Q: I know consumer reports isn't supposed to (but not to say I actually believe that) to be influenced by advertising dollars, but how many of the winners are advertisers? I haven't had a subscription in years, but at the time, CR didn't advertise just so it could say it was objective. They made their money off of subscriptions not ads.
A:
I know consumer reports isn't supposed to (but not to say I actually believe that) to be influenced by advertising dollars, but how many of the winners are advertisers?
Well, none. They don't have any advertising at all.
A:
Anyone find a good product for removing wax from the black plastic parts?
A:
Sweet. Well I stand corrected. (won't be the last time I'm sure)
Pedalpounder- peanut butter will remove the wax.
A:
Interesting that NXT came in last. I bought it based on quite a few recommendations from another thread on here. Still have yet to try it, though.
A:
I know consumer reports isn't supposed to (but not to say I actually believe that) to be influenced by advertising dollars, but how many of the winners are advertisers? I thought CR didn't have any advertising...
In any case, what the scores were for the various products is fairly meaningless without knowing how those scores were derived.
What emphasis did they give to:
- ease of use.length of protection.depth of shine.level of protection from the elements.one step "cleaner" wax versus multi-step process.etc.
Remember, some reviews out there have criticized the Elise because we didn't have enough cup holders or trunk space...
A:
Anyone find a good product for removing wax from the black plastic parts?
There's a few threads on it but Mother's Back to Black worked like a charm on mine and I had lots of residue.
A:
I am currently using the NXT wax and really like it. I am a noob though when it comes to car detailing. I can tell you that it is easy to apply, easy to take off, and makes my car look shinier than before.
Technical stuff eh?
A:
Look what I found -- this guy was writing about German cars in an Elise Talk thread (!) but it's interesting information:
From: CarcareSp@aol.com
Subject: Re: Concour and Detailing Not...
I have written several articles on detailing and am currently preparting many
more. If you would like copies of these, please let me know.
I do not recommend a silicone based product for any part of a German car.
Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against silicone. It is cheap, and most
of the products based upon it are designed for the K-Mart crowd and their
Chevy Novas. A German automobile has different vinyl than either an American
or Japanese car. The vinyl is more prone to "polymer off gassing" than
either American or Japanese cars. You appear to have only received the tire
part of the posting. I have included the complete posting for you.
The problems associated with silicone based products may be broken down into
the two catagories of usage, tires and vinyl:
1. Tires/Rubber Trim: There are two main degrading agents that attack tires.
They are UV light waves and ozone. Both of these attack the long
hydrocarbon chains of the rubber and by breaking these chemical bonds,
shorten the molecules with resulting loss of elasticity and other problems.
Tire manufacturers add two primary sacrificial protectants to the rubber.
To protect against UV, they add carbon black. This is why tires don't come
in designer colors to match your paint. The carbon black will turn white/gray
as it absorbs the UV and dissipates the energy as heat. Thus the basis of
rubber parts turning gray as they age. To protect against ozone, tire
manufacturers add a wax based sacrificial protectant. The ozone
attacks the wax and depletes it. As the tire rolls, additional wax is forced
to the surface of the tire. This is referred to as "blooming". This
blooming refreshes the surface wax protectant. A tire that has not been
flexed will have the wax depleted by the ozone and thus begin to degrade and
suffer "dry rot". The silicone oil in Armour All et Al may actually dissolve
the wax and be the cause of premature tire side wall cracking/failure. It is
rumored that some tire manufacturers will not honor warranties on failures
caused by silicone based products. I am in the process of checking with the
major tire manufacturers to determine the validity of this rumor. In
conclusion, any tire dressing should contain a UV protectant to bolster the
efforts of the carbon black and preferably not contain any silicone.
Plastics/Vinyls: The dash, door panels, seat backs, and numerous other
interior/exterior trim pieces are usually vinyl. Vinyl may be viewed as raw
semi-liquid vinyls that are held in place by a solid vinyl "skin" (this
description is for illustration only and not a PhD chemical dissertation ).
The dash and other vinyl parts of your P car are constantly bombarded by UV
that breaks down the molecules of the skin, allowing the raw vinyls to escape
(off-gassing). These vinyls then may deposit themselves on the glass,
forming a haze that is difficult to remove. If you have such a haze, it is
probably your dash that has decided to pick up stakes and migrate(back to
Germany?). Silicone based products do not usually contain UV protectants,
and the silicone may act as a magnifying glass, intensifying the UV
degradation. Silicone oil may also dissolve the essential oils in the vinyl
skin, hastening the premature formation of cracks in the vinyl skin. A
quality vinyl protectant will contain a UV protectant and essential oils to
replace lost oils from the vinyl. These protectants are expensive, so the
K-Mart specials may do more harm than good. Silicone also has very strong
electrostatic attraction which may be considered beneficial in that it will
tend to stay where it is placed, but will also attract every dust particle in
the surrounding three counties.
This list is my personal favorites. I only carry the products that I think
are the best for a Porsche. I am constantly testing new products and
retesting old ones to compare their performance. We have a committee of 10+
people including national restoration and concours experts involved in these
testing programs. Of these favorites, there are some that I personally like
better than others. I have customers who will argue against my choices and
defend their choice with equal vigor. When I am conducting work shops, I
take a tire or two and divide them into sections and use all of the following
products so people and see them side by side. Each person likes a different
look, so each chooses a different product.
Tire/Rubber(spoilers, whaletails, etc.) Care:
1. My favorite is Black Again with a top coat of Meguiar #42.
2. Black Again - is a white creamy polymer formulation the gives rubber a jet
black color and a soft patena. My only problem with BA is that it doesn't
last as long a I think it should. That is why I use the Meguiar #42 on top.
This combo seems to really last. BA will also remove the white wax residue
that you slopped on the rubber trim.
3. Meguiar #42 - is thick emulsion specifically formulated for black trim
areas and tires. Will maintain the black patena without greasy shine. Does
not restore color quite as well a Black Again.
4. Harly Tire Nu - many of the old time concour people use harlys. They love
it. It maintains rubber for long periods of time and does not turn brown.
5. Meguiar #40 - This is supposed to be for rubber and vinyl - I feel that it
works a lot better on vinyl.
6. Tony Nancy Vinyl/Rubber Care - This is a great product. Tony Nancy is a
World class restorationist (Pebble Beach Class) and judge. This is his own
brew. Does a great job on rubber. I only use it on the exterior as the
smell will kill you.
7. One Grand Exterior Rubber - This is similar to the Harly product. Lots of
people swear by it.
8.Zymol Vinyl - Better for vinyl than rubber. I think it is too much $, but
many people love it. Be aware that Zymol has hooked up with Turtle Wax Co.
to produce a new line of K-Mart crowd products with the Zymol name. I call
them Zurtle Waxes. They are crap. They come in black containers. I think
it is Turtle Wax with pina colada mix thrown in. I got pre-release samples
and tested them, hoping for a decent product at a reasonable price. Wrong!
9. Tire-Nu - This used to be a GREAT product. The original formula was made
in Japan. They now make it in California for the K-Mart crowd and it stinks.
They changed the formula to make it CHEAP. I bought up every case in the
country when they discontinued importing it. I now own 2 cans for my
personal use.
10. Formula 303 - A good product. I don't carry it because I personally
don't like the "slick" finish. I won't sell something I don't like (which is
stupid from a business point of view), but if I can't endorse something, I
won't sell it.
11. Sonax or Wurth Rubber Care Spray - These are better suited for the
rubber gaskets around doors, windows, etc. They rejeuvinate the rubber and
help maintain the seal. Should be used twice a year.
12. Sonax PVC Maintenance Spray - A good product that is better for the hard
rubber of spoilers and whaletails. Leaves a little more shine to the surface
than I care for, but many people swear by it. Lasts a long time.
Interior Vinyl:
1. My personal favorite is Lexol Vinyex Spray. This in my humble opinion
has it all. A very strong UV protectant, essential oils, anti-static (helps
keep dust off) and a soft patena finish.
2. Harly Polyguard - This used to be my favorite, till I lost my heart to
Vinylex. Leaves a touch more shine to the finish than Vinylex.
3. Somethin' Else - This is the sister to Black Again. Has all the right
ingredients and people who love it are died in the wool. I prefer the
Vinylex, but that only a subjective opinion. It leaves a "new car" smell.
4. Harly Interior Magic - An old standby that leaves a lemon scent. Some
people love it. I don't think a car should smell like lemons, but that's my
opinion and I could be wrong.
4. Zymol Vinyl - Another tropical oil product. Leaves a pina colada smell.
Die hards will defend this product to the death. I just think it is to Much
$. See warning in tire section.
5. Meguiar #40 - A great product that cleans and protects. Does not leave a
slippery finish.
6. meguiar #39 - A very strong cleaner. This should be used carefully and
very infrequently. It will clean just about anything out of vinyl. Must be
followed by #40. A great cleaner for plastic Targa tops.
7. Tony Nancy - I don't recommend use on the inside. The smell is a bit much
for me. Some people do and swear by it.
8. Sonax Cockpit Spray - This is a German product that is designed for German
vinyl. Does a great job, but leaves a little more shine to the surface than
I care for. There are a gagle of users who love it.
9. Wurth Cockpit Spray - ditto above. Wurth people don't like Sonax and vice
versa.
10. Formula 303 - This leaves an Armour All type of high gloss shine to the
vinyl. I personally don't like this type of finish. Some people do, so feel
comfortable using it as it is a very good product.
Larry Reynolds
Car Care Specialties, Inc.
Distributors of Quality Porsche Care Products
Post Office Box 535
Saddle Brook, NJ 07663-0535
Phone (201) 796-8300
Fax (201) 791-9743
E-mail carcaresp@aol.com
Old enough to remember when sex was safe and race cars were dangerous
A:
Pedalpounder- peanut butter will remove the wax.
?? ??
Ok... if you say so. I'll try but I have serious doubts!
A:
The peanut butter DEFINITELY works. I highly recommend creamy so you do not scratch anything =)
A:
Yep, it sure did work. I'm astonished
It feels like herbal remedies for my car haha Plus, it leaves a nice fresh scent.
A:
I disagree with Consumer Reports. I just went down and put a coat of Meguiar's Show Car Glaze and then a coat of NXT liquid wax on my car, and I think it looks fantastic. I've used this on my MR-2 and my 350Z as well. I do think it worked better on my silver and dark silver cars. The yellow is definitely more reflective but it doesn't seem to have a deep/rich effect...but I think it might be the flourescent lighting. I have to look at it in natural sunlight tomorrow. My car is Solar Yellow, it has a lot of metalflake in it but it looks like a banana yellow in the flourescent light. I'm hoping the effect will be more stunning in normal lighting.
A:
for all of your wonderful comments. Also remember, Clearplex's state of the art exterior window film by Madico will also protect the interior of your car with it's absorbing UVA and UVB properties as well as protecting your glass from breaking.
Take care everyone,
mr t
P.S.
Tim, If you go to a library you can read the complete report with the different comments about each product.
A:
Anyone find a good product for removing wax from the black plastic parts?
Painted mine black a couple years back. No more hassles every few weeks. Some waxes don't stain..such as P21S / S100.
A:
I haven't had a subscription in years, but at the time, CR didn't advertise just so it could say it was objective. They made their money off of subscriptions not ads.
Not only that, but they also buy all the products at retail to avoid getting "special" review versions. I think their are serious issues with their results sometimes, but objectivity isn't one of them...
A:
Painted mine black a couple years back. No more hassles every few weeks. Some waxes don't stain..such as P21S / S100.
What's the service cost for getting them painted black? I've heard and have thought about doing this and am tempted to get it done. Thanks
Back on topic, I finally used Rejex last week and love it. Cleaning the car is so easy now! I am curious to know the similarities and differences between Rejex and Zaino (I've never used Zaino).
A:
Ehhh... back off the topic for a minute. I took all of the plastic grillwork off to paint it (except on the rear deck louvers--can't figure out the adhesive). Most of stuff I've tried won't adhere properly--including plastic primer. As a 'what-the-hell', I sprayed on some Plasti-Kote Bumper Color.... Well, sometimes luck is better that talent. It looks fantastic--much better than new. And it's lasted for months now. Got it a Triangle Auto Parts. Good luck.
P.S. the white eraser block works great--don't use a pencil-end eraser.
A:
Anyone find a good product for removing wax from the black plastic parts?
You could use a wax that doesn't stain...like P21S / S100. Better yet, paint the grills.
A:
Funny that this thread should resurface, because I just pulled out my Consumer Reports in hopes of going and getting some new wax.
BUT, I'm actually a little unsure of what I should buy!?! Any of the so called "durable" waxes are actually degrading to your paint over time, but none of the sprays (which supposedly are what you should use on the new cars, per CR) last very long. What to do? I've been using Zymol cleaner wax fairly often (every few months) on my '00 Eclipse, but I guess that is a no-no.
I keep my Lotus in the garage, so it doesn't need waxing often, while the Eclipse stays outside all the time, so I feel it needs extra protection. I'm not into using the designer stuff that requires multiple steps, I just want a shine with protection that is helpful and not harmful over time. Any suggestions?