Should I wax?

T

toddh

New member
Wow! What a great site. I'm waiting for a new Boxster S and found this site on the Boxster board. I have learned more on this site about how to take car of my new baby than I could have imagined. I have a few questions though. I've pretty much decided to use Zaino on the car (ARCTIC SILVER) cause it will be my daily driver in the summer and I hope the bugs wash off easier :) I used to use Malm's Carnauba on my other Porsches and liked the product, but I like the idea of uv protection. I'm kinda surprised it isn't well liked on this board but it sure seems like you guys(gals) know what you are talking about. I need to get some micro fiber towels and want to know which brand you all might recommend. Also do I use these MF towels to apply the Zaino and then new ones to buff with? Zaino Rx cotton towels. What type of water blade to buy and where to get it? Used to use 303 on the tires, any Rx? Naturally TIA

One thing though, I heard about Leatherique on the MB site and used it on 4 year old Porsche light gray leather. It was fantastic! Subsequently used it on BMW and MB leather and imho way, way, better than lexol.

One more thing, how can I locate a professional detailer who might know how to use Zaino,Blackfire,Blitz, and the like in my area?

Thanks Again Todd
 
Hi Todd,



Welcome... glad you found us. When I started this forum I was a frequent visitor of PPBB. I waited 13 months for my Boxster. Hope you enjoy yours.



Hey, are you nuts? Turn your Boxster over to an unknown person? I think if you look in the Porsche Handbook it clearly says doing so is grounds for repo. Shame, shame, shame!



All kidding aside, good luck with your new Porsche!



db
 
Hello Todd, Welcome Aboard! There are plenty of Porsche enthusiasts here, so you'll feel right at home. Unfortunately, I'm not one of them. :p



I don't think you'll find too many "professional' detailers using Zaino, Klasse, or Blackfire. If they did, they'd soon be out of business for lack of repeat customers. Most of the "professionals" using these products can be found right here!



:xyxthumbs
 
The Zaino website has very specific intructions on the use of their products. I'm with David on this now that you found this website you will find that you can do so much yourself and achieve stellar results.



Thanks for the tip on the Leatherique where did you find it? Where are you from? Look forward to your participation.
 
I'm from Emmaus, PA

50 yr old motorhead. Will do the Box myself of course, but my wife's car?

If there was a proffesional around I might consider it!

Leatherique.com is where you'll find out all the info on their products. Hey what about microfiber towels, are you all using them for polishing? Which ones?
 
I applied two coats of BFWD to my black Fusion over the weekend. Talk about deep, wet gloss. Wow!

Should I wax? Will waxing increase the depth of the gloss? Is BFWD durable enough on its own?

I also discovered that the nickle size portion (bottle instructions) on the applicator works much better than the recommended quarter size portion (online instructions). The quarter size portion is too thick to spread, even on half a hood.

It took about 30 minutes for product to haze. Cool and damp here.

Thanks for any advice.
 
I personally think the Blackfire is durable by itself. That being said, I have been using Opt Spray Wax after my washes. It's a slight case of apples and oranges because I am using Powerlock (they are similar). I use the spray wax just to refresh the shine and maybe add a slight layer of protection. I've let Powerlock and BFWD go with no wax topper for a few months and they did just fine. I wax because I like the look of the wax as a topper.
 
If it is your daily driver, waxing may be overkill from an aesthetic point of view. I love the BF Midnight Sun over BFWD on a black vehicle, but on a daily driver it won't last long and the return is nominal. IMHO not worth the work for a daily driver. BFWD is designed for looks, not durability, so expect to put a new coat on every couple of months.
 
I don't consider my Daily Driver any less important. I want it to look good and impressive. A clean impressive finish earns great resale value in the end, and the satisfaction of driving a well kept car.

As for durability, I'll wait for others to chime in. I don't drive through mine fields on the way to work, it's an easy 7 mile trip.:Car smiley:

As for wax, I'll probably apply a coat or two of Carnauba in the near future. The Fusion is Tuxedo Black Metallic with a rainbow of metal flake. Wax doesn't seem to mute it.
 
It's all personnel preference. BFWD looks great on it's own, but on a black car Midnight Sun over BFWD looks amazing. The Midnight Sun will take away some of the slickness of BFWD, but it really does add something to the looks.
 
Mr. Gloss said:
I applied two coats of BFWD to my black Fusion over the weekend. Talk about deep, wet gloss. Wow!

Should I wax? Will waxing increase the depth of the gloss? Is BFWD durable enough on its own?

I also discovered that the nickle size portion (bottle instructions) on the applicator works much better than the recommended quarter size portion (online instructions). The quarter size portion is too thick to spread, even on half a hood.

It took about 30 minutes for product to haze. Cool and damp here.

Thanks for any advice.
Click to expand...

Should you wax is a subjective question. This is because BFWD looks great on its own, so it doesn't create the need to wax, like some older, stale looking sealants. However the right wax can compliment BFWD, and IMO, enhanced it. The main reason would be for appearance, although we worked very hard to make sure the correct wax wouldn't just add looks, but enhance the durability.

Will you increase durability? It really depends on the wax you select. Some waxes have such strong solvents (or cleaning agents) that could reduce the durability of the BFWD underneath, or remove it completely. Also for the wax to stick (to provide any durability) BFWD can be quite difficult, as we learned when we developed Blackfire Midnight Sun, carnauba paste.

Which wax should you use? I would recommend Midnight Sun, although you should be fine to experiment with other waxes. Midnight Sun is great stand alone, particularly the new Batch 25, which equals/betters the looks of other premium carnauba waxes, many of which cost much more. Unlike many oil based premium waxes, BFWD is going to last more than a couple washes. This is because it was the first boutique wax to utilize unique polymers, originally implemented to help the Midnight Sun bond to Wet Diamond.

So you do get a synergistic effect that should work to increase the durability. Let's say Wet Diamond lasts 4 months on its own and Midnight Sun lasts 2 months. If you apply both on the same day (allowing the Wet Diamond to cure first, of course!) you would get the benefit of the sealant protecting the paint and the wax helping to protect the sealant. In this case I would not be suprised to see the combination last for 5 months or slightly longer. So the durability of the sealant, which will be the last product standing, will have been somewhat protected while the wax was there. This doesn't mean you get a 100% benefit (2 months wax durability+4 months sealant durability doesn't equal 6 months) because the sealant will still wear.

With abrasive or strong solvent waxes you will likely reduce total durability, and with many waxes, they will not stick on the sealant's surface long enough to provide much benefit.

I hope this helps, or at least gives my perspective.

Ultimately, the choice the wax is up to you. Many people do appreciate the deeper, warmer glow that a premium carnauba can produce, and love the unique shine that is created by applying that look over the glossy look of Wet Diamond.
 
dwgcmc said:
If it is your daily driver, waxing may be overkill from an aesthetic point of view. I love the BF Midnight Sun over BFWD on a black vehicle, but on a daily driver it won't last long and the return is nominal. IMHO not worth the work for a daily driver. BFWD is designed for looks, not durability, so expect to put a new coat on every couple of months.
Click to expand...

This is somewhat true, but not really true at all (I'm as confused as you by that statement).

When Blackfire developed Wet Diamond in 2001 with looks as a priority (as you noted0 because sealants at the time where noted for a having a sterile, shiny look. This doesn't mean that durability wasn't a priority, but the goal was ultimately looks. While it wasn't a durability monster, it was comparable to most other sealants at the time, about 60-90 days.

In 2005 our second verision of Blackfire Wet Diamond used advanced German Polymers and technology learned in developing Menzerna's then official sealant, FMJ, and made huge strides in longer lasting protection with out sacrificing durability.

An upgrade of 2nd version Wet Diamond was released (I believe in 2008) which featured slightly upgraded polymers as well as Polycharger. This move was made specifically for improving durability. This, the most recent version of Wet Diamond, has built a pretty solid reputation of still having great looks, while having very good durability (often far better than other boutique sealants), and ease of use.

But you are correct, the original Blackfire was designed for looks, and it took us nearly 8 years and three versions to get long lasting protection out of something that looks so great.
 
Thank you Todd for the updated info.

I love BFWD and BFMS and simply wanted to answer OPs question about durability. I have found BFWD to be very durable at times, and a little less so at others on customer cars. Still can't determine whether it is the sealant itself, or washing/care techniques of owners, but I keep it in mind when customers tell me durability is their primary concern. Other recent threads indicate others have same experience.
 
Todd,

Thank you for the explanation and advice.

I'm going to wax in the next few days after I wash it. It rained today and messed up my contiguous steps.
 
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