Detailing top products.

There are many members that jump on the detail threads asking what are the best products for this or that. I figured I’d start with my top 6 products. All these products were recommended here and they are all exceptional. These are not the only products I use but they are the ones that really stand on their own. I want to thank a few members because with the knowledge they have shared and experiences with so many products out there they have given all of us a shortcut to use the best.

big props
@War Machine @Pudge @briarpatch @Ckatz53

Here we go my top 6 in order from left to right.



1. Griots 3-1. This product is unbelievable and the fact you can run down to the autoparts store and get it sets it apart from everything else. It is a spray on sealant that is super easy to use and lasts a long time. Anyone that wants great protection for their truck this should be your go to.

2. Cerakote trim kit. Had to kick SS trim shield to the side for this one. It is outstanding as long as you apply it the right way.

3. Gyeon tire express. Not much to say it just works and the finish is perfect.

4.bug off by shine supply. Hands down the best bug cleaner I’ve ever touched.

5. CarPro ironx decontamination spray. This stuff stinks but man it works. @briarpatch said it best “it’s the gold standard of decon”

6. spiked punch ceramic waterless wash. Great for in between wipe downs while adding to the protection of ceramic finishes.

 

I like The Chemical Guys. Their stuff is awesome. Never used any of those mentioned above. For bugs and road tar, using a pressure washer with a foam cannon attachment and letting it sit for a few minutes makes wiping bugs and tar off a breeze even with regular maintenance shampoo.

 

All the products listed by me are far above anything chemical guys produces. I don’t want to be discouraging but I stay away from all cg products. For the exception of a wash bucket I have of theirs. If your a fan of cg and it works for you then great have at it but please Do your self a favor and don’t spend $40 on....

 

Chemical Guys V07 optical sealant is fantastic! I use it to dry wash all the time, as well as, after a normal wash to create a barrier. It holds up well, easy to apply/use.

Chemical Guys Leather cleaner and conditioner (sold together, but 2 different products) has that platinum leather soft and rich

Armor All Extreme tire shine gel gives a LONG lasting wet look

 

Why the Griots 3-in-1 over Beadmaker? I haven't tried the Griots but love me some beadmaker

 

Haven't heard the best on the ceramic coating stuff, that's for sure. I like their car washes, butter wax and interior cleaners. I have their bug remover but haven't needed it as their basic washes seem to do great getting the bug guts off. I have had good luck with their tire shine also. Use it on trim, interior surfaces, and even bed cover, and seems to last without streaking in the rain or driving through puddles. Others report mixed feelings on their tire shine streaking, I haven't had that issue.

 

Chemical Guys can be pricey if you buy the little units. I get a GALLON of the V07 for $44 (I guess it went up to 47 now

 

A lot of their stuff has increased in price on Amazon since this whole COVID thing. I bought a half gallon of wax for 23 that now is running 40 and has since COVID.

 

Beadmaker probably wins on overall shine but as far as durability 3-1 is much better. Don’t get me wrong if your the type that likes the process of regular cleaning beadmaker is a great topcoat.

 

Well, 90% beadmaker that doesn't have to be re-done all the time has a very definite appeal - lol.

I like a clean truck but with two young kids and a full-time job, less is more.

What would the difference in durability be? Are we talking quick spray down cleans for a month or more or is it marginal? The slickness of beadmaker is just... nice though. I'd like to know how they compare but I don't suppose you could do that without panel tests on the same truck and I'm not that nuts.

 

I’m gonna throw this to @War Machine he has the most experience with 3-1. I know that he has a truck that has had a coat of 3-1 for 4 months and it is still preforming well. In my experience beadmaker starts to fail in a few weeks but my vehicles are outside all the time so that will be a factor. It is slick as hell.

 

The difference in durability is extreme. With Beadmaker, results varied, but we all generally agree that it at least starts degrading within a few weeks. Still protects, but it drops off pretty quickly.

I am dead on 4 months since I applied Griots 3-in-1 to my daughter’s Tundra. It hasn’t degraded really at all. It’s still repelling water just as well as it did on day one. Even the more expensive, longer lasting sealants I’ve used show a gradual reduction in performance within a couple of months. I can’t tell that this has at all.

Griots leaves a great finish behind. Not quite as good as Beadmaker, but it’s reasonably close. The slickness, however, isn’t close. Griots just doesn’t have that feel that Beadmaker does. (Nothing does.) Does that slickness translate into better performance? I’m not convinced it does, but I’d like to hear a few more opinions from members who’ve used both.

I am a huge fan of both of them. Both are reasonably priced. Bottles are pretty much the same per ounce. Per gallon price of Beadmaker is significantly less, but you use a hell of a lot more product.

It’s hard to quantify the differences in writing. A bottle of Griots can be had at a local auto parts store, and it’s only 20 bucks. Best recommendation I can give is to try a bottle on either your truck or another vehicle so you can see for yourself. As always, my opinions are just my own, not definitive.

More in depth discussion on each product can be found on these threads:

https://www.tundras.com/threads/p-s-beadmaker-review.31713/

https://www.tundras.com/threads/griot’s-3-in-1-ceramic-wax-review.69090/






*WarMachineCo Worldwide is in no way affiliated with nor endorsed by P&S Sales, inc or Griots Garage. No compensation has been received for these comments. MGM sucks.

 

Ok, I'll have to give it a shot. You've sold me...

Thanks for the replies

 

I tried the new turtle wax hybrid solutions line this past weekend and im impressed with the ease of use and from what I think great protection. Did the wash, wet wax and then ceramic spray coating. Truck looks great, i dont think i have ever seen water just shed right off of something like that before. Once I use up my other stuff that will be my go to from now on.

 

This is spot on. I buy Bead Maker by the gallon, and I've not found anything that matches it for gloss and slickness. I wash my truck every three weeks, and that's about as long as the Bead Maker lasts.

I just picked up Griots 3 in 1, but have family members who use it and have gotten as much as 6 months from a single application....on paint that was not properly prepped, mind you. The only issue I've heard, and it's infrequent, is with streaking. Under the right conditions and properly applied, you'll not have this problem.

 

I am in a similar boat as jpod and need quick and effective products.
These two products are hands down some of the best products I personally used. My Tundra is ceramic coated which makes exterior maintenance super easy. The ECH2O is very versatile as a wash less wash, a rinseless wash, clay lubricant, and quick detailer. I love the stuff and it can easily be used in direct sunlight. And the 303 lasts very long on all the trim and tires. I am sure there are better products on the market but having extra time is not in the cards for me.

 

Both those products are great. I love everything CarPro I use that product the same way.

 

^^^^what he said

 

I love Ech20 as well, but feel like it is a little tougher to wipe off, especially when it’s hot out. It has SiO2 in it, which I believe is the reason for it. Not to knock it at all. It’s a fantastic product.

I prefer ONR, Opti-Clean, or Eco-Shine. They just seem to wipe off a little easier. Those other three claim to have protectants built in also, but it’s either not SiO2, or just a lot less of it. For instance, the ONR “Wash and Wax” version isn’t nearly as good to me. I think the added protection just makes it slightly less easy, and I don’t need it anyway.

DISCLAIMER: This is 100% splitting hairs. Ech20 isn’t remotely difficult to use, is extremely versatile, and does a fantastic job. I used it for years before switching to the others. Once I tried the other ones, the VERY slight difference moved me away from it. They’re all damned near equal, though Opti-Clean is more for use with a spray bottle. I have a good bit of all four in the cabinet.

I haven’t done a price comparison, which would be helpful here.

For someone who isn’t going to spend much time applying wax or sealant, I’d recommend ech20. The little bit of SiO2 would be more of a benefit in that case.

 

War Machine I don’t think you are splitting hairs...it does take a little time buffing with the rinseless or waterless methods. Once it drys it buffs out an incredible shine. But usually I only spend about 45 minutes top to bottom.

 

Did a price comparison on the three rinseless wash options I use based on gallon price. (No discounts or sales factored in.)

Shine Supply Eco Shine: 41 cents per ounce. Recommended dilution: 2oz per five gallons.
Carpro Ech20: 59 cents per ounce. Recommended dilution: 2oz per 3 gallons.
Optimum No Rinse: 35 cents per ounce. Recommended dilution: 1oz per 2 gallons.

So I came up with these prices to make a five gallon bucket of each:

Eco Shine: 82 cents
Ech20: $2.00
Optimum No Rinse: 88 cents.

Somebody check that though. I’m awful at math.

 

So I've posted in the other detailing thread before about my bad experience with the hydroslick (I see it being shit on again here, that hurts the still open wound), I have a couple questions about the 3-1 that might be better suited here

Typically I just wash my truck at the wand wash and hit the highway to blow off all the water, I'll give it a hand wash usually 4 times a year to get the grime off the wand wash cant remove. Is the 3-1 supposed to just be sprayed on and wiped off after washing? I see you guys referencing it as a drying aid so just trying to clarify where it's intended to be used. Only worry I have about using it is there is still that small base layer of grime I'd be wiping around once I spray it on. Is that not a cause for concern being the spray is a sort of medium to pick up that grime? It's definitely nice having the voodoo as it barely looks dirty even when dirty, but I don't even like seeing water spots on the hood so I'm kind of picky even having minimal cleaning knowledge

 

The vehicle needs to be clean before applying. Give it a good wash, then spray it on and wipe it off. I haven’t used it as a drying aid, but it should work in that capacity on a clean vehicle. I don’t know how it would do if the truck wasn’t completely clean, but I don’t think I’d recommend it. This stuff cures pretty hard, so I would think it would make a mess.
This isn’t a detail spray. There aren’t any cleaning agents in it. I’m looking into making a detail spray out of it, but haven’t nailed it down yet.

 

Coating- Tac systems Moonlight, topper for the Moonlight gyeon Wetcoat. Killer combo for me. Moonlight does your trim and wheels as well. I have tried the Griots 3-1 and it’s a great product as well. So many good products nowadays. But check out Tac Systems products. COVID stuff has been tough to order from them though

 

So by clean, you mean that tiny layer of grime should be removed whether it's by hand wash or some other method, correct? If so, would I be better to use a detail spray after wand washing to lose that layer, then hit it with 3-1,or would something like a waterless wash wipe down after wand wash be better to use prior to the 3-1?

 

Here's my top 6:

1. Shine Supply - Wise Guy - https://shinesupply.com/collections/wheel-tire-care/products/wise-guy-gallon
2. Waxaddict - Feeder Tyre Conditioner - https://www.waxaddict.co.uk/shop/Feeder-Tyre-Conditioner-Original-p69766208
3. Shine Supply - Spiked Punch - https://shinesupply.com/collections/soap-waterless-wash/products/spiked-punch-gallon
4. CarPro - Clarify - https://www.carpro-us.com/latest-arrivals/carpro-clarify-glass-cleaner-1000ml-34oz/
5. CarPro - Iron X - https://www.carpro-us.com/deep-cleanse/carpro-iron-x-gallon/
6. CarPro - Reset - https://www.carpro-us.com/wash/carpro-reset-car-wash-1-liter-34oz/

 

All awesome examples of great products worthy of a top product post.

 

For your fist application of 3-1 I would

1. wash
2. Decon with ironx
3. Claybar with speed shine or similar product
4. Polish if need be
5. Finish with griots 3-1

they recommend a second coat which I have never done so that one is up to you. This is what I call a lite coating but I still keep the vehicle dry for 12-24 hrs after finishing to let the product cure.

After that you can use as drying aid and topcoat as necessary.

 

The surface must be clean, and ideally, contaminant free, prior to using the 3 in 1. How you get it in that state is up to you. In your case, I'd consider applying a 2nd coat after allowing the original coat to cure.

 

10-4 fellas. Clean decontaminated truck prior to applying. Perhaps this was my issue with the hydroslick as well, likely looks like it's just a garbage product though