OCW vs NXT and some misc

[emaxxman]

OK, I finally got to try some of the stuff I recently bought:

• Optimum Car Wax "spray wax" vs NXT liquid and spray wax
• Grit Guard
• Optimum No Rinse wash (as a QD and clay lube) compared to Meg's Quik Detailer and Clay Magic clay lube

So you may ask, why am I comparing OCW and ONR to those products...well, those are the products that I have. When I first started learning about and detailing my car, I bought a lot of OTC products to use. These are what I bought.


OCW vs NXT

OCW was very easy to apply. Tried two methods: sprayed directly on paint and then spread with a mf applicator -and- sprayed mf applicator and then spread on paint. Both yielded similar "evenness". I then immediately wiped off with a mf polishing cloth. This seems to be a truly wipe on wipe off product. If I let it dry at all, it streaked or spotted. I got rid of them by reapplying on the same spot and wiping off right away.

NXT liquid is a little more difficult to apply thinly by hand. I probably just need practice. I usually go with the PC and grey pad to apply and then buff off with a mf cloth.

• Application - OCW is easier
• Slickness - NXT liquid
• Removal - NXT (since you have more work time.)
• Smell - OCW (pina colada)
• Durability - NXT is 4 weeks max. OCW - we'll have to see...despite numerous raves, I'm very skeptical that such a wipe on wipe off product could leave enough behind to be durable.

OCW as a spray wax is much easier to work with than NXT spray wax. I do have to say that I applied the NXT spray wax with a foam applicator. I'll try the NXT with an mf applicator to see how it goes. Since OCW is a WOWO product, there was no "missed" residue that later chalked up. The NXT did have some chalky residue after a day. It was much slicker than OCW though.

BTW, is OCW supposed to have a very, thin, watery consistency? I was very shocked by this. I thought it would be more like a slightly thinned liquid wax...not watery.

Optimum No Rinse as a QD/clay lube

This is based on my experience with Meg's Quik Detailer and Clay Magic clay lube.

Pros:

• Slicker than Meg's QD
• Doesn't dry as fast in full sun as Meg's therefore less streaking
• Very economical (6 ounces to 1 gallon of water.)

Cons:

• No added glossiness despite advertising claims.
• Not as slick as Clay Magic's clay lube....(strange because you mix a stronger solution for the QD than you do for the clay lube.) The ONR as a clay lube would not be sufficient to make me feel comfortable using it.

I will still use the ONR QD for its economics. I will just follow up with a spray of OCW or NXT spray wax if needed. I'm going to mix a double strength solution of the QD to test out as a clay lube. The standard QD ratio seems to be slick enough but I really like how slick the Clay Magic lube was. It's probably more for piece of mind than anything.

Grit Guards

I use two rinse buckets (1 for each side of car.) I put one in each bucket and then filled them to a full 5 gallons. Both grit guards floated to the top as I filled the buckets. I had to push them both down to the bottom and they stayed down after that. I guess they did their job. Weather permitting, I'm washing both vehicles approx once every 1 to 1.5 weeks. The water is never really dirt. I didn't notice the water at the bottom being any darker than usual. I do like how I can drain and dry my wash pad on top of the grit guard. I'm not sure if they're providing any real benefit for me other than some piece of mind...at least they weren't that expensive.

[FloridaNative]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and observations with us.

[Surfer]

Glad I'm not the only one whos' grit guards float lol.

Yup, OCW has a watery nature.

[3Dog]

One thing that you will find is not all 5 gal buckets are the same. We have had some that the Grit Guard would only go half-way down.

[emaxxman]

My buckets are the standard white 5 gallon buckets you get at Home Depot. The grit guards actually get stuck going into the bucket if you don't lower them straight. Not a biggie overall since they seem to stay down once I push them down. If they start to float, I wedge a plastic putty knife between the guard and bucket.

[sparkie]

emaxxman, outstanding write up. I wish I could do a write up that good.

Surfer, mine does not float.

[Sn95nik]

My grit gaurds float too

I tried the NXT spray wax before I became a GEEK, and had similar feelings about it. It was super slick, had the same glossiness as the liquid, but a huge pain to work with. Now, I'm really enjoying my Aquawax, even though there are several other similar products I'd like to try (CK QS, FK 425, OCW, but the AW is available locally).

[FloridaNative]

I'm curious, did you NXT users notice any color transfer afterwards??? I've used the NXT paste on my med. metallic blue and the NXT paste darkened the color and muted the metal flake. Did anyone else have this happen to them?

[killrwheels@autogeek]

OCW is a very easy to use spray wax, much like Crystal Mist. I have found it has no real durability (seems to last only between washes) and looks rather sterile.

NXT .... not my cup of tea. Neither the Spray Wax (old fashioned spray, wipe, buff product) nor the sealant are all that appealing nor durable. If you like the product move to #21 from the Megs Professional line.

[justin30513]

I just use my sample of FK1's #425.
AMAZING STUFF!
Used and Pink Wax this week. Simply amazing.