) WheelWax is very good for keeping brake-dust at bay! 8) Clean windows/trim/etc That's a pretty basic overview of how to get your car looking better-than-new. I tend to do a "quick" detail (4hrs) about every weekend in the summer, and a FULL detail every 4-6wks depending on miles/weather/etc. In the summer is when I use the nicer, more expensive, glossier waxes; when I do a "pre-winter detail", I use a strong sealant, apply two layers, then use Meguiar's NXT2.0 as it's the only thing that I have found to really last all winter, while giving additional protection above the sealant. In my opinion, of course...

You might be a little misinformed. NXT is essentially consumer level #21. And NXT has cleaners (and fillers) to some extent which might strip some of whatever you're putting it over.

Perhaps I am misinformed, but I always understood the NXT to be a fully synthetic wax that actually is close to a sealant. I do know that with years of using both the original and 2.0 that I have never had sealant stripped from the wax. It is pretty easy to tell if the sealant is still there or not after a few washes, and either it is a result of my using high quality sealant and allowing it a proper cure time, or there just isn't enough cleaner to strip it. Either way, I do prefer P21S concours wax, pure carnauba, and it is my go-to product all the time except winter or before a long trip.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

Originally Posted By: nleksan

Perhaps I am misinformed, but I always understood the NXT to be a fully synthetic wax that actually is close to a sealant. I do know that with years of using both the original and 2.0 that I have never had sealant stripped from the wax. It is pretty easy to tell if the sealant is still there or not after a few washes, and either it is a result of my using high quality sealant and allowing it a proper cure time, or there just isn't enough cleaner to strip it. Either way, I do prefer P21S concours wax, pure carnauba, and it is my go-to product all the time except winter or before a long trip.

If you got the product number right, #21 is Meg's sealant from their pro line. And you are correct that NXT is a polymer sealant. When it first came out (v 1), someone from Meg's demonstrated it's filling ability by detailing a car with it, just by itself with nothing more than a clay job. What v1 lacked was durability, hence the need to produce v2. I don't think they changed the light cleaning ability or the filling properties. It's far from a cleaner wax though. But normally, it's good practice to let sealants cure between coats and that's normally a day in between applications. I only detail as a hobby on personal cars so doable. I'm not sure what people who make a living off of it do. For a full detail, pros normally 1.) wash 2.) clay 3.) correct 4.) seal/wax 5.) last step product (usually a beauty wax) if step 4 wasn't the LSP. If I only had store products to use, NXT would definitely be in the short list, but like you I elect to use more boutique products that give a look that I like more.

 

[GMBoy]

Problem with NXT is that even the new version does not last very long at all. However, it sure does go on and come off easy and create a decent shine and that's what most non-detailer folks look for when buying over the counter products anyway.

 

[nleksan]

Ah well perhaps it is not 21... I am thinking of their glaze in the cream colored bottle. Thank you for the elaboration on NXT though!

 

[Capa]

Originally Posted By: GMBoy

Problem with NXT is that even the new version does not last very long at all. However, it sure does go on and come off easy and create a decent shine and that's what most non-detailer folks look for when buying over the counter products anyway.

+2 NXT doesn't last a long time. For me best=longevity and so NXT is out the window. Duragloss and Collinite=longevity.

 

[Scum_Frog]

I use whatever I think is best for my specific application and budget. I do like a lot of Meguairs products, but I do use some other brands as well.

 

[nleksan]

If you pay attention, you can get P21S products for not much more than Meguiars/Mothers stuff, although it is online so not as convenient. I think the higher-end Meguiars products are great, and I don't hesitate to use them for a full detail on any car. Whether it is their "professional" line or regular consumer line, I feel that you get a lot for your money. Sure, their waxes may not give the extreme depth that P21S Concours Wax does on my Topaz Blue 328Ci, but so long as you do a full detail (from claybar to multi-stage polishing to glaze+sealant+wax), the results have never disappointed me. I also like their NXT2.0 Tech Spray, as it is a combination of quick detailer with a bit of wax, so I am able to keep my car unbelievably shiny at all times. For wheels, though, I stick to "boutique" brands as they are pH neutral. With 6-piston (14.5"-ish slotted two-piece rotors) in the front and 4-piston (14.2"-ish slotted 2pc) in the rear with Stoptech Street Max carbon-ceramic pads, dust takes a little while to become noticeable but once it is, there is a lot there. Seeing as all of my wheels are very nice aftermarket multi-piece forged wheels (all staggered; BBS LM 19x8.5f/10r; DPE R07 Variant-S polished aluminum 19x8.5f/9.5r; J-Line 5LR2 18x9f/10r; and recently added some Volk TE-37 19x9/10.5), I cannot afford to damage the finish. The P21S gel cleaner works great! Typically if I do a full wheel wash (once every 3-5wks: wheels off car), I do the gel wheel cleaner, then claybar if needed, then regular car wash soap, then I use the Meguiars NXT Quick Detailer spray, and finish it off with two coats of WheelWax (do one, then let it set overnight, then do the second application). After this, the wheels can literally be wiped with as little as a.square of toilet paper and the brake dust will slip right off. I use a terrycloth rag, and wipe them down every 75 miles to prevent buildup. Every single wheel looks better than new! With the DPEs, as they are polished aluminum, I use aluminum polish after washing but before waxing. The "Powerball" drill attachment makes this process.pretty painless, even with all of the bolts around near the lip. The Powerball is also fantastic with Meguiars plastic polish, and on my 325i (328Ci has OEM European bi-xenon headlights covered with clear Lamin-X, as are the xenon fogs), the headlights/foglights/tail-lights all look like new! I onlyhave to keep up with it about once a year, and I have UV protectant that lasts for nearly a full year and I use it as well. The 740i gets the same treatment. Keeping a.car looking beautiful is a lot of work, but it doesn't have to be hard work, just smart work

 

[PZR2874]

Some of you guys are talking about "stripping" stuff off when you utilize a wax but are you guys NOT claybarring each time you wax (twice a yr here). Only reason I ask is that the claybay acts as a stripper anyways. Thanks for the replies.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

Originally Posted By: PZR2874

Some of you guys are talking about "stripping" stuff off when you utilize a wax but are you guys NOT claybarring each time you wax (twice a yr here). Only reason I ask is that the claybay acts as a stripper anyways. Thanks for the replies.

I feel the surface and if it isn't too rough, I skip it. Even if it does need it, mostly it's the horizontal surfaces. And, polishing with a Porter Cable, a cutting pad, and an aggressive polish usually eliminates the need for claying. I usually do this twice a year. What I noticed with clay bars is that sometimes they can introduce a lot of marring even with adequate use of detail spray as lubricant. I wax on a monthly to bi-monthly basis so it usually doesn't get bad.

 

[FastEddie]

Originally Posted By: asiancivicmaniac

What I noticed with clay bars is that sometimes they can introduce a lot of marring even with adequate use of detail spray as lubricant.

bingo, If a car is severely neglected and has lots of bonded contaminants, I will only clay if I'm going to polish afterwards.