Polycharged FMJ

[roybiggens]

Got around to trying the PC for Sealants yesterday. I decided to give FMJ a whirl since I've always liked it in the but it'd been a while since I used it. I did the entire car with "boosted" FMJ except for 1/2 of the hood. I used regular FMJ on this half just for comparison.

2006 Acura TL Nighthawk Black Pearl

Temp: Around 75deg

Process:

wash with Dawn
Clayed with Sonus Green
Polish via rotary (1200 RPMS) with Blackfire Ceramic Clear Finishing Polish
IPA 50/50 wipedown

Mixed 1oz of FMJ with one dose of PC for sealants.
Applied with MF Applicator spritzed with HGAS

Application:
Pretty much just like regular FMJ which I've always thought was very easy to apply. I did intentionally put it on a little heavy in a couple of places just to see what would happen.

Drying:
Allowed it to "dry" for 15 - 20 minutes before removing. It looked like it was fully hazed within 5 minutes but I waited just to be safe.

Removal:
Extremely easy, one wipe with a Sonus Der Wunder buffing towel and it came right off even where I put it on heavily. No dust to speak of.

Appearance:
Very wet and glossy looking, almost looked like it had Carnauba on top of it but had the "clear" look of a sealant. The non boosted FMJ didn't look quite as wet IMO.

Slickness:
One word...WOW. I've always thought FMJ was extremely slick in it's own right but the "boosted" stuff was just plain crazy slick. It also surprised me how "soft" it felt, I don't know any other way to explain it. I've never used UPP which I hear is very slick but the boosted FMJ is defintely slicker than Z5Pro or Z2Pro which I like a lot.

Overall I'm very impressed with this first application, the look is simply amazing. I'm interested in the durability though. In the past I've been a little disappointed with the durability of FMJ, especailly from a slickness standpoint. It usually loses slickness after one wash or one good rain. We'll have to see how the PC affects this.

I'll probably hit it with PC-H20 boosted HGAS after the first wash.

I also have about 1/4oz of mixed FMJ leftover so I'll see how long it lasts.

[RAG]

FMJ is at least as slick at UPP or Z2Pro or Z5Pro...so if the polycharger and yet add more slickness...well than that'd be just CRAZY.

[Knockwurst]

Good post and interesting results

Thus far, it seems that I’m the only one who’s experienced difficulty [FK1].

Look forward to reading your updates.

[blkZ28Conv]

I have had difficulty with 3 products tested so far with application (AJ (PC-H2O), Z5PRO and UPP) but FMJ seems to really like PolyCharger S in terms of application ease.

A complete report will follow after secondary testing of mixtures (aged). Hint: UPP application improved with aging of the UPP/PC mixture.

[roybiggens]

Update:

It rained here Thursday and Friday and the car was out in it pretty much all day long on both days except at night when it was garaged. By Saturday morning it was filthy.

I washed it Saturday with Sonus Glass Shampoo.

Beading:
Beads like crazy, small tight beads on the boosted area. The non-boosted area had slightly larger beads.

Slickness:
Both the boosted and non-boosted areas lost some slickness. The boosted areas were definitely slicker though so I'd say the polycharger is affecting the durability in a positive way so far.

Appreance:
Still wet and glossy looking. With the straight FMJ area having a more classic sealant look and the boosted area looking a little wet and deeper.

The boosted FMJ I have left over has thickend up to the point it's almost unuseable. It seems like the shelf life is no more than three days at best.

So far Im very impressed with the boosted FMJ mixture especially from an appearance and slickness standpoint.

[sspeer]

Originally Posted by blkZ28Conv

Hint: UPP application improved with aging of the UPP/PC mixture.

That's a good point. I found application more difficult at first, it was a little gummier for lack of a better word, but after the product cured for about 10 minutes, it got easier

[05Sleeper]

What ever hapened with this? Can we get an update?

[roybiggens]

Sorry guys, I've been meaning to get on here and post something for a few weeks.

After several good rains, hand washes, and a couple of touch-free car washes there's an obvious difference between the PC'd area and the non-PC'd area. The hood where the PC wasn't used is practically dead from a beading standpoint. If I had a decent camera I'd try to post a pick of it. The driver's side of the hood (where no PC was applied) just sheets water while the rest of the car stills has very nice beading.

I haven't used any QD spray on the car at any point; I thought that would be best for durability testing.

The slickness is basically gone at this point, which doesn't really surprise me. I think this is mainly due to the touch-free washes.

Looks wise there is little difference in the two areas, the PC'd area may look a little wetter/reflective but it's hard to tell to be honest

Overall I'm very impressed with the extra durability. I'll definitely continue to use the stuff with my LSP's. As I stated in my original post, I've always liked FMJ except from a durability standpoint. Polycharger has resolved this issue as far as I'm concerned.

I'll try to give another update in a month or so after a few more rains and washes. I don't plan on polishing / re-applying anything until at least April.