JLs Detailing: SLK 350

[JLs Detailing]

Vampyre Wrote:Awesome work there dude .. the correction and transformation is awesome ... Vintage ! what does a tub that retail for ?

Vampyre thanks! I really enjoy doing the write ups as you can probably tell because I get so long winded about them! And Vintage retails for around $1700-$1900 US dollars a tub. It is a 22 oz container and it gets free refills for life. I don't have a tub of it I just was able to purchase a small 4 oz sample of it.

Starvekos Wrote:I enjoy reading your posts JL, thanks for taking the time to walk us through your process and commentary on products used.

The car looks amazing, you pics captured the quality of the correction work (defect free) and the gloss and reflection too. Can't wait for further Show 'n Shine posts from you.

On the side, there has been much discussion on detailing forums about high end carnauba waxes. Do you think the price premium one pays for Zym0l Vintage over a wax like Chemical Guys 50/50 paste wax (insert your favourite nuba wax below $70) is warranted?

Granted correction work takes you circa 80% to a near perfect finish.

Thanks Starvekos I really appreciate it. The paint correction went great and I was really loving the shine the SIP and Scholl Concepts S40 provided. Now about Vintage and it price...I'll say this and without question Vintage is the best wax I have ever used and I have used a ton of them. If I had an extra $2000 laying around collecting dust I would purchase it myself. It is tremendously better looking than any wax I have used under the $70 range (Pete's 53, Souveran, CGs 5050, Signature Series II, and Lusso Oro).

However I would put Rubbish Boys Original Edition up against it and I can buy that for around $80-$100 from Ben at Rubbish Boys. I still contend that if you make the paint on all the cars you work on perfect then you can use just about any wax and it will look great but if you are like me and the majority of the cars I do the owners don't want to pay for paint correction then higher end waxes make a HUGE difference. I just charge a premium upgrade price for using my higher end waxes like Rubbish Boys, Zymol Glasur, Dodo Supernatural, and Vintage. So if you want to take the next level from really good waxes like 5050 then look first at something like Glasur or Rubbish Boys OE (still my favorite wax when considering the phenomenal looks for a reasonable price).

Pravin Wrote:Thanks for the writeup. Awesome results !

Thanks Pravin!

rustbucket Wrote:Very nice JL. That last pic is fantastic. And yes, love the write ups.

Do you find that leaving the car out in the sun really makes a differance? Do you only do this with Vintage or some of your other waxes too?

Hey Grant thanks for the props! And Carn hit it dead on. Its just the waxes with high nuba content that I do this with. I have started using a very good QD like Clearkote Quickshine, CGs Speed Wipe, or Optimum Instant Detailer, to do a wipedown right before delivery weather I use a nuba or sealant and it really takes the shine over the top!

Carn Wrote:Terrific job JL, that colour looks fantastic in the sun

Strange that you mention the Scholl goodies from Ketil, I was chatting to him about them the other day He rekons the pads are fantastic as well as the polishes.....right up there with Menz in his opinion

Rusty I 'think' the sun bit is because some of the high end nuba waxes tend to sweat abit after a little while. Leaving it in the sun for a while followed by a quick wipedown will remove any of the sweating, JL can confirm though

Thanks so much Carn! The Scholl pads are the best. I really love the size and how they perform. I would say that I like the polishes better than Menzerna due to the fact that they have not acted up on me even in the NC humidity like Menz will do. They also dust a lot less than the Menz line and I hate dusting. You would not go wrong with the Scholl Concepts. The S17 is neat in that you can use wool and do major correction or a finishing pad and really finish off the paint!