Looking for more "pop"

Domino81

Domino81

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I know this has likely been discussed to death, and replies will be subjective but here's my issue; I've taken care of my car. I've kept the paint work clean and in the best shape I possibly could. Recently I decided to invest into some higher end products to give them a try and see what I could achieve. After claying I used EZ-Creme glaze topped with JetSeal109 and NXT 2.0. Now, it looks good. But I was really hoping for a little more depth or pop glaring back after the investment. The color is a pale, metallic blue with some pearl. I've been reading true carnuba's maybe the way to go from here. But there are certainly no shortage of options. And there in-lies the issue for me; overwhelming choice. If I had the coin to drop on a $200 wax I would. No questions. But I think I'll try something under $80 for now.

Here's the car and the color... it's called Cosmic Blue



Car was kinda dirty in that photo.
 
Are you a wax/sealant guy?

Have you thought about coating the car?
 
An excellent wax for "Pop" in Pinnacle Souveran. Usually, a wax will reduce the "pop" of a sealant's look. Souveran won't distract from the look of a sealant. It will give you that pop. The look of a sealant is going to stop popping after a short amount of time, therefore, a good remedy is a wax that pops. Souveran definately pops, is extremely easy to apply and remove, and is not expensive. You could almost buy three bottles of liquid Souveran for $80.
Many will weigh-in on your issue. But Soveran is a legend here, and it is an absolute pleasure to use. Some waxes are a chore; Soveran is actually fun to use.
 
Coating it in what exactly? It's already been sealed use Chemical Guys JetSeal. And from what I understand NXT is more of a sealant than a true wax.
 
Domino81 said:
I know this has likely been discussed to death, and replies will be subjective but here's my issue; I've taken care of my car. I've kept the paint work clean and in the best shape I possibly could. Recently I decided to invest into some higher end products to give them a try and see what I could achieve. After claying I used EZ-Creme glaze topped with JetSeal109 and NXT 2.0. Now, it looks good. But I was really hoping for a little more depth or pop glaring back after the investment. The color is a pale, metallic blue with some pearl. I've been reading true carnuba's maybe the way to go from here. But there are certainly no shortage of options. And there in-lies the issue for me; overwhelming choice. If I had the coin to drop on a $200 wax I would. No questions. But I think I'll try something under $80 for now.

Here's the car and the color... it's called Cosmic Blue



Car was kinda dirty in that photo.
Click to expand...

Take that $200 and drop it on a polisher. Polishing accounts for 90% of the shine.
 
Love Cosmic Blue on the MS3 but first thing is to get away from the glaze phase, especially since you said you take good care of the car. I would clay, polish it out with some M101 at a lower speed and orange pad, then re-wash the car. Then apply some Duragloss #501/601 and then finish with some DG #111/601. BTW DG #111 is BOGO right now, just sayin'.

BTW love the FMIC and wheels, they look like 19's in the pic, what are they, more/better pics?
 
You need to properly polish it first.... That'll make it "pop".
 
I has a polisher. I should have included that in the description, I'm sorry. I used Norton's and later Meguiars "high gloss" polish. Followed by 3M swirl mark remover/glaze.

The wheels are technically Sonic Tuning ST100's. They're BBS CH knock offs. I know someone that has CH's, they're identical. When the finish started faded down to the base coat I took them off, blasted them and re-powder coated them (a bit darker). Just bought 4 BBS center caps instead.

Photos I have in abundance... lol







They're 18x8.5 ET48, 8mm spacers up front, 5mm spacers in the rear.
 
Domino81, they are right in theory, but winter is almost here. Study how to polish over the wintertime maybe.
Moreover, your newer clear coat, from the photo, seems to be in the category of "diminishing returns" as far as polishing goes. What I mean is, the more messed-up a car's clear is, the more of a return you'll see after polishing. I don't believe yours is that messed-up. Not saying it couldn't use a polishing session. I'm saying, I think you'll have better bang-for-the-buck returns with an exceptional wax like Souveran. It's $30 or so for a bottle. Try that first, IMO.
 
I wouldn't have topped the Jet Seal with NXT.

For the money this is a great combo and it's on sale right now + the additional 15% off too! BFWD is a great sealant and Midnight Sun is an incredible wax, especially at this price. Both are super easy to use and the results are excellent.

BLACKFIRE Wet-Ice Over Fire Combo

This is Wolfgang 3.0 / Blackfire Black Ice topped off with BF Midnight Sun

 
Hey, wait a minute, your car has that pop already. The pictures look great. Did the pop go away slowly and your just looking to refresh it?
 
No, it's steadily been improving. I'm a photographer so I have a ton of photos of the car. I like the idea of trying that wax. I appreciate the suggestion.
 
What part of NY are you in??

I agree with most everyone else you should be looking at the polishing process more so. you mention you have a polisher. What kind of polisher?

P.S. Nice MS3 I bet it generates some nasty wheel hop.
 
Nice lookin ride. I have seen a few of us here representing the Cuse. Welcome.

I would say that your car definintely has some good pop already, unless there is some photography magic that you are working. I have a black 09 Acura TSX as my daily. I primarily use Collinite 845 and have had good results with it. I use 476 for the winter as it seems to hold up a little longer. I have also tried BF Midnight Sun, which looks great, but doesn't seem to last as long.

Like others have said though...the wax you use will be irrelevant if the car has not been polished properly beforehand.
 
To say "the wax you use will be irrelevant if the car has not been polished..." could be very misleading. A rep from Swissvax explained that waxes smooth-out the surface, thus reflecting light better. He also went on to say that when you remove the wax after it has dried, do not scrub it in a heavy manner, rather gently buff it off to help keep it smooth.
 
You would probably get the same answer from a Zymol Rep or any wax rep for that matter. Polishing is the key for more "pop". What happens to the surface when the wax wears off? Your left with the same marring that polishing would have removed.
 
Rsurfer said:
You would probably get the same answer from a Zymol Rep or any wax rep for that matter. Polishing is the key for more "pop". What happens to the surface when the wax wears off? Your left with the same marring that polishing would have removed.
Click to expand...

Yes, you probably would get that response, probably because it's true. Polishing is not the one and only "key" for pop. Waxes provide pop, sealants provide pop, and coatings provide pop.
Polishing would help, but a wax could give more pop to what he already has invested into his surface preperation.
 
expdetailing said:
A rep from Swissvax explained that waxes smooth-out the surface, thus reflecting light better.
Click to expand...
Speaking of Company representatives:

FUNX725 said:
One of my favorite Barry Meguiar quotes regarding carnaubas is:

"In the old days, there was a great reliance on carnauba wax, which was the hardest natural wax available.

Fifty years later we have synthetic waxes, polymers and resins that have far more resilience than carnauba and enhance the gloss.

Interestingly, carnauba (which people still want to see in a product) actually grays the surface of a vehicle."
Click to expand...

Bob
 
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