To clay bar or not?

Don't mean to jack your thread, OP. Just thought you'd like to see results. My initial impression after applying the Collinite over the Megs21 was... Hmmm. I hope I didn't ruin that nice finish I had two hours ago. It was fairly anticlimactic. But it's in the garage and the lighting was really dim when I was done. I liked the surface feel better before. Smoother. Yup, like silk. But It's also humid in the garage right now. Fingers crossed for a nice cure and shine when I get it outside tomorrow. Will report back.

 

I can't say for sure on the differences between acrylic vs polymers. The Klasse was supposed to have "elasticity" to it. And you could stack it, hence the 6 layers. One thing I can say for sure after running this recipe for 4 years, I had no rock chips on my hood. Not one. I believe this was due to the layers of Klasse I had on the truck.

 

So when it's time to do it again (say, six months later), do you do the all in one (stripping the remaining sealant) and then layer the sealant glaze again? Or do you just add an additional layer of sealant glaze?

What I'm getting at is... If you use the all in one again and don't get down to a virgin surface (because of the six layers of sealant glaze), then you essentially have the all in one on top of the sealant (wrong order). And then you add more sealant. So, All in one will ultimately be sandwiched between layers of sealant. Maybe with the nature of these two products (same company) that doesn't matter. Or maybe the all in one has no problem removing all of the six layers of sealant present.

Just curious about your process. Thanks for sharing.

 

So the Megs 21 isn't a wax then hey? I have the NXT wax and it works wonderfully well. Craps expensive but well worth the cost. I'm curious as to this 21 you're talking about though. Having read the rest of the thread it's merely a paint sealer to which you have to wax over? Correct? Now I'm wondering what the difference between a sealer and wax is, with regard to paint protection.

 

this is all new to me as well. But i read about it on megs website and it says it offers strong long term protection, hides any scratches well, and is shiny. Sounds good to me.

 

I'll come back a little later tonight and respond to this one.

 

megs21... it's awesome stuff- you won't regret it! no need to wax over the top of it.

 

NXT is also a sealant, not a wax. As far as paint protection goes, sealants last longer than wax. I like to top my sealant with a carnauba wax, it adds extra "pop" IMO.

 

No wonder I've been under impressed with the Turtle wax I bought recently compared to the NXT.
So what you're saying is wash this bitch with dawn to strip it. NXT it. Then Turtle wax it for ultimate

 

Which wax are you using from Turtle Wax?

 

Apologies if I'm repeating something someone already addressed... SEALANTS are synthetic polymers (for the most part) and contain no wax (but they do offer tremendous shine and protection). Traditional WAXES generally have a natural wax component to them (carnauba, primarily). Sealants are relatively new on the scene and offer much longer protection than traditional waxes (up to a year as opposed to "weeks"). Sealants appear to be taking the place of waxes in a majority of applications, primarily due to longevity and ease of application and removal.

The meg21 was super easy to apply and remove. But the shine is different- sealants have more of a candy-coat type shine that reminds me of a brand new car. Waxes tend to bring out deeper colors and have more of a deep glow than a shine. The difference is subtle but present. It is not necessary to apply sealer and then a wax. Some people add a top coat of wax to get the best of both worlds (and an additional layer of protection). If you do this, you need to be certain that you're using a 100% wax product with no cleaning component or you'll simply be removing your sealer.

I applied Meg21 then collinite wax, but I regret applying the wax top coat. It took away from the shine and it's not as smooth/static free as it was with just the sealer alone. Dust just blew right off the sealer and bugs sprayed off with water (and very minimal scrubbing). As far as practical use goes, the wax top coat is not necessary, but if you think you want some on top, go for it. I won't be going that route again.

Something to note: the NXT is labeled as a wax, but I believe it's a sealer. In fact, most "waxes" now sold at most stores have a sealant component to them even though they're being marketed as "waxes". My guess would be that companies do this because people are familiar with "waxes" but not sealers. It helps them sell the products and they know that 9 out if 10 people would likely be happier with results of a sealer anyway.

I'm not sure if I talked about my Meg21 results in this thread or not, but it blew my mind. Just did my dads black maxima with two coats over the weekend and it looks amazing. On my Tacoma it hid a majority of the swirls with two coats. And it even removed (hid) a two foot long scratch on the hood. All the scratches under the door handles are gone. I was a traditional wax guy for years but I'm now sold on sealers. I don't know if they all work as well as the meguires. But that's my new go-to. It's expensive at ~$25 a bottle. But that bottle could do my truck 10 times, maybe more. It goes on thin.

Happy to answer any more questions if you have any.

 

By the way- I got all this info here on TW (also some from AutoGeek.com, great how-to's and additional info/reviews). So, thanks guys!

You'll notice that everyone has their favorite sealers. I think there are a bunch of good ones out there. I Drove myself mad reading reviews and trying to choose one. Ended up just buying the only one I could find locally.

 

you give such thorough answers. Im impressed. I hope i can find megs 21 locally between napa and advance auto. If not ill just get it online.

 

Not to disappoint, but Napa and advance didn't have it here. I found it at Car Quest. Not sure if I mentioned this in this thread yet, but the #21 Synthetic Sealant 2.0 is in Meg's "Mirror Glaze" line of products (of which there are like 50 products, all numbered). Some stores carry the line but likely won't carry all of the products. It seemed to be hit or miss. You might have to go the online route.

I haven't used this product (link below), but it sounds similar to the #21... It is Meguires #20 and it differs in that it has mild cleaning properties (#21 does NOT have cleaning properties). If a vehicle's paint is in pretty good shape and you wash/clay very well before application, I wouldn't think you'd need cleaning properties, but you might want to consider it depending on your vehicle.

Oh, and I'll also mention- an argument for NOT top coating with wax. If you feel like you want to add another coat of #21 a few months down the road and you top coated with wax, you can't be totally sure if all the wax is gone. If wax remains on the surface, the sealant isn't going to do much. The sealant needs to bond directly with the paint. To do it right, if you top coated with wax, I think you'd want to strip it again and start fresh. Personally, I decided it'd be easier to just know that I'm putting sealer on sealer and not have to strip it first. The sealant layers really well. It did for me, anyway. Big difference between one and two coats. Give it 12-24 hours between coats. I can hardly wait to try three coats. If you look at it and say "wow" after a couple coats of #21, I'd skip the wax. I'm now waiting for the wax to wear off so I can add more sealer and get the shine back! I suppose it's possible that the Collinite even removed some sealer, as I think it contained a solvent of some kind. Not sure about that, but it sure smelled like it.

 

My second choice, based on my many hours of research and reviews, would have been either Klasse AIO or Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze. I was trying to keep it under $25. It sounds like there are some other great products out there, but I couldnt justify spending $50 bucks on a bottle of sealant. The Klasses' are acrylic based and have been around for decades. I couldn't find much info regarding the acrylics, but tons of info on the polymers.

I'll try the Klasse at some point. Here are the links...

 

[/QUOTE]
Would you walk us through your process for washing the engine compartment and undercarriage?

 

I just saw that you already used a cleaner wax... I'd definitely choose the 21 over the 20 if I were you.

 

That was a fantastic answer. Thank-you!. I might see if I can find the Megs 21 locally. I can find the NXT easily enough, but not on sale it's $32 Canadian. Not cheap.

Although looking now, it's been discontinued and replaced with this.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/meguiar-39-s-ultimate-liquid-wax-0392732p.html#.Vae9C4Co-M8

 

That Turtle Wax is another sealant... BTW, Megs 21 and NXT are pretty much the exact same. Only difference is that 21 is formulated to work with a rotary and it's part of their "professional" line. If you already have a bottle of NXT, don't bother buying another bottle of 21. Honestly, I would save my money and go for something a little more higher end.

On the subject of topping a sealant with carnauba, it's all personal preference. It adds a different shine, depending on what products you use. Plus, nothing beats the shine of a good quality carnauba. If I ever feel the need to add another coat of sealant or wax down the line, I just strip everything and start fresh again. I'd rather put on fresh coats than layer over old coats. plus, I enjoy detailing my truck so it's no big deal to me.

 

Even higher end still? Damn. (As for that one being a sealant, compared to the NXT I'm not as impressed by it. I even had a 10 amp Sander/Polisher (Obviously with the polish pad) to buff it up all nice and pretty. Doesn't bead water nearly as nicely.