Myth or Fact

[dennish]

This was posted on another forum by a detailer and since you guys are promotes Souveran I would like to get your thoughts on this.

"People always complain that they don't care about durability, but you should, and you should care about protection as well. Protection from the elements keeps your finish beautiful. Knowing that a carnauba melts around 120*, it is safe to say that after a hot day or two, the only thing on your recently Souveran'd (for instance) surface is the oils from the wax mix. This, will not protect like a synthetic."

Yesterday afternoon I walk though Target parking lot with my handy Radio Shack inferred thermometer shooting probably 50 car hoods on all different color hoods on as many different model cars I would find and found NONE under 120 degree. I would say the average was between 130 and 140. The out side temp was about 78 and most of these cars have been parked for probably less than a hour. I drove my Mini Cooper home and shot the hood and there was areas reading as high as150 degree. This kind sense since the lowest water temperature is the coming out of the radiator after being cooled and that is the 180 you are seeing on the gauge. You can find spots on the radiator over 200 degrees – heck my headers on my street got up to about 480 degrees. My street rod on a short drive at sunset last night was 140 to 150 degrees. Can someone in the know shed some light on this subject? Is the a myth / urban legend or the truth?

PS ---- I use Souveran on three of different cars I own and have for years but seeing post about melting concerns me.....

 

[ScottB]

It would take a chemist to truly decifer the boiling point of any wax. There is alot of additives in the wax besides just carnuaba. I have never seen wax drip off my car, nor a puddle after a hot day.

I do find it funny that only one group seems to tout it so often. Similar group use to talk about oils being bad for a finish, well, until they admitted they now use them (but supposedly only the good ones).

I will end it on a fuzzy, warm note. Carnuaba has been around for more than 40 years and is still being used. Polymer technology is moving into them, and durability is being increased while the enticing look remains. But paint sealants will not sit still and take a back seat, so it will be interesting to see what the next 40 years brings.

 

[BILL]

Bottom line!.........sealer x2 sovueran x1 =:righton:

 

[supercharged]

"People always complain that they don't care about durability, but you should, and you should care about protection as well. Protection from the elements keeps your finish beautiful. Knowing that a carnauba melts around 120*, it is safe to say that after a hot day or two, the only thing on your recently Souveran'd (for instance) surface is the oils from the wax mix. This, will not protect like a synthetic."

Yesterday afternoon I walk though Target parking lot with my handy Radio Shack inferred thermometer shooting probably 50 car hoods on all different color hoods on as many different model cars I would find and found NONE under 120 degree. I would say the average was between 130 and 140. The out side temp was about 78 and most of these cars have been parked for probably less than a hour. I drove my Mini Cooper home and shot the hood and there was areas reading as high as150 degree. This kind sense since the lowest water temperature is the coming out of the radiator after being cooled and that is the 180 you are seeing on the gauge. You can find spots on the radiator over 200 degrees – heck my headers on my street got up to about 480 degrees. My street rod on a short drive at sunset last night was 140 to 150 degrees. Can someone in the know shed some light on this subject? Is the a myth / urban legend or the truth?

Actually carnauba melting point is 180 degrees; black and red car parked in the sun can get up to 200. (info got off another website)

 

[FloridaNative]

I don't know about ya'll but I would be seriously pissed off if I came out of Target and found some guy taking the temperature of my car!

 

[BILL]

I don't know about ya'll but I would be seriously pissed off if I came out of Target and found some guy taking the temperature of my car!

ME TOO!! I'd say get that *&^%$# temp thing off my ^%$&*(%$ car......

 

[FloridaNative]

And with a thermometer from Radio Shack to boot! Man does anything that store sells even work??

 

[dennish]

ME TOO!! I'd say get that *&^%$# temp thing off my ^%$&*(%$ car......

And I would say...I'm not touching your car and I never come closer than three feet of your car..then I just stand there laugh....

 

[BILL]

From 3 feet away???????? no problem

 

[Surfer]

Haha, just bought some more tools and didn't realize one set had that thermo reader. Guess I'm easily ammused, I've been using it on everything from ice cubes to the pool , never thought to use it on the cars/trucks, I'll have to try that.

 

[dennish]

Haha, just bought some more tools and didn't realize one set had that thermo reader. Guess I'm easily ammused, I've been using it on everything from ice cubes to the pool , never thought to use it on the cars/trucks, I'll have to try that.

Mine is years old and looks like a small gun (probably not a good thing) this is one of the best special tool I own. Recently one of my street rod friends was working on an over heating problem. He would not take his car out if it was over 80 because it would borderline overheat, last winter he flushed the radiator, new hoses, and expensive high volume water pump (I know that high volume water pumps will not solve overheating) and it still ran at 220 degrees on a 80 degree day. He invited me and my inferred gun over and found out that the gauge was off my over 40 degrees and he never had a problem in the first place. You can find cool or low flow spots in radiators and all kinds of neat stuff. We just trouble shot our cooler with it, great to check out the temperature of beer!!!

Here is the one they sell here...
http://autogeek.net/thermohawk-400.html

 

[FloridaNative]

Okay, if it was a gun that can take readings from 3 feet away without touching my car I wouldn't freak out. But the guy would still get a raised eyebrow from me before I asked him, "so what temperature is it??"

 

[BILL]

Okay, if it was a gun that can take readings from 3 feet away without touching my car I wouldn't freak out. But the guy would still get a raised eyebrow from me before I asked him, "so what temperature is it??"

DITTO

 

[Excessive Detail]

The alarm on my car doesn't let anyone get that close so they can just stand back and try to guess how hot it is.

 

[quikzilver]

Wouldn't you get the best readings when measuring in the paint, instead of on the paint .

 

[JeffW]

This is all very interesting stuff... questions for killr:

What temp does your chemist indicate Souveran will melt? Like you said that with all the various additives, it would seem like the product is engineered to withstand at least the temps being discussed here. I'd also be interesting to learn whether or not the boiling point has, indeed, risen over the years - would your chemist have this info at least since the inception of Souveran?

Thanks!

 

[toolfanatic]

It seems to me the whole temp thing is kind of pointless. If the wax is still beading it's still there protecting. This just leads to the durability question which every one knows is pretty short. IMO

 

[BILL]

It seems to me the whole temp thing is kind of pointless. If the wax is still beading it's still there protecting. This just leads to the durability question which every one knows is pretty short. IMO

:iagree: As long as it's beading it's protected..we all know that sealer will out beat the beading of any carnauba....no matter what the temp..... .

 

[joe.p]

Happy Belated B-Day Dennish.
May You Have Many More..