Supagard v Autoglym

opsmajor · March 6, 2016

Had my (10 day old!) RC300h Supagard coated before delivery. First car I have had Supagard on so unsure about future cleaning. Dealer says 'just wash it' and don't put any waxes/polishes on it. I would normally use Autoglym Aqua Car Wax after ever wash and then periodic Autoglym waxes/polishes through the year.

Any advice please?

PCM · March 6, 2016

I did my own car with Supagard...

I still use wax and polish though.

It's 12 years old, so I feel there's nothing to lose.

Enjoy your new car!

Venator · March 6, 2016

See if the water still beads, if it doesn't bead/not as well, then just apply whatever you fancy!

EDIT: Despite me saying that when I worked in a main dealer last year I used to apply wax to my car every 2 weeks :D It was free and it was good stuff! (And gave me something to do during my lunch break), I literally had people like delivery drivers from Eurocarpart or other branch staff asking who's car that was and that it was the cleanest thing they ever saw :D

stevet · March 6, 2016

If you have Supagard on a dark car the major problem is swirl marks. Not on the paintwork but actually on the Supagard coating itself, so you end up polishing it off anyway. That's only if you're into a deep polish look, if its just beading and looking shiny don't worry.

rayaans · March 7, 2016

Supagard is semi decent if you put it on yourself. However, having said that beading doesn't necessarily imply protection. Sealants such as Supagard tend to sheet more and have irregular beads so thats not really the best way to test protection.

The problem with the dealers is they rushed it (110% sure about that) therefore you'll not only find swirls in the sun but it won't last anywhere near as long as it should do.

It costs like £30, no doubt some will pay £200 for it but its simply not worth it. Its a sealant, you can stick wax on it if you want. If you polish it, it'll remove the supagard but then, it doesn't last more than a month or two anyway due to dealer application.

Aqua wax won't remove it and neither will Autoglym wax - the SRP will though.

opsmajor · March 15, 2016

Thanks for the advice chaps. I've always been an Autoglym man but what did you use Venator, was is available to the public?

Mike

rayaans · March 20, 2016

On 15/03/2016 at 11:04 AM, opsmajor said:

Thanks for the advice chaps. I've always been an Autoglym man but what did you use Venator, was is available to the public?

Mike

Everything is available to the general public if you know where to look.

Buy some FK1000P off eBay or some Soft99 Fusso. Can't go wrong and lasts 6 month easy

PCM · March 20, 2016

I've seen dealers quote £400 for Supagard.

That auction site is my supplier of choice.

And MUCH cheaper!

GSLV6 · January 4, 2017

The thing to remember about any synthetic finish, actually the two things are these:

1. Successful application involves proper surface preparation first. Many dealers may not prepare the surface properly, removing paint swirl marks first or failing to remove insect strikes etc and the result can be a mess;

2. You can buy and apply these coatings yourself easily enough but some require curing at set temperatures, typically 20 degrees or above for 48 hours so don't apply them in winter!

You can apply any wax based finish over the synthetic sealants and doing so often both protects the sealant, making it more durable, and enhances the shine, resulting in a more organic looking, deeper shine. You cannot apply a sealant over a wax though as it won't bond. Sealants work by bonding with the paint finishes.

It is advantageous to use something like a Carnuaba (5%) wax polish over a sealant to reap the benefits. You can extend the life of the protection by doing so. It is not recommended to use any form of cutting polish (Autoglym Super Resin polish included) over a sealant as each time you use it, you remove a tiny layer of that protection. Waxes wont do this unless they use a heavy solvent base (best avoided).

Personally, a one off treatment like DiamondBrite or Supaguard is worth having done by a specialist paint protection company (usually they'll come to you, erect a canopy over your car, clean and prep bodywork and wheels, then apply the one or two pack sealant and buff to a uniform blemish free finish) for between £200 and £300. Certainly cheaper than the £520 that some Lexus dealers offer when buying a car ("would you want a paint protection and leather protection added sir?)".

The alternative is that you buy off the shelf products, use a mild abrasive fine grit polishing compound (I use 4500 grit or finer ) to prep the paintwork, seal with a polymerised resin finish, then use something like Meguiars Super Tech Wax and buff. The only maintenance then needed after every 3 to 4 washes or so is the re-apply the Meguiars which goes on easily and buffs readily and easily. This regime achieves most of what your £200 to £300 commericial paint finishes do but you can do yours in an afternoon at home, stand back and admire the results for under £60 for all the compounds and polishing cloths. To apply some of these sealant compounds properly though you really need one of the pro-polisher machines (the devil's in the detail so do your homework first). I have one and I think I paid £225 for it, but have done several cars with it so it has paid for itself over the last few years. If you only intend on doing one car, the commericial option is a good one as they are not daft and price the service accounting for a DIY approach needing a similar one-off expenditure for the proper kit.

Bondis · February 14, 2018

I've purchased a 2010 IS220D last August. It has a lot of swirl marks... Autoglym Super Resin Polish did not remove them. Any idea what I should use? Used SRP twice, and waxed twice.

leelacey17 · February 14, 2018

I've purchased a 2010 IS220D last August. It has a lot of swirl marks... Autoglym Super Resin Polish did not remove them. Any idea what I should use? Used SRP twice, and waxed twice.

Super resin is not really a polish it's more of a glaze. It fills imperfections giving the look of correction.

Are you using it by hand?

If so what were you using to apply it to the car?

Also what colour is your car?

Removing swirls by hand is difficult but super resin is ok for what it is but will never correct swirl marks. Also you need to seal in the polish after using it or in a week or so the filler part of the polish just drops out.

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Bondis · February 15, 2018

17 hours ago, leelacey17 said:

Super resin is not really a polish it's more of a glaze. It fills imperfections giving the look of correction.

Are you using it by hand?

If so what were you using to apply it to the car?

Also what colour is your car?

Removing swirls by hand is difficult but super resin is ok for what it is but will never correct swirl marks. Also you need to seal in the polish after using it or in a week or so the filler part of the polish just drops out.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

Hi! Yes I've heard it is a glaze, however I've noticed paint transfer on a white cotton cloth when applying. I apply it by hand using a cotton cloth and buff with a microfibre cloth, on which i've also noticed paint transfer. My car is velvet black (not metallic, just gloss, code 212). So what polish do you suggest?

rayaans · February 20, 2018

On 15/02/2018 at 9:43 AM, Bondis said:

Hi! Yes I've heard it is a glaze, however I've noticed paint transfer on a white cotton cloth when applying. I apply it by hand using a cotton cloth and buff with a microfibre cloth, on which i've also noticed paint transfer. My car is velvet black (not metallic, just gloss, code 212). So what polish do you suggest?

You sure its paint transfer?

Velvet black is clearcoated - there shouldn't be any paint transfer unless you've gone through the clearcoat (impossible with SRP)

Its more likely to be dirt because SRP has cleansers in it to remove dirt from the pores of the paint.

Id suggest Britemax Black max followed by a wax/sealant

Bondis · April 1, 2018

On 2/20/2018 at 3:59 PM, rayaans said:

You sure its paint transfer?

Velvet black is clearcoated - there shouldn't be any paint transfer unless you've gone through the clearcoat (impossible with SRP)

Its more likely to be dirt because SRP has cleansers in it to remove dirt from the pores of the paint.

Id suggest Britemax Black max followed by a wax/sealant

Hey sorry for the late reply. I don't know whether the previous owners did go through the clear coat or not, but I'm absolutely sure i did not. I only used SRP on it. Also, i do not believe it is dirt, as i had cleaned the vehicle before hand, and also clayed it.

I will look into the Britemax Black. Thanks for the advice. Where I live (Malta) it has became very common to do a paint correction and get the car ceramic coated. A 3 stage paint correction would cost me 240 euro (211 pounds) which I think is quite reasonable, as he would also remove some paint chips I have on the bonnet.

rayaans · April 2, 2018

22 hours ago, Bondis said:

Hey sorry for the late reply. I don't know whether the previous owners did go through the clear coat or not, but I'm absolutely sure i did not. I only used SRP on it. Also, i do not believe it is dirt, as i had cleaned the vehicle before hand, and also clayed it.

I will look into the Britemax Black. Thanks for the advice. Where I live (Malta) it has became very common to do a paint correction and get the car ceramic coated. A 3 stage paint correction would cost me 240 euro (211 pounds) which I think is quite reasonable, as he would also remove some paint chips I have on the bonnet.

clay only removes dirt sitting on the surface, as does washing.

SRP gets into the pores of the paint which could explain the dirt coming out. However, it may be paint transfer if the car has has some paintwork done to it i.e. smart repairs etc