Cleaning Question

Quote from TheWickedReaper

I've always liked and used the turtle wax ice products in the past. So since getting the slingshot that's all I've really used is their exterior/interior detailer to get off the occasional dirt and dust or after getting caught in the rain. Haven't really had it bad enough to need and do anything other than wipe it down by hand. Tried once to wash wash it with with soap and a water hose but it just seemed more time consuming and less productive than using the spray detailer.

I will say however before reading this thread I had no idea what F11 was. After much reading and research I'm right on the verge of getting some and trying it. Seems to be a lot out there of is it a scam or is it legit but those that like it seem to swear by it. I guess because of the price there doesn't seem to be a lot of people in the middle, they either love it or bash it. Slingshot is garaged and doesn't see a lot of bad weather so I guess if that bottle got me a few coats before it runs dry it may be worth a try.

I have Top Coat, bought a 16 oz kit to give it a try, It seems to work well and leaves a nice shine on my Slingshot. Having said that I recently joined the detailing 101 group on face book which is a group of people who mostly make a living detailing cars, trucks and aircraft. One of the first things I did after joining the group was to do a search to see if TopCoat had been discussed - I was surprised to find that there have been thousands of posts and threads about TopCoat and it seems to be universally considered to be crap. After I did that search I did another search for a product I was told was just as good as TopCoat but better priced, Lucas Slick Mist which is under $8 at Walmart, and there were just as many posts and threads about it and it seems to be universally loved.

As I said in my post above I dont consider TopCoat to be too expensive when you consider the cost per use, But considering what the professionals seem to think I decided to buy a bottle of Slick Mist and to compare them side by side on my slingshot

It wasnt a scientific test of any kind it was just a quick test of shine and the ability to shed water. I washed both front fenders with water and dish soap to be as sure as was reasonably possible without getting into too much work that I was starting with a clean surface I then polished the left front fender with TopCoat and the right fender with the Slick Mist when I was done I asked my wife to be the judge and to pick which had the best shine - after looking at both from different angles in the sun we both agreed that there was no difference that we could find - both looked great

After the visual test I got a spray bottle of water to test each fender to see which repelled water better. This time the difference was very noticeable with the Slick Mist doing a much better job with the water beading and running off.

Having used both products now I suspect that the TopCoat would be the longer lasting product, the film it leaves before I buff it seems to take more effort to shine up, but I am not really worried about either product lasting months because I like to polish up the Sling at least once a week and it is garaged at home and here in the desert our weather is mild and there is no road salt

So at this point I am not sure if I will continue using the TopCoat. Having talked to the members on the detailing group it seems very clear that none of them would use either of these products as the only protection they were using they would only use them as a final topping over a sealant/synthetic wax.

As such I think when the TopCoat runs out I am going to do the entire sling with Meguires Ultimate paste wax and then use the Slick Mist - - one thing nice about this at $8 I can use the Sick Mist much more often and generously

also just to be clear - I could easily change my mind in the future and either go back to the TopCoat or change to something completely different - I just want my Sling to look good and I am not married to any particular product

@edwardaneal is there any talk about Aerospace 303 Cleaner and Aerospace 303 Protectant on that detailer's forum? That's what I've been using.

Quote from SlingLow

@edwardaneal is there any talk about Aerospace 303 Cleaner and Aerospace 303 Protectant on that detailer's forum? That's what I've been using.

I just did a search and the 303 protectant and the opinions range from "good solid product" to "great product". The cleaner also seems to be liked but not to the same degree with some people using other products and then following them with the 303 protectant

One thing good is in my quick search I didn't see any thing negative said about either

If you have never used the detailing clay to smooth the paint surface first ...you are just adding whatever you are using on top of dirt and oxidation....

I was intitially sceptical of the clay thinking why and how could rubbing clay on your paint could be good for it....

I now use it on all my vehicles....makes them smooth as glass....you can definitely feel the difference....that is why I applied my first application of top coat with the clay....

I don’t swirl the clay just back and forth with the body lines bumper to bumper

Quote from edwardaneal

I just did a search and the 303 protectant and the opinions range from "good solid product" to "great product". The cleaner also seems to be liked but not to the same degree with some people using other products and then following them with the 303 protectant
One thing good is in my quick search I didn't see any thing negative said about either

Thanks for doing that! I chose the Aerospace based on reports from the forums but there are so many highly rated products it's really tough to choose.

Quote from SlingLow

@edwardaneal is there any talk about Aerospace 303 Cleaner and Aerospace 303 Protectant on that detailer's forum? That's what I've been using.

I tried the 303, work very good except that it is a dust static magnet. A real problem when it comes to road dirt. I have since given away all of my 303 products to my son-in-law to use on his boat. Better products out there to chose from.

Quote from mniron

I tried the 303, work very good except that it is a dust static magnet. A real problem when it comes to road dirt. I have since given away all of my 303 products to my son-in-law to use on his boat. Better products out there to chose from.

That is what I've noticed - the Sling gets dusty just sitting in the garage. Quite annoying when you spend the time to get it shining and it's dusty before the next ride. By the way, @mniron, I've been getting some riding in lately. So what is your recommendation?

Quote from SlingLow

That is what I've noticed - the Sling gets dusty just sitting in the garage. Quite annoying when you spend the time to get it shining and it's dusty before the next ride. By the way, @mniron, I've been getting some riding in lately. So what is your recommendation?

I have received some F11 to try out against the product that I have been using since the summer of 2015. I use “The Solution” which has been around for many years. I always thought this stuff was a joke until this old car buff help me detail my SlingShot that summer. I was sold since then. I purchased the one gallon Solution for $40.00 in June of 2015 and will need to re-stock this summer, that is three years of detailing for $40.00. I use it on every part of the SlingShot, it does not collect static dust, gives a show shine, brings out the metal flake in the paint and makes the black plastics look brand new. When the SlingShot needs a wash from a lengthy trip or mega-bug-kill, I use Turtle Ice Wash and blow dry with a leaf blower, gives a great shine also!

Looking forward to see how F11 stacks up against this stuff;

http://www.super-seal.com/the-solution

Quote from edwardaneal

So at this point I am not sure if I will continue using the TopCoat. Having talked to the members on the detailing group it seems very clear that none of them would use either of these products as the only protection they were using they would only use them as a final topping over a sealant/synthetic wax.

As such I think when the TopCoat runs out I am going to do the entire sling with Meguires Ultimate paste wax and then use the Slick Mist - - one thing nice about this at $8 I can use the Sick Mist much more often and generously

Nice write-up, thanks!

Quote from edwardaneal

I have Top Coat, bought a 16 oz kit to give it a try, It seems to work well and leaves a nice shine on my Slingshot. Having said that I recently joined the detailing 101 group on face book which is a group of people who mostly make a living detailing cars, trucks and aircraft. One of the first things I did after joining the group was to do a search to see if TopCoat had been discussed - I was surprised to find that there have been thousands of posts and threads about TopCoat and it seems to be universally considered to be crap. After I did that search I did another search for a product I was told was just as good as TopCoat but better priced, Lucas Slick Mist which is under $8 at Walmart, and there were just as many posts and threads about it and it seems to be universally loved.
As I said in my post above I dont consider TopCoat to be too expensive when you consider the cost per use, But considering what the professionals seem to think I decided to buy a bottle of Slick Mist and to compare them side by side on my slingshot

It wasnt a scientific test of any kind it was just a quick test of shine and the ability to shed water. I washed both front fenders with water and dish soap to be as sure as was reasonably possible without getting into too much work that I was starting with a clean surface I then polished the left front fender with TopCoat and the right fender with the Slick Mist when I was done I asked my wife to be the judge and to pick which had the best shine - after looking at both from different angles in the sun we both agreed that there was no difference that we could find - both looked great

After the visual test I got a spray bottle of water to test each fender to see which repelled water better. This time the difference was very noticeable with the Slick Mist doing a much better job with the water beading and running off.

Having used both products now I suspect that the TopCoat would be the longer lasting product, the film it leaves before I buff it seems to take more effort to shine up, but I am not really worried about either product lasting months because I like to polish up the Sling at least once a week and it is garaged at home and here in the desert our weather is mild and there is no road salt

So at this point I am not sure if I will continue using the TopCoat. Having talked to the members on the detailing group it seems very clear that none of them would use either of these products as the only protection they were using they would only use them as a final topping over a sealant/synthetic wax.

As such I think when the TopCoat runs out I am going to do the entire sling with Meguires Ultimate paste wax and then use the Slick Mist - - one thing nice about this at $8 I can use the Sick Mist much more often and generously

also just to be clear - I could easily change my mind in the future and either go back to the TopCoat or change to something completely different - I just want my Sling to look good and I am not married to any particular product

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I had been using the Mequairs paste wax and the Lucas Quick wax since I got the SS. I have not used any quick detail on top of the F-11 yet. Will wait and see how things progress

Quote from FunCycle

I had been using the Mequairs paste wax and the Lucas Quick wax since I got the SS. I have not used any quick detail on top of the F-11 yet. Will wait and see how things progress

after you have had some time with the f11 please post back with your thoughts

Quote from edwardaneal

after you have had some time with the f11 please post back with your thoughts

Yes I will post my thoughts well into the riding season

I think the two things that bother me about TopCoat F11 are first the complete lack of information about what it is and second their claims about everything they say it can do.

There is absolutely no information on the bottle as to whats actually in it. is it a polymer? a wax? natural? or synthetic? they don't say, all they say is that its water based. I used the contact link on their site to ask them and in their reply they said, and I quote "its none of those things, its "new technology"

okay great its "new technology" but what the heck does that mean - when I asked that I got no reply

then you add that to the fact that they seem yo say it can be used for everything from the initial clay barring of the finish to the final protectant and polish and then as the protectant and sealant for the interior leather and even on the windshield like rain-x

it just seems a bit much to expect out of a single product that I don't even know what it is

Like I said I bought it and it does shine and it is easy, but I really wonder what makes it anything more than a detailer or any better than the Lucas or any of the other spray on quick shine products out there

at least with the Lucas I know its a polymer with UV protection thats made by a US company who's products I have trusted in the past.

I am sitting here looking at the TopCoat bottle they say its "next generation" they say its "preferred by the pros" it will revitalize the surface to "like new" condition they even say it will reduce surface drag and improve my fuel economy

no mention at all of what it is and no mention on UV protection

I bought the stuff, but at age 63 I guess I have around too long to easily accept that it is the miracle product it is advertised to be as especially when, even when asked, they are so tight lipped about giving any information about what it is.

oh and just so you know I really have used and compared both the Lucas & TopCoat

Any thoughts on Meguairs quick detailer @edwardaneal? Maybe from that Facebook group?

Quote from MiM

Any thoughts on Meguairs quick detailer @edwardaneal? Maybe from that Facebook group?

I try to never run out of that stuff. Also the Ultimate Quick Wax. The Lucas Quick Wax is also good if not better than the Meguairs

Quote from edwardaneal

I think the two things that bother me about TopCoat F11 are first the complete lack of information about what it is and second their claims about everything they say it can do.

For painted surfaces I have always used White diamond polish and detailer
I tried the F 11 on the black plastic parts of the sling and the results were excellent

I tried it for the first time on paint today and did my truck - looks great but lets see if it holds up as well as White Diamond.

But it is my new go to for the black parts

And you are correct - I have no idea what is I it.

Quote from FunCycle

I try to never run out of that stuff. Also the Ultimate Quick Wax. The Lucas Quick Wax is also good if not better than the Meguairs

So how would I go about claying? And what's recommended?

Also, if paint isn't reflecting perfectly like a mirror (I'm looking at yours @MWSlingshot)... Can anything be done besides repainting? For example, orange peel ish type areas? Curious as I've heard of buffing, polishing, compounds, etc to get paint better?

Quote from MiM

Any thoughts on Meguairs quick detailer @edwardaneal? Maybe from that Facebook group?

I saw an advertisement for it once. It said the product works so well, it does half the job for you. I bought two bottles, but my ride was still dirty. Not sure if my results are typical though

I have a fair amount of experience dealing my own vehicles. It all boils down to what your end result your looking for is...F11 isn't going to provide any paint protection thats why a detailer isn't going to use it. The Turtle Wax Ice is is the same category. If your looking for a easy spray on/wipe off shine these are good products. If your really looking for your paint to pop there are products out there that will do this and protect the paint.

A wax is going to be the lowest protection...followed by a sealant...then a ceramic will be the best. On top of those coats you can use a "gloss" product that will give the wet appearance you are getting from f11 or ice. As with the others the "gloss" provides no protection its only for appearance.

Also any of the quick detailers are good for drying a car off to lesson streaks to helping to apply/remove was products. If there is a small (SMALL) amount of dust or a smudge they work great for that to. Think of it more as a very light lube to help prevent scratching of the clear coat.

Hopefully this help some.

Quote from MiM

Any thoughts on Meguairs quick detailer @edwardaneal? Maybe from that Facebook group?

couldn't find anything specific about Meguires quick detail - most of the members in that group seem to favor professional products that are not available at places like auto zone, but they seem to be fairly positive about meguires products when asked