Finish Kare #2180 + #2685 - A Sealant & Wax Combo for the Winter

Hello Folks,

What Is It?

Finish Kare #2180 Ultra Poly Wipe Sealant - Anti Static +
Finish Kare #2685 Carnauba Polymer Paste Wax

http://s5.postimg.cc/q9zf6h35j/r12coupe50.jpg

What Does It Bring To The Table?

Finish Kare #2180 Ultra Poly Wipe Sealant & Conditioner is a sealant for
use on all finishes, A blend of anti corrosive, detergent resistant
polydimethylsiloxane co-polymers, which provide the finish with a high glossed
protective film that gives intensive wear and great resistance to heat and
water.

# 2180 removes surface accumulation and oxidation while penetrating and
sealing the pores of the paint, giving great depth and trueness of color. This
along with high melt resins offers prolonged surface protection and resistance
to the elements, UV, oxidation and detergents for months of maintenance
free appearance driving pleasure.

Excellent for use on paint, fiber glass, gel coat, glass and chrome surfaces.

Serious Performance Price: £12.95
Size: 15oz / 444ml.

Finish Kare #2685 Carnauba Polymer Paste Wax uses an advanced
process blended from #1 Brazilian Carnauba Wax and durable poly resins. The
result is a soft easy on easy off paste wax which delivers an ultra deep, ultra
wet, ultra glossy custom show car finish.

Excellent for use on all automotive and aircraft finishes.

Serious Performance Price: £17.95
Size: A HUGE 15 oz tin.
Also available in 2oz sample size for £4

SP Note: For extra effect base coat with 2180 Ultra Seal. Multiple applications of
2685 will result in increased depth, slickness, wetness and will conceal stubborn
fine scratches and spider webbing.

What Am I Testing It On?

My Renault Laguna and on spoiler of a Honda Civic Type R

What Do I Think Of It?

When we think of sealing wheels for the winter, probably the Forum favourite
will be Finish Kare #1000p. So are there any similar price alternatives that
can give that kind of protection on the body paint but also provide some
depth? The finish from the #1000p is very glassy and doesn't suit everyone's
taste, however, the protection is legendary!

The #2180 Ultra Seal is a mayonnaise style potion with all the drawbacks of
getting even and regular amounts onto the applicator. Having got past that,
the bottle instructions read like the storyline of a detailer's dream...

Apply the product and work it in well into the finish... I used a soft
foam sponge that had been dampened with some ONR. This extended the
"working" period somewhat but not by much. My impression being that without
it the product would have dried too soon. On the Type R spoiler, I used no
more than 2 tiny spots on the applicator, so the bottle will last and last.

Buffing-off was a breeze; there was no rubbing either done or needed. On the
black Civic it brought the multi-colour flake to life, though to my eyes the
finish was a tad flat and very glassy. The effect was almost the same on the
Renault. In both cases it was almost exactly the same finish as I'd expect
from the wheel-wax.

The #2685 Polymer Paste Wax, I believe is often referred to as the pink
wax, comes in a huge great tin, and like its wheel wax counterpart will just
last and last. As with all FK products, less is more, so a very light swipe
across the surface with a dampened applicator will easily pick up enough wax
for a panel. When applying, there's no need to work it in, just light and brisk
strokes across the area will apply all that you need.

Visibly, this is not an easy wax to read for judging the moment to start your
buffing-off, it definitely needs the swipe test! When you come to buff-off,
there may be an initial loss of the sparkle gained from the sealant, but this
is more than compensated for by the depth and paint wetness.

With my silver flake, it's a finish I much prefer to the outright bling of sealants
on their own. On the Type R, there was only one word to describe that depth
of shine - classy! It just reinforces all the reasons behind buying a black car!
In a short visit there wasn't enough time to apply a 2nd coat, though to be
honest I'm not sure that on a dark colour it would have brought out much more.

On the Renault, I did put a second coat on the bonnet and roof and I was
amazed at the depth. There was some muting of the flake pop, but not to
any degree that would deter me from using this combination again.

Pros

For both products...

• Value for money - 29p per car sealant / 40p per car the wax
• Ease of Use - both in applying and buffing-off
• The shine - An X factor in quality feel and results

Cons

An old chestnut with me, the dispensing of the #2180 sealant. One of the
quality hallmarks of FK is in its packaging, particularly its spray bottles. It
would be good if they could solve how their mayonnaise style products are
dispensed.

Longevity

My oh my, it's nearly 6 weeks since I've applied this to my car. Since then it
has been taking me around Cumbria and getting deluged in the process. With me
staying on a farm, it's had a couple of HFE washes, along with several ONR
bucketless washes.

This is the car after its latest wash, along with some FK#350 dressing the
tyres and mudguards...

http://s5.postimg.cc/rmlpm3pyv/r12coupe69.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/73veus1fb/r12coupe68.jpg

Beading

Whilst on the farm, I also applied this combo to a Mk1 Ford Escort...

http://s5.postimg.cc/vm8lmcenr/fk2685beads1.jpg

...and to the farm workhorse, an 8 year old Merc C class

http://s5.postimg.cc/x2k44hhkn/fk2685beads2.jpg

Conclusions

Anyone who's followed my missives in will probably know how much I try to swim
against the tide when it comes to the finish I want to achieve on my metallic
mud colour. It seems that the swings and roundabouts always come to the same
stopping point. If you want depth, then don't neglect the carnauba. This is
despite my trying many types of LSP.

At this point I've no idea on the level of protection that I've applied with this
combo, but simply going on FK's reputation in this field, I'm fairly confident
that it will be as good as their wheel wax with A.N. Other's carnauba wax on
top which has been a long-time favourite. I've held that combination as a
mantra for as long as I've used the FK products and rarely wavered.

Below are some pictures of the Laguna wearing this combo on the roof, bonnet
and down the driver's side. Although you'll probably not tell the difference
there's another wax applied with spit'n'polish technique on boot lid and down
the passenger side.

http://s5.postimg.cc/hqpojkqif/stamfd1201.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/usbd9fewn/stamfd1202.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/f1qafsvnb/stamfd1203.jpg

Report just received:: The beading on the spoiler of the Civic is monumental by the way.

Strangely, I don't have a beading photo of my car with this combo. By now
the various QDs that I've applied will render this bit meaningless anyway.
Clearly, the protection is still in place and is giving a good deep shine. Just
how I like it! I can heartily recommend this combo :niceone:

Where Do I Buy?

Both products are available from: Clean Your Car or Serious Performance

Acknowledgements

My thanks to Alex at Serious Performance for his help and recommendations.

Regards,
Steve