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General => Detailing => Topic started by: Nino on 10 August 2014, 09:06
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HI all,
For many years I have been interested in keeping my car as mint as possble, and keeping the paint the best it can be.
and with me just recently having a front end respray what better chance than to test out somes Wax products.
I am sure many of you have wondered myself included, should I spend alot of money on a Wax product? do they do what they say or is the company's marketing skills better than their product? Or do they prittymuch do the same job but with different labels and price tags?
Now personally for me, what I am after the most from a Wax is good protection. At the same time I would like it to give the car a wet look and "pop" the flakes in my paint, not asking for alot I know :)
Some things to remember there are a few different wax types, below is some research I found a while ago on the interweb.
Car waxes are the important final step in detailing your car. They act as both sealant and protectant, keeping the elements and the environment away from your paint job. Applying wax to your car on a regular basis not only keeps it looking good, but also helps extend the life of the body and the paintwork. There are many different types of car waxes on the market; it can be confusing. What do they each do?
Types of Car Waxes
For all the varieties of car waxes on the market today, there are really only two types of wax. One is natural, deriving either wholly or partly from plants. The other is synthetic, using all manmade chemicals to create the wax. They do the same thing, but have slightly different properties.
Natural Car Waxes
Natural car waxes are often the best choice, and certainly command the highest prices. Most people have come across carnauba car wax, which derives from the copernica cerifa plant in Brazil. Natural car waxes often include carnauba, either in its pure form, or mixed with oils or petroleum products to different degrees. All of these still qualify as natural car waxes as they do contain carnauba. Pure carnauba wax will be the most expensive of all.
Although carnauba car waxes and other natural waxes offer excellent protection to the paintwork on a car, they need to be renewed regularly, as they one last between 1 month and 2 months. Natural car wax gives the kind of glossy finish that synthetic car waxes can’t replicate. Generally, natural car waxes will be paste car wax.
Synthetic Car Waxes
The vast majority of car waxes are synthetic. They aim to do exactly the same thing as natural car wax, but they’re made form chemicals. There will generally be no natural wax in the products at all, making them more paint sealant than wax. Rather than a paste, synthetic car wax will be a spray car wax or a liquid car wax. These do offer advantages for coverage and ease of application.
Part of the ethos behind synthetic car wax is that it is easier to use than its natural counterpart. They’re not as difficult to rub into the body and will buff out more easily. As there’s nothing natural, synthetic car wax will last longer than natural car wax, for up to a season before it needs to be renewed.
Variations
Within synthetic car waxes, there are many variations. These include clear coat car wax or colored car wax. The latter offers wax matched to light or dark colors of paintwork. It’s all a way to take advantage of an ever-expanding market of car enthusiasts who want to pamper their vehicles with car detailing. Car waxes are big business.
Car polish is similar to wax, and will enhance the paint work. It doesn’t have the same protective qualities. Like many other products, they still need wax over the top in order to finish the job.
So back to my personal review.
The waxes in question that I will be trying are both Natural waxes and are carnauba waxes. I must stress, I am no expert everything I am writing is not fact. However I am still learning alot so please if you do spot I have got my facts wrong then please share as I can only learn by making mistakes :)
My first one is Collinite 915
(http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/images/uploads/watermarked/collinite_915(1).jpg)
Cost: £24.95
Where to buy: Click here (http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wax/collinite-915-marque-d-39-elegance/prod_281.html)
Write up: For the BEST in wax endurance, Collinite 915 Marque d'Elegance is the product to have.
Car enthusiasts demand a wax that is proven to protect in the most demanding environments, rain or shine, on track or on the street. They have discovered that Collinite 915 Marque d'Elegance gives their valuable automotive investments a blinding, lasting shine because its formulated from the highest-ever concentration of pure Carnauba waxes. And no abrasives means all Collinite waxes are absolutely clear coat safe. It doesn't get any better!
With over 15% more than our No. 476s, the Collinite 915 Marque D' Elegance wax boasts Collinite’s highest amount of rare carnauba; yielding our highest gloss and warmest shine to darker, meticulously maintained finishes.
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And my second wax is Auto Finesse - Spirit.
(http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/images/uploads/watermarked/autofinesse-spirit-wax.jpg)
Cost: £89.95
Where to buy: Click here (http://shop.autofinesse.co.uk/spirit-200ml)
Write up: Over the years at Auto Finesse, we have learned that capturing the true Spirit of metallic and pearl finishes with a paste wax is a tricky business. Auto Finesse Spirit wax is the result of countless months of experimentation. We finally stumbled upon a high-carnauba blend that gave us the optical clarity and crisp gloss we desired. These two characteristics combine to awaken something that lies dormant in many paints: dazzling metallic flake pop! With this wax, you can summon its Spirit.
All Auto Finesse waxes are carefully blended by hand in Great Britain from the finest quality natural ingredients available, and bring with them the same philosophy of performance and beauty as the rest of our detailing products. The waxes we use treat your vehicle with nature’s own defense against the elements, giving it water repellency, and resistance to environmental pollution (Including UV-fading, acid rain, and bird droppings.). Let’s take a look at what else makes Auto Finesse Spirit special…
Auto Finesse Spirit contains 50% T1 Grade Brazilian Carnauba Wax by volume, with the remainder being made up by all natural Beeswax, Candelilla wax, and oils.
While many waxes and sealants can actually mute pearl and metallic paints, Spirit’s visual clarity, crispness, and gloss have the opposite effect. Pearls and metallics will truly sparkle.
The delicate Apple fragrance is juxtaposed with the immense protection that lies within every pot of Spirit, and 5-months of durability or more are easily achieved if layered.
Superb beading and sheeting combine with Spirit’s durability to help repel the worst, and wettest weather that spring, summer, fall, or winter have to offer.
Spirit is one of our professional-grade ‘hard’ waxes. Its firm consistency allows the wax to be spread in super-thin coats, minimizing waste, and making buff-off a breeze.
Whether your car or motorcycle has a modern clearcoat, or a classic single-stage paint system, Auto Finesse waxes will give it the protection it needs to survive the realities of everyday life. For the detailing professional or dedicated weekend enthusiast, there simply is no finer way to complete your flawless Auto Finesse style finish.
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Now before I apply these waxes there is a few steps I need to take first. I ensured the car was fully cleaned then I brought it into a garage to cool off before doing anything.
The test will be performed on my bonnet only but before I can do that, I need to cleanse the bonnet before applying any wax, so I used the following product.
I must also point out that both the waxes in question are designed for darker coloured cars.
Autoglym HD Cleanser
(http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/php/image.php/image.jpg?width=360&image=/images/uploads/watermarked/autoglym_hd_cleanser.jpg)
Cost: £19.95
Where to buy: Click here (http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/pre-wax-cleaners/autoglym-high-defenition-cleanser-kit/prod_741.html)
Write up: For perfect results when waxing, it is important to ensure the surface of the paintwork is “deep cleaned” to remove all traces of road grime, bug splatter, old waxes, etc. As regular shampoos and clay don’t always remove old films of polish, Autoglym High Definition Cleanser will effectively remove all surface residues as well as general dust and grime.
This will leave a fresh clean surface, ideal for ensuring you get the best possible result, especially if you choose Autoglym High Definition Wax for the final protective finish.
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So bonnet is now cooled, cleansed and ready for wax, but first we used 3m tape to mark the two sections off.
(http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Ninof/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_1073_zpstcpakzci.jpg)
First wax goes on, notice i got my cousin to apply the wax while i did the hard work of taking the photo ;)
(http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Ninof/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_1070_zpsei9v2yvw.jpg)
Next side we used the 2nd wax as you can see, we used my sample pot thankfully donated by Auto finesse :)
(http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Ninof/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_1071_zpszfgroe9b.jpg)
Ok wax is on time to compare...
Auto finesse - Spirit side
(http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Ninof/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_1074_zpsb5vsbmak.jpg)
Collinite 915 side
(http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Ninof/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_1075_zpsyp6sp2cz.jpg)
I then took the car into even daylight and removed the 3m tape.
(http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Ninof/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_1076_zpsfvmhd3am.jpg)
(http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Ninof/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_1079_zpsayc2jgcl.jpg)
(http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Ninof/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_1080_zpsepqbuubt.jpg)
It is very difficult to see in the pictures, but take my word for it when I say there was no difference that I could see in the ammount of "pop" from the gold flakes in the paint or the ammount of "wet look" the next step is the protection which thankfully it rained about an hour after completing the car, tipicail :)
(http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Ninof/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_1082_zpsaqfddear.jpg)
(http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Ninof/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_1083_zpsehhjyoon.jpg)
(http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Ninof/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_1084_zps9xgqt7lc.jpg)
As you can see the beading seems the exact same. At this point is is extremely difficult for me to justify spending nearly £90 on some wax when I can get another brand for £25 that seems to do the exact same job.
On saying that, the one thing I haven't been able to test here is the lastibility which might far outweigh the cheaper wax, however. I know the cheaper wax will last for a good season before a reapply is required.
What I will say about the more expensive wax is it goes on and buffs off a hell of alot easier than the cheaper wax. It also smells lovely and spreads more meanig it will last longer.
Auto finesse have also confirmed that their spirit wax contains 50% Carnauba which trust me is ALOT and I am unable to find the Carnauba % of the other wax as of yet.
I must point out however that my research tells me that is for example a 100% Carnauba wax exsited (which is does not) then it would be impossible to work with as it would fall apart and be too soft.
So there you have it, thats my personal review. I am still undecided on if I will buy a pot of Auto finesse yet, they were kind enough to send me their sample pot for the perpose of this test and I will by all means point them in the direction to this reveiw. I am sure if they read it they will be happy to read your comments from the people that use it going forward.
On a side note I would like the thank you all for taking the time to read this review and should you have any questions, suggestions then please feel free to comment below :)
Nino.
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Interesting write up and comparison. Timely too as I've been debating buying a pot of Auto Finesse Desire but have yet to bite the bullet. Your car looks fantastic :cool:
In addition to the ease of application, differences between the cheaper and pricier waxes may well come down to durability. It will be interesting to read your update on how they last in comparison.
I use both expensive and cheap, natural and hybrid waxes. I have noticed improvements in both finish and longevity with some of the pricier wax. For instance, my current wax of choice, Dodo Juice Blue Velvet Pro gives a much deeper gloss and lasts considerably longer than any of the following (Collinite 915 comes a close 2nd):
Collinite 915
Poorboys Nattys Blue Paste
Dodo Juice Supernatural Hybrid
Chemical Guys Butter Wet Wax
Will I still part with the best part of £100 for the AF Desire, probably. Like to see how it compares to the blue velvet :wink:
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its seems it has no difference at all, not even when wet, iv always used auto glym products to polish and wax and always sworn by them, iv recently been looking at dodo juice products, so decided to buy some, iv pretty much got the same results as yourself, looks n shines no different but the dodo juice smells better and on some lines costs more!!
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I did the front end of my car in dodo juice hard candy yesterday and the rest in auto glym, todays weather will deffo put it to the test :sick:
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hmmm Thanks for your comment Booth, I too was looking at the desire but after speaking with AF they suggested that the Spirit is a better choice for Darker cars. How much is the blue velet pro? I may have to look into this.
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hmmm Thanks for your comment Booth, I too was looking at the desire but after speaking with AF they suggested that the Spirit is a better choice for Darker cars. How much is the blue velet pro? I may have to look into this.
Blue velvet pro's around £47-49. There's also DJ Purple Haze pro which is for darkers cars. Haven't tried that yet as happy with the blue. It's a hybrid so maybe better lasting than all natural wax.
Hmmm now you've got me in a quandry - Spirit or Desire??
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Just to tempt you even more Rebecca, both waxes reduced on Amazon at the min with free delivery if you have prime. :smug:
Desire - £79.10
Spirit - £60.50
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Ive used Purple haze, I honestly think it gave a better finish than the AF spirit and 915 but doe not last long on the car or give the same amount of beading.
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Just to tempt you even more Rebecca, both waxes reduced on Amazon at the min with free delivery if you have prime. :smug:
Desire - £79.10
Spirit - £60.50
Stop it Dan! I have little enough self control when it comes to wax :grin:
Ive used Purple haze, I honestly think it gave a better finish than the AF spirit and 915 but doe not last long on the car or give the same amount of beading.
Was it the pro version of purple haze you used? Get lovely beading with the pro and it lasts quite a while. What kind of longevity are you wanting?
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No it wasn't the pro version. I like to see at least 3 months if im honest
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The blue velvet pro will last 3 months but not much longer than that. Here's a few beading pics with just one coat of it, which had been on a few weeks (excuse crap iPhone pics)
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2940/13965046166_efe8b85f57_z.jpg) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/booth11/13965046166/)
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7039/13965072956_90737f9ac5_z.jpg) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/booth11/13965072956/)
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3763/11968252056_621c2c56df_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/100316034@N05/11968252056/)
(http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2892/11968242076_f379b5e2e5_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/100316034@N05/11968242076/)
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5164/14030762673_5e308eb146_z.jpg) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/booth11/14030762673/)
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5502/11968247416_1ec4d35ffd_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/100316034@N05/11968247416/)
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Impressive
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We'll I've given in to temptation and just bought a pot of AF Desire (couldn't pass up that cheap Amazon price - damn you seabrook :grin:). When I get time to try it out and compare it to the DJ blue velvet pro, I'll post some feedback.
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We'll I've given in to temptation and just bought a pot of AF Desire (couldn't pass up that cheap Amazon price - damn you seabrook :grin:). When I get time to try it out and compare it to the DJ blue velvet pro, I'll post some feedback.
Please do booth id love to see some honest results
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We'll I've given in to temptation and just bought a pot of AF Desire (couldn't pass up that cheap Amazon price - damn you seabrook :grin:). When I get time to try it out and compare it to the DJ blue velvet pro, I'll post some feedback.
Haha I didn't make you do it ;)
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It's arrived! Smells delicious and pretty colour :drool
On leave next week so should be able to test it out then.
(yes seabrook you did make me do it, lol)
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Look forward to seeing the results :smiley:
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Its has been a week since I applyied both these waxes and already the Auto Fineese is starting to wear off. But the 915 is still going strong.
I will post up some pictures, and a video lateron.
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Its has been a week since I applyied both these waxes and already the Auto Fineese is starting to wear off. But the 915 is still going strong.
I will post up some pictures, and a video lateron.
Wearing off after a week :shocked:
How do you know it's wearing off? Lack of of rain/water beading or have you tested it some other way?
I'll do a similar comparison test on mine next week with half AF Desire and half DJ Blue velvet.
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The AF side is showing bigger beads if that makes sense?
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Yeah, it makes sense. Lots of nice small beads are best.
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OK, as promissed, below is a link to a short video I made (from my phone) of my car with running water on the bonnet, remember this is exactly 1 week later and I even ensured that I did not wash my car at all for the entire week to perfom this very test.
The drivers side of the bonnet has Auto Finesse spirit on, which cost around £90 per tub.
The passengers side of the bonnet has Collinite 915 on, which cost around £25 per tub.
You will notice in the video that the Auto Finesse side holds alot more water and holds "bigger" beads of water, where as the Collinite 915 side, the water hardly holds to the car and the beads are alot smaller.
I think we can safely say which is the better wax.
Video link (sorry about the wind. Joys of sunny Wales)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12nmoLcAM84
Some pictures
Auto Finesse side
(http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Ninof/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20140816_201322_zpsdk8smbvw.jpg)
(http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Ninof/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20140816_201440_zpsqc0zs6ov.jpg)
915 side
(http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Ninof/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20140816_201347_zpshpq8shks.jpg)
(http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Ninof/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20140816_201408_zpsyetffn0p.jpg)
Front end view, Notice how the AF side has larger beads of water...
(http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Ninof/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20140816_201504_zpsmsqhxiey.jpg)
And the same front view last week...
(http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Ninof/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_1082_zpsaqfddear.jpg)
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Wow, that's quite a difference in the vid. AF side holding onto the water whereas the 915 side repelling it completely. Shows it clearly in the front view pic too. AF performance pretty disappointing after one week. Wonder what the result would have been if you'd have washed the car in between, maybe even worse. At least you didn't pay for the spirit :wink:
I'm intrigued to find out if the desire behaves the same. Very useful vid and pics, thanks.
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Wow, that's quite a difference in the vid. AF side holding onto the water whereas the 915 side repelling it completely. Shows it clearly in the front view pic too. AF performance pretty disappointing after one week. Wonder what the result would have been if you'd have washed the car in between, maybe even worse. At least you didn't pay for the spirit :wink:
I'm intrigued to find out if the desire behaves the same. Very useful vid and pics, thanks.
Np Bud, post your findings too :)
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Results posted in new thread
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Slightly off topic, but where did you get your front end respray done & his much was it? Looks a nice job & your car is same colour as mine. Did they blend into the doors to match?
Cheers
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i had it done as a massive favour at a garage that normally doe Astin martins, lambos etc cash deal for £500 and yes they fully blended it for me
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Id like to add, after 5 weeks the protection from AF is completely gone.