Does Adam's have a "system"?

[Z/28Dan]

I'm sure Nick will address this, but I'm a recent convert to the Adam's "system". I went to a detail clinic in Sterling, VA a couple of weeks ago and the shop owner did a fine job with the products, so now I'm sold. Or at least I'm trying to be!

So I'm on Adamspolishes.com and I need everything. All of it. However, I'm finding that a lot of the neat tools I saw in action at the clinic are no longer being sold by Adam's.

Firehose nozzle.
Quick disconnect
Shutoff valve
Boar's hair wheel brush
detailing cart
Porter Cable polisher
etc...

And the formula's are changing.

Super Sealant. Going, going, gone.
Waterless wash?
etc...

I got a response from Nick about the firehose nozzle, in particular. "We are coming out with a new product, stay tuned!" Seriously?

There seems to be a gap in their "system" right now. Maybe I'm just a new guy who doesn't know much about serious detailing. Actually, that's exactly who I am. I'm about to spend 6-700 dollars on detailing products. And that still isn't going to be everything. That's a lot of money and I'm going to have to detail my 3 cars a few times before I start to see a return on that investment.

So, I'm wondering. Should I ditch Adam's and go with another system before I make this investment? Before you respond, please remember I am looking for a system. I have a cabinet FULL of mix and match detailing stuff. I want that gone from my garage forever. I want a brand and a system. And I want to stick with it.

Thoughts and opinions are welcome. I have learned a ton from Camaro5 members in the detailing forum. There are some really great threads and I have looked at a bunch of them--and a bunch of videos. Now it's time to put pad to paint...

Mods, If I'm in the wrong area please move this thread.

Thanks for reading my post...

[ud_lose]

It's been awhile since I've posted on here, but here's my 2 cents.
I was a longtime Adam's fanboy and user, however there have been changes that I did not agree with. That is why I ventured out to see what the other car care companies had to offer. I found Gloss-It.net. I have used many of their products (ok almost all of them) and love the results I am seeing. I am seeing the next level in my details. More pop, with about half the product used. Again, just my 2 cents. Can't hurt to look though.

[JTruck]

The major gap in the Adam's system now is not having Dylan... On top of their anti-China campaign and inflated prices.

A lot of the stuff you listed can be bought at your local hardware store for a fraction of what they are charging, be a smart buyer when it comes to stuff like this.

One thing that Adam's has that a lot of people follow them for is their easy line-up of products. Some other brands get very complicated and lots of products overlap one another.

I believe its a bit naive to follow a "system" of a brand. Each brand has their awesome products and also their products that are just par, why not combine the awesome products all together from these different brands?

CD7 has a sticky for all the products he recommends from his experiences and money, and I trust it. I have bought a large percentage of the products he has recommended and have been happy with the results.

I'd suggest you to educate yourself a little more (like you are doing now), and read up on the internet about different products, not just on this forum. Autogeek is a great place for knowledge.

My cabinet is full of mix and matched products, but its not like I have 10 different detail sprays and 6 different car soaps. I have at least one of everything, maybe some have 2 or 3 different brands from trying something else out. But it all works great together, even though its not a "brand" it's "my brand" that I like and works.

That's my .02.

[ihaveacamaro]

Her's the thing: one company NEVER makes the best product of everything. You want a system, that's fine, but there will be products that you wish you could change.

My recommendation: Make your own system and be a little more fluid. I understand the simpleness and beauty of a system, and I think it is a big help for Adam's to sell things as such because it makes it very easy for the customers.

However, if you make your own system where you have one machine, one brand of polish, one waterless wash, one rinseless wash, etc, you can make a system that perfectly reflects YOUR wants and desires.

In the end, it's your money and your choice, but I think the idea of only sticking to one company for their "system" will limit you, as you are finding out right now.

[Blue17CamaroZL1]

If you really want Adams specifically and their website doesn't have it, try their dealers page. Even though Adams directly may not have an item anymore doesn't mean those other guys are out too.

I wanted some single soft towels and Adams themselves were out but Eric at Thompson racing was able to send me 10 of them.

But as some of these other guys have already stated, continue your research and find what you think works best for you and your budget.

[CamaroDreams07]

I think you'll find that buying into their whole system will be a colossal waste of time and money. You say you want to know about serious detailing, well that isn't the way to go. Adam's really caters to the amateur and tries to make them think they are serious detailers. Adams makes a handful of great products and several more good products on top of that. They also sell quite a lot of stuff that's either junk or so overpriced it's absurd.

Of course I can only speak from my own opinions, so take it for what it's worth.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[axis]

$600 bones will buy you more than enough stuff to keep 3 cars looking good for a long time, depending on the polishing machine you get. Of course if you're looking at carts, rollers, and "nice to haves", $600 will disappear quickly. Look at autogeek, autopia-car care, and a few other sites that aren't tied to one brand.

[JD_Alaska]

Check out the sticky at the top of this section an look over CamaroDreams07 list of products for detailing your car. I'm sure you will find more than enough information to get you started. Also check out AJ's YouTube ( junk man) detailing. There are many awesome detailers on this site and they can save you years of trail an error. Don't get hung up on one manufactures product line, I use several myself an do pretty well with them. Perfect? No, but better than any car on the lot an can hold my own at car shows.
Read all that you can an check as many web sites as you can. Ask questions to those that are at the top of the game an you'll do just fine

[KBsSS]

Ditto on what has been said above. I can`t tell you how many different brands I have tried, it will make your head spin and ur wallet empty.

I wanted something that was easy to use and get the job done (KISS method)

Go on different forums listed above read and ask questions.

[Chevy_cowboy]

I understand where you're coming from, I was in the same boat a couple months ago. I had a garage full of various products of all different brands, some worked ok, alot of it didn't. Had some issues with different brand products being incompatible with eachother too. I decided with this new (to me) Camaro I was going to start from scratch and buy higher end product. I started doing some research before we even found the car. Like you, I wanted a company that offered a full line of products all designed to work with eachother, no chance of incompatibilities or overlap that way. I'd never heard of Adam's, but I kept seeing them recommended on this forum and several others. I especially liked the simplicity of the line (compared to a few brands that seem to have 6 or 7 products to do the same thing) and Adam's commitment to american manufacturing. The money back guarantee was a plus too, made it a bit less risky to order several hundred dollars in products you'd never tried.

Like others here have said, I'm sure you do give up something by sticking with one brand for everything, no one brand will have the absolute best of every product... but all the products I've tried from Adam's do what they claim and are easy to use and work well together, those were the important criteria for me.

As for the discontinued products you mentioned, I noticed that too... most of those are still available through Adam's dealers like Thompson Racing and furiousshine. The others are not that difficult to figure out the manufacturer of and buying them elsewhere. The shut off valve is made by Dramm, and the quick disconnects are Nelson... both available from amazon. I haven't found the firehose nozzle maker, but I ordered 2 of them from Thompson racing. Adam's is supposed to be developing a new one to replace these, but until then this is by far the best hose nozzle I've used.


As far as the product lineup, the only real gap I saw is convertible top protectant. They say the interior cleaner is good for cleaning stains on the top but I didn't see any mention of a UV protectant, so for that I bought 303 fabric guard.

[dorfmac]

If you want a system, and that's a priority, then Adams is the way to go. Very simply, step by step process. As a rookie, that was a priority for me, and the reason I went with them. With that, there are trade-offs, but as a rookie it's not something I notice, and as my skills and "eye" improve, I'll pick up on that stuff and adjust accordingly.

[StreetSS]

Dan,

We were at the same clinic, and I am just as new to this as you. I would consider the types of tools (i.e. grit guards, quick disconnects to save time, DA polishers, etc) and techniques (i.e. 2 bucket wash, polishing techniques, claying, etc) taught by Darryl "the system". I bought a lot of the Adam's stuff at the clinic and online and it seems to work as advertised. But I also used CD07's guide as reference for some things that were not available or too expensive like firehouse nozzles, clay lube, towels, wash mitts, etc. When some of my product runs out, I will likely reference the CD07 guide before I buy. I really wouldn't worry too much about what label is on the product. If you want to borrow anything to try any of the stuff out to see how well it works for you, just hit me up at the next VCC meeting.

Mark

[WiSSDiver]

You'll need to start somewhere, but if you stay with the Adams line, it's a costly entry fee to learn.

Others have mentioned Camarodreams07 recommended product list and it is (IMO) second to none that you could find trying to scour the web. It might be worth following these recommendations particularly the cost savings on certain products as you develop your technique, which is really the key and the real source of great looking car.

You can spend $600-700 to learn as you develop your technique, but it sounds like a bit more research and time learning parts of your technique before jumping all in. Quite honestly you don't need a $50 hose nozzle or $25 buckets to wash your car, but you do need a quality wash media and soap to get that part of your technique perfected.

Here's a quick breakdown of those different parts:

Wash
Decontaminate (Claying)
Polish
Glaze (if needed)
Seal
Wax

Hope that helps break it down and with CD07's product recommendations, you should be on your way.

[Titan]

I recently started getting into detailing my own personal cars. It is a ton of work, expensive and completely worth it. I have bought a small fortune of products and equipment in the last several months. I wanted to like the ADAMS line and I have spent over a grand there on some products, but mostly equipment such as the metro dryer and the flex and porter cable polisher (which they no longer sell either of) because of the lifetime warranty that they offer.
One thing that I have taken away from the whole experience is that the customer service fund within this industry is top notch. I have ordered from all the companies that CD07 recommended and I have been very happy with the products and customer service that I have received from them all. I have nothing bad to say about the Adams products that I bought and the customer service is good, but I have been thoroughly impressed by the products and customer service from some other vendors. I am a complete novice and have taken the advice from the forum members here and else where and have had quality results. I suggest you do your research and ask questions and you will find that your happy that you did.