autogeekonline car wax, car care and auto detailing forum Autogeek on TV
car wax, car care and auto detailing forumAutogeekonline autogeekonline car wax, car care and auto detailing forum HomeForumBlogAutogeek.net StoreDetailing Classes with Mike PhillipsGalleryDetailing How To's
 
Results 1 to 7 of 7
  1. #1
    Mike Phillips
    Guest

    Review: Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towels - 1988 Porsche 928 s4

    Review: Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towels - 1988 Porsche 928 s4



    Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towels





    What is it?

    An exceptionally soft, edgeless towel that is designed for buffing off polishes, waxes, and paint sealants as well as ceramic paint coatings..


    What does it do?

    Safely removes waxes and sealants of car paint.


    When do I use it?

    After applying a coat of car wax, synthetic sealant or ceramic paint coating and then waiting for the recommended drying or flash time and then wiping any excess product off the surface.


    Why should I use it?

    Because it's super soft and plush it's safe for even the softest paints without the risk of marring the paint. Because there's no sewn edge, you will also reduce the potential to re-introduce marring or scratches as is possible from some microfiber towels wit sewn edges..




    From the manufacturer

    The only microfiber towel worthy of the Wolfgang name!

    The Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towel is an exceptionally soft, edgeless towel that is designed for buffing off polishes, waxes, and paint sealants. The Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towel weighs in at an impressive 460 g/m2, making it thick enough for all your detailing needs, without the annoying drag normally associated with towels this thick. At 16 x 24 inches, The Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towel is large and easy to fold into smaller, more manageable sizes.


    Edgeless design virtually eliminates any chance of scratching!

    The first thing you’ll notice about the Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towel is its edgeless construction. By constructing a towel with no edge, the possibility of scratching the paint is virtually eliminated. This super plush, fluffy microfiber towel glides effortlessly across your paint.

    Wolfgang is a name that’s synonymous with ingenuity, and the first microfiber towel to be branded in the Wolfgang line is no exception. The Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towel is the perfect balance between a lightweight towel and a thick, plush towel. At 460 g/m2, the Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towel is perfect for all your paint polishing and waxing needs.

    The Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towel is thick and fluffy; rest assured it will not scratch or mar delicate paint finishes – black included! Use the Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towel with confidence. This luxurious microfiber towel has been tested and approved for use with all Wolfgang polishes, waxes, and detail sprays.

    For best results, wash the Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towel with Wolfgang Microfiber Cleaner & Rejuvenator after each use. This concentrated cleaner is specially formulated for microfiber towels and tools.

    16 x 24 inches




    Comments

    I was asked to use and review the Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towels and of course, in order to properly review any product you must first use the product in a real-world situation. I had a detailing project coming up that fit the criteria that the manufacturer listed as this towel being specifically suited for according to the info shared above located on the store page for this towel.
    1: The Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towel is an exceptionally soft, edgeless towel that is designed for buffing off polishes, waxes, and paint sealants.

    2: Edgeless design virtually eliminates any chance of scratching.

    3: The Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towel is thick and fluffy; rest assured it will not scratch or mar delicate paint finishes – black included!


    These features are exactly what I was going to need for my detailing project. This is a very special car, it's a 1988 1988 Porsche 928 s4. The s4 designates that this model is equipped with a 32-valve 5.0-liter V8 with 316 hp. This car has the factory original single stage black paint. For those that might not know, single stage black paint is traditionally the softest paint there is to work on with single stage white paint being the hardest paint in the single stage paint color spectrum.

    Usually the most difficult part of detailing super soft single stage paint is the last step of wiping off the wax, sealant or coating. If your towel is not soft and gentle, or if you don't have the skill to wipe this kind of scratch-sensitive surface with the utmost skill, then as you wipe the surface you will undo all your paint correction work and put swirls and scratches back into the paint. That's called a waster of time and energy plus it's very disappointing to see all your hard work wasted.

    So this car will be the perfect test for how well these towels work AND if they work on the paint on this car, they will work on the paint on just about any car.



    First up, doing the paint correct step

    The current owner supposedly bought this from the original owner and from the SWIRL LEVEL - it looks like no one has ever properly maintained the paint. So before I can use these towels to wipe off a wax, sealant or coating, I first have to get the paint back to the kind of condition that is worthy of the Porsche marque.

    Here's a few BEFORE pictures to show the condition of the paint after the car had arrived. The owner had already clayed it and I found places where the clay had marred the paint. That's another indicator of soft paint by the way. No worries, machine polishing removed the swirls and scratches plus the clay marring.








    FUZZY Gaskets and 3M Blue Vinyl Tape

    I'm sorry to say that a lot of older cars used a FUZZY material as the top surface for the gasket that runs around a sunroof. IF you get compound, polish or wax reside INTO this fuzzy material - you will likely rip up the fuzzy cloth trying to get it out with a tooth brush. I always point out this gasket to the owner and either show them the other guy's wax. See my article here,


    TOGW = The Other Guy's Wax


    Or I point out that lucky for them there is not white staining residue in and on the fuzzy material and I'm not going to be the person that puts any of this stuff there. Instead, I use 3M Blue Vinyl Tape to tape off the fuzzy gasket to protect it.

    Here's my article on 3M Blue Vinyl Tape - 3M Blue Viny Tape





    Extreme Oxidation

    When black single stage paint turns white - this qualifies for the description of EXTREME OXIDATION.





    In this close-up not only can you see the oxidation but you can also see scratches...





    Normally I take before pictures BEFORE I start working on the car but because the paint on this was very soft I chose to EDGE it first and that meant ti was going to to take me longer to do the paint correct. If you want to see how I approached edging the car, check out this how-to article.

    Doing Edge Work with RUPES Nano in Rotary Mode - Mike Phillips Style

    Click here to watch a short video on edge work on my Facebook page



    After edging all the raised body lines and edges on both sides of the panels, I STOPPED and took a few more before pictures of the swirl and scratch level of the hood to photo-document how poorly this car was maintained over the years.

    Here you can see how I edged the edges of the fenders and the hood but I haven't touched the center of the hood yet.






    Here's a cropped out section of the original above. In this picture I'm using a SCANGRIP MinMatch to reveal the swirls. No self-respecting Porsche owner should want to be seen displaying a Porsche that looks like this.




    Same thing here, this is a cropped out section from a picture above where the overhead florescent lights are shining down on the paint revealing the water spots, dull lifeless looking paint plus thousands of scratches.






    Tools and products used for the paint correction

    Sorry not pictures of me doing the work, I'm part machine and I move at machine speed. But here's what I used,


    • BLACKFIRE One Step for removing all the swirls, scratches, water spots and oxidation.
    • RUPES cordless Nano in Long Neck version - I used this tool in rotary mode to correct thin panels and tight areas.
    • FLEX cordless PiXiE for shmooing over any place I used the Nano in rotary mode - Shmooing is my term for removing holograms with a random orbital polisher.
    • The FLEX Supa BEAST - 8mm gear-driven orbital polisher for major panels and to clean-up the thin panels and tight areas.
    • Lake Country 6.5" Force Hybrid Foam Pads - Primarily used the soft black finishing pad but also used the white polishing pad for the worst areas of paint defects.
    • FLEX 3.5" Green Foam Polishing Pad for the FLEX PiXiE
    • RUPES 1" white foam finishing pad for the Nano - YES I used this to CORRECT paint - that's how soft the paint was.






    I like the BF One Step as it offers great correction ability and super easy wipe-off. I also like that it works great as a base for topping with either a car wax or a synthetic paint sealant, or in the case of Fuzion, a HYBRID, which is part wax and part synthetic.





    Machine applying a finishing wax using the cordless FLEX PiXiE

    After all the correction work was done it was time to apply a finishing wax. For those that might not be familiar with the term,

    Finishing Wax

    It's a term used to describe a wax that has no cleaner, abrasive and thus zero defect removal ability. It's ONLY for paint in perfect condition - like the paint on the Porsche after I just corrected it. A finishing wax is the opposite of a cleaner/wax or an AIO. An AIO is the same thing as a cleaner/wax in case you didn't know that either.

    Wolfgang Füzion Carnauba Polymer Estate Wax is a true finishing wax, or technically, a true finishing hybrid. It has ZERO cleaning ability and is only for cars with perfect paint.


    This is the FLEX cordless PXE 80 or as I call it, the PiXiE. The name Pixie means a small fairy-like creature, so it kind of fits because the tool is small. All tool companies should brand their tools with NAMES - not PART NUMBERS.

    The pad is a Lake Country 4" Gold Jeweling foam pad.

    These are not currently an available part number. Lake Country made a few for me to test but nothing ever came from it. Partly my fault and that's because while I think I'm pretty good and sharing product that are top performers, I'm not really someone that can project how many units we will sell in a year so everyone involved will no if this is a viable new skew to launch. But at least I have a few and they are PERFECT for machine applying a wax on the PiXiE.




    The 4" gold jeweling pad has a 3.5" velcro backing, which is perfect for the 3.5" backing plate that comes with the FLEX PiXiE. I'm also using the 12mm drive unit installed on the PiXiE.







    You can probably guess what I'm going to do next....





    Place the face of the pad into the jar of Fuzion and then >blip< the on/off button for a few seconds.





    The 4" pad fits perfectly into the Fuzion wax jar.





    Note the tool is on the 3 speed setting? In order to get this shot, I had to use some 3M green painter's tape on the backside of the wax jar to keep it from spinning while the pad was spinning against the wax.





    Spin spin spin....





    BOOM!

    I have wax on the pad and I'm ready to seal the paint on the Porsche by machine. I never do anything by hand unless I absolutely have to. The machine always outperforms the human. Just watch the Terminator movie. Plus, here at Autogeek, we don't sell hands... we sell tools.





    And in case you're wondering how long the battery will last on the cordless PiXiE? I have a live video on this topic and the battery easily ran for 40 minutes NON STOP.





    Click here to watch a short video showing the PiXiE being used to machine apply wax to this Porsche







    Here's the entire Porsche covered in Fuzion....







    Now it's time to remove the wax using the Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towels

    I fold the rectangular towel to turn it into a square towel, (my preference), that perfectly fits my hand and also making it 8 layers THICK. This thickness will spread out the pressure from my hand as I press the towel against the paint to remove the dried layer of wax.



    Breaking open a layer of wax

    This is actually a technical term that means to place you hand like you see me doing below and then gently twisting the towel in a tight circle to BREAK OPEN THE LAYER OF WAX.





    I've broke open the layer of wax and now I have a shiny spot. From here I'll continue wiping off the wax going back to the shiny spot and creeping our to moving out from the spot.





    Pro Tip
    As I wipe I'll make small, overlapping circular motions. Using your hand and towel like this makes it easy for the towel to overcome the surface tension between the wax and the paint, which makes it easy to remove the wax and also is GENTLE to the paint.




    As I wipe I move around the panel gently removing the wax - remember this paint is super soft.





    A mirror reflection shine on paint that is 32 years old!






    Here's the final results































    Now this looks right.







    Review


    These towels are PLUSH. The word plush simply does not do justice to just how soft and plush these towels truly are. Because a picture tells a thousand words, here's 5000 words that speak volumes about what I mean when I say,

    Soft & Plush













    Normally I like a high quality, soft flat weave towel for most of my finishing work on car paint. That said, there is an old saying that most of us know because it rings true,

    The right tool for the job

    You should always think of your microfiber towels not as wiping cloths but as tools. Just like a Master Mechanic has a grand tool collection and all their tools are clean and shiny, then neatly stored in tool chests or storage cabinets, you should think of and approach your best towels in the same manner.

    We all have our universal microfiber towels or as I like to call them, my scrap rags. I use these for cleaning and wiping inside engine compartments or door jambs. But these types of towels NEVER touch paint, especially have I've invested hours of my time doing all the machine polishing paint correction work to remove all the defects and create a true, swirl free show car finish.

    At this point in the game it's time to switch-it up to my best towels, the towels I protect from others as they don't understand like I do that it takes HOURS to remove swirls and scratches out of thin, delicate car paint and only SECONDS to put the swirls and scratches back into the paint simply from a contaminated or tatty microfiber towel.

    If you're like me, if you understand that it is the act of touching a painted surface that affects how it looks, then you need to step up your microfiber towel game. You need dedicated towels for dedicated procedures just like a Master Mechanic has dedicated 6-sided hardened sockets to remove Head Bolts when tearing down an engine. Like a Master Mechanic understands how much work it's going to be if he strips a bolt head using a 12-sided socket to remove head bolts off a engine head, we know it's going to be a lot of work to undo the damage caused but what most don't consider to be the most important tool in their car detailing arsenal - their microfiber towels.

    It doesn't matter if your a RUPES guy, or a Griot's Guy or a fan of Mothers products or Chemical Guys products, the one thing we all have in common is that at some point we all have to wipe something off the paint after all the hard work is over. And this is where the quality of your microfiber towels are going to make it... or break it - that is make or break the final results.

    Next stop for me is another new container for my collection of Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towels.




    On Autogeek.com


    Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towel- 6-pack - $34.99


    Wolfgang Füzion Carnauba Polymer Estate Wax - $195.00 - (includes one free refill)







  2. Thanks Diner, Gazbaz thanked for this post
    Likes Gazbaz liked this post
  3. #2
    Mike Phillips
    Guest

    Re: Review: Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towels - 1988 Porsche 928 s4

    Continued.....



    How to turn a rectangle into a square


    First - make sure your work area is CLEAN and free from any abrasive particles or contaminants.

    Next - lay your towel out flat and inspect it like I show in the how-to article at the bottom of this post.




    Fold the towel in half like you see below.




    Then take and fold one side into the middle of the towel like you see below.




    Then fold the other side into the middle of the towel.




    And just like that - you've turned a rectangular towel into a thick, plus square towel perfect for placing your hand onto for wiping off a layer of wax.





    These are super plush towels and perfect for anyone that has a car that has a perfect finish that needs a gentle touch.


    My recommendation is to purchase at least a 6-pack of these towels, even consider a 12-pack.

    Here's why,

    You only want to wash these towels together, or with themselves. Most people find it hard to make a wash load with only 2-3 things. That's understandable, it just doesn't seem like you're being a good steward of your own resources nor the Earth's resources.

    It is however a lot easier to for most of us to rationalize making a small wash load with 6 towels or 12 towels. So get either a 6-pack or a 12-pack as you get a discount when you purchase in bulk.



    Storing your towels

    After washing and drying your towels I would highly recommend getting them their own dedicated storage container. Check out what Tupperware has to offer or some similar type of storage container. Because these towels have a plush, thick weave, if you don't properly handle them in the garage, wash and dry them, and the store them, they can become contaminated.

    So set yourself up for success by having a dedicated storage container for these special, dedicated towels that you ONLY use for things like removing the wax, sealant or coating off you prized possessions.


    Check out the container I use and how I marked it to keep others from using them to wipe off excess tire dressing from their car's tires in the most important how-to article I've ever written out of the 600+ how-to articles available on the www.AutogeekOnline.net car detailing discussion forum.


    How, why & when to inspect your microfiber towels when detailing cars



    Hope you enjoyed this review. Besides sharing these towels it was chocked full of detailing how-to tips and techniques.




  4. Thanks Diner thanked for this post
  5. #3
    Super Member JustJesus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Orange & LA Counties
    Posts
    1,294
    Post Thanks / Like

    Re: Review: Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towels - 1988 Porsche 928 s4

    Another good article, Mike.

    The car looks stunning! Fuzion. Gosh, haven't used that in years. I commented on Autopia's IG page that I was thinking of using it on a neighbor's car for free, just so I can use it.

    So many waxes, not enough cars.

  6. #4
    Mike Phillips
    Guest

    Re: Review: Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towels - 1988 Porsche 928 s4

    Quote Originally Posted by JustJesus View Post

    Another good article, Mike.

    The car looks stunning!

    Thanks Jesus,

    Working on super soft paints like this is difficult without the right products and I would also add a little experinece helps too....

    I have a few articles on working on super soft paints, here's one,

    How to avoid haze and scratching when working on soft paint?


    Here's a 1996 black Porsche I detailed that had the original black basecoat/clearcoat paint and IT was super soft.

    Original BASECOAT/CLEARCOAT paint - 1996 Porsche 993






    Quote Originally Posted by JustJesus View Post

    Fuzion. Gosh, haven't used that in years.
    It's been a while since I revisited this wax too... Here's an INCREDIBLE paint job we used this wax on a few years ago, actually from 2011 - 9 years ago as I type,

    Blown 1934 Ford Pick-up - Show Car Makeover






    Quote Originally Posted by JustJesus View Post

    I commented on Autopia's IG page that I was thinking of using it on a neighbor's car for free, just so I can use it.

    So many waxes, not enough cars.
    A great problem to have...

    Thanks for commenting....



  7. #5
    Mike Phillips
    Guest

    Re: Review: Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towels - 1988 Porsche 928 s4


  8. #6
    Mike Phillips
    Guest

    Re: Review: Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towels - 1988 Porsche 928 s4




    Need to link this write-up to another Porsche that has soft paint.


    Original BASECOAT/CLEARCOAT paint - 1996 Porsche 993







  9. #7
    Mike Phillips
    Guest

    Re: Review: Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towels - 1988 Porsche 928 s4




    Here's the other article I squeezed out of this one...

    Doing Edge Work with RUPES Nano in Rotary Mode - Mike Phillips Style






Similar Threads

  1. HUGE Savings on Wolfgang, Dodo Juice, Microfiber Towels, XMT Series & More!
    By Nick McKees37 in forum Sales & Promotions - For forum members and non-forum members
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 01-11-2016, 02:41 PM
  2. Wolfgang Concours-Series Perfekt Vision Glass Cleaner
    By SYMAWD in forum Product Reviews
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 10-28-2015, 11:00 PM
  3. Wolfgang Concours-Series Microfiber Towel
    By BRLAHTI in forum Auto Detailing 101
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 08-14-2014, 03:27 PM
  4. Replies: 10
    Last Post: 01-21-2013, 07:23 PM
  5. Autogeek Commercial - Wolfgang Concours Series
    By Mike Phillips in forum Autogeek on Velocity Channel TV
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 05-16-2011, 04:54 PM

Members who have read this thread: 0

There are no members to list at the moment.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

» March 2024

S M T W T F S
2526272829 1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31 123456