Ok, enough talk about the product itself. Has anybody been able to use it yet? If so, lets hear what you think of it.

I just recently switched from Meguiars Professional line of products (for now anyway) to Four Stars UPC / UPP synthetic products. I've been very impressed with the gloss and depth of shine I've gotten on the wife's SUV, and the durability of the UPP product seems quite a bit better than the Meguiar's products I've been using. Please don't interpret this as a slam on Meguiar's products, I still think they're top notch.

All I want to know now is will I find myself needing to consider a switch to Meguiar's NXT products real soon.

Anyone.................

-Mike-

 

BigDeal,

First, I told ya you would like UPP!

I finally got to try some of the NXT yesterday. My buddy picked some up, and wanted to test it against UPP, and Poorboy's EX on his dark blue Grand Cheeroke.

Anyhow, using his rotary, I removed all the swirls in his hood with 2 passes of DACP, and one pass with SSR1. I also made one pass over his tailgate with SSR1 (we are only testing on the hood and tailgate for now).

Then, we applied UPP to half the hood, and NXT to the other. We also applied EX to half the tailgate, and NXT to the other half.

Now that I've seen the NXT in person, I can make some general comments.

The NXT, UPP, an EX all apply and remove very easy. The NXT, and UPP apply a tad easier than the EX, while the EX removes a tad easier than NXT or UPP. Again, all of them apply and remove easy, and I'm splitting hairs to find a difference.

Initally, the NXT isn't quite as slick as UPP, but slicker than EX. I've heard that the NXT gets slicker when it cures, so that may be different today.

Now for the big one.............. The NXT looks very similar to both UPP & EX. It is a tad "darker" than UPP......... closer to EX in darkness. It is "wetter" than EX......... closer to UPP in wetness. Again, all 3 had great shines, and looked very good. To show you that the old saying..... "its' all personal preference" is true, my buddy prefered the UPP, while I prefered the NXT and EX.

Today, and tomorrow, my buddy is going to apply another light coat of all three products to their respective areas, as we are also trying to compare the durability, and see how they look when layered.

It's still early in the testing phase. However, if what I've seen so far remains consistent, I would say that all three products are fairly even. If I was a person that "didn't" like to experiment, and I had UPP, or EX, I probably wouldn't buy NXT. If I had NXT, I wouldn't buy UPP or EX.

Of course, keep in mind that this is only a small test, and was only done on one color. Other colors may react differently.

Hope this helps!

 

If I could get a string of about two or three days where it appeared that it was going to be half way decent from a weather perspective, I'd be using it... Unfortunately, I haven't had that situation for well over a month now.

Winter sucks...

I assure you that once I use it, I'll post some honest opinions. So far, I'm not sure I've read much 'negative' on it though...



RP

 

Yep, if my buddy didn't have a garage, we would still be waiting to test.

Anyhow, I think you will like the stuff RP! There have been some negative posts on one particular site............ however, these "certain" people are know for starting trouble. I ignore them, and come to my own conclusions.

 

Man, thanks for the information Boss. Just to clarify too, I'm not looking for negatives on NXT, but rather comparative impressions from folks like you when it is compared to other similar products. Just trying to determine if I'm going to need to do an 'experiment' for myself.

Didn't you also mention one time that your layered EX over UPP to get more depth? I'm wondering how much of an effect that would have on my Arizona Beige. Also, I've been wanting to try the SSR products for a while. Would you recommend them or something else for use under UPP?

Thanks again for your comments.

-Mike-

 

 

Thanks for the suggestion, but I've been a member of DetailCity for a while now and a frequent their forums all the time. The only reason for posting this here was that I know some of these members a little better and knew that several of them had already purchased NXT. Just wanted to get their feedback on it.

-Mike-

 

BigDeal,

You're welcome! As for layering EX over UPP, yes, I did so last year. However, I don't know if layering EX over UPP would help the depth of Arizona Beige much. If I were you, I might consider trying P21S/S100 over a few coats of the UPP. The P21S is a little expensive, so, if you can find the S100 at a local motorcycle shop, you can save yourself around $10 a jar............ and it's the same stuff, and is really great stuff.

You can use any polish you want before the UPP, provided that you use the Platinum/4 Star Ultimate paint cleaner, or Klasse AIO just prior to the UPP. That way, you will insure good bonding. However, I got to try Poorboy's Pro Polish last year, and put UPP right over it, and it seemed to work really well. The Pro Polish is a water based product with no waxes or silicones, so the UPP didn't seem to have any problems bonding. It is a watery product that takes a little getting used to, but once you should like it alot. It is also great on chrome, metal, winshields and even plastic lenses! If you have some swirls you could use Poorboy's SSR1, then the Pro Polish, then UPP. Or, you could use your #9, then 4 Star's Ultimate cleaner, or AIO, then UPP.

One last thing, if you do have the Platinum/4 Star cleaner, try using it with your PC and a finishing pad............. it works great that way, and really makes a nice surface for the UPP. I've found that using Platinums complete set of products........ the wash, cleaner, UPP, and QD, really seems to give maximum results. I came to find out that the cleaner, and QD both contain a tiny amount of the same polymer that is in UPP.

Keep in mind that everthing I said here goes equally well for NXT. As a matter of fact, people are using all kinds of combos. Some people are even using NXT right over an oily product like #9, #7, and #81. Seem to be a versatile product. Still, I think people might be sacrificing a little (or lot) of durability by mixing those type products.

OK, I said quite a lot there, so let me summarize. If you going for maximum "POP" using Platinum's stuff...........

Wash with Platinum wash
Polish with any good polish
Clean surface with Platinum UGC (using PC)
Put on 3 coats of UPP (24 hours apart)
QD with Platinums UGE
If you add P21S or S100, QD with Meguiar's Final Detail

Not sure just yet what will give the most "POP" with NXT......... but the year's young yet!

 

Boss, thanks again for all the information. It is very much appreciated. One final question though. You seemed to indicate that Final Detail might not be your QD of choice over UPP. Can you explain why? Unfortunately (for me anyway) I've got a whole gallon of Final Detail on the shelf and am very fond of the stuff.

Oh, I didn't mention it previously, but I am using 4 Star's Car Wash, UPC, and UPP together. I just don't have the QD.

-Mike-

 

No problem Mike!

The Final Detail QD is a great QD, and my favorite! However, it is also loaded with silicone. Therefore, if I plan on layering the UPP, I prefer not to have silicone between the layers, which may cause some bonding issues. It might not be that much of a problem if the surfaced is washed well before applying another coat of UPP. Remember, the UGE is also a great QD, and also very glossy........ not quite as much as FD though. The UGE also contains a tiny amount of the polymer that is in UPP, which might help durability.

Anyhow, once I'm done layering the UPP, and I start topping with a carnauba like P21S, or Natty's wax, then I switch to FD for my final QD. If the paint surface is dusty, or a little dirty, and I want to apply another coat of wax without washing, I use Poorboy's Spray and Wipe first. As a matter of fact, I always wipe down the paint with the S & W first, and then use the FD, even if I'm not applying another coat of wax at that time. The Spray & Wipe has more lubricants and cleaners than other QD's, and allows me to remove any dust/dirt safely. Then, I have a nice clean, slick surface for the FD, or any other final QD.

Hope this helps.