Zymol Concours Wax - Anyone Tried It?

[Totoland Mach]

Thanks for all the opinions all.

MikeyC: I might just wait until the price drop before I get a jar. Besides my Mach, I have 2 other "show quality" cars that I would like to experiment with.

I'll post some pics when/if I get some Concours and compare it against the present Souve

Have a great weekend folks!

Totoland Mach

 

[MikeyC]

Good luck! I know both my Uncle & I were using Souveran when we tried Concours. We both use Concours now. At the time I had never heard of Zymol. So, I can honestly say marketing or brand image had nothing to do with my decision to switch. A friend of mine from work was a Zymol user and he gave me some Concours to try. I've been hooked ever since.

I still try new LSPs all the time. I buy them at Autogeek.net of course, but I always end up back at the Zymol.

 

[Surfer]

There was a picture of a car on another board with a couple layers of Concours and have to say it looked damn good, lot of people say multiple layers of a nuba mute the look, sure as heck didn't mute that car. I'll see if I can find the pic again. I mainly used NB but a buddy has it and Souv and on his black M5 there's really no difference, Souv looked a tad more glowy. Whether topping a sealent or glaze. Both have extremely crisp reflections on that car, but his is an 02' where the paint seems to be top notch, newer Beemers have noticeable orange peel which distorts the images.

IMO though, when you get to Souv, anything more $$ is probably not worth it. Especially when you have others like NB and Max Wax that look incredible for the $.

 

[supercharged]

I have no idea.
All I know is no wax can beat a well prepped car. I could take 5.00 Turtle Wax to a well prepped ride and make it look like a 200.00 Wax.

BTW....ain't no wax worth 200.00!

I agree with Justin. You can use a $7000 Zymol Royal on not prepped finish and not be satisfied with results. Prep is the most important key. 90% prep, 10% wax for enthusiast. 97% prep and 3% wax for perfectionist.

 

[GearHead_1]

I agree with Justin. You can use a $7000 Zymol Royal on not prepped finish and not be satisfied with results. Prep is the most important key. 90% prep, 10% wax for enthusiast. 97% prep and 3% wax for perfectionist.

So what's that work out to be for the the enthusiast perfectionist?

 

[Kelso]

i like souveran but i think im going to try the maxwax. in all honesty i think they are virtually the same, except the maxwax isnt quite the same quality of carnauba. but theres a phenomenal price difference. about the zymol, i have heard that they spent quite a bit of money marketing the product which makes it so expensive, and that souveran is a better choice, but ive never tried the zymol personally. anyone see that video of the guy using the real expensive zymol and rubbing it in by hand.... totally over hyped and way overpriced.

 

[Totoland Mach]

I agree with Justin. You can use a $7000 Zymol Royal on not prepped finish and not be satisfied with results. Prep is the most important key. 90% prep, 10% wax for enthusiast. 97% prep and 3% wax for perfectionist.

Couldn't agree more. With my show car, I'm looking for that last "umph" in gloss and depth. I've only put about 800 miles on the Mach all year, and that's strictly for going to/coming from shows.

A good prep regimen works for everything. But, we've all seen that "wow" car finish at a show (a good wow as opposed to a what-the-hay did they do to that wow LOL).

Toto

 

[GearHead_1]

i like souveran but i think im going to try the maxwax. in all honesty i think they are virtually the same, except the maxwax isnt quite the same quality of carnauba. but theres a phenomenal price difference. about the zymol, i have heard that they spent quite a bit of money marketing the product which makes it so expensive, and that souveran is a better choice, but ive never tried the zymol personally. anyone see that video of the guy using the real expensive zymol and rubbing it in by hand.... totally over hyped and way overpriced.

The higher end Zymol waxes as well as Victoria waxes recommend applying by bare hand. That's one of the things I couldn't get into with Zymol.

 

[Kelso]

yea i think cause the enzymes help break it down or something.... yea whatever ill stick to my foam applicator:cheers:

:applause: <arent for applicating

 

[MikeyC]

The higher end Zymol waxes as well as Victoria waxes recommend applying by bare hand. That's one of the things I couldn't get into with Zymol.

I don't mind the bare handed application. Zymol tends to be chunky and if you apply it by applicator the chunks don't melt and basically just flake off the car. If you apply it by hand then they melt quickly from your body heat. With Zymol (like with most waxes) the thinner you put it on the easier it is to take off and I find bare handed application allows me to put on some of the thinnest coats. I know several people apply leather conditioner bare handed. So, I'm not sure why people think it's so strange to apply wax in the same way. Just make sure your hands are clean first.

Couldn't agree more. With my show car, I'm looking for that last "umph" in gloss and depth. I've only put about 800 miles on the Mach all year, and that's strictly for going to/coming from shows.

A good prep regimen works for everything. But, we've all seen that "wow" car finish at a show (a good wow as opposed to a what-the-hay did they do to that wow LOL).

Zymol like Souveran is a wax with a high oil content. So, it will definitely give you that extra oomph you're looking for. I find the look lasts about a month. I would apply a fresh coat of Zymol either the day before or the day of the car show for maximum results.

i like souveran but i think im going to try the maxwax. in all honesty i think they are virtually the same, except the maxwax isnt quite the same quality of carnauba. but theres a phenomenal price difference. about the zymol, i have heard that they spent quite a bit of money marketing the product which makes it so expensive, and that souveran is a better choice, but ive never tried the zymol personally. anyone see that video of the guy using the real expensive zymol and rubbing it in by hand.... totally over hyped and way overpriced.

I have a jar of DP Max Wax and it is also a wax that I like quite a bit. The price is not too high at $30 (actually got mine on sale for ~$16) and it's much better IMO than other waxes in that price range like P21S. I find Max Wax has a nice warm glow, good flake pop, and good wetness. It usually lasts 2-3 months for me. DP Max Wax is my "go to" wax whenever I'm detailing other people's cars.

 

[ScottB]

Ah yes, the Zymol versus Souveran quest of knowledge. I too have treaded more than several of the vintage hand blended concoctions from Zymol in the past. Here is my take :

Zymol Concours --- a very nice looking wax, a car show winner. Simply easy to use but will make your hands dry and chauky feeling for days. It will set your pocket back over 150.00 large at discount.

Zymol NSX --- nothing special. Found it to be less than stellar compared to Paste Glaz. Harder to use, and nowhere near as good looking.

Zymol Titanium --- an average car wax with nice levels of gloss and wetness. Depth is not all that impressive. I would likely find Max Wax, Nattys Blue, or Sig Series II first.

Zymol Ital --- I currently have a tub of this recently reformulated wax. Pricing is ludicrious at 300.00 + but heck you just gotta know someone. Havent tried yet, but at this price it better take me home and put me to bed to dream about wet finishes and scar free paint.

Zymol Destiny --- a very strange creature. Not all that impressed. Got a very small sample a couple years back. At that point was not all that familar with finish prep, so using their paint cleaner and then hand application was unbearable. Would like to try again , if some falls off a truck !

Souveran Paste --- truly the absolute best carnauba paste offered at and exceeding its price point by more than double. It looks better than Concour, easier to use WOWO, and on any properly prepped car it is a show stopper. You can try to compete with it, you can try to compare with cheaper versions, and you can find better durability, but your not gonna be as impressed as you will when going the extra mile. (or cost)

And Max Wax is NOT Paste Glaz. Simple really .... Paste Glaz was NOT VOC compliant, and neither was Sig Series which was the upgrade with more polymers. Sig Series II would be its closest competitor. They both look great, as did Pinnacles Cycle Glaz, and it comes down to best pricing IMO.

 

[Totoland Mach]

killrwheels: THANK YOU...! May the wax gods smile and the humidity always be low

That's exactly the review I was looking for: honest appraisals, simple, concise, etc. etc.

I realize there are as many opinions as there are wax formula's, but I wanted to hear what the Concours would do for a "show only" ride.

I appreciate the comments and have saved them.

Have a great weekend Sir!

Totoland Mach

 

[GearHead_1]

Yeah, what Killr said except you can believe me, I'm not on the staff.

 

[justin_murphy]

Ok.......
This is really not about the money to me.
I spend probably 150.00 per month in just wax and you will spend 150.00 on one container that will last you a year. I was talking about my "average customer" not being able to tell the difference. Once again, paint prep counts for 90% of what your finished product will look like. That and techique, cannot be replaced by any wax.

I've seen alot of the UK's Miracle Detailer's work. He uses the 7k hand-applied Zymol. In the pics I cannot tell the difference between it and Megs #16 or #26.

Once again, I'll probably be told I'm wrong. But, the average detailer on here can take 100.00 bucks and get some awesome products that will give awesome results when done RIGHT!

XMT series and Max Wax baby!

 

[GearHead_1]

Ok.......
This is really not about the money to me.
I spend probably 150.00 per month in just wax and you will spend 150.00 on one container that will last you a year. I was talking about my "average customer" not being able to tell the difference. Once again, paint prep counts for 90% of what your finished product will look like. That and techique, cannot be replaced by any wax.

No argument here but you have to remember is that not everyone is doing this as a profession. Many enthusiasts want the best possible result. There is a difference. If all else is equal and the proper prep is accomplished the LSP will make a difference. The final product will still be better with one LSP over another LSP. The average professionals paying customer may not see the difference but many detailing enthusiasts will. This is the only point I was trying to make in this thread.

 

[justin_murphy]

No argument here but you have to remember is that not everyone is doing this as a profession. Many enthusiasts want the best possible result. There is a difference. If all else is equal and the proper prep is accomplished the LSP will make a difference. The final product will still be better with one LSP over another LSP. The average professionals paying customer may not see the difference but many detailing enthusiasts will. This is the only point I was trying to make in this thread.

Point well taken.
I like how passionate you are GH. I hope others have learned from this.
I believe we both have made our stand on this!

Good job explaining your side.

 

[supercharged]

I will say that what matters the most is what is your goal? What kind of results you are looking for? How picky you are? And color of a vehicle.

 

[Kelso]

hey justin it also depends what kind of person your catering too. if your detailing a car for somebody who's entering it at a show, or somebody's luxury exotic, you know that person wants the absolute best they can possibly get. an old man in a grand marquis on the other hand just wants it "shined up" if you know what i mean. and thats the person that like you said, just woulndt notice the difference at all. they see a car that looks shinier and has shiny tires and theyre happy. basically i agree with you for the most part but when it comes to the cars that have to look their best, you have to use the best.

 

[justin_murphy]

hey justin it also depends what kind of person your catering too. if your detailing a car for somebody who's entering it at a show, or somebody's luxury exotic, you know that person wants the absolute best they can possibly get. an old man in a grand marquis on the other hand just wants it "shined up" if you know what i mean. and thats the person that like you said, just woulndt notice the difference at all. they see a car that looks shinier and has shiny tires and theyre happy. basically i agree with you for the most part but when it comes to the cars that have to look their best, you have to use the best.

You're very right.
Another awesome point.

 

[FloridaNative]

Okay, I am hijacking this thread now. Take me to Cuba!! lol Seriously, since we are talking about show cars and waxes there is something I want to know. I don't own a show car and have never been in a car show either. I'm just a regular Jane that likes to keep my car in the best shape I can. That said, I've heard that show cars get somewheres between 15-20 coats of carnauba to make it THAT glossy and wet looking. I've also heard that there is a point of diminishing returns and that any nuba is at it's best with 3-4 coats after that you will actually detract from the appearance. What is the truth and what is the myth here?? Are they both true and you just have to have the right wax?? We're all here to learn from one another and this is one that has always mystified me. Can someone elaborate?? Thanks for letting me hijack this thread now seriously take me to Cuba, I need some coffee.