Griots Garage?

[FLuXeXigeS]

i finally got fed up with my local car wash guys and im sick of the silly half ass job that they do!

i used to always do my own work, but the real JOB kept me really busy, now that its quite settling down thought id get back into it

for the most part ive really only used Meguairs (sponsorship) and Mothers (my step dad uses it)

but i want to know more info on the Griots Garage products etc...
anyone tried them?

feedback?

info?

i saw that they were having a special that included an orbital polisher for $199, is it worth it?


any info would be greatly appreciated

thanx

[Kjakk]

I just bought some of their stuff and have been trying it out. I had been using Zymol stuff and I got really good results from the Zymol Carbon wax (black car), but I wanted to try something different. I got the Griots hand polish and the best in show wax and some of the wheel polish. I think it's done the best of all the other stuff that I have tried so far and it's not as expensive as the Zymol stuff.

[TheBrander]

I was very happy with Griot's, but I've moved on to Zaino and will probably stay.

Originally Posted by FLuXeXigeS

i finally got fed up with my local car wash guys and im sick of the silly half ass job that they do!

i used to always do my own work, but the real JOB kept me really busy, now that its quite settling down thought id get back into it

for the most part ive really only used Meguairs (sponsorship) and Mothers (my step dad uses it)

but i want to know more info on the Griots Garage products etc...
anyone tried them?

feedback?

info?

i saw that they were having a special that included an orbital polisher for $199, is it worth it?


any info would be greatly appreciated

thanx

[dwkoski]

Griots Garage products are very expensive if not overpriced (got to pay for those expensive catalogs somehow.) That said, they are VERY good products and many are worth the extra money. The fine hand polish and best of show wax are especially good and I use them on my Europa and Elises but use less expensive products on the grocery getters. Don't recommend power polishers for show cars but use one on the street cars, saves time but not as good a job. Actually they do a better job if you have oxidation or foreign objects embedded in the paint surface but I clay the Loti rather than using a polisher. A side benefit of Griots products is that they do stand behind them. I had a bottle leak in a package and rather than replace the one product, they sent an entire new order...Dave

[NJdrool]

I use Zaino but their Z5 sucks at getting rid of swirl marks. I will probably give Griots a shot to try and get rid of said marks.

[Gregbj8]

I have used Griots for a number of years and am VERY happy with their products. I use their random orbital, Best of Show wax, car wash, Hand Polish, and wheel cleaner. First rate stuff reasonably priced for the quality.

[kjd1231]

I have also used Meguiar's almost exclusively for years. I have tried several Griots products and been quite happy with the results. They make an interior fabric cleaner that does amazing things for light colored B-pillars.

[CrusaderTBC]

Griot's has some really good stuff, but they are at a price premium. I like to get the tools and pads from them. Their leather cleaner and wax are really nice stuff.

I currently use Zaino products. I usually use 3M fine cut polish to remove swirl marks and acid rain etchings prior to applying the Zaino.

[GTScott]

If you like Griot's, give Poorboy's World a try. There is some notable overlap in their offerings.

Personally, I use Zaino on the daily drivers where I need protection and longevity more than anything else. I find that Z2Pro and Z5 stand up nicely on a car that gets daily use. The shining star, in my opinion, in the Zaino line is the ZAIO (Zaino All In One). It is a great chemical polish and you don't HAVE to follow it with the sealant as it has some "built-in." For minor marring, ZPC is pretty good stuff as well.

On the toy cars that get waxed more than they get driven, I use Poorboys and Pinnacle Souveran. If attending an indoor show with those horrible lights, I will often use Poorboys black hole or white diamond, both of which are relatively new, to make the finish just that much more perfect.

-GT

[Sideoiler]

Groits' is a little pricey, but top quality product.

Autogeek is pretty good too

[kestrel74]

Meguiars NXT 2 liquid is the easiest longest lasting wax I've ever used. And the shine is better than anything I've seen.

[LARRY]

Want to keep the interior nice? Use a car cover in the sun whenever you can or a least one of those aluminum covered cardboard window covers in the front window.

The sun BAKES these cars and I've seen Lotus dashboards on "Rent-A-Lotus" vehicles completely faded and melted.

That and some Zymol Leather conditioner for the seats and the door panels and your interior is fine.

Exterior?

Keep a spray bottle of water in the trunk and a couple rags and wipe off that gunk on the body near the rear wheels after every drive.

Wax is a must...whatever you like. I like the Zymol wax but everybody on LotusTalk has a different opinion.

Wash the wheels with a hose, then wipe them off. Most of that brake dust comes off with paper towels.

Avoid wiping the edges of the Starshield too much.

Wash it yourself. Takes no time at all and is part of the fun of owning a Lotus.

P.S. If you gotta get product, Griots is ok.

[mikester]

I've been using them for years, it's good stuff

[Fauxlan]

My garage looks like a Griots showroom, I love their stuff.

[Bane]

Another for Griot's from me.

They have great customer service as well.

My only complaint is that the Best in Show wax is FREAKIN' HARD to remove. It also leaves white marks on black plastic/rubber. I think I got spoiled by synthetics like Zaino/Wolfgang.

If I really want it to shine (maybe once a year) then I'll use their clay system, the random orbit buffer with their machine polish, then I'll put a layer of synthetic wax on. After that it's much easier to use the Griot's Best in Show wax.

[mikester]

Originally Posted by Bane

Another for Griot's from me.

They have great customer service as well.

My only complaint is that the Best in Show wax is FREAKIN' HARD to remove. It also leaves white marks on black plastic/rubber. I think I got spoiled by synthetics like Zaino/Wolfgang.

If I really want it to shine (maybe once a year) then I'll use their clay system, the random orbit buffer with their machine polish, then I'll put a layer of synthetic wax on. After that it's much easier to use the Griot's Best in Show wax.

I agree with you about their Best in Show wax. That's probably the only item of theirs that I haven't had good to great results with.

When I'm in a hurry and just want to get a nice quick shine, I'll wash the car as normal and then use their Spray-On Wax as I'm drying the car. Works great, between more intensive waxing sessions.

[FLuXeXigeS]

wow great feedback so far, thank you guys and please keep them coming, i have several cars, and if i do get into doing it myself, i want to get the best product for both Show and Daily Duties

its starting to look like Griots might be a good choice, so far...

thank you again

[intofx]

Their 1, 2, and 3 polishes are great and last forever. You can get the porter cable in any number of places but it's pretty much idiot proof in terms of polishing. I highly recommend going that route for routine wax/polish sessions.

Also I agree with the wax being tough to remove. So, I switched to Pinnacle Souveran as a topping to the two Klasse products. Definitely a great combo - but when I grabbed my old bottle of Griots best in show, I have to say I'm debating a return to their products.

Finally, their detail spray (Speed Shine) is awesome and if you buy the big jug of it, you will have it for years!

Matt

[fredkto]

+1 on Griot's.

[Chococar]

Originally Posted by fredkto

+1 on Griot's.

+1