Dr_Pain
New member
- Nov 28, 2012
- 2,196
- 0
First off, I would like to thank Drew for his tireless efforts. It is not every day that you meet a dedicated entrepreneur, whose dedication to his craft is so awe inspiring. Kudos to you my friend! 
rops:
I was one of the privileged few who was at the receiving end of SON1C's most generous giveaway. I received my package from Drew, and promptly opened it. To my surprise, not only did I receive my "prize", which was Protowax 36, but I also received a sampling of his Protowax 38. Talk about giddy as a kid on Christmas morning. :dblthumb2:
So right away I decided to devise a plan to "Test and Report", and fortunately for me, I had the perfect candidate lined up for the weekend. I had read a previous review in which the OP went through a full polish etc.. so I opted to put more of a "real life" twist to my "Test and Report", and chose to do a side by side comparative study (and longevity test) with my current "go to", which is CG Pete 53. As part of my "real life" testing process I opted to use the wax as we normally use waxes, which is as a topper to a paint sealant. I got permission from the owner to use her car as a test subject (with the promise of a FREE wax upgrade to their detail) and off I went.
Test Subject: 2013 Audi Q7 Supercharged
Detail Requested: Full exterior wash, clay, paint sealant and basic interior, w/ leather cleaning and conditioning
Supplies used (paint only): Dawn soap in 2 BM to wash and strip
- Nanoskin Autoscrub Wash Mitt Nanoskin AutoScrub Fine Grade Wash Mitt
- Mr Pink wash solution as lubricant Chemical Guys Mr. Pink Super Suds Shampoo, high foaming car soap
- CG Blacklight machine applied on a white LC flat pad Chemical Guys Black Light Hybrid Radiant Finish 16 oz.
- CG Pete 53 applied with a Pinnacle yellow foam applicator Chemical Guys Pete's 53'-Pearl Signature Paste Wax 8 oz
- SON1C Protowax 36 (which the owner selected at random)
The Process: To be honest, it was a pretty straight forward stripping, claying process. Minor hand polishing was done to a couple of scuffs and surface scratches (using Menzerna 2500). Blacklight was machine applied to the whole car in a cross hatch pattern using a white LC pad, medium pressure, speed 4, x 4 passes. The product was allowed to cure 20 minutes and was removed using a Cobra 530. The whole Audi was treated to Pete 53, except for the hood which was left for testing purposes. It was split in the middle and each side received one of the product. As you can see from the picture, the passenger side received the Protowax and the driver side received Pete 53. The wax was allowed to haze and was removed with their respective microfiber to prevent cross contamination. The center tape line was carefully blended using Pete 53. The whole hand waxing process was done by me to provide a uniform technique throughout. My son (my business partner) helped me beautify this gem and was on hand to provide his comments and impression.
Impressions: My first impression of the Protowax was that it was a deliciously smelling wax. My son was standing 10 feet away from me and immediately said that it reminded him of Hubba Bubba gum.... yum!! My second impression was that I was dealing with a VERY hard wax. I attempted to remove some product with the Pinnacle applicator and it was (sorry to say) frustrating! I attempted to do a hand/finger application, but faced the same unyielding block of wax. Don't get me wrong, I did extract a little of the product and applied it to the hood but it felt as though I was trying to get product out of a paraffin block. Nevertheless, I was able to remove enough product (by hand) to start on the hood, and to lubricate my applicator. I was then able to remove additional product from the tin with the applicator and finished layering a thin coat on the passenger side of the hood. Although it was somewhat of a fight and kind of frustrating, I used very little of the product (in comparison with Pete 53) to accomplish full coverage of the hood.
The application itself, once the applicator was properly loaded, was without issues. It did feel more "grabby" then Pete 53 which feels like you are applying butter. The added surface tension was also noticed upon removal of the product. Once both products were removed a new MF was used to evaluate the slickness while transitioning from one side to the other and the increase surface tension was definitely noticeable even after removal and buffing of the product (as evaluated by both my son and myself).
At first glance, the optical qualities were almost identical between the 2 waxes. The Protowax did not mute the flake, did not cloud the reflection and provided the very same luster as the Pete 53, which is not a bad thing since I love Pete 53 so much.
The car was pulled into the evening sun and reevaluated. Again, nothing but love for the results!!... and no difference in appearance from one side to the other. Now as far as smell is concerned, the lingering bubble gum scent was intoxicating and a much more attractive smell then the coconut smell of Pete 53
So now for the real test...... Beading and Shedding!!
We pulled the water hose and sprayed the hood with a disrupted water flow. This produced 2 incredible results. The first were an INCREDIBLE shedding effect and some nice lingering beading, on both side.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsRe7DjABy8]SON1C Protowax 36 Update #1 Part 1/2 - YouTube[/video]
The Protowax side offered a small consistent bead, whereas Pete 53 offered a slightly bigger bead. Don't get me wrong the beads you get from disrupted water flow on a hood is never as pretty as natural rain fall or light misting. I would have to give a very slim margin win to Pete 53 on the beads. I did fail to take a good picture of the Pete 53 bead but here is one of the Protowax 36.
As far as shedding, I am happy to report that Protowax wins that one. Both side shed water very well but the Protowax 36 sheds as if I had OC 2.0 on the paint. SEXY!!!! Im the MAN
The Score:
Smell:
- CG Pete 53: 7/10
- Protowax 36: 9/10 WIN!!
Ease of removal (out of the jar)
- CG Pete 53: 9/10 WIN!!
- Protowax 36: 3/10
Ease of application:
- CG Pete 53: 9/10 WIN!!
- Protowax 36: 6/10
Amount of product used/required
- CG Pete 53: 7/10
- Protowax 36: 9/10 WIN!!
Ease of removal/buffing
- CG Pete 53: 8/10 TIE!
- Protowax 36: 8/10 TIE!
Reflection/optical qualities
- CG Pete 53: 8/10 TIE!
- Protowax 36: 8/10 TIE!
Beading
- CG Pete 53: 8/10 WIN!!
- Protowax 36: 7/10
Shedding
- CG Pete 53: 8/10
- Protowax 36: 9.8/10 MAJOR WIN!!
Longevity:...... I will use this thread to update on the longevity/torture test.
Conclusion:
Overall, I am very impressed by the Protowax 36. I know that SON1C is still in his evil laboratory improving on his "latest and greatest" Protowax, so I won't be surprised if he takes all the constructive criticism and comes up with a product to put all our "go to" carnuba wax to shame.
I am planning on experimenting a little more with this one and will be reporting on the Protowax 38 but I need to come up with a better method to soften the wax (maybe exposing it in the sun for a few minutes before application, or using a hot water bath). Unfortunately the Protowax will only be reserved for the people I truly love and for whom I don't mind spending the extra time waxing their vehicles. In my opinion, it is not ready for the production work yet!
rops:I was one of the privileged few who was at the receiving end of SON1C's most generous giveaway. I received my package from Drew, and promptly opened it. To my surprise, not only did I receive my "prize", which was Protowax 36, but I also received a sampling of his Protowax 38. Talk about giddy as a kid on Christmas morning. :dblthumb2:
So right away I decided to devise a plan to "Test and Report", and fortunately for me, I had the perfect candidate lined up for the weekend. I had read a previous review in which the OP went through a full polish etc.. so I opted to put more of a "real life" twist to my "Test and Report", and chose to do a side by side comparative study (and longevity test) with my current "go to", which is CG Pete 53. As part of my "real life" testing process I opted to use the wax as we normally use waxes, which is as a topper to a paint sealant. I got permission from the owner to use her car as a test subject (with the promise of a FREE wax upgrade to their detail) and off I went.
Test Subject: 2013 Audi Q7 Supercharged
Detail Requested: Full exterior wash, clay, paint sealant and basic interior, w/ leather cleaning and conditioning
Supplies used (paint only): Dawn soap in 2 BM to wash and strip
- Nanoskin Autoscrub Wash Mitt Nanoskin AutoScrub Fine Grade Wash Mitt
- Mr Pink wash solution as lubricant Chemical Guys Mr. Pink Super Suds Shampoo, high foaming car soap
- CG Blacklight machine applied on a white LC flat pad Chemical Guys Black Light Hybrid Radiant Finish 16 oz.
- CG Pete 53 applied with a Pinnacle yellow foam applicator Chemical Guys Pete's 53'-Pearl Signature Paste Wax 8 oz
- SON1C Protowax 36 (which the owner selected at random)
The Process: To be honest, it was a pretty straight forward stripping, claying process. Minor hand polishing was done to a couple of scuffs and surface scratches (using Menzerna 2500). Blacklight was machine applied to the whole car in a cross hatch pattern using a white LC pad, medium pressure, speed 4, x 4 passes. The product was allowed to cure 20 minutes and was removed using a Cobra 530. The whole Audi was treated to Pete 53, except for the hood which was left for testing purposes. It was split in the middle and each side received one of the product. As you can see from the picture, the passenger side received the Protowax and the driver side received Pete 53. The wax was allowed to haze and was removed with their respective microfiber to prevent cross contamination. The center tape line was carefully blended using Pete 53. The whole hand waxing process was done by me to provide a uniform technique throughout. My son (my business partner) helped me beautify this gem and was on hand to provide his comments and impression.
Impressions: My first impression of the Protowax was that it was a deliciously smelling wax. My son was standing 10 feet away from me and immediately said that it reminded him of Hubba Bubba gum.... yum!! My second impression was that I was dealing with a VERY hard wax. I attempted to remove some product with the Pinnacle applicator and it was (sorry to say) frustrating! I attempted to do a hand/finger application, but faced the same unyielding block of wax. Don't get me wrong, I did extract a little of the product and applied it to the hood but it felt as though I was trying to get product out of a paraffin block. Nevertheless, I was able to remove enough product (by hand) to start on the hood, and to lubricate my applicator. I was then able to remove additional product from the tin with the applicator and finished layering a thin coat on the passenger side of the hood. Although it was somewhat of a fight and kind of frustrating, I used very little of the product (in comparison with Pete 53) to accomplish full coverage of the hood.
The application itself, once the applicator was properly loaded, was without issues. It did feel more "grabby" then Pete 53 which feels like you are applying butter. The added surface tension was also noticed upon removal of the product. Once both products were removed a new MF was used to evaluate the slickness while transitioning from one side to the other and the increase surface tension was definitely noticeable even after removal and buffing of the product (as evaluated by both my son and myself).
At first glance, the optical qualities were almost identical between the 2 waxes. The Protowax did not mute the flake, did not cloud the reflection and provided the very same luster as the Pete 53, which is not a bad thing since I love Pete 53 so much.
The car was pulled into the evening sun and reevaluated. Again, nothing but love for the results!!... and no difference in appearance from one side to the other. Now as far as smell is concerned, the lingering bubble gum scent was intoxicating and a much more attractive smell then the coconut smell of Pete 53
So now for the real test...... Beading and Shedding!!
We pulled the water hose and sprayed the hood with a disrupted water flow. This produced 2 incredible results. The first were an INCREDIBLE shedding effect and some nice lingering beading, on both side.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsRe7DjABy8]SON1C Protowax 36 Update #1 Part 1/2 - YouTube[/video]
The Protowax side offered a small consistent bead, whereas Pete 53 offered a slightly bigger bead. Don't get me wrong the beads you get from disrupted water flow on a hood is never as pretty as natural rain fall or light misting. I would have to give a very slim margin win to Pete 53 on the beads. I did fail to take a good picture of the Pete 53 bead but here is one of the Protowax 36.
As far as shedding, I am happy to report that Protowax wins that one. Both side shed water very well but the Protowax 36 sheds as if I had OC 2.0 on the paint. SEXY!!!! Im the MAN
The Score:
Smell:
- CG Pete 53: 7/10
- Protowax 36: 9/10 WIN!!
Ease of removal (out of the jar)
- CG Pete 53: 9/10 WIN!!
- Protowax 36: 3/10
Ease of application:
- CG Pete 53: 9/10 WIN!!
- Protowax 36: 6/10
Amount of product used/required
- CG Pete 53: 7/10
- Protowax 36: 9/10 WIN!!
Ease of removal/buffing
- CG Pete 53: 8/10 TIE!
- Protowax 36: 8/10 TIE!
Reflection/optical qualities
- CG Pete 53: 8/10 TIE!
- Protowax 36: 8/10 TIE!
Beading
- CG Pete 53: 8/10 WIN!!
- Protowax 36: 7/10
Shedding
- CG Pete 53: 8/10
- Protowax 36: 9.8/10 MAJOR WIN!!
Longevity:...... I will use this thread to update on the longevity/torture test.
Conclusion:
Overall, I am very impressed by the Protowax 36. I know that SON1C is still in his evil laboratory improving on his "latest and greatest" Protowax, so I won't be surprised if he takes all the constructive criticism and comes up with a product to put all our "go to" carnuba wax to shame.
I am planning on experimenting a little more with this one and will be reporting on the Protowax 38 but I need to come up with a better method to soften the wax (maybe exposing it in the sun for a few minutes before application, or using a hot water bath). Unfortunately the Protowax will only be reserved for the people I truly love and for whom I don't mind spending the extra time waxing their vehicles. In my opinion, it is not ready for the production work yet!
