High end carnubas

Ron Atchison

Ron Atchison

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Having only used Wolfgang Füzion Estate Wax as far as high end waxes go. Other than price is there really that much difference in all the other higher end carnuba waxes. Such as Füzion, BLACKFIRE Midnight Sun, Souverän or coming in at the lower end of the price scale Signature Series II to name a few. With some them have polymers in them they may have better durabilty than the ones that are staight carnubas but far as depth and wettness goes are they really worth the price of admission. I realize this may turn out to be just a matter of opinion or budget but I rarely see people mention these waxes in their posts when doing details or are these mostly saved for private use.
 
In the past recent months, I have used two waxes...Swissvax Concoros (very expensive) and Collinite 915 (not expensive at all).

I detailed my Black Acura TSX back in July with the Swissvax and to this day, she's still beading like crazy. Everytime I wash it she looks amazing.

For the Collinite 915 I only had a chance to test the hood of a 300C. The hood looked great when I got done and shortly after, it rained. She beaded almost as much as the Swissvax.

I do not know the durability of both of these products, but from what I've read, Collinite products last a very long time and are extremely durable. As mentioned, the Swissvax has been on my Acura for 2.5 months and still looks great. Bug splatters and dirt are easy to wipe off in between washes.

One thing I've learned is...you don't necessarily have to spend a bunch of money to achieve great results. I was fortunate to recieve the Swissvax Concorso as a gift, however I don't think I would spend that much money on some wax.

I always told my fiance that I was going to start an expensive clothing line targeting rich folks. Buy cheap t-shirts from Korea and put a $300 price tag on it so rich folks could feel better about spending their money. Anyways....I digress.
 
High $$$$$$$$$ Waxes appearance and durability are not proportionate to their cost...
 
BobbyG said:
High $$$$$$$$$ Waxes appearance and durability are not proportionate to their cost...
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I know apperance and durability are two different things and durability may not be their intended purpose. Some will say if your looking for a long lasting wax then your not caring for your paint. Colonite at 15.00 pretty well has that covered. Has anyone ever done a side by side to see if there is any visual difference for extra money spent? The addition of the BF line got me thinking about all this once I read their disciption of their carnuba. They are really quite funny ads. One wins all the car shows the other causes whiplash and so on. Creative writers!
 
killrwheels@autogeek said:
If you like Fuzion stick with it ....
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Yes I do but I only had a small sample and at the asking price is it that much better than the others? I guess what I'm after here is what makes the high end waxes so special? Are they really that more expensive to produce?
 
rzatch said:
Yes I do but I only had a small sample and at the asking price is it that much better than the others? I guess what I'm after here is what makes the high end waxes so special? Are they really that more expensive to produce?
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Cost is relative to outcome and perceived differences over other products. Its very personal and nobody can tell you if its worth it. I am sure ingredients have different pricing but "if" its a value can only be decided by you.

What I might suggest is first trying some less expensive offerings with alot of value (like DP Max Wax, Pinnacle SSII) and see if your happy with outcome.

You can then wait till a special occassion or sale (end of year, holidays) to perhaps pickup a more expensive offering if you feel your missing something.
 
Personally I would get a decent sealant and top it with P21S.

Sealant durability, P21S looks. Granted you will have to re-coat the P21 every month or two. . . But hey, it's cheap and looks great!
 
As I said earlier I realize this may turn out to be just a matter of opinion or budget. I wasn't really looking for someone to say buy this or that it was more of a thinking out loud type of thing and seeing what others had to say or what their experiences were with different waxes. I know some guys have them all.


"Cost is relative to outcome and perceived differences over other products." I know this all too well. I have a few hobbies.
 
aerogt01 said:
Personally I would get a decent sealant and top it with P21S.

Sealant durability, P21S looks. Granted you will have to re-coat the P21 every month or two. . . But hey, it's cheap and looks great!
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I used the Wolfgang twins on a black Z4 and topped it with the Fusion and it looks great.

P21 ??
 
Ok let's go after your original question: other than cost is there really that much difference? Without going into opinion, yes, absolutely.

I would expect the higher-priced waxes to have better grades of carnauba, higher percentage, and overall look and perform better. Hand-poured and inspected is always a plus. Do they always look and perform better? That's where opinion comes in.

Take a look at some you mentioned:
Fuzion - hybrid wax/sealant with great durability and looks
Midnight Sun - don't know much about this one. Designed to be layered on top of Blackfire sealant.
Souveran - easily a forum favorite as the best-looking. Durability? Not so much.
SSII - Poor man's souveran, I do not know much about the durability of this one.

Answer: Are they all different? Oh yeah.

Your other question: Are they really worth the price of admission? You know, if you have to ask. . .
 
aerogt01 said:
Personally I would get a decent sealant and top it with P21S.

Sealant durability, P21S looks. Granted you will have to re-coat the P21 every month or two. . . But hey, it's cheap and looks great!
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According to numerous posts on BMW, Lexus and MB boards, S100 is the same as P21S, packaged for motorcycles, 1/2 the price.
 
rzatch said:
I know apperance and durability are two different things and durability may not be their intended purpose. Some will say if your looking for a long lasting wax then your not caring for your paint. Colonite at 15.00 pretty well has that covered. Has anyone ever done a side by side to see if there is any visual difference for extra money spent? The addition of the BF line got me thinking about all this once I read their disciption of their carnuba. They are really quite funny ads. One wins all the car shows the other causes whiplash and so on. Creative writers!
Click to expand...

You might find this interesting reading:

Big Wax Test - Looks Results - Full Review

Short summary is that they took a number of identical cars, prepped by the same people working on the same panels, then applied a different product to each - from Collinite to Swissvax and Zymol. They then had a gathering of detailers and detailing enthusiasts rate each car. Results were interesting, to say the least.
 
I highly recommend Midnight Sun. I have used it many times and it is a very easy product to work with. It does have some polymers in it so it will last longer than other carnauba waxes. And for 50 bucks right now, I think it is a good buy.

Oh and did I mention it creates a crazy shine? :props:
 
I was not surprised to see Collinite 915 come in second only to Swissvax in that test of waxes. For around $30 (which will last you literally years), I can tell you from experience here in the Northeast winter country...it does last 5-6 months. I mean, come on man...:xyxthumbs:

Funny thing is...I seriously doubt anybody would think 915 is a "high end" wax for the price. I was using it for years before the Internet... when you only heard about this product at car rallies and concourse shows.
 
umi000 that was interesting with somewhat expected results. As one poster wrote.

"So although BOS came top, surely Collinite 915 is the 'BEST' wax tested here if price is taken into account, which for most is a big factor... especially considering that most of the guys yesterday who are much more informed than the average man on the street couldnt really tell a difference!
 
I think pure carnauba waxes are not durable. I noticed that wax blends containing carnauba and other synthetic polymers last longer than pure carnauba.
 
To me it is hard to justify the price of expensive waxes, as my car is in no way show quality being a daily driver that sits outside. If there is really any difference I surely would not notice, however it really is all about looks. If the look of collinite works for you then use it. With that said, I would expect a certain level of quality and ease of use from a product that costs as much as Fuzion, or supernatural. From what i've read(i can't justify the cost) most of the expensive waxes are easy to use.
 
As many others have said years before I joined this form, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Once you get passed clean, shine and durability, relative to your tastes (some people want to wax every 3 months, others want their work to last years if possible), then all bets are off and subjectivity reigns.

When you get to this area of the spectrum, which I consider an extreme, then we are talking about "how" a person executes their hobby or habit; choosing a wax at this point is analogous to picking one shade of grey over another.
 
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