Collinite 476s vs. 915

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Waiting for my Harbor Freight to get some more 476s in, but they have the Marque D' Elegance 915 there.

From what I understand, the 915 doesn't last as long as the 476, but nobody can tell me what it looks like compared to the 476. I prefer a deeper shine and glow over durability, so how does the end result look over the 476, any difference?
 
apparently the collinite folks like the 476 over the 915. they claim 915 is a high end variety made to fit a niche.

It seems that it does have a slightly higher caranuba percentage, but I dont know that this means much...
 
I've been using the 476s for quite some time and the durability and beading surpasses any other wax I have used. My neighbor has a medium blue metal flake paint on his Monte Carlo and he preferes the 915 over the 476s. The 915 seems to give the metal flake more "pop". My vehicles are all red and with the 476s wax end up with a real wet look shine. You really can't go wrong with any of the Collinite products.
 
That's kind of what I gathered, I'm thinking my darker metal flake cars may benefit more from the 915 and my lighter colored "flat" gloss may do better with the 476s. I'll figure it out when I do a little more experimenting.
 
476s looks great and is indestructible.........longest lasting wax I have ever used - and it leaves the finish looking wet and slick.

2 thumbs up for 476s
 
476 is like a tank,,,4 months now and it's still shines and beads
like crazy,would never use anything eles!!!!
 
Well, I know how durable the 476 is, that's not what I need. I'm just curious as to how it looks next to the 915.
 
Originally Posted By: kingrob
Well, I know how durable the 476 is, that's not what I need. I'm just curious as to how it looks next to the 915.

Good dude!!!!
 
I used 476 and the results looked very good.

It went on my old silver 96 Crown Vic. The paint was clayed and Klasse AIO and SG applied a month before the 476 was applied.

The paste wax is great. It has to be applied very thin, and buffed out with microfiber towels. It was very slick, water beads like crazy, and brought out some of the subtle metallic in the paint.

When applied to a properly preped paint surface the 476 will look great. With its durability, I think it is a better choice for a vehicle that is not garaged.

Kinrob, if your vehicle is garaged, go with the 915. It is great also, just never personally used it.

Good luck!
 
OK, I don't have any photo evidence to point this out, but I've been experimenting with the 915 and 476 for a couple of weeks now and I wanted to point out my observations.

First, I've used both of these on a variety of finishes and colors, all generally prepped the same way over ten different vehicles.

The 915 is even harder than the 476 out of the tin. Really, it's like a solid chunk of plastic! The only way I could get it to spread was to let it sit in the sun with the cap off to warm up, then blowdry the top of the can until it started to "melt" a little. The 915 smells better than the 476, if that's an issue.

The 915 needs to go on even thinner than the 476. Seriously, you need to work it in to where it's the consistency of Crisco or you will never be able to get it off. Also, unlike the 476 you have got to do it one panel at a time. The 476 I can do the whole car, if it's not in direct sunlight, and let it sit overnight. Not so with the 915.

Even though it's been derided previously in another thread, and I was skeptical myself, the best method I've found for applying the 915 is literally by hand. Once it's warm enough grab a chunk and work it through your hands like you were drying your hands under an automatic hand dryer. This will thin it enough to the consistency you need to work with. The on can directions state that you should apply it with a damp cloth. DO NOT attempt this unless you want a big smeary mess on your hands. The wet cloth approach works well on wood and plastic, though. You should make sure your hands are clean and dry before doing it, the less oil from your hands the better.

Application is definitely easier with the 476s, but the 915 can be easier to take off if you do it panel by panel. The 915 is more forgiving on rubberized and plastic trim than the 476 is. The 915 takes to chrome and aluminum very poorly, but the results are shinier. However, when it comes to repelling brake dust off of wheels, the 476 has it beat.

If you use wax on exterior glass like I do, I'm liking the 915 over the 476. It actually seems to remove slight haze and nicks (ok, maybe it's just covering it up) and it does come off eventually with some Windex and elbow grease, unlike the 476s which seems to make a symbiotic attachment to the glass and refuses to let go.

Now for the looks department. I would say that 8 out of 10 vehicles look better with the 915 over the 476s. The shine, depth, gloss, wetness, etc from the 915 is incomparable. The 476 is no slouch in this department either, as it's taken the place of nearly every other wax I've used in the last twenty years. Previously that title was held by Meguiars Yellow 26, which I will still use when wanting a liquid versus paste wax.

I will say that if your paint is neglected, or non-clearcoated, use the 476s. You will not benefit from the extra "pop" that you would get from the 915. As far as a modern, good condition finish, try the 915, especially for a darker vehicle. If your paint is a light silver or beige with some metal flake, the 476s brings the flake out more. The darker the paint, the opposite is true with the 915.

On my plain white cars, the 915 brought out a depth that I don't think was there even when it was new. I initially expected the opposite, as it's generally accepted that a wax that benefits darker paint with some flake would not be as warm on a flat light finish. That's simply not true with the Collinite line.

As for Durability, I believe the 476s will win that race given time. Two 1996 Centuries with the same paint condition, one got a single coat of 915 and the other 476. Both are stored outdoors. After two weeks, the 476 has lost absolutely none of the beading abilities. The 915 has lost a little bit of its water sheeting, so I believe for the best durability out of the 915 a second coat could be more beneficial. Based on my other experiments, two coats of 915 = one coat of 476s. Either way, they're both extremely durable.

So, bottom line for me is that these are two incredibly great waxes. I believe that I favor the 915 moreso than the 476s. I'm stunned with the looks from the 915, and I believe if you're a fan of the 476s then come the warmer months try a little 915 in your wax regimen, you may be pleasantly surprised. I got mine off of ebay for 22.50 shipped, compared to the 13.50 for the 476s from the same dealer. (Harbor Freight is 14.00 on the 476 and 23.00 for the 915, so I actually save money getting it off Ebay.)

I've been reading for awhile that they were both essentially the same wax with a different smell, but I can say that they're two similar waxes with two different results. Either way, two cans should last me several years judging by the amount I've used so far!
 
thanks for your review.

I got the 476 and am going to apply a coat or two before winter really starts here on my super white corolla, then in the spring do a complete detailing job with the PC 7424.

Couple weeks ago I put on a coat of Meg #26. I also bought the Pinnacle XMT wax, dont know why I bought so many different waxes, as I would like to just stick with one and not have so many.

Does the 476 dry clear? Probably gonna have a tough time seeing it on my white corolla.
 
There's a noticable haze when it dries. I've had no problem seeing it on my white vehicles.
 
kingrob:
Great in-depth report on these two waxes. When you say that you could only do one panel at a time with the 915, did you have any areas where it was left on for an extended time? Just wondering what, if any, problems you ran into buffing it off. I just may have to try the 915 (bum some off of my neighbor!) on my red Trans Am. On that car I don't have to worry too much about about weather protection due to it being a sunny day driver. I'm going to stick with the 476s for my other two vehicles which need as much protection from the weather and salt as they can get, plus neither one of them are garaged.
 
Yeah, the first time I used the 915 I figured I'd experiment a bit. I let the coat sit overnight like I do with the 476s and it took me over an hour to buff it off. It dried like a second coat of paint. I actually had to run down to the store and pick up a cheapie buffer to get the majority of it off, something I've never had to do for straight wax.

Next couple of times I used it I figured I'd wax about half the car, and once I was finished with the front bumpers, fenders, front doors, roof and hood I'd go back and start buffing it out. Even this proved to be problematic. The front bumper of that car had already hardened to the point that I went and grabbed the rotary- I wasn't playing that game again!

Finally I just started doing one panel at a time- wax the entire hood, buff it out. Wax a fender, buff it out. This seems to work OK for me. Some suggest doing the old Turtle Wax "wipe on, wipe off" routine but this doesn't quite give it enough time to bond to the paint IMO. If you take it off too early, it just smears. Panel by panel seems to work good for me.
 
Originally Posted By: kingrob
There's a noticable haze when it dries. I've had no problem seeing it on my white vehicles.


thanks, I appreciate it
 
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