What is the difference between Last Touch and Final Inspecton?

[Jim Shearer]

I have some of both and was wondering what the difference is between the products. The description sounds almost the same but not quite.

[Shawn T.]

Re: What is the difference between Last Touch and Final Inspecton?

FI is body shop safe while LT is not.

[Murr1525]

Re: What is the difference between Last Touch and Final Inspecton?

I believe LT can be used 1:1 for claying also. FI would be used as is, so wont last quite as long.

[Jim Shearer]

Re: What is the difference between Last Touch and Final Inspecton?

Thanks for the replys. What does it mean to be body shop safe? Also, other than that are there any differences?

[Bill Davidson]

Re: What is the difference between Last Touch and Final Inspecton?

From my understanding, body shop safe products do not contain any silicone. Any traces of this floating around the shop can potentially ruin a paint job.

I'd like to hear Tuck91's response on the differences between Final Inspection and Last Touch. I know he likes Final Inspection better. I think it has to do with how well it performs in direct sunlight. Typically he likes to cut Last Touch a little with water for direct sunlight situations.

Maybe none of this will make any difference to you Jim.

You say you have them both. What are your impressions? It would actually be nice to know what someone with less experience with the products thinks of them.

[bsibold]

Re: What is the difference between Last Touch and Final Inspecton?

Body shop safe means that you can paint over it. No need in an IPA wipe down

[Larry A]

Re: What is the difference between Last Touch and Final Inspecton?

Last Touch has silicone in it . Final Inspection has none.

[Bill Davidson]

Re: What is the difference between Last Touch and Final Inspecton?

If you look at the MSDS sheets

Last Touch is recommend to be used as a maintenance product, it is pH balanced 7.0

Final Inspection is recommended to be used as a cleaner and has a pH level of 8.0

There have to be more differences, than just a bit of silicone.

[k3ith]

Re: What is the difference between Last Touch and Final Inspecton?

I think it has to do with how well it performs in direct sunlight. Typically he likes to cut Last Touch a little with water for direct sunlight situations.

I love LT - one of my favorite products. I also have had some issues applying it in direct sunlight.

[TH0001]

Re: What is the difference between Last Touch and Final Inspecton?

Body shop safe means that you can paint over it. No need in an IPA wipe down

I'm not 100% sure this is what 'Body Shop Safe' means, perhaps somebody like Mike Stoops can clear this is up. My understanding (although I can be wrong) is body shop safe means that there is no silicone, it doesn't mean you can paint right over it.

Also, (again I could be wrong), it's not the silicone that is applied to the paint that is the problem as this is removed when the car is wiped with solvents... It's the fact that the silicone can land on other cars when it is misted and cause problems that way.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: What is the difference between Last Touch and Final Inspecton?

While "body shop safe" does indeed mean the product is "paintable" that does NOT mean that you can just apply the product and not worry at all about proper surface prep before actually spraying the paint.

In a body shop environment it doesn't take much silicone at all to cause an issue with paint that is being laid down on a panel. A spray product can easily be carried by a slight breeze, causing a small amount of it to be carried onto a prepared panel. Once the paint is sprayed, even a tiny droplet of silicone will cause a fisheye in the finish. So using a sprayable product with silicone in it is a bad idea in this environment.

Liquid products run a much smaller risk of having an airborne component (unless you're not terribly efficient picking up a bead with your rotary) but it can still happen. Still, when prepping a panel for paint you always want to thoroughly wipe down the panel. But if the products you use are "body shop safe" or "paintable" and you happen to leave a little bit behind, you shouldn't run into any issues. Leaving even the tiniest amount of a non body shop safe product like Ultimate Compound can and will give you problems.

For a complete list of Meguiar's products that are body shop safe, see Body Shop Safe or Not?

[Jim Shearer]

Re: What is the difference between Last Touch and Final Inspecton?

You say you have them both. What are your impressions? It would actually be nice to know what someone with less experience with the products thinks of them.

I tried half the car with Last Touch and the other half with Final Inspection. Strictly from a non-scientific subjective opinion, I thought Last Touch rendered a little more gloss. I definitely think the Last Touch felt slicker when doing the final wipe with a new cloth.

So Last Touch wins for me.

[Bill Davidson]

Re: What is the difference between Last Touch and Final Inspecton?

I tried half the car with Last Touch and the other half with Final Inspection. Strictly from a non-scientific subjective opinion, I thought Last Touch rendered a little more gloss. I definitely think the Last Touch felt slicker when doing the final wipe with a new cloth.

So Last Touch wins for me.

Thanks for the feedback Jim.
It's nice that you like the product that costs less

[Michael Stoops]

Re: What is the difference between Last Touch and Final Inspecton?

I tried half the car with Last Touch and the other half with Final Inspection. Strictly from a non-scientific subjective opinion, I thought Last Touch rendered a little more gloss. I definitely think the Last Touch felt slicker when doing the final wipe with a new cloth.

So Last Touch wins for me.

Sounds perfectly logical. Last Touch is designed to be final wipe down product in a detailing environment where a bit of gloss is a good thing. Final Inspection is designed to be a body shop safe wipe down product that will allow a user to safely remove compound dust or other such product while being 100% safe for use in an environment where fresh paint is being applied.

[rhairman]

Re: What is the difference between Last Touch and Final Inspecton?

Mike, sorry for my confusion. On your post above, you said that "Leaving even the tiniest amount of a non body shop safe product like Ultimate Compound can and will give you problems" where on the list of 'Body Shop Safe or Not' it says that Ultimate Compund is body shop safe. So, actually is it body shop safe or not? Thanks.