VintageRestore
New member
"When Good Just Isn't Good Enough..."
After wrapping up Part 1, I stood back and admired the gloss from two coats of Menzerna Power Lock Ultimate. It laid down beautifully — clean, clear, clinical. But maybe... too clinical?
I wanted more character in the finish — something with warmth, with depth, something that glows instead of just reflects. So I turned to Griot’s Ceramic Spray Wax. Decent. Better. But when I layered it against Griot’s Best of Show Spray Carnauba, the lights came on. Boom — that elusive mix of slickness, gloss, and dimensional shine I was chasing. That was it. That’s the kind of finish that makes you stop mid-walk and say, “Damn.”
And yet… was it enough?
Cue the hours of obsessive reading across European detailing forums. Again and again, one name kept rising: Scholl Concepts. According to forum veterans who’ve tried it all — Menzerna, Rupes, Lake Country, 3M, even boutique lines — Scholl's not only matched the best, it often outperformed them. Better cut. Easier wipe-off. Cleaner working. Better results...consistently. And their Spider pads were repeatedly described as "the best I've ever used." Not one post, not five — dozens of detailers echoing the same tune.
Founded in 1962, Scholl Concepts has made a name for themselves with uniquely performing detailing products for professionals demanding flexibility, speed, and richness of finish. Their name recognition is smaller in North America, but a titan among European high end detailers and OEM's with a line of products that offer more fine-tuning for the best results than many other lines (IMO). Jescar is a great example - very good products, but only a couple of polishers to choose from.
So I started mapping Scholl Concepts to my Menzerna products I had experience with. I ruled out S20 (too light — like Menz 2500/3000) and debated between S17+ (closer to Menz 1000/1500) and something with real muscle. I considered their S0 Black, but was afraid it would have too much cut. I finally pulled the trigger on the S3 Gold XXL — Scholl’s flagship compound. The promise? More aggressive than Menzerna’s Cut Pro and 400, a more refined finish when used with the right pads, and pad-flexible enough to go from a heavy cutter to a solid one-step. This was backed up by many posts of real world experience from users vs just trusting any marketing hype (which I completely ignore).
For finishing, I narrowed my sights on S30+, their highly versatile polish (think Menz 3500++) and skipped the S40 for now — though it was tempting as a jeweling option. Based on reviews from users repeatedly commenting how incredibly veritable all their products were by using the wide ranging spread of the Scholl’s pads, it’s possible to obtain a much wider range of use - with superior outcomes - than competing Menzerna product (so others claimed). This was quite a claim I found hard to believe (as I loved Menzerna), but so many people had reported similar results going from Menzera to Scholl’s. So I bought a fleet of Scholl pads, Rupes pads and more and the W6 Coatswax as my new LSP to potentially replace Power Lock Ultimate. If the hype was true, W6 would bring the warmth and glow without the sterile shell of a synthetic sealant.
But this wasn’t just a change in product. This felt like a new chapter in the way I approach restoring and bring back to life tired old metal that others had given up on. And not just kinda bringing them back - but with the kind of finish you only see on the best jobs (with some original character kept in a well).
What would my experience show? Would Sholl’s live up to the hype of all the forum users and supplant Menzerna? I was a bit skeptical as for me Menzerna just works…and works very, very well. I like it the best of all the brands I’ve ever tried when taken as a whole, even thought it still has some challenges at time. Also, what - if any - kind of difference would I notice? It’s not like I could make the units any more shiny than I already got them. So what could the differences be in user experience and finished look? And....what if I just like the Menzerna BETTER? It was a real possibility.
Part 3 is coming soon — where I dig into the pads, product application and results on some pretty beat-up equipment. Stay tuned if you’re curious how Scholl Concepts handles when the gloves come off.
Picture of some of my detailing stuff...
After wrapping up Part 1, I stood back and admired the gloss from two coats of Menzerna Power Lock Ultimate. It laid down beautifully — clean, clear, clinical. But maybe... too clinical?
I wanted more character in the finish — something with warmth, with depth, something that glows instead of just reflects. So I turned to Griot’s Ceramic Spray Wax. Decent. Better. But when I layered it against Griot’s Best of Show Spray Carnauba, the lights came on. Boom — that elusive mix of slickness, gloss, and dimensional shine I was chasing. That was it. That’s the kind of finish that makes you stop mid-walk and say, “Damn.”
And yet… was it enough?
Cue the hours of obsessive reading across European detailing forums. Again and again, one name kept rising: Scholl Concepts. According to forum veterans who’ve tried it all — Menzerna, Rupes, Lake Country, 3M, even boutique lines — Scholl's not only matched the best, it often outperformed them. Better cut. Easier wipe-off. Cleaner working. Better results...consistently. And their Spider pads were repeatedly described as "the best I've ever used." Not one post, not five — dozens of detailers echoing the same tune.
Founded in 1962, Scholl Concepts has made a name for themselves with uniquely performing detailing products for professionals demanding flexibility, speed, and richness of finish. Their name recognition is smaller in North America, but a titan among European high end detailers and OEM's with a line of products that offer more fine-tuning for the best results than many other lines (IMO). Jescar is a great example - very good products, but only a couple of polishers to choose from.
So I started mapping Scholl Concepts to my Menzerna products I had experience with. I ruled out S20 (too light — like Menz 2500/3000) and debated between S17+ (closer to Menz 1000/1500) and something with real muscle. I considered their S0 Black, but was afraid it would have too much cut. I finally pulled the trigger on the S3 Gold XXL — Scholl’s flagship compound. The promise? More aggressive than Menzerna’s Cut Pro and 400, a more refined finish when used with the right pads, and pad-flexible enough to go from a heavy cutter to a solid one-step. This was backed up by many posts of real world experience from users vs just trusting any marketing hype (which I completely ignore).
For finishing, I narrowed my sights on S30+, their highly versatile polish (think Menz 3500++) and skipped the S40 for now — though it was tempting as a jeweling option. Based on reviews from users repeatedly commenting how incredibly veritable all their products were by using the wide ranging spread of the Scholl’s pads, it’s possible to obtain a much wider range of use - with superior outcomes - than competing Menzerna product (so others claimed). This was quite a claim I found hard to believe (as I loved Menzerna), but so many people had reported similar results going from Menzera to Scholl’s. So I bought a fleet of Scholl pads, Rupes pads and more and the W6 Coatswax as my new LSP to potentially replace Power Lock Ultimate. If the hype was true, W6 would bring the warmth and glow without the sterile shell of a synthetic sealant.
But this wasn’t just a change in product. This felt like a new chapter in the way I approach restoring and bring back to life tired old metal that others had given up on. And not just kinda bringing them back - but with the kind of finish you only see on the best jobs (with some original character kept in a well).
What would my experience show? Would Sholl’s live up to the hype of all the forum users and supplant Menzerna? I was a bit skeptical as for me Menzerna just works…and works very, very well. I like it the best of all the brands I’ve ever tried when taken as a whole, even thought it still has some challenges at time. Also, what - if any - kind of difference would I notice? It’s not like I could make the units any more shiny than I already got them. So what could the differences be in user experience and finished look? And....what if I just like the Menzerna BETTER? It was a real possibility.
Part 3 is coming soon — where I dig into the pads, product application and results on some pretty beat-up equipment. Stay tuned if you’re curious how Scholl Concepts handles when the gloves come off.
Picture of some of my detailing stuff...