Blackfire and Flex

**webbmeister25d** · 04-16-2009, 07:58 PM

I thought it would never get warm enough to try out the new Flex and Blackfire products. The weatherman was right on the money for today, so I played hooky and went at it. The car is a 2003 Miata SE in Strato Blue - look at it from one angle and it is dark blue, from another angle it is dark purple. Impression of Blackfire and Flex combo so far? Wow!

Step one - a good wash and dry, including 303 cleaner on the fabric top. Big Blue towel, true to claims, dried the entire car and barely felt wet afterwards.
Step two - clay, and then another wash and dry. Big Blue towel pretty wet when finished, but car very smooth and dry. So far, so good.
Step three - break out the Flex and the Blackfire Gloss Enhancing Polish. Very nervous now, but must trust! Trust is well-placed, after hand buffing away the residue, paint is like glass and reflections are very sharp, detailed, and focused.
Step four - Wet Diamond Sealant, first coat, hand applied and hand buffed. Paint has depth, car looks magnificent. Will let cure overnight and apply another coat in the morning.

So, a couple of questions:

1. Does it really make a difference if I machine or hand-apply the sealant and wax? It is hard to imagine things looking better than they do now ...
2. The work above, plus cleaning up the interior and cleaning the glass, took me about six hours. I`m new at this - should I expect the time to significantly diminish as I get more familiar with how all this works? Or, is six hours about right for this amount of work? The paint was in pretty good shape when I started, though it is now in a different league.

Anyway, I couldn`t be more pleased with the way the Blackfire products and the Flex are working out so far. I`m glad I found Proper Auto Care and am convinced that every penny has been well spent. :thumbup:

Jim

**Old Pirate** · 04-16-2009, 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by webbmeister25d

I thought it would never get warm enough to try out the new Flex and Blackfire products. The weatherman was right on the money for today, so I played hooky and went at it. The car is a 2003 Miata SE in Strato Blue - look at it from one angle and it is dark blue, from another angle it is dark purple. Impression of Blackfire and Flex combo so far? Wow!

Step one - a good wash and dry, including 303 cleaner on the fabric top. Big Blue towel, true to claims, dried the entire car and barely felt wet afterwards.
Step two - clay, and then another wash and dry. Big Blue towel pretty wet when finished, but car very smooth and dry. So far, so good.
Step three - break out the Flex and the Blackfire Gloss Enhancing Polish. Very nervous now, but must trust! Trust is well-placed, after hand buffing away the residue, paint is like glass and reflections are very sharp, detailed, and focused.
Step four - Wet Diamond Sealant, first coat, hand applied and hand buffed. Paint has depth, car looks magnificent. Will let cure overnight and apply another coat in the morning.

So, a couple of questions:

1. Does it really make a difference if I machine or hand-apply the sealant and wax? It is hard to imagine things looking better than they do now ...
2. The work above, plus cleaning up the interior and cleaning the glass, took me about six hours. I`m new at this - should I expect the time to significantly diminish as I get more familiar with how all this works? Or, is six hours about right for this amount of work? The paint was in pretty good shape when I started, though it is now in a different league.

Anyway, I couldn`t be more pleased with the way the Blackfire products and the Flex are working out so far. I`m glad I found Proper Auto Care and am convinced that every penny has been well spent. :thumbup:

Jim

Great to hear it can out great Jim (pictures?), I would apply all my sealants and waxes by hand ( old fashion) so any way is up to you and the time frame is about right on working on your Mazda.:thumbup:

**Junebug** · 04-17-2009, 10:55 AM

I just tried the Blackfire sealant - LOVE IT! First applied via LC red pad on my PC, speed #3, second car - I did by hand, machine is faster, but, there`s no way to get into all the little crevices and it goes on so easy by hand too. I`ve never seen a product that wiped off as easy either.

**drculinarian** · 04-17-2009, 01:52 PM

You don`t need to wash the car again after claying, that should save you some time.

**webbmeister25d** · 04-17-2009, 09:11 PM

Thanks for the tip - I`ll omit the 2nd wash next time.

**webbmeister25d** · 04-17-2009, 09:14 PM

Thanks! Had to go to work today - 2nd coat of sealant tomorrow morning, first coat of Midnight Sun tomorrow before bedtime, 2nd coat of Midnight Sun Sunday morning. THEN pictures!

**Old Pirate** · 04-17-2009, 09:20 PM

Originally Posted by Junebug

I just tried the Blackfire sealant - LOVE IT! First applied via LC red pad on my PC, speed #3, second car - I did by hand, machine is faster, but, there`s no way to get into all the little crevices and it goes on so easy by hand too. I`ve never seen a product that wiped off as easy either.

Yes, it goes on and wipe off super easy.

Originally Posted by webbmeister25d

Thanks! Had to go to work today - 2nd coat of sealant tomorrow morning, first coat of Midnight Sun tomorrow before bedtime, 2nd coat of Midnight Sun Sunday morning. THEN pictures!

Wait till it`s done after that 2nd coat of Midnight Sun ( like Monday morning) , you be drooling.........

**webbmeister25d** · 04-20-2009, 07:07 PM

The second coat of sealant brought everything well past clear and focused to the point of breath-taking sharpness and brilliance. I`m 53 and have never seen paint look like this. The 1st coat of Midnight Sun had something of the opposite effect of "Ice", actually warming up this particular color. The second coat of Midnight Sun, applied a day later, added quite a bit of depth to the warmth. The result of the entire process using the Blackfire products is nothing short of magnificent! It`s raining now and not expected to stop until Wednesday. I promise pictures the first sunny opportunity that comes along.

Jim
p.s. If anybody at PAC is keeping track, I noticed and appreciated the great smells. Clean and soapy smell for the sealant. Lilac for the wax? Anybody snickering at this observation, I may be 53 but I am also almost certainly much larger than you are!

**Old Pirate** · 04-20-2009, 07:10 PM

I`ll past it along to Jack..............

**Todd@RUPES** · 04-20-2009, 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by webbmeister25d

1. Does it really make a difference if I machine or hand-apply the sealant and wax? It is hard to imagine things looking better than they do now ...

As you noted, through the progression of the this thread, yes the things do get better. Blackfire Wet Ice over Fire is really amazing on darker colors, and stunning on red (red looks like glass). Because of the Gold Concours pad I prefer to apply the sealant by machine (porter cable or flex). Two to three drops will cover half of a car.

As far as atheistic differences, it could be argued that applying any lsp by machine is going to lay down a more even coat, which should produce better results per coat. I used to apply my sealants by hand, but with Blackfire Wet Diamond and the Gold pad I actually enjoy applying it more by machine. The key word of course is enjoy, since when we take detailing to this level it is necessary to make sure we fully enjoy the process, otherwise there would be no point in going to the extreme. You have to love chasing the extra 1%`s.

2. The work above, plus cleaning up the interior and cleaning the glass, took me about six hours. I`m new at this - should I expect the time to significantly diminish as I get more familiar with how all this works? Or, is six hours about right for this amount of work? The paint was in pretty good shape when I started, though it is now in a different league.

Unless you are getting paid to do it the point is to enjoy the journey IMHO. I think you could cut at least 2 hours off your time the next because I am going to assume (always dangerous) that the car will be in better condition and you will learn what steps can be carried out quicker with no loss in the final result. The goal should be fun and enjoyment, speed will come naturally with experience. Once we force ourselves to move quicker part of the joy goes away.

Anyway, I couldn`t be more pleased with the way the Blackfire products and the Flex are working out so far. I`m glad I found Proper Auto Care and am convinced that every penny has been well spent. :thumbup:

Jim

I agree 100% Jim. I am looking forward to the pictures!!

**Junebug** · 04-29-2009, 06:49 AM

I think Todd made a very valid point about speed of work. I have found that any job I do, the more I do it, the better - faster I get, you learn little tips to save time and steps, and for me - that makes it more enjoyable. I had a brick-laying class back in high school, (1976) and the old man that taught the course told us the first day," Anybody can lay brick, hell, your momma could lay brick, but what makes a bricklayer is ...SPEED!"