Wow!!

[imported_Aurora40]

I washed my car this afternoon as it got up to almost 70 here. I used the Blackfire shampoo again and then the QD as I dried it to remove any water spots. The car looked awesome and very deep. Then, I decided it was time. I got out the Souveran, opened the top, took a sniff of the lid, and made the first swipe across it with my foam pad.



It is easy stuff to apply and smells great. I hardly used any of it at all. I think I use a lot more when using #26, but maybe I put that on too thick. I did drop three pads while doing it when they got grabby. What I`ve noticed is if you can`t see the haze, you can feel it. When you wipe the pad around the first time, it will feel grabby. But when you go over a part you wiped, the pad will just glide. This lets you know it got coated even if you can`t really see it. I also felt the Blackfire on parts before the Souveran went over it. It felt pretty slick still (5 weeks later) and it looked awesome. However, it didn`t feel quite as slick as the day I applied it. The Souveran felt incredibly slick, and made the slight loss of slickness on the BF more noticeable.



Anyway, as I`m buffing the Souveran off, the car looks unbelievably deep and wet. And I was doing this in the dark with two crappy incandescent bulbs in my garage (I`m working on getting some better lighting up). I am already impressed with the way the Souveran goes on and the look, and I haven`t even seen it in the sun yet. I can`t wait to see the car tomorrow!! :xyxthumbs

[NattyBumppo]

Pics man pics!

[imported_doug]

Souveran will spoil you for anything else. It was the seed that germinated my "help, I can`t stop waxing" byline...... enjoy!:xyxthumbs

[Pats300zx]

Souveran=:bow

[imported_memnuts]

Is there a significant enhancement in the final product? Did the Souveran really make the already excellent finish with Blackfire any better? If the Souveran was not as easy to apply and buff would the effort be worth it? Do you have any experience with P21S/S100? If so, how do they compare in final appearances?

Sorry for all the questions;) .

Like I have stated in the past. The new Blackfire can be rather boring. It maintains its shine, depth and slickness so well. Dust attraction ( on my cars) is also non-existant. I need something to do to forfill my detailing needs;) and a carnuaba topper maintainance regimen should fit the bill ( very short half-life, dust attraction, evaporation of oils leading to a haze and decrease in luster all even when just sitting in the garage ). :wavey

[imported_Aurora40]

Natty, I don`t have a digital camera. By the time I use up a roll of film and get it developed, you`ll all have forgotten about it. Besides, I`ve noticed that the pictures don`t really look different. I could post a pic of the car with fresh #26 and it would look basically the same (although not in person).



BlkZ28, I haven`t yet seen it outside, but in the garage it did make the finish seem a bit deeper. However, it was really quite deep to begin with. I think if you didn`t see it going on, you might not be able to tell the difference (although I think you would side by side). I have a feeling that another coat of Blackfire would have a similar effect with bringing back the slickness. But it seems like BF trades off a tiny bit of depth for that sort of glow. I have a feeling that it won`t glow as much now but will look much wetter instead. I think if the Souveran were harder to apply than BF is, then I`d just put another coat of BF on. I also don`t think I`d buy it just for the improvement, as I am quite satisfied with the BF look. It`s mainly because I already had it and want to use it. It also has this sort of aura about it. It`s expensive, it smells good, it gets raves and raves... plus, it doesn`t even last long. That means it must be amazing! So I sort of had to try it. If I hadn`t bought it before I got the new Blackfire, I probably never would have bought it, though.



I know what you mean about regular maintenance. I like to put something on at least once a month. I`ve never used P21S or S100, but they sound similar to Souveran. I`d say they would be worth the time then as the car does have more depth and wetness to it now. Plus, it`s something you can do occasionally to fill the detailing urge. And if for some reason you don`t have time, you`ll still have layers of Blackfire to protect you. I hope I`m answering your question. Basically, since I already have the Souveran, I will probably repeat this procedure in the summer. Get 4 to 5 coats of BF on, and then start using Souveran as a topper. In 25 years when the Souveran runs out, I`d probably just go back to using BF by itself. But S100 is much cheaper, so maybe I`d buy some of that if it has similar results.



I know what I should have done, though, prior to using a carnauba. I should have tried to feel the BF surface before using the QD and then after to see if it improved or decreased the slickness. It`s possible that the QD improves the longevity and appearance of the BF but is less slick since the polymers in the QD are probably not in the same proportions as in the protectant. That would have been interesting to see. Oh well...

[imported_memnuts]

Yes, you answered my questions very well. I, like you, am looking for an excuse to top the Blackfire 2 with some top-of-the-line carnuaba (P21S) that is now just collecting dust:nixweiss

I keep asking myself that for a slight improvement in maybe depth is it worth not being able to layer more BF2 ( must Dawn wash prior to re-application). Normally this would not be a problem but the BF2 results are soooo good that it`s even hard to justify applying another coat of protectant. I go downstairs with the intentions of adding another coat. I look at the car and say "why? It can not look any better ". How many products create that sort of satisfaction seemly indefinitely? Very few in my experience. At least now from your experience with Souveran I know that in the future there maybe another plateau to seek.:xyxthumbs

[imported_Aurora40]

Well, I`ve had a few more days to appreciate the Souveran. It rained today, though, so I can`t really form more opinions. With the Souveran on, the car looks a bit deeper and a bit more reflective. It`s subtle, though, especially outside. I mean, Blackfire looks awesome to begin with. The Souveran makes it look a bit better. But it`s also just sort of different. It`s hard to describe. The color and the glow seem a bit softer and maybe warmer? I don`t know... I mean, I`d say I`m glad I tried it and I suppose I will continue to top BF with Souveran. I`m not sure I really had enough time with both under enough similar conditions, though. BlkZ28, you should definitely try the P21S just to see. I mean, if nothing else it will be interesting.



In the rain, the Souveran has worse beading than the BF2. It beads a lot, and I`d say they are close in bead size and such with BF being slightly better. But BF is way better as far as the beads flying off. With the Souveran, the rain sort of herky-jerkies off the paint. You can tell there is a little bit of cling. Each bead moves and stops, moves and stops very quickly until it`s off the car. With BF2 there was no cling at all. The beads just shot right off. The Souveran is just as good as any carnauba, though. It isn`t like it`s inferior. It`s just that the BF is even better.



I also tried the Pinnacle Crystal Mist on the car. I really can`t speak to its rejuvination of the surface, since I applied it like one day after the Souveran. It is nice stuff, though, and it doesn`t take much to cover the car. It smells good and is thick and pretty easy to buff without streaks. I`ve found this true of BF QD too, except it is even thicker and it has a good but non-edible smell (Crystal Mist smells like it would taste good).

[imported_memnuts]

I wanted to try some new MicrofiberTech MF`s I received yesterday so I broke down and topped the BF2 with some P21S. Looks great indoors. A needed or greatly noticeable differences:nixweiss . Nevertheless, it was fun to do something to the car. BF2 has made the garage queen almost detailing-free. The test will be analysizing the dust attraction after P21S. If this is not a problem I will top just to fill my detailing urges.:xyxthumbs

[imported_Aurora40]

I noticed more difference indoors than outdoors with Souveran. I guess because indoors the BF isn`t really doing it`s thing. Once you pull it outside the BF kicks in (I know that isn`t what really happens, but you know what I mean :) ). So outside the Souveran didn`t look as much different from the usual BF look. In the garage the extra depth seemed more noticeable from the BF garage look.



I`d like to hear any subsequent impressions you have!