Car Detailing - What products are your go to?

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by fordomatic

So I enjoy refirbishing AU steering wheels, I mainly just do Momo wheels, but when i can pickup an XR wheel for $50 I grab them. So I got this one and thought the leather had gone rotten, turns out what I thought was rotten leather, was just filth. The filth was over the whole wheel and took me around 30 minutes with Colourlock strong leather cleaner and a brush to get it off. It also had wheel slip, I fix that by using Loctite 401 and an 18 guage needle. Inject about .5ml every 1.5cm along where it slips. I'll upload the finished product of this wheel once I re-dye it.

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I'm both disgusted and impressed! That thing was filthy, I'm surprised it came up so well. As my father would say, the dirt helped protect it.

[fordomatic]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I'm both disgusted and impressed! That thing was filthy, I'm surprised it came up so well. As my father would say, the dirt helped protect it.

It was so gross, it was really greasy as well, so guessing a mechanics car.

[fordomatic]

End result, not perfect, but for $40 i'm not complaining.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by fordomatic

End result, not perfect, but for $40 i'm not complaining.

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Looks brand new!

[DFB FGXR6]

Meguiar’s were, and still are, slow to the “ceramic” market. In fact, the brand took until 2018/2019 to introduce Si02 infused “ceramic” products to the range in the form of Hybrid Ceramic Wax (spray and liquid forms) and Hybrid Ceramic Detailer. More recently, Ultra Ceramic Coating joined the range, basically a Carpro Reload competitor. Earlier this year, Meguiar’s launched a true ceramic coating, however M888 is a pro coating that is virtually unknown and has yet to land in Australia………………..I doubt it ever will.

But it’s the Hybrid Ceramic Detailer that I want to highlight. From the outset, despite what the name would imply, this is NOT a ceramic coating, it’s a quick detailer with Si02 added to deliver additional gloss, slickness and water beading properties.

https://www.meguiars.com.au/product/...amic-detailer/



Meguiar’s market this product as having cleaning ability, saying that it can “remove light contaminants and dust to maintain that and just washed and appearance”. To me, that sounds like a recipe for micro marring. No, Hybrid Ceramic Detailer is best used as a drying aid or topper to maintain existing protection, be that a wax, sealant or ceramic coating. Having said that, HCD on its own can provide some decent short-term protection and water beading.



There is no shortage of “ceramic” quick detailers on the market, but the user experience can vary widely between the brands and the individual product itself. For example, Gyeon Ceramic Detailer can be hit and miss for me, sometimes it goes on clean, other times it turns streaky and is a bugger to work with. Carpro EliXir is brilliant on Carpro ceramic coatings but can be a diva on other LSP’s.

What sets Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Detailer apart from the competition is the extreme ease of use. Wet surface, dry surface, hot, humid, cold, apply it heavily, apply it sparingly …………………it doesn’t seem to matter with HCD, the end result is the same.

I typically use Hybrid Ceramic Detailer as a drying aid to top existing Gyeon coatings. To apply, I add a few sprays per panel and work it in with a medium TRC Gauntlet and a small TRC Platinum Pluffle. The initial wipes spread the product, the secondary towel clears up any that hasn’t flashed away. The finished result is a glossy and slick finish that is so stupidly easy to achieve.







There are only two things I would mark HCD down for. While this subjective, I just wish it didn’t smell like a quick detailer from 1998. The second being the price. At full retail, a 769ml bottle of Hybrid Ceramic Detailer sells for between $46.99 to $51.99. A 1000ml bottle of Carpro EliXir is $39.95, 1000ml of Gyeon Quick Detailer (which has wax in it) costs $32.99. At $46.99, HCD is not excessively expensive, but the fact Meguiar’s is almost always on sale at least one of the big box retailers, I would say shop around. At the time of writing, Supercheap have it on sale for $38.99. I would dare say that if Meguiar's set the price at lower permanent price, they would probably sell a lot more of it.



While it won’t outshine or out-gloss something like Bead Maker, nor will it deliver outstanding longevity like a spray sealant, but it’s far easier to work with and doesn’t need excessive towel work to deliver a clear finish. Overall, Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Detailer is a product that doesn’t seem to get much love, which is a same as it’s truly an excellent product.

[bangm001]

Thanks again DFB, i wasn't too keen to say I used the meguires "ceramic" stuff above here, given i havn't tried most of the other more premium detailing items mentioned in this amazing thread. But i have been using it every couple months on my cars for a couple years now with great ease and success, there is also the blue meguiars hybrid ceramic wax which is also really easy to apply. They both don't last long but give a nice beading effect and shine in between proper polish/waxes for me.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by bangm001

Thanks again DFB, i wasn't too keen to say I used the meguires "ceramic" stuff above here, given i havn't tried most of the other more premium detailing items mentioned in this amazing thread. But i have been using it every couple months on my cars for a couple years now with great ease and success, there is also the blue meguiars hybrid ceramic wax which is also really easy to apply. They both don't last long but give a nice beading effect and shine in between proper polish/waxes for me.

I'm not ashamed to say that I am a brand snob. But credit where credit is due because HCD is a fantastic product.

I'm also not afraid to say that I use and like a selection of Meguiar's products. While I have issues with how the brand is managed in Australia, and the excess of overlapping product lines, there are some gems hiding within the range. As long as it's available, Hyper Dressing will be in my cabinet. Quick Interior Detailer (the retail version, the gallon format smells weird) is another excellent product that probably gets overlooked. I also really like Last Touch quick detailer, and Hyper Wash is absolutely fantastic. If they still made M39 I'd be buying that too, I'm down to rations now.

Apparently, the brand went downhill when the Meguiar's family sold out to 3M, they then lost a lot of good people in the late 2010's. However, some of those have started to return, so here's hoping the brand can start to capture a new audience.

[DFB FGXR6]

A small order containing two brand new products from Gyeon.



I needed another tyre dressing like a hole in the head, but I needed something to make the shipping. Pneu represents my first Swissvax product.



But onto the Gyeon products, of which Eco Wash interests me the most. This is Gyeon's first attempt at a rinse-less and water-less wash. Like all rinse-less wash products, this is used at a 256:1 dilution, while it can be used at 15:1 for waterless wash, or 20:1 for a drying aid/quick detailer. Sounds very familiar to Carpro ECH20. And like ECH20, Eco Wash smells amazing. From what I have heard, this is a benchmark product in terms of slickness and user experience.



Next, Total Remover. This is an interesting proposition, a product that can remove old waxes, sealants and even ceramic coatings in a simple spray and wipe action. It would appear this product is considerably more capable than an IPA type product such as Gyeon's own Prep or Carpro Eraser, and is said to be safe on paint, glass and plastic.



A quick sniff test had me wondering what was at play here. Certainly not an IPA type aroma, or that pungency of a high alkaline product. No, my instinct said acid......................................



Bingo!

In fact, it smelt very similar to Gyeon's water-spot remover, which had me wondering.......................



So, Total Remover is a strong acidic product, measurably more so than the water-spot remover. Both products would be a use with caution type of deal.