Colour X and some question.

[TrufflePig]

okay out of everything I've learned on here, Colour X is the one thing that seems to still faze me.

can someone please explain to me this product.

when do you use colour x?

is it as its names says. you use it when your paint has faded etc...

would you do.

wash
clay
colour x
scratch x
then your paint cleaner
paint polish

etc...

or how does it change everything when you use colour x.

thanks all

TrufflePig

[Lydia]

Re: Colour X and some question.

ColourX is a one-step product. It is a paint cleaner, polish, and wax all-in-one. I use ColourX when I don't have time to, or don't need to, do a full detail. The steps I would use would be as follows:

Wash and dry (of course)
Clay as needed
ColorX

With ColorX there is no need to do a seperate paint cleaner,polish, or wax, although some people like to put a coat of wax on on top of it for added protection. It has some mild diminishing abrasives, as far as I know, so if you work it in, it might help with minor swirls. It's a great product for when you don't have time to do a full detail.

[cornflake_81]

Re: Colour X and some question.

I picked up a bottle of that just yesterday. Good product, using it for a detail later this week.

[TrufflePig]

Re: Colour X and some question.

so you use it when you don't have much time but want a full detail sort of speak.

can you use it with the G100. i'm taking W-8006 or W-9006 is best for it.

any other information about this product.

does it get rid of swirls? if so, only minor swirls?

[cornflake_81]

Re: Colour X and some question.

To utilize the cleaning abilities of ColorX, I'd assume you'd use the 8006 pad at around speed 5. However, I'd like someone else to jump in and reinforce that theory...

[tguil]

Re: Colour X and some question.

To utilize the cleaning abilities of ColorX, I'd assume you'd use the 8006 pad at around speed 5. However, I'd like someone else to jump in and reinforce that theory...

Yep, that's what I do. I have found that ColorX is really the only wax that I need on my two trucks. Both are daily drivers and are garaged at night. If I get really ambitious, I might top the ColorX with NXT.

Tom

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Colour X and some question.

so you use it when you don't have much time but want a full detail sort of speak.

can you use it with the G100. I'm taking W-8006 or W-9006 is best for it.

any other information about this product.

does it get rid of swirls? if so, only minor swirls?

Most retail waxes on the market are in a category called, Cleaner/Waxes. This is because the average person owns a daily driver, a car that is driven daily and thus parked outside at work and often times at home, as such the paint gets dirty over time, not loose dirt that will wash off but dirt that bonds to the paint at the microscopic level and actually stains the paint. Sometimes it's noticeable, sometimes it's not, but the fact is, the paint on daily driven cars gets dirty.

For this reason, most car waxes, especially the ones that you'll find in retail automotive stores, are cleaner/waxes, the reason for this is because the manufacture knows the paint on daily drives is dirty and the paint needs to be cleaned in order for the wax to bond better but also to improve the appearance so after the customer wipes the wax off the car looks good. If you apply a pure wax, or a wax without cleaners to a dirty car, it won't bond very well and it also won't look very good, at least not as good as it would if you pre-cleaned the paint. Problem is most people, the majority of people that was and wax their cars, (not serious enthusiasts), only want to do 2 things,

• Wash the car
• Wax the car

For this reason, the average car wax has to be a cleaner wax so that the customer will be happy, in order to be happy, they must see a visual difference in the before and after in the work they've done and they want to see water beading for a long time, the perception that the wax is lasting and the paint is protected.

Cleaner/waxes accomplish the above, some better than others. ColorX is a strong cleaner/wax that will tackle a wide spectrum of paint defects effectively in one application, thus it will make most people that use it happy.

Serious enthusiasts on the other hand are willing to do more steps to their car's paint to take their finish results to a higher level, for these people we can offer waxes without cleaners because they are willing to pre-clean their paint.

Does that help?

[TrufflePig]

Re: Colour X and some question.

Mike,

thanks so much. that was more than enough, but i am more than happy to read even more information on this product.

in summary, someone like myself who takes great pride in my car's appearance is more than willing to do all the steps.

but when someone like myself is short in time, perhaps Colour X is the best solution?

Wash
Clay
Colour X
NXT

is that process okay if i'm running short in time.

peronsally, i enjoy spending 6-8 hours to fully clean the car. its very relaxing and stress free.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Colour X and some question.

Mike,

but when someone like myself is short in time, perhaps Colour X is the best solution?

Wash
Clay
Colour X
NXT

is that process okay if i'm running short in time.

That's a good process, but if you've previously cleaned and polished the paint, you could get by with wash and NXT, whether you need to clay or clean the paint using a cleaner/wax would depend upon if the paint were dirty and needed to be clayed or cleaned and Meguiar's teach people to "Evaluate the condition of the paint after washing to determine or diagnose what products and steps are needed next.

If after washing you discovered the paint needed to be clayed, then clay it, if it still feels smooth from the last time you detailed your car then skip claying.

If you're working on a car you constantly maintain, then you could go with either ColorX or NXT as NXT has some light cleaning ability. It's when time goes by and the paint is neglected that you would choose a cleaner/wax specifically for it's cleaning power.

As for maintenance, because you can apply a cleaner/wax gently to the paint you can use it anytime, even if the paint is in excellent condition. You don't have to use a cleaner/wax ONLY when the paint has been neglected and it has gone down hill, it's just that for people that want to only do one thing besides washing when their paint is in bad condition then a cleaner/wax is the right product.

Clear as mud?

[TrufflePig]

Re: Colour X and some question.

yes. thanks mike

[tguil]

Re: Colour X and some question.

I finally had a chance to wax my wife's white 2005 Tacoma. It was last waxed with NXT paste wax in September, but was still in very good shape. However I reached for the ColorX because I felt that after that long time period it needed a good cleaning. One application of ColorX with a pc and the truck looks great. If I feel really ambitious and if temperature stays above freezing (about 45-50 in my garage), I'll apply a coat of NXT paste wax by hand. I'm quite sure that the truck will not look any better after the NXT, but I know that the NXT is a tad bit more durable.

Tom

[farmboy]

Re: Colour X and some question.

Mike,

thanks so much. that was more than enough, but i am more than happy to read even more information on this product.

in summary, someone like myself who takes great pride in my car's appearance is more than willing to do all the steps.

but when someone like myself is short in time, perhaps Colour X is the best solution?

Wash
Clay
Colour X
NXT

is that process okay if i'm running short in time.

peronsally, i enjoy spending 6-8 hours to fully clean the car. its very relaxing and stress free.

I would use #80 instead of color X in the above steps. Since you have a G100, I think cleaning/polsihing with #80 will work better. IMO, colorX is just a fast way to wax the car (wash then wax). If you are doing four steps then I would use more specialized product.

[tguil]

Re: Colour X and some question.

I would use #80 instead of color X in the above steps. Since you have a G100, I think cleaning/polsihing with #80 will work better. IMO, colorX is just a fast way to wax the car (wash then wax). If you are doing four steps then I would use more specialized product.

I would tend to agree if I knew that I would have the time to do the complete job at one time. However, if I don't have time to do the two (or more) step process, I think that an application of ColorX followed up by an application of NXT in a couple of weeks makes good sense.

Tom

[Murr1525]

Re: Colour X and some question.

Part of what is also being considered is sticking to the Meguiars recommendations for things like clean, polish, and 2 coats of wax.

So technically, a full detail would look like:

1. Wash
2. Clay if needed
3. Clean
4. Polish
5. Wax
6. Wax

Even with just #80:

1. Wash
2. Clay if needed
3. Cleaner/polish
4. Wax
5. Wax

With ColorX:

1. Wash
2. Clay if needed
3. ColorX
4. Wax

So yes, separate steps would almost always leave better results, but if you want darn good results when you are short on time, or for the average Joe who isnt too concerned, then it is a great product. Definitely one of my favorites.

[tguil]

Re: Colour X and some question.

I believe that Meguiar's suggests a second application of wax to insure that all of the surface has been covered. If you are using ColorX, NXT or any wax/sealant with a cleaner in it, you cannot layer the products. (You could however, layer a pure wax like #16.) So if you are very sure that you have completely covered all of the surface on your vehicle, there really is not all that much sense in immediately applying a coat of NXT after either ColorX or NXT *unless* it adds to the durability and paint protection. Does it or does it not?

Then too, many of us wax our vehicles often enough that there is always some wax remaining on the surface from the last wax job.

Right now I have two freshly waxed (ColorX) white pickups sitting in my garage. They are lookin' mighty good. They are garaged every night (and because we are retired, most of the day). I live in a rural area and do not get the contaminants of a big city. Somehow applying a coat of NXT right now doesn't make much sense. But then those of us on this forum tend to be a little OCD and most of what we do makes little sense to "normal" folks.

Edit: I went out to the garage with a can of NXT paste wax, a foam applicator and a couple of microfiber polishing cloths. The OCD had kicked in. Fortunately I overcame the urge (not all that hard because the trucks were still lookin' good 24 hours after bring waxed with the ColorX). I went back into the kitchen to have another cup of coffee.

Tom