Product Review: Pre-Wow & Black Wow

TroyScherer

TroyScherer

Ummm.... Ya.....
Pre-Wow & Black Wow Review



Manufacturers Description:

-Pre-Wow: Pre-WOW is extremely concentrated. Start with a pea-sized amount on a clean applicator. Wipe on Pre-WOW and rub until the trim piece appears clean. For stubborn spots, you can use the Pre-WOW Trim Detailing Brush. The stiff bristles will loosen dirt and wax buildup.

-Black Wow is a matte finish trim restorer for all colored, smooth and lightly textured trim. Black Wow instantly restores the dark, even color to the trim. A single thin coat lasts for months through rain storms, car washes, and day-to-day driving. Black WOW works on all unpainted plastic trim, regardless of the color. Black WOW contains no dye or colorants.


Product Observations:
1. Manufacturer: Black Wow
2. Made in: U.S.A.
3. Packaging:
A. Pre-Wow: 4oz. Spray Bottle​
B. Black Wow: 2oz. Flip Top Bottle​
C. Pre-Wow Trim Brush​
3. Color:
A. Pre-Wow: Translucent Purple​
B. Black Wow: Translucent Orange​
7. Scent: T.B.D. – Sniffer is out this week.
8. Consistency:
A. Pre-Wow: Thin Liquid​
B. Black Wow: Syrup​
9. Price: $35 – 4oz Pre-Wow & 2oz. Black Wow
10. Directions for Black Wow: Apply Black Wow before washing your vehicle. Use a Poly Foam Wax Applicator and spread a pea-sized amount evenly on the trim. Apply a very thin coat. Buff off excess with a lint-free Microfiber Cloth. (Use a separate towel than the ones you use on the paint.) Then wash the vehicle and use the wash sponge to wipe down the trim. Towel dry.


Test Subject



Application:
1. I started by rinsing the rear bumper.
2. I washed the bumper using Megs Shampoo Plus & APC w/ a single bucket & Grit Guard.
3. Re-Rinsed Bumper
4. Dried Bumper using a terry Cloth Towel (Due to previously applied Trim Restorer.)
5. Taped off Bumper for test I am working on for the Future.
6. Applied Pre-Wow to Selected areas and spread using Microfiber Applicator.
7. Pre-Wow Trim Brush was used to thoroughly clean the selected areas.
8. Used a clean Terry Cloth Towel to Buff Pre-Wow Off.
9. Applied Black Wow to Selected Areas.
10. Buffed off Black Wow using a clean Terry Cloth Towel.


Application Photos:

Wash


Bumper Clean


Pre-Wow Application


Pre-Wow Buffed Off


Black Wow on Applicator


Black Wow Applied


Broad Shot of Future Test




Notes & Observations:

- I need to find better test subject to test the true cleaning ability of Pre-Wow
- Pre-Wow did seem to clean up the bumper that I regularly clean and apply PBTR.
- I’m not sure that Pre-Wow cleans any better than my regular APC but I would want to test this on a piece of trim with wax residue.
- I do like that Black Wow was a little thicker syrup and not watery like PB TR.
- A pea sized amount was able to all of the test sections.
- It spread out nicely and evenly.
- Black Wow was slightly shinier that the PBTR that I normally use.
- Based on cost I’m not sure I would pick Black Wow as my trim product.
o 2oz Black Wow - $15.99​
o 16oz Poorboy’s Trim Restorer - $14.99​
o At this price difference the Black Wow would need to last about 8x longer than PBTR for me to switch.​
 
By the looks of the Black Wow on your applicator, I believe you may have used 3-4 times too much. That stuff goes a long long way.
 
Great review !!! I picked up some Pre Wow at Detail Fest. Hopefully I will have a chance to use it this weekend.
 
Great review Troy......Stepping up your game several notches on reviews...very informative and certainly like the picture comparison ( seeing is believing)
 
Awesome review, Troy! Appreciate you taking the time and sharing your insight with Black-WOW and Pre-WOW Pre-Cleaner. I'd have to agree with Jammerz and say you definitely could have gotten away with using less BW. The saying, "Less is more" applies with a product like this.

Certainly hope there's more reviews of this caliber to come!
 
Thanks for the feedback guys. I appreciate the comments. Here is some additional comments and information from Richard @ Blackwow from another forum.





Richard, I really appreciate your input on these products.

Richard@BlackWow said:
"Pre-WOW"
1.) The recommended wipe off applicator for PW is a painters rag...the kind of towels you find in a Motel 6 bathroom or get a 12 pack for $6 from Home Depot. That's what I found to work best. Also, PW was intended to remove dried wax and polish. I didn't see such thing on your trim. Comparing PW to APC isn't exactly a fair comparison in this case as PW isn't intended to be an APC.
Click to expand...
I have always used a clean White Terry cloth Towel because I have found that once you get silicone into your good MF towels you may never get it out. I am have to go pick up some painters rags to better buff off the PW.
I did note in my test that I didn't really have any dried on wax to test the true cleaning ability of PW on and that I will be looking for a good test subject in the near future. I was simply trying to see and test if pre-cleaning w/ PW gave a better base for BW to adhere to.

Richard@BlackWow said:
2.) It's best to let PW fully dry before applying BW as the temporary darkening effects of PW can be deceiving. Take for example, you treat the area with PW, and it looks great, so you put on BW, but put it on unevenly without realizing it. When the PW dries out, the surface will look uneven due to uneven application.
Click to expand...
I'm glad you brought this up. When I applied the PW I did notice a darkening effect. I did let it dry approx 15 min but the trim was still a shade darker than the other trim. I most likely should have left it dry longer. I read the directions on the bottle as well as on an online vendor and didn't see any note about making sure the PW had dried. This may be something to add to the directions on the bottle in the future.

Richard@BlackWow said:
3.) PW needs to be worked in to be effective. This was by design as we didn't want to create a product that would strip the good wax due to overspray. If you get some PW on a just waxed area, a light wipe with a MF towel should preserve the existing wax, but if you buff it hard, it will likely take it off.
Click to expand...
This is good to know as an APC mixture could strip the wax off w/o and buffing.

Richard@BlackWow said:
"Black WOW"
1.) The single most important application technique for BW is to let if FULLY ABSORB before washing the vehicle. How long it takes to absorb and when it needs to be reapplied is part of the technique and varies on the age and condition of the plastic.
Click to expand...
I do feel like I had a goo grasp on this as my application went on very nice and I didn't get any of the streaking that other tests have commented on.

Richard@BlackWow said:
2.) Because BW relies on the ability to be absorbed, some materials don't absorb well, or were pretreated with another product that inhibits this, or are too porous, like rubber..so results can vary. The final look of BW is matte, not shiny. If it's shiny, it's still wet.
Click to expand...
This may be true but I still feel that BW has a little bit more sheen compared to PBTR on my application. I did go back over all of the products that were applied for my upcoming test and buff them dry. Once I did this the BW dry to the touch as was the PBTR.

Richard@BlackWow said:
3.) One thing people fail to realize when comparing price is the longevity of a single bottle. The average buyer of the original sized 4oz Black Wow still had over 2/3'rds of a bottle left after 4 years. At that rate, in 4 years, that's more than half a bottle left. Even better that the shelf life is indefinite and I've subjected it to repeated Freeze/Thaw tests without any issues. To say that BW needs to last 8 times longer than your PB's product is setting yourself and everyone else up for disappointment. How about comparing how long a bottle lasts instead of the actual application?
Click to expand...
You are the vendor and you have a valid point. But IMHO for me to validate the price difference and switch what I have been using on trim for details the product would have to last longer and in the end be cost effective. I do have a bottle of PBTR and now BW. This may be a great test to see how long it take to use a predetermined amount when placed 50/50 on a windshield cowl or bumper. My comment was not meant to be derogatory towards the product simply a comment on price per ounce and what it would to get the same price per use. After further testing I may choose to switch to BW as my trim product but these were my initial thoughts and findings
 
Nice review.

I did a side by side with BW and PBTR. It will be interesting to see your results.
 
Pats300zx said:
Bunky...how did they compare to one another?
Click to expand...

They lasted about the same time on my Dakota mirrors side by side. They both ran some but since the test I have been using less. I liked the look of PB a little better since it was darker (my choice) but I am sure the look/results can vary by plastic.

If I had a choice I would choose PB because it is just easier to apply and less sensitive about getting on paint but both are very good. UTTG has done better (less running after rain) on the Dakota mirrors but still PBTR /BW are very good.
 
TroyScherer said:
I have always used a clean White Terry cloth Towel because I have found that once you get silicone into your good MF towels you may never get it out.

You are the vendor and you have a valid point. But IMHO for me to validate the price difference and switch what I have been using on trim for details the product would have to last longer and in the end be cost effective. I do have a bottle of PBTR and now BW. This may be a great test to see how long it take to use a predetermined amount when placed 50/50 on a windshield cowl or bumper. My comment was not meant to be derogatory towards the product simply a comment on price per ounce and what it would to get the same price per use. After further testing I may choose to switch to BW as my trim product but these were my initial thoughts and findings
Click to expand...

I'm not trying to be a fly in the ointment, but to me these products are just silicone oils, that (however tenaciously they try to stay on there) are just a film on the surface. After being disappointed with these type of products, I found more satisfaction with something that is doing some cross-linking, like the Meg's Ultimate Trim stuff, or Ultima TTG (haven't used that one). Those seem to be better, but the improvement is not an order of magnitude...now I'm gravitating towards the coatings like CQuartz, GTechniq, Opti-Coat, etc, as an order of magnitude improvement.
 
** 3 Week Update **

We have had record levels of rain fall for the past month and so I think this has been a very good torture test of 2 products. Based on other reviews I assumed that the Black WOW would outlast PBTR. But for how long? Well the following are 3 quick pics I took to show the current state of affairs.


This first pic is the test subject after a solid week of rain.

PBTR above tail pipe / Black Wow to the right



The last two pics are of the bumper after I washed it. To this point the vehicle has been washed once a week with Megs Shampoo+ and no QD has been applied.

PBTR above tail pipe / Black Wow to the right








At this point the PBTR is gone. There is no beading or water sheeting at all. I will say the bumper still looks good where it was applied but its not protecting anymore. The Black WOW is still there. Not as strong as when first applied but still there. Thanks for looking.
 
I don't no if it is just my eyes, but the PB Trim Restorer looks more consistent in the pics then the BW.? The BW has spots where it is still protecting and some spots where it is gone. I would say TR is more versatile.
 
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