I've heard lots of good things about various Meguires' and 3M products, except fot the deep crystal line. Is there an obvious reason here? Does anyone have any experience with it? Thanks for any comments.

There are so many opinions on theses products...I will again share mine.

I just got through trying the 3M products on my '86 300E (smoke silver) and I did not like them as well as the Meguiars products. I use my hand to apply and remove the products...I think a lot of the folks that use 3M use a buffer, and probably get different results.

As for Meguiars....out of all their systems I've tried....I felt the "3 step" maroon bottles/ deep crystal line did not work as well as the others. I think the deep crystal line was designed to be their "economical" line. Over the years the "pros" have used the beige bottles that are numbered, #7, #9, #26, etc. These are very good products made for the profesional detailers....

My personal favorite combonation of Meguiars have been the following:

1) Meguiars Cleaner Wax followed by the new Gold Class Wax.

For Swirl reduction and cleaning I would use the Gold Class Swirl Reducer & Prep, again followed by Gold Class wax.

Anyone who has read my posts before knows I am a huge Meguiars Gold Class Wax fan...it gives my smoke silver good protection with AWESOME shine.

My opinion is only one of many....
The best of luck to you!!

Mike

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1986 300E 138k
MBCA Concours Judge
Board Member -
Western Reserve Section

It was my observation too that, compared to a bottle of Zymol I managed to pick up on sale, they didn't work as well, but I had little frame of reference. I've never seen the numbered Meguire's products anywhere, so I cannot buy them for the time being. But this glaze sounds very good.
Off hand, the wax didn't seem to last very long..and it always had this residue...
Thanks
Jon

Sephi678 brings up a good question. I have been looking, although not too intensely as of late, for the Meguiar "numbered" products. I have seen ads for the products, but never do they mention the numbers referred to often on this page. Additionally I have been to the Meguiar home page, and it doesn't really mention much about the "numbered" products either. Bottom line...am I missing something here?

Gus,I have always been able to purchase the Meguiers "numbered products in the tan bottle" at my local Trak Auto or Pep Boys.

I talked with a Meguiar's regional sales rep when I was in A. Island. He said the brown bottles are more for the professional crowd that is seeking professional results. This target audience is willing to spend more time to get the best possible result. The dark red bottles are more for the amateur that wants good results but in minimal time.

As far as where to find the tan "Mirror Glaze" lineup: Pep Boys should have some of the products. Local bodyshops should be able to supply you with the whole line. Go through the phone book and find out which ones can/will sell the consumer sized (no 50 gallon drums) bottles to you. You can buy some of it through your local MB dealer but expect to pay through the nose. Call the local bodyshops or run by Pep Boys. The local Pep Boys here sells #'s 7, 26, 34, 9, and a few others I can't recall offhand.

If you still can't find them, post back and I'll try to find you a source.

Hope this helps....Lee

The Meguiars wax products use to be easy in the sense that their "maroon" bottles like the Deep Crystal line-up was made for the "I wax my car once a year" guy and the products where less expensive and found at your local K-Mart/Wal-Mart store. I do love their Cleaner-Wax as a first step and it does come in a "maroon" bottle.

The "beige" numbered series also known as Mirror Glaze where and still are primarily made for professionals and you have to buy them at an auto parts store like Pep-Boys, Advanced Auto Parts, etc. The #7, Show Car Glaze and the #26, Yellow Wax are very good products and have been used for many years by show car people and pros alike.

But now things have become confusing: You can go to both the K-mart/Wal-Marts and also the auto part stores and get their newer products sold in a box and packaged in "black" bottles: Gold Class Clear Coat Prep and Swirl Reducer (similar to a mix of the #7 Show Car Glaze and #9 Swirl Reducer) and then of course you have in my opinion the most brilliant gloss with good protection product on the market:Gold Class Clear Coat Car Wax. I think they are trying to market it to both the pros and the once a year guys alike...

There is one other family of waxes that Meguiars has and that is Medallion...sold in black bottles (no box)and it is more expensive and their most "protective" product.

So in a nut shell this is my opinion of their wax line up:

Deep Crystal Carnauba Wax - the cheapest of their wax products. Fair results.

Cleaner Wax - a great first step product and also a good product for people who don't really care as much and want to do everything in one quick easy step.

#26 Hi-Tech Yellow Wax - A good solid protective product with good gloss.

Gold Class Wax - Awesome gloss good protection.

Medallion Premium Paint Protection - Great protection and good gloss.

I've used (I think) every Meguiars product out there and remember I do everything by hand...you may get different results with a buffer.

I hope I didn't bore everyone!(zzzzzzzz)j/k
I hope this helped!

Mike

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1986 300E 138k
MBCA Concours Judge
Board Member -
Western Reserve Section

The Medallion lineup was also discussed in that same conversation...

He said that the Medallion line was supposed to give near "brown bottle" results with "maroon bottle" ease. It was also designed to treat the common stuff people run into well. For your basic de-swirl, polish, and wax Medallion is great. If you have one of those problems in excess and hence need additional attention to that particular need, you are still better suited to use the numbered stuff. For basic/common maintenance the Medallion is supposed to be on par with the "brown bottle" lineup.

I suppose part of the advantage of the Mirror Glaze line is that the person using it must be smart as well. It allows you to custom tailor how much of one kind of treatment your finish needs. The more "all-in-one" Medallion works okay, better for some who don't know what to do as well, but Medallion can only hope to match the Mirror Glaze line.

They seem to be in danger of becoming the (higher quality) GM of the car care business. Zymol was badly burned by selling some stuff to the K-mart crowd. I hope the same does not happen to Meguair's.

Just my take on the whole Meguiar's ever-expanding lineup...Lee