Over 6 months ago, Chad “Rasky” Raskovich reached out to me with a peculiar and very specific request. “Greg, do me a favor and send your personal information to the email address at Griot’s Garage I am enclosing at the end of this message. Also, please include a short bio of yourself and all else will be explained upon completion of this task.”
My response was something to the effect of, “uhhh OK, I guess,” which was accompanied with a deep sense of curiosity and intrigue. So I did just as instructed and off I went.
That was my initial introduction to Jeff Brown of Griot’s Garage. So, while I am sure more than a few times since then that he wanted to ring my neck, we have become friends. Since the time I sent that initial email to Jeff, Chad and myself have been part of a “test pilot” program which was designed for the real world Research and Development of these products. Through a series of testing and detailed feedback writings and conversations we were some of the first people to witness and help refine this new amazing BOSS paint correction line.
Recently, I read this on a forum, and thought it really captured the opinions which many professionals seem to have of Griot’s Garage.
“if you did these two machines it would…move you up to a even a pro grade (Machine wise) in the industry.”
With the release of the Best of Show System, Griot’s Garage has cultivated a new approach to paint correction, catapulting their line into the center ring of the Professional arena. Whether using these products as a system, or standalone, these products work well for the professional and enthusiast alike. While designed as a system, those of us more daring will be inclined to use them on their own.
With their new Best of Show System, there are literally over 380 different configurations between
- 2 Tools
- 4 Liquids
- 5 Pads
- 2 Sizes
- Innerflex or no Innerflex
- Washer or no washer
…to address virtually any paint defect or type you come across.
While Chad will handle more detailed information on the machines, I will give my impressions, quickly touching upon them. The ergonomics of the Dual Action machines are amazing. The way they fit into your hand and the ease of gripping make the machines a joy to use for 15 or 200 min. I could not find any fault with the design of these polishers. While they may be a little heavier than other machines in this category, the power behind the correction capabilities makes it well worth it. Additionally, a great touch Griot’s did was to send a washer mod with every machine. This allows space between the backing plate and the machine’s shroud, allowing for “free spinning” of the backing plate which allows for a little more backing plate rotation.
Moving on to the Pads and Cream’s. Starting with the pads, the white pad made a huge impression on me, stopping me in my tracks upon first use. The correcting power is truly amazing, while it also has great finishing capabilities, greatly reducing the DA haze. Additionally the low profile and firm nature of the pad’s backing doesn’t allow for the dreaded “wiggle” which can occur with thicker softer pads used with long throw dual action machines. The Micro Fiber pads are a great addition as well, offering incredible finishing capabilities, without the hassle of becoming matted down with spent product and paint residue.
Again in the forums these types of comments were seen about the old correction liquids:
“It’s no secret their chemicals have always been lacking, so doubt they would hype them up this much, even if reformulated.”
I’m sorry to say that I did share that overall belief about the former Griot’s correction liquids. The old polishes were outdated and crude compared to what is the market standard of today.
But, with the introduction of the BOSS system, the creams or polishes are also nothing short of amazing. The sub-micron abrasives contained in all of these liquids places these products in the conversation with best in the marketplace. The type, size, and amount effects both the cut and finish abilities. As a bonus the dust factor is very low. More in depth analysis of these liquids in articles to come.
To me, the stand out product here is the correcting cream. The high capacity for cut and the incredible finishing properties of this cream make this product a star unto itself. This is a perfect candidate to be used for 1 step corrections, allowing the user to apply their wax or sealant of choice the moment after the panels are wiped down.
Below is the Griot’s BOSS system chart, which explains the overall components of the system and their uses. These will be included with every machine shipped.
While this short article serves as a brief introduction and overview to a few elements of the Griot’s BOSS System, I want to say that Griot’s has continually surprised me and stepped up its game with each additional component of the system I was sent during testing. So I wanted to keep it brief because I know myself and Chad will follow up with more detailed articles on each part of the BOSS System. For now also see Chad’s BOSS Pads and Polishing Creams review and BOSS Polisher review.