meguair's medallion 11 week report (still have it on my subaru)

awd330 said:

I'm also a big advocate of Medallion. I've been using it on my cars for about 10 years now with great results. I still have the detailing video tape that came packaged with my first bottle.

Previously I used #9 followed by #26, but I found the Medallion system to be much easier to buff off and more durable too.

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while I think I like the shine a little better from the medallion system, I think I like the ease of use and slickness to the touch of the zaino system better.

I've been using meguiar's and wholesale type chemicals (the kind you find at a car dealership such as P&S) for probably twice as long as you. I never subscribed to the esoteric brands, feeling it was just a way to spend a extra money. but when I defined my ultimate care care goal in one sentence, the choice was fairly clear. my goal is to keep my cars looking as new and as original as possible with the least amount of effort and the least amount of money spent. this lead me to a polymer (which medallion is) and then to zaino.

if zaino were to get a little more industrial by loosing the perfumes and making at least the car wash available in bulk at reduced prices, I'd be a permanent customer for life. I'd like them even better if they forgot about their other products and focused on paint care. and they sill wouldn't need to accept credit cards as far as I'm concerned.

well, there's:

-303 aerospace for plastic and rubber trim
-lexol cleaner and conditioner for the leather
-meguiar's endurance tire gel (standard gloss)
-meguiar's medallion paint cleaner (I use this to spot clean oly on an as needed basis)
-zaino Z5 + ZFX
-zaino Z6 quick detailer
-zaino Z7 car wash
-50% mix eimann-fabrik hi-intensity cleaner (wheel cleaner)
-50% mix meguiar's hot rims (probably going to be displaced by EF-HI)
-zaino Z18 clay bar
-stoner's glass cleaner (displaced lifter 1 due to availability)

I have the following as well but will be giving them away to a friend who just bought a new car:
-meguiars #7 show car glaze (I don't think this works under zaino plus it marks up the black mouldings)
-meguiar's medallion for all paint
-meguair's gold class car wash
-meguiar's quick detailer
-meguiars clay bar (white "overspray clay")
-rain-x (going to try aquapel instead)
-rain-x glass cleaner (not a very good glass cleaner but does renew the rain-x a little)

items that I have but will not replace when gone:
-BMW gummi-pfledge
-lifter 1 glass cleaner ( this is actually great stuff and cheaper than stoners at $1.99 per can but my local kragen no longer carries it.)

my list of things to buy:
-zaino Z2 (maybe)
-"neat items" micro fiber towels (maybe)
-aquapel

I have a 6 year old Ford Exploder (sic) that gets all the leftover products. I still have some #9 and #40 to use up on it.

Please post a review of Aquapel after you try it. I've heard good things about it, but I still have 2 bottles of Rain-X to go through.

As for microfiber, I just conducted my own mini-test a couple months ago. I didn't try the NeatItems towels but I did try Viper, NicSand, Magic, Ultimate, Max Finishing, and Big Blue Drying towels. Here's a quick rundown.

- The NicSand towels (green wax removal and yellow glass) still linted heavily after several washings. They have been assigned to household dusting.
- The Viper (green detailing and yellow glass) are decent towels now assigned to interior dash dusting.
- The Magic towels (blue) are great. The same towels are sold under the name Ultimate towel at Tacscar.com. I use these for quick detailing with Final Inspection.
- The Maximum finishing cloth is a very thin towel which is the perfect thickness for reaching the bottom of the interior back window. I use this for all my interior glass.
- The Big Blue Drying towel replaced the Absorber as my drying tool of choice. It leaves no drops or streaks.

I still use cotton terry cloths for wax removal and for buffing off dressings (leather, vinyl, tire).