tom p.
Active member
I picked up some of Meg's popular #16 at one of the recent garage sales. (Thanks, MDRX8!) I haven't used it previously, but certainly have taken note of it being a semi-hot topic.
The weather on Saturday wasn't so nice; it had to have been 99% RH and about 65F. Things were dripping wet, literally. Probably should have delayed the application but nothing else was going on so I forged ahead. The car had been treated to CG's 5050 a few months ago. The stuff is clearly starting to fade and my car wash swirls starting to re-appear.
Look at the wheel and how dull it is....it's dripping with condensation. That's how humid it was.
I did no prep apart from a quickee wash on Friday evening. I applied the #16 on a polishing pad (an ancient one from Griot's). I use the butter knife to smear the product on the pad and then go to work. My initial impression was that the stuff smells nearly identical to P21S Carnauba. Application was a little more difficult compared to the P21S...no big deal. I did the entire car and then started to polish off by hand. It's a bit more effort than the P21S or 5050....probably more like a Blitz. Keep in mind, I was doing all this when the humidity was off the chart.
When it's all said and done, the product looks nice, but certainly not as wet as a P21S or 5050. I guess I've learned over the years that the products with a lot of initial sizzle are frequently the ones that fade quickly so my hopes are high this one will be different. I'm looking for a product with superior longevity and hope I don't need to re-apply anything 'til we're far into 2008.
Yesterday was crystal clear and a nice day for a drive:
Here's the deal with the tire shine. I was in WalloChinaMart yesterday and decided to scope out the auto section and see what they had that my regular store didn't. These two stores are about 10 miles apart and often have completely different items...you've got to search for them. I noticed a large can of Black Magic's Tire Foam for $3.25. It advertised as a no-touch product so I thought I would try it since it claims to "dry". I am very particular about tire products and haven't found many that I like. The residue throw drives me crazy and many of the applications are far too glossy. I prefer a natural look, not the greasy kid stuff.
The white car has a very low profile sidewall and dressing them up is more challenging than a 65 series tire. You can put a glossy dressing on the low profile sidewall and can't notice it when you're more than a few feet from the car. The tires never look quite right...they don't look finished or clean.
This tire gloss sprays on as dense foam and they suggest a 10 minute drying time. The foam gradually disappears leaving a very glossy surface behind. I applied it on the car in the fotos and also on the wife's ride. While it looks just right on the white car, it's way too much on the wife's car which rides on 55 series tires. It's just too glossy/wet looking for my taste. Your eyes are drawn to the tires first and they become the focal point
Oh, well. Not the end of the world.
I got my car up to about 75mph and checked for throw. I didn't find any when I got back home and checked so that's a positive sign. This is the stuff:
The weather on Saturday wasn't so nice; it had to have been 99% RH and about 65F. Things were dripping wet, literally. Probably should have delayed the application but nothing else was going on so I forged ahead. The car had been treated to CG's 5050 a few months ago. The stuff is clearly starting to fade and my car wash swirls starting to re-appear.
Look at the wheel and how dull it is....it's dripping with condensation. That's how humid it was.
I did no prep apart from a quickee wash on Friday evening. I applied the #16 on a polishing pad (an ancient one from Griot's). I use the butter knife to smear the product on the pad and then go to work. My initial impression was that the stuff smells nearly identical to P21S Carnauba. Application was a little more difficult compared to the P21S...no big deal. I did the entire car and then started to polish off by hand. It's a bit more effort than the P21S or 5050....probably more like a Blitz. Keep in mind, I was doing all this when the humidity was off the chart.
When it's all said and done, the product looks nice, but certainly not as wet as a P21S or 5050. I guess I've learned over the years that the products with a lot of initial sizzle are frequently the ones that fade quickly so my hopes are high this one will be different. I'm looking for a product with superior longevity and hope I don't need to re-apply anything 'til we're far into 2008.
Yesterday was crystal clear and a nice day for a drive:
Here's the deal with the tire shine. I was in WalloChinaMart yesterday and decided to scope out the auto section and see what they had that my regular store didn't. These two stores are about 10 miles apart and often have completely different items...you've got to search for them. I noticed a large can of Black Magic's Tire Foam for $3.25. It advertised as a no-touch product so I thought I would try it since it claims to "dry". I am very particular about tire products and haven't found many that I like. The residue throw drives me crazy and many of the applications are far too glossy. I prefer a natural look, not the greasy kid stuff.
The white car has a very low profile sidewall and dressing them up is more challenging than a 65 series tire. You can put a glossy dressing on the low profile sidewall and can't notice it when you're more than a few feet from the car. The tires never look quite right...they don't look finished or clean.
This tire gloss sprays on as dense foam and they suggest a 10 minute drying time. The foam gradually disappears leaving a very glossy surface behind. I applied it on the car in the fotos and also on the wife's ride. While it looks just right on the white car, it's way too much on the wife's car which rides on 55 series tires. It's just too glossy/wet looking for my taste. Your eyes are drawn to the tires first and they become the focal point
Oh, well. Not the end of the world.I got my car up to about 75mph and checked for throw. I didn't find any when I got back home and checked so that's a positive sign. This is the stuff:
