Review: CarPro Iron X Paste

[CEE DOG]

Review: CarPro Iron X Paste

Introduction:

Happy New Year!! I thought I would start the year off writing about a product I’ve really come to love and by spending some time with my new video editing software. The product I’m talking about is of course Iron X paste! Dad wrote about it recently after it thoroughly impressed him and I’m sure many were intrigued and have purchased it already. Hopefully this review will build on his insightful analysis.


Product Claims:

Iron X Paste by CarPro is an acid-free, pH-balanced iron remover that decontaminates auto paint and wheels. Iron X Paste has a long dwell time to work as long as needed to remove iron and brake dust spots. Iron X Paste prevents the spread of iron-related damage to protect your vehicle from paint system failure.


Details:

1.- Packaging: Plastic Bottle with functional applicator nozzle
2.- Directions: Clearly labeled
3.- Viscosity: Thick
4.- Color: Clear
5.- Scent: Not noticeably unless you stick your face in the bottle
6.- Price at time of review: 5.3 oz. (150g) = $ 9.99
7.- Price at time of review: 17.6 oz. (500g) = $ 19.99
8.- Manufacturer: CarPro
9.- Made in: Korea


00-Product




Thanksgiving 2011:

It was the week after Thanksgiving and I arrived at 9 AM to detail a 07 Corvette, which had been scheduled a couple months prior. Going mobile is never my favorite thing to do because it is inevitable I will either forget something or I will bring 4X the amount of products I need. (Usually both) J My canopy was along for the ride as well but it was windy and the owner asked that I not put up even with the knowledge I would tie it down with both primary and secondary systems. I can certainly understand that so I told him as long as I could have the garage after I washed it I could manage for the first phase. I had initially planned to use IXP on the body of the vette but with the lack of canopy permission it was my plans that dissolved rather than the iron particles in his paint.

Iron X Paste as a wheel cleaner:

After unloading a ridiculous amount of detailing products from my car the first order of business were the wheels. I had only used Iron X Paste (IXP) a few times before then and thought a vehicle that had gone unwashed for many moons would be a fine candidate. The wheels were actually in pretty great shape. While it didn’t have a full covering of brake dust it did have some spotty baked on particles in the corner radii along with some loose brake dust as well.





Application and noted observations:

I applied IXP to the corners directly from the applicator nozzle allowing about 2 pea size drops onto each corner. I then spread the paste over the 1” X 3-5” areas on each corner with my gloved finger. After waiting only a few minutes a few of the rogue ferrous parasites had disintegrated and as I wiped with my gloved finger they were gone. Others were resisting their ultimate demise and were left on a few more minutes.





When I came back and rubbed once more a few minutes later they too had dissolved and were wiped away.





I then agitated with my dedicated IX mf mitt while rinsing clean by hose.





After some additional steps (below) the wheels were dried with the Master Blaster.






Backing up:

There was some nice tar spit and other such nonsense around the wheels and in the wells so I retrieved my ARO for the wheel wells and tires and I grabbed the Tar X while I was at it. After spraying ARO on the areas of the wheel that hadn’t been “pasted” I sprayed into the wells as well. J There wasn’t going to be any jacking up the car to reach the wells and my Mothers well brush doesn’t fit so using an all purpose Microfiber towel I balled half of it atop the hose nozzle and then wrapped it and tied it in place. Next I placed it into the wells as a scrubber, finally rinsing them clean. The tar was removed with Tar X.

I handled one wheel at a time and after they were cleansed of their impurities Permanon was applied to wells and wheels (via the Venus Pro bottle my wonderful father sent me) before being quickly rinsed and blown dry with my Metro Master Blaster.





























I’ll have more on the vette in a future review (4 Star UPP) that covers wash, polish, and lsp.

Different vehicle in the pic below but here is an excellent tool for tight “face areas” on the wheel. It works a treat with both IX and IXP in certain sticky spots.




Where Iron X paste is invaluable:

Every detailer has run into wheels with built up brake dust deposits etched on or baked into them. When you do, it can take some serious effort and/or dangerous chemicals to remove them. With IXP we now have a concentrated product specifically designed to attack iron particles while still being ph neutral.

I have found Iron X spray to be an incredibly effective wheel cleaner in it’s own right but it does not stick to the surface at the same level the paste does. For the spots that don’t come off with the initial spray cleaning I’ve been using Iron X paste to finish the stubborn spots, which brings me to the BMW Z4.

This was where I really felt the saving grace of this product. This vehicle hadn’t been washed since the last time I had my way with it (many months). It’s also driven daily and driven hard so as you can guess the wheels were nearly black throughout with plenty of stubborn spots.

Preparation:

I started by spraying the wheels liberally with IX spray and allowed to dwell, while I occasionally agitated. After the final thorough agitation I rinsed them dry to see where I was.


Application and noted observations:

I applied Iron X Paste by holding the nozzle directly over the few stubborn areas that were left 1 at a time and gently squeezing just a couple small pea sized drops out. On the areas of the wheel that were in near vertical plane I compensated by placing an additional squeeze just above the baked in brake dust nodules.

Rather quickly it began to “bleed” which shows it is reacting with the ferrous particles. While I allowed it to dwell I moved on to the next wheel and applied the paste in the same manner to 7 or 8 different spots that were still staring me in the face after that wheels initial cleaning. I continued with each of the 4 wheels and got back to the initial wheel about 5+ minutes later.

The beauty of the paste is it hangs tight against the surface and keeps working hard for the duration. Even after 5 minutes product was still in place where I wanted it. While I could have waited longer, I chose to rub it with my gloved finger to see if there was anything left beneath the dissolved iron. There was a bit but with slight agitation from my mitt it too was removed. Unfortunately I did not have the time to take video that day so on another occasion with a different vehicle I made a quick “no nonsense” video showing 3 methods of application.


Video: A few Methods of Application





The Last Day of 2011:

What better way is there to spend the last day of 2011 then to spend it outside in the 75F weather we were blessed with! I started the day by washing both of our daily drivers and giving the surfaces that aren’t being used for tests a quick spray wax job.

I had to move fast as I had two other cars scheduled for the day. One of which was a returning customer back for the maintenance wash after a few months. This was a job that had received CQ after correction last time around and I encouraged him not to wash it himself or run it through the swirl-o-matic.

Anyway, it hadn’t been washed in months and had even taken a trip to New Orleans and back. It is their daily driver and goes to work each day. I thought what better time to take some video of a couple methods of IXP application to the body of a vehicle and at the same time test if IXP can harm the CQ coating.

CQuartz was still beading before the car was even washed. This was what it looked like after only spraying the bird bombs and bugs off with the hose. I had my new camera out and ready to go! :gidiup:
Unfortunately I forgot I had left it in 640x480 picture mode for some photos I had to send in an email days earlier L





The impact zone on the front lower bumper was another story and I even used my bug sponge on parts of that area. All in all I was very excited and impressed with the results of CQ on the vehicle but I will save that for another time and get back to the subject at hand.

Video: Using Iron X Paste in place of Iron X Spray




Hood with IXP just applied




The last sunset of 2011




Sometimes customers give me the most interesting tips





Pros:

1.- Thick Viscosity: allows product to dwell on iron particles as long as needed to dissolve them.
2.- Pinpoint Accuracy: Applicator tip allows you to apply to an area as small as 1/8” without wasting product or releasing it where you don’t want it
3.- No Scent: Because the product is not atomized, scent doesn’t become an issue
4.- Power: The paste is even more concentrated than the spray version and very effective
5.- Safe for your paint: PH Balanced product is safe for clear coat and other surfaces (See Iron X FAQ for materials to avoid such as SMART paint repairs & brake calipers)
6.- Safe on Chrome Wheels: (Per CarPro) I have not tested
7 - Cost Effective

Just like Iron X spray the paste can also be used on the body of the car in which case the following applies as it does to the spray.

A.- Saves time: Reduce the time intensive process of using clay.
B.- Saves clay: Clay can be re-used more times and lasts longer.
C.- Application: Easy and effective

???:

1.- This review is for Iron X Paste, NOT to be confused with the Iron X soap Gel

Cons:

1.- More time consuming to apply to an entire vehicle than the spray…but I am guessing that wasn’t really the intent… rather another option

Final Observations and Summary:

Iron X Paste is an overlooked product! Give it a few months until people have tried it and realize its true power and potential. The paste is made for pinpointed accuracy or especially stubborn deposits but is capable of more. It’s more concentrated than the spray version. You can use it in place of the spray if you dislike the smell the spray inevitably offers or prefer to use less product. A little paste on a “still damp” vehicle goes a long way and its still thick enough to stay on vertical panels while it dwells.

Comments and questions are encouraged. Thanks for viewing!

Cheers


Isolated spots (My Current Method of Application):

A.- Work in the shade and do not allow to dry in direct sun

1.- Using the bottle to apply I simply squeeze a dot of product on to the stubborn spot

2.- Allow to dwell about 5 minutes or as needed.

3.- Agitate and rinse thoroughly or agitate and allow to dwell further if necessary



Body of vehicle (My Current Method of Application):

A.- Use latex or Nitrile gloves

B.- If there is an inordinate amount of tree sap, tar, other organic material, wax, or sealants on the vehicle I recommend you strip them first so Iron X can attack the ferrous particles without any interference. This is not required but is how I like to do it for best results.

C.- I prefer to apply with a paint safe sponge or foam applicator to a still wet surface.
(As opposed to when I use Iron X spray at which point I give the vehicle a quick dry first)

D.- Work in the shade and do not allow to dry in direct sun


1.-Shake the bottle.

2.-Apply to sponge and spread across surface.

3.-Allow the product to dwell for 5 minutes or as needed in the shade. Do not allow it to dry in the sun.

On light colored paints you will see the product dissolving ferrous particles as it turns color. On darker colored paints everything is happening in exactly the same way. It’s simply more difficult for you to view the color changing affect. I have read people saying the product works better on lighter colored cars but that is illogical and is not the case. It works the same regardless of car color.

4.-After allowing dwell time take a damp (not soaked) grout or other paint safe sponge (or other media if you prefer) and agitate the surface.

5.-Thoroughly rinse the surface or allow to dwell a bit more before rinsing thoroughly.

Don’t forget to rinse your media out also. I have a dedicated Iron X sponge that I use for the spray or paste but that isn’t actually necessary and is simply wasteful for many people.

[umi000]

As always, great review! Very timely in my case too, as I'd gotten some of this during the recent sales and was hoping for an application guide, which you definitely delivered - many thanks

[BobbyG]

Another tremendous review Corey.

The level of thought and detail that goes into your reviews are truly amazing. I always like the detail that goes along with each photo which adds additional substance and clarity..

Thank you again!!

[mjlinane]

Nice review.

[Flannigan]

Great review as per usual Doggie! I too have started to use IXP a little more as of late. You just can't beat it for the corners and creases in wheels that just get caked with brake dust! It's a great product! Again, awesome review, and I look forward to more in the New Year!!

[TS656577]

Corey, you've done it again. Well done. I wasn't considering getting the iron x paste, but I see where you say it's "invaluable" for wheels with built up deposits. Now I think I want to get it!

[LegacyGT]

Ah, a great review to start the new year, and ease my transition back into the normal grind :/

For once I do not have to go out and buy a product after reading your review ..... because I already have Iron-X Paste :dancebanana:

Thanks for taking the time to put this review together good to see you are already getting good use out of your Christmas presents

[WRXINXS]

Great review and crazy awesome collection of products in that last pic!

[Bobby B.]

Another great review by Cee Dog! Keep up the great work Corey

[Pats300zx]

Amazing review as always Corey !!!!!