# What's Wrong With Gtechniq?



## JimG (Sep 16, 2011)

Having been suitably baffled by all the information and recommendations I have decided to stick with one manufacturer for everything.

I follow the KDS threads a lot because I live not far from them and think their work is excellent. I'm determined to save up and get a detail from them.

I notice they use Gtechniq a lot and I haven't heard anything negative about the products.

I'm surprised that more people don't use their products. Is there something I should know? Does anyone have any criticisms of any of the products? Why is Gtechniq not taking over the detailing world?

My XC90 is a dark pearlesant blue and as such am steering away from carnauba wax because I heard the slight yellow tinge can dull the metallic flakes.


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## Deano (Jul 7, 2006)

cos most of us have enough detailing gear to sink a battleship and dont need anymore. I gotta say this is a very strange thread. As for yellow tinges, you'd probably have to apply it in the spade full to get that. I've never ever noticed a yellow tinge and my car is currently wearing several coats of wax.


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## Grizzle (Jul 12, 2006)

Totaly agree ^ a very odd thread, and who told you about the "yellow tinge" lol utter nonsense.


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## rossdook (Aug 20, 2008)

^^ agree

Besides, you're off your trolley if you're going to stick to one manufacturer. You're immediately compromising the quality of results available to you, as I (and many others) have yet to find one manufacturer that makes a range which (to me) is better than anything else out there. Why wouldn't you want to cherry pick the best individual products from umpteen companies in order to give you the best products available? It doesn't make sense to me...


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## JimG (Sep 16, 2011)

http://www.kdskeltec.co.uk/waxing.phtml

Carnauba Waxes

Carnauba waxes are the traditional automotive paintwork protection. Carnauba wax is secreted by the leaves of a tree in the Brazilian rainforest, it's one of natures most durable waxes. Most carnauba waxes use Grade 1 yellow carnauba in their formulations, Grade 1 is the highest grade of carnauba wax available. Usually the more expensive the wax, the higher the percentage of carnauba (up to 79% if you are willing pay £18,000).

Where the synthetic waxes give a more reflective finish, the carnauba waxes will give your paintwork a warm glow and a greater depth. Because the wax is yellow and not completely transparent the finish will give a slightly muted effect on metallic flake finishes. Manufacturers are now refining the yellow carnauba to white which will help reduce the yellowing effect and increase that sparkle effect, white carnauba is used in the more expensive waxes at the moment (about £100+). Also a carnauba wax will give a much better sheeting/beading property than a synthetic wax.

Carnauba waxes usually have a lower durability than synthetic waxes/sealants, especially on darker cars in the summer months (carnauba wax will evaporate) and will require topping up on a regular basis. Carnauba waxes can be layered to improve durability and appearance, but too many layers will cause a yellowing effect where the opacity builds up. The diagram below shows what happens if too many layers of carnauba wax are applied.

Have I misunderstood the above from KDS? My thoughts after reading this was that non-carnauba products would be better for a metallic finish.

My reason for sticking with one manufacturer is purely down to ease. My point is I've never heard anything bad about Gtechniq so why not use all their products? Surely they are designed to work best with each other?

I'm sorry you think this is a weird thread, maybe I haven't come across very well. I'm new to all this and am desperately trying to find the best and easiest way to make my car look good. Whenever anyone starts a thread such as "Which product for this?" There are numerous different recommendations and disagreements. It boggles my mind because of my lack of knowledge. I'm trying to learn, I just want some constructive assistance.


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## Deano (Jul 7, 2006)

never seen it myself. layering wax is pretty pointless after about 3 layers as its only the wax in contact with the paint that will protect, the rest won't adhere correctly. to get any effect on opacity (assuming you're using a non coloured wax) you'd have to put a crazy (and pointless) amount of wax on i would have thought. Have a look in the studio/showroom and see how many people have waxed their cars. I'd be surprised if you found any dulling due to wax application.


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## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

What's wrong with gtechniq? Their prices put me right off to be honest.


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## Deano (Jul 7, 2006)

Jim dont forget a good percentage of the success rate of a product is down to personal preference. One product you could love and someone else will loathe it. No one brand will dominate IMO.


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## Grizzle (Jul 12, 2006)

Its all about choice really isnt it?, i dont hate Gtechniq one bit but the prices are crazy and thats most likely way out of Robb's control shipping vat taxes etc etc so leaves zero margin for earning a crust to be fair.


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## Ninja59 (Feb 17, 2009)

all down to personal preference, IMHO i used to believe in the pricey stuff but tbh a lot of the boutique stuff is a rip off and sometimes the smaller suppliers are nicer . I only own one or 2 gtech products purely on the pov i have to much stuff.


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## spursfan (Aug 4, 2009)

I guess you could compare this to cars, one person may think the Porsche 911 is stunning, others think it's a pig, all down to personal preference.
Personally, i reckon Gtech stuff is very good, although i only have one of their items.
Seems their stuff is at the far end of the durability chart which makes them appealing, i want to get their wheel protectant but they need refurbishing first

Kev


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## JimG (Sep 16, 2011)

Grizzle said:


> Its all about choice really isnt it?, i dont hate Gtechniq one bit but the prices are crazy and thats most likely way out of Robb's control shipping vat taxes etc etc so leaves zero margin for earning a crust to be fair.


Is it imported?

I like the claims of durability. I'm leaning toward a nano based approach, so what would be a good competitor to Gtechniq? Really looking for a long lasting, durable protection.


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## Paddy_R (Jan 10, 2007)

A direct competitor to G|techniq would (in my mind) be Wolfs Chemicals. I have a few G|techniq products and to be fair they're ok. Don't get me wrong they work, just not for as long as the claims suggest. They are also fussy about the surfaces they are being applied to and they require you to be 100% sure the surface us perfectly clean an free from all contaminants. 

For me personally durability isn't top priority as I actually enjoy cleaning the car and a big cheap tub of FK1000p will last a lot longer than the small not so cheap bottle of C5 even if I apply the FK every month.


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## Andyb0127 (Jan 16, 2011)

Im relitavly new to detailing and dont have the knowledge and experience that others do have, that said products are a minefield answers to topics have you confused with different answers. 

I use P1 - P2 with no problems, depends what you want out of it i just think its trial and error finding what products work for you, as said its mostly down to how much you want to spend and personal preference.


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## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

JimG said:


> Is it imported?
> 
> I like the claims of durability. I'm leaning toward a nano based approach, so what would be a good competitor to Gtechniq? Really looking for a long lasting, durable protection.


I got cquartz on the way for my wheels and glass, it was either that or opti-coat for me.

The cquartz from reviews is very easy to use, just like a normal sealant. Gtechniq looks like instant bond, wipe off quick or it's stuffed. The opti-coat sounds a bit in between, but still easy to stuff it up. I must admit I was very close to getting wolfs wheel sealant, but it cost the same as cquartz here in Australia, and I want it for more than just wheels....


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## Andyb0127 (Jan 16, 2011)

Paddy_R said:


> A direct competitor to G|techniq would (in my mind) be Wolfs Chemicals. I have a few G|techniq products and to be fair they're ok. Don't ge:thumb:t me wrong they work, just not for as long as the claims suggest. They are also fussy about the surfaces they are being applied to and they require you to be 100% sure the surface us perfectly clean an free from all contaminants.
> 
> For me personally durability isn't top priority as I actually enjoy cleaning the car and a big cheap tub of FK1000p will last a lot longer than the small not so cheap bottle of C5 even if I apply the FK every month.


couldnt of put that better my cars got two coats of fk1000p followed by 4 coats of finishkare 2685 pink wax, which hopefully.should see it through the winter.......
:thumb:


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## alfajim (May 4, 2011)

i think gtechniq stuff is good, used p1, g1, g4. but a whole detail with their stuff is ok for someone elses car, as they're not car cleaning nutters like us. we like to get out there every week and try new stuff.
i've always been into the cheap end of the market, i'll never buy anything over £20. megs #16 and fk1000p suit me just fine.


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## gtechrob (Sep 11, 2006)

just thought I'd jump in here to answer some of the points brought up on this thread.

first off - this thread has got me thinking that maybe we should include the vat on our final prices? reason we didn't was that the website is aimed at an international audience so figured we'd quote ex vat. maybe with the benefit of hindsight this wasn't a wise move.

pricing. c1/4/5 is always going to be exensive. bit of background on that product. through my co-founder's network of phd graduates (drew did a phd in quantum physics), we developed this product in conjunction with a very advanced product development lab in japan. 

companies such as bayer material science, basf etc. use labs such as these alongside their existing research teams. then if you are somebody like bayer you take the finished product and mass produce it. if you are somebody like gtechniq that has a very niche market, no factory on the planet is going to want to produce the small volumes we require, particularly when the product crystallises which causes havoc for components in the manufacturing process. these products are a total nightmare to produce and cost of goods is eyewatering. we make way less margin on these lines than any others particularly since the yen has gone bonkers since the financial meltdowns of late.

I hope you agree that the rest of our lines are not as eyewateringly expensive and some, such as g1, g5, l1 represent extraordinarily good vfm.

as alfajim points out above. some of our range, c1 in particular, goes against the grain of detailing when detailing is a hobby. c1 is designed to offer the best durability that coating technology can offer and it doesn't require maintenance other than when the beading function drops away. both c1 and the beading topper upper but very durable product in its own right, c2 - are 100% clear, massively stain resistant and highly dirt repellent. We have countless eg's of this from real world anecdotal as well as lab tests.

but if you like the whole process of detailing then the c1 option may not be for you although you can certainly top it with anything you like.

just a side note - whilst wolfs body wrap is a good product it is a completely different category of product to c1


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## james_19742000 (May 8, 2008)

Some good debate in this thread, I bought a few batches of GTech stuff earlier in the year for when our new cars were delivered, on the Beetle I went for C2 on the paint, C5 on the wheels, I1 on the interior and roof, and then G1 and G2 for the windows, all done the job perfectly, I wanted a fairly easy quick wash regime on that car, I can go out get the cleaning gear out give it a snowfoam, wash, rinse, shampoo the wheels, hoovered out in around an hour, then if needed a diluted C2 top for the C2 and job done, works perfectly, really pleased with teh regime, for my other new car that arrived in July I wanted a wax based finish, I just felt I want to apply some wax, but I liked a sealent, so I went down the road of Dodo SN Hybrid, great product does what it says on the tin and also like it on the wheels, but I still use Gtech products for the rest of the car, I1 for the interior fabric protection, the glass sealent, leather guard.

I love the P1 polish, its quick and easy to use, gives a great finish in my view, job done.

The big thing that Gtech has over other products especially a traditional wax, is that something like C2 can be sprayed, wiped, buffed, simple takes minutes, and that is a real time saver, so whilst a £15 bottle is never going to last the same amount of time as a £15 tub of wax, it just saves time, dont get me wrong I love applying wax, but it can feel like hard work compared to a spray on product?

As ever with products, some products suit some people some dont, we all have our own prefereneces, but I dont think Gtech is expensive, its not cheap, but it does a good job at long term protection that it wants to offer its customers, so for thos eof us that have time constraints in our lives it can be a great middle of the road item, performance and quality and a happy wife!!!!


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## stuart1164 (Jun 9, 2009)

I have 4 Gtech products which are G3, C3, P1 and P2.

All are very good.

I like to use G3 very good but I do have to top it up every 2 weeks but was hoping for a 4 week useage going by the price.

C3 gives a great finnish but stinks, I now prefer Zanio Z8 easier to use use less product better finnish.

P1 & P2 excellent results on the paint work but put off badly by the huge amount of splatter a complete pain in the A**e.

With my detailing products being pretty vast I just go back to the good old usual suspects that still dominate the correction and refining world.

Could the PHD boffins at Gtech not find a way to eliminate the splatter.

Don't know about anyone else but having a PHD in whatever field would not want me to pay more for a product as I'm sure other companies developers also have a PHD or two :lol:


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

Andyb0127 said:


> couldnt of put that better my cars got two coats of fk1000p followed by 4 coats of finishkare 2685 pink wax, which hopefully.should see it through the winter.......
> :thumb:


in fairness, one coat of either would see it through winter


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## wish wash (Aug 25, 2011)

Prices are quite high for such a small quantity but they do last ages, especially the wheel armour


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## McClane (Dec 9, 2010)

Rob's used a word above I was going to pick up on.

*Niche.*

In my opinion line's such as G-tech's do just that. They know they're niche and they stick to it. C1 is the perfect example.

It lasts ages and offers a true protection, but you can't just plonk it on the car after some SRP like you can a tin or wax, or a paste sealant. It's horses for courses.

Someone in the position of [email protected] is probably in the ideal position to use this stuff day in day out. Using it on other peoples cars who want durability and don't necessarily want to wax it themselves etc. Kelly does the hard work and skilled bit so they don't have to, and the results last. He also has a nice indoor unit which helps enormously with various stages.

They require some specific skill to apply, but offer a certain result. G1 the glass sealant is another good example. It's not like plonking on some Rain-X, but it'll lasts and performs v.well compared.


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## McClane (Dec 9, 2010)

stuart1164 said:


> I have 4 Gtech products which are G3, C3, P1 and P2.
> 
> All are very good.
> 
> ...


I think the last point is down to "small lab" stuff being more expensive than large scale stuff. As you mention, plenty of other industrial chemists will have PhD's too, but if they also have a large scale infrastructure around them and a high throughput, then the economies of scale kick in.


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## clarkey1269 (Dec 27, 2010)

expensive but well worth it imo, G1 for example, you get a small amount but a small amount goes a long way i did my windscreen,sides and back and still had enough to the shower screen and my old mans front windscreen and will out last rain-x or other brand and in the long run will no doubt save you a few pennies.


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## Laurie.J.M (Jun 23, 2011)

Lots of people use Gtechniq and their products are fantastic but not everyone wants to use their entire range or has the money to buy it. I love Gtechniq and have used G1 and C5 to great effect but for my LSP on the paint I just prefer the look and feel of a good carnauba wax like Zymol or Vics Concours to a Nano Sealant like C1. It's mostly personal preference.


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## scoobymad (Jun 14, 2011)

You won't see an actual yellow tinge to the paintwork,but indeed carnauba does not have full effect on metallic  nothing wrong with g-techniq either,amazing products :thumb:


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## stuart1164 (Jun 9, 2009)

McClane said:


> I think the last point is down to "small lab" stuff being more expensive than large scale stuff. As you mention, plenty of other industrial chemists will have PhD's too, but if they also have a large scale infrastructure around them and a high throughput, then the economies of scale kick in.


Very true but if the price on some of their products was a bit more competitive they would sell a lot more.

Also if they got the splatter sorted, P1 & P2 would be pretty much perfect.

The quality of the products is excellent IMO.


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## JimG (Sep 16, 2011)

Thanks to everyone here for chipping in. I apologise again if my original post was a bit strangely worded, I did it in a hurry. 

Thanks to Rob from Gtechniq for coming on board too. :thumb: We are in an amazing position on this forum where we have such close contact with the people who make/design/supply the products that we buy. For that I'm grateful. 

I still wish to stick with GTechniq. I like the protection it offers for someone like me that hasn't always the time to do a proper wash every week.

Just need to find a willing volunteer in the Kent area who will correct and seal my paintwork for me but for under £200!!! I'm already in enough trouble with SWMBO!!!


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