Review: Black Magic Titanium Matte Tire Finish

[BuffMe]

So, I like to begin my Saturdays by picking up a nice cup of coffee from my local fave place and heading to Kragen to see what kind of things I can spend my money on. Naturally, I immediately gravitate toward their clearance bin. Today, they had a bunch of Meguiar's Marine products on the CHEAP and I almost picked some up because... uh it was cheap. Not like I would have any use for it, but the more I stood there thinking, the more I contemplated buying the Flagship Marine Wax (usually $20 on sale for $3) and seeing how it looked on a test spot on the car But, I digress... I somehow managed to pull myself away and wander over to the section of polishes/waxes/anything-that-sprays-or-is-liquid section and this Black Magic stuff caught my eye. Matte finish? Hmmm, me likey. I figured I'd pick it up and try it out since I needed to wash the car anyway and I wanted to try this out before my Z-16 which I just acquired.

So, on to the review... here's the stuff...



NO SLING GUARANTEED! Not sure I believe that one based on the pics of how you're "supposed to use it" but I can't say I wanted to verify this propaganda.

Rear Tire Before...


Front Tire Before...


Now, the instructions state to spray it onto your tire and let it soak in for 1-3 minutes, immediately removing any overspray that got on your rims, then wipe away any excess to be left with a "matte finish". However, on the rear tire, I didn't follow this method. Instead, I sprayed it on and immediately brushed it with a tire gel applicator to get even coverage. Here is a pic of this method...


On the front tire, I followed the directions exactly. I sprayed a light even coat all around and did not wipe. Here it is after 1 minute...


Front tire after 2 minutes...


Front tire after 5 minutes...



.... I don't quite see a matte finish, so I did the same thing as the rear and swiped a tire gel applicator over it to get rid of the super gloss and get even coverage.

So, here's the right side after about 10 minutes...


Here's the left side of the car, in which I just sprayed it directly onto the applicator and wiped onto the wheel. You can see a slight difference in a more matte effect, but it's certainly not what I would consider easily "matte"...


And here's the right side again after about 30 minutes...



I just got back from driving around and it looks pretty good now (but it's too dark to take a picture and, of course, pollen is starting to coat everything. ugh.). Overall, I would rate it a 4/6 . It is water-based so it is really easy to clean off of wheels if you get to it immediately. The overall look after driving around for a bit is quite nice and I will get pictures of this tomorrow. I wouldn't say it's as matte of a finish as some Z-16 pictures I've seen, but it's more matte than any other gel I've used. So, it's a keeper for me and something I'll use off and on, I suppose.

Next week, I get to try out my Z-16. Remind me why I've held off on that for so long?


*Also, I severely downsized these pictures (from my 10.1MP DSLR) and I am noticing they are pretty crappy looking due to the MS Resizer I used. It's easy, but it does a crappy job of compressing, obviously. Anyway, I will post up larger pics when I get home later. Enjoy.*

[wfedwar]

One thing I've found is that the same dressing will look glossy on some tires and on others it will look satin. I think some tires just soak up the dressing more than others. That being said, I can't find anything I like as much as Z16. I've tried many, and none look as good or last as long. It ranges from satin to semi-gloss depending on the tires I use it on.

[The Wraith]

Nice pics. Personally, I think you need an applicator to get an even coat. Simply spraying the tire sounds like a recipe for dissappointment. Sweet Jetta btw...

[Fallguy]

I like matte or almost a clean natural look to my tires and like them dark looking. DG Tire/Mat dressing fits the bill perfectly . The other I like is Megs #40.

I wanted to try some of the Black Magic also , so thanks for the pic's. Give's me an idea .

[jimmie jam]

funny, i just picked up a bottle of this on thursday! i would not call the finish matte but "satin/low sheen". i just sprayed and wiped the excess from the wheels and let it dry. looked good but now after a few days it's looking matte. i might add that i've been using a non water based treatment prior (meg's tire foam which i like, just not the build-up). i scrubbed the tires with bleach white but i know that all the silicone is not removed yet. next wash i'll hit the tires with pressure.

[joyriiide1113]

I was gonna wait a bit to make a review of this dressing, but I think a lot of folks will be surprised by the durabilty of this dressing. I applied once almost 3 weeks ago and no matter what I use to clean, my sidewall still holds this dressing. I can still see the actual streaks from when I applied it.

[BuffMe]

So, here's how they look now, after a day of driving around (and collecting pollen)...






Definitely more matte finish and they look great. I'll definitely continue to use this stuff, especially if it's as long lasting as joyriiide says.

Speaking of pollen...


Ugh. I'm dyin'.

[Saleenfan]

Sorry for the old as heck bump but I think this stuff deserves it.
I honestly rate it even with Zaino Z16 and easily half the price, with one exception Z16 smells like buble gum this stuff doesnt.
I have had it on my car for about a week and done 2 washes and it still looks great and it doesnt attract random crap and dust like some tire shines.
Gets a 10 out of 10 in my book and is my new go to tire shine.

[abbeysdad]

I think the tires look great after a day - like they were new, rather than some pasted on fake looking 'stuff'. Be interested to hear how it holds up.

[mongo]

This stuff is pretty good also the spray nozzle does a nice job of distribution on product.

[BuffMe]

Update: Been using it off and on, and am really starting to like it more and more. With one pass it's a very nice and subtle matte effect, with one more it's a sheen matte effect. This still gets my

[03SilverDak]

looks like something I will be picking up as I hate that super gloss finish. thanks for the old bump I now know about it