NuFinish - Anyone else use it?

[metroplex]

I've been using NuFinish on my 2000 and 2003 Fords for the past several years w/ great results. It beads water for a year even when exposed to the elements.

However, I was wondering if anyone has ever found something else that is inexpensive, readily available, and does the same job as NuFinish or better. If so, where can I find it and how much?

Carnauba based waxes have never worked long enough for me. I do not wax my car every week. If I have time, I wash the car 3-4 times at most in a year. Waxing: 2 times MAX a year.

 

[MarkC]

I've been using it for a long time, and I like it fine. I used to apply it twice a year, but lately I just tend to do it during the summer, and then forget it until next year. I last put it on my Jeep in late August and water still beads like it was just applied. My Jeep is a 96 and the finish looks pretty good, despite being a weird green-blue color.

 

[W.T.McGlynn]

Subject: Better Than "Nu Finish"

I have used Nu Finish since it was rated "Number One" several years ago by "Consumer Guide".

If you want to try something with more shine and not too pricy,try
"Turtle Wax-Platinum".

It's new, been out for around one year.
Its the best I have ever used.
AZ sells it. (Approx.$7.50)
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬

 

[medic]

While NuFinish doesn't provide the best shine, Consumer Reports rated it #1 for protection.

I like it because it is easy to apply and remove. No "elbow grease" is needed.

 

[Islandvic]

I find that NuFinish works very well.

Die hard wax/polish guys will swear by the big Z or other "high-end" brands.

I tend to keep my vehicles for awhile, so I go for protection over "depth", "optical quality" blah blah etc.

When I detail some of my family's vehicles, I like to use NuFinish because it seems to last for a long time compared to other brands.

I like it because it works on paint, chrome, and fiberglass. Its great for watercraft too.

I helped my brother "wax" his Yamaha Waverunner with it. Exhaust residue now wipes off very easily when we wash it after a trip to the river or lake.

Good stuff.

 

[pepper32]

I've used NuFinish regularly (twice a year) since 1986. It works for me.

 

[Eddie]

I have used NuFinish Paste for about 8 years and think it's great. There is one that is very good also (consumers Reports) and it's made by 3M company I think. I could not find it here is SW Fl to give it a try. Ed

 

[brian fix]

Onl;y one finish is better than Nu-finish,, my choice is called Race-Glaze,,,un beliveble shine and endurance.............BL

 

[jsharp]

I've been using it a few years now. As others have said, the shine isn't the best, but I've found it to outlast anything else I've tried...

 

[Spector]

Used it before switching to Z. Harder to remove then Z, also seems to have some abrasive/cleaner element to it. I have to disagree about the long lasting statement, IMO Z lasts longer then Nu Finish. but like most things this is a matter of opinion.

 

[OutlawTitan]

NuFinish seems to be a little too abrasive to suit me but that is just a personal opinion.

I like the Klasse All-In-One and Klasse Sealant Glaze. I find this combo looks as good as ANYTHING and outlasts EVERYTHING that I have used. I have not used the big Z ... too many rules to follow and products to buy since not much is compatible with it. Klasse is not cheap initially but a bottle of each should last 3-4 cars for around 10 years which is a minimal cost IMHO.

 

[ZR2RANDO]

I have used Nufinish and Finish-2001 for years and I'm still happy with both of them. Nufinish actually cleans better, but finish-2001 shines/lasts just as good, and finish-2001 is cheaper. Depending on the condition of the paint I'd use whichever is appropriate, Nufinish if more cleaning is needed and Finish-2001 if the paint is in better shape....both are easy on/off.
I was just commenting to my wife how the finish-2001 was futuristic back years ago

, and then I noticed that now they call it F21....they had to bring it into the 21st century I guess

Yeah, I like them both.

 

[Cicero]

Lordie, Lordie, Lordie. Where to begin?

Please don't get bent out of shape or anything, but I wouldn't use Nu-Finish to wax a lawn mower. The Klasse rec was a very good call, but there tons of things better then Nu-Finish.

Before I go, you have to ask yourself one question. How serious am I about my car's finish? If not serious, then you now know why they still sell Nu-Finish and you can stop reading. Your happy.

If your serious about good products, etc....start here.

http://autopia.org/

http://www.detailcity.com/

Enjoy, and Happy Trails.

 

[1sttruck]

Care about 'water beading longer than other finishes', don't care about richness or detailing or depth or such. Don't want to spend 15 hrs waxing the cars using a pre-pre-cleaner before the pre-finish application of whatever. I managed to hurridly wax all three vehicles some time last summer using Raindance, they all stay outside, it rains a lot here in the Pacific NW but doesn't get real hot often, and when I checked this morning they were all still beading except for where the road grime has coated the sides and back of the truck. Some of the new Turtle Wax products and Nu-Finish sound like they might make water bead longer. What else will ? It's hard to find that out as most 'wax' reviews go on and on about how shiny the finish looks, and the finish looks good after one month if they rinse it with double deionized water and garage it every day :^)

 

[ChrisW]

Just because a product beads water doesnt mean its protecting your paint. In my opinion, there are things that protect better than NuFinish and shine better at the same time. Klasse AIO/SG is one example that comes to mind.

I have used nufinish in the past, I wasnt impressed at all. The slightest bit of water when applying would make it hard to remove b/c it'd haze up. And once a year? Riiiiiiiiight, thats why it tells you to reapply in one month "for best results".

I will say one thing though, and this is regarads to and and all waxes/sealants etc; a clean and prepped paint surface will go a long way in making your wax application both easier and longer lasting. I would highly reccomend claying a car if it hasn't been done so in a long time; wax goes on verrrry smooth. Swirl remover/oxidation compound and polish/glaze are steps that go much faster if a car is first clayed.

 

[obbop]

NuFinish has performed well for me. I care more about protection than shine, gloss, depth or whatever terms one wants to use to describe the amount of reflected light from an auto or truck's surface.

However, after a flurry of seeking opinions from udders; reading a slew of message board posts here, thore, over at that place and numerous udder sites, I believe I will give the Blackfire All Finish Paint Protection product a try. It is a polymer/sealant vice a wax or polish and from what I read it protects well and is long lasting.

I read many good blurbs about Zaino products but I also read that some folks had some troubles with application and/or removal. I don't use an electric polisher/buffer so I want a product that is easily removed by hand.

For what it's worth, I read that the NuFinish paste lasts longer than the liquid NuFinish. I tried both but couldn't determine any difference though it IS just a subjective determination.

 

[1sttruck]

I finally found a NuFinish vs Zaino comparison on cars that aren't garaged;
http://forum.miata.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=9;t=000664

Well time has passed so here's the results. Test beds were daily drivers, not garaged, not covered, outdoor FL cars. 6 cars in total of all shades and colors (4 neighbors' and 2 mine)

NuFinish:
Application Easy on/Easy off: B+
Appearance: A-
Washing: Easy
Stains: Came out easily at first and more difficult toward the end.
Endurance: B++
Overall Rating: B+

Zaino:
Application Easy on/Easy off: C+ (based solely on the time between offs and ons)
Appearance: A-
Washing: Easy
Stains: After the first week, bird droppings seemed to go right through the stuff. Most recently tree droppings (yellow buds from Rain Tree) have left stains that washing alone will not remove.
Endurance: Except for where stained A-
Overall Rating: B+

[one product deleted]

No reapplications/touchups were made to any of these cars -- each was washed weekly or more often.

With the exception of Z's apparent absorbtion of stains it was the "BEST" shine endurance of the three but the stain issue is not good. (I duplicated that results on a non-test car to be sure I had the application correct.) If, the cars were garaged, Zaino would be my choice of the three tested. All three initial shines were "EXCELLENT." Stoners' ease of application and no waiting removal suggests it may be a product well suited for all but the most picky...it would be my choice for an outside car if refreshed monthly. NuFinish was the "hardest" and most durable of the three but did not retain the shine of the other two. The cars used had some of each product on differing panels.

 

[bretfraz]

quote:

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Originally posted by obbop:


I read many good blurbs about Zaino products but I also read that some folks had some troubles with application and/or removal. I don't use an electric polisher/buffer so I want a product that is easily removed by hand.

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Zaino is designed to be applied and removed by hand. For best results it has to be applied very thinly, like it cost $1000 per ounce. It's easier to apply a thin coat of product by hand than by machine.

Most of the complaints I've read about Zaino come from people who haven't quite mastered the application procedure. There is a steep but short learning curve to the product. Using a well-known trick or two makes usage much easier.

Zaino and NuFinish are polar opposites of the car care spectrum. Fans of one product probably would never consider using the other. I don't really think a comparo between them is fair but it is interesting, I guess.

 

[metroplex]

quote:

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th the exception of Z's apparent absorbtion of stains it was the "BEST" shine endurance of the three but the stain issue is not good. (I duplicated that results on a non-test car to be sure I had the application correct.) If, the cars were garaged, Zaino would be my choice of the three tested. All three initial shines were "EXCELLENT." Stoners' ease of application and no waiting removal suggests it may be a product well suited for all but the most picky...it would be my choice for an outside car if refreshed monthly. NuFinish was the "hardest" and most durable of the three but did not retain the shine of the other two. The cars used had some of each product on differing panels

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Thanks for posting the results, but if bird schitt went right through Zaino, then the product fails in protecting the finish in a period of 365 days.

NuFinish, in my experience, protects until the very end. Yes Bird schitt gets a tad more difficult to remove at the end but the shine and water beading is still very much present.

 

[1 FMF]

quick comment on zaino from personal experience, from having had a black '99 camaro that was a daily driver and not garaged it was my opinion that if you could claybar the stain out, then the sealant or wax was doing it's job. Some chemicals and fallout, especially bird droppings, are just outright nasty where a wash just isn't enough.
Where I park for work is near a big incinerator, and during the summer I get all the particulate from that over the car, and no matter what sealant or wax I've used the the stuff gets baked in from the sun where washing doesn't always pull it out. Usually for me it does because the car is washed *at least* once a week and bird droppings get removed within 6 hours worst case. If you're letting bird droppings sit on there for days to weeks before washing it off, I don't think anything other than maybe true teflon is going to make it not stick in and stain. With the zaino though, proper prep and application so it *cures* is key!