mwoolfso
05-30-2012, 11:37 AM
I was one of the lucky winners in mid-May. The timing could not have been more perfect since my 2012 Volkswagen CC was due for some TLC.
Product Description (from AG website):
WHIPLASH in an aerosol spray!
BLACKFIRE Midnight Sun Spray Wax gives your vehicle the rich, reflective shine of carnauba in a quick aerosol spray wax. There’s no easier way to give your vehicle a glossy coating of protection that creates WHIPLASH! BLACKFIRE Midnight Sun Spray Wax can be sprayed on and buffed off in minutes and the finish lasts up to six weeks!
In the Package:
I was surprised to see a sample size of BF Waterless Wash. Thanks AG!!!! I didn’t use the sample in this review but certainly will give it a go in the future.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/BFMSSW_Package.JPG
Initial Product Observations:
Let’s get this out right away….. aerosol can!?!?! I am neither happy nor unhappy about the packaging and delivery mechanism but I have to say I am curious. Aerosol tends to get all over the place. The BlackFire brand, being what it is, certainly receives the benefit of the doubt without any debate.
Products used during test:
1.- Mother’s California Gold Wash
2.- Chenille sponge
3.- Cobra Supreme Guzzler
4.- Cobra Deluxe Jr. 600 Microfiber towels (3)
5.- Cobra Supreme 530 Microfiber towels (2)
Vehicle Condition:
In mid-April the CC had a full wash, clay and 2-step performed. Two layers of BFWD became my LSP. Since that time, I performed 3 quick details with UWW+, ONR V2 and OID. Overall gloss has not waned since that time but the slickness factor had decreased around 30-40%. I also started to notice the size of the water beads were increasing. I suspected the pollen was the primary reason. Over the last month, if it wasn’t raining the pollen layers were collecting on any vehicle left outside. In my mind the pollen leftovers (what cannot be seen) had to be the primary culprit. Pollen will attach itself to anything, including water droplets.
In short, the arrival of BFMSSW was a perfect time for me to add another layer of protection. The gloss and anti-static protection offered by this product is exactly what this car needed.
Reflection Shot After QD #2 (circa May 12th)
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/DSC03242.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/DSC03241.JPG
Application:
Date à Thursday, May 24th
Location à Long Island, NY
Weather à Overcast skies; temperature was around 74 degrees F and dropping, humidity was around 70-80%. Wind was less than 5mph and sporadic.
Wash Step à Mother’s California Gold Wash is a reliable, non-abrasive wash that does not remove any protection layers. There are no wax or gloss enhancing properties I am aware of; a perfect wash for this type of test. My Cobra Guzzler easily handled the drying with ease. At this point the car looks like it did on May 12th.
Wax Test à If you have ever used spray paint before you can certainly think of a half-dozen things you need to guard against to ensure you don’t use too much product, keep overspray to a minimum and ensure cleanup is easy…. Besides overspray, I did not worry too much about the rest. J
Directions on Can:
SHAKE WELL BEFORE USING
Blackfire Midnight Sun Spray Wax separates quickly and needs to be shaken well to produce outstanding result. Spray Blackfire Midnight Sun Spray Wax on surface where shine is desired. Let product sit for 5-15 minutes (product must dry to haze) and wipe off with clean, soft cloth for an outstanding durable shine. FOR BEST RESULTS USE BETWEEN 65-75 degrees F.
After shaking the can for about 30 seconds I started on a 3x3 test section of the hood. After 5-10 seconds of spraying I stopped and inspected the wax layer. The liquid has somewhat of a grayish/yellow tint to it. It has thickness to it and does not seem to drip or run. The spray radius is wider than what I was expecting.
Going forward I began to spray at a distance of 6-12” and refined the application by constantly moving my arm side-to-side briskly. As with any aerosol, if you stay in one place too long you will get too much product in one area. I had some overspray in one area of the hood and decided to leave it there to see what would happen.
Also, there is not a lot of trim on a CC, just the door seals. The front section of the car has some black trim. The windshield and windows themselves are “frameless”. If some product landed on these surfaces I wasn’t going to make a big deal of it. Taping these areas defeats the time-saving benefits of a spray wax; and this was a test.
I spent the next 10 min. applying the wax to the rest of the vehicle’s surfaces with the exception of the windshield. Here are some pictures as the wax was drying.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Driver_Side_-_Hood_-_Hazed_-_DSC03258.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Driver_Side_-_Full_-_Hazed_-_DSC03257.JPG
[COLOR=black][FONT="]Wipedown à After about 15 min. it was clear that this car needed a really good wipe-down. The product hazed to a light-gray, white color. It was clear that all surfaces sprayed had a light to medium-heavy film on it. The best way to provide a reference point to the readers is to think about a dust or pollen layer on the vehicle. Being this is my first time, the spray pattern was not even so some areas had more product than others.
I spent the next 20 minutes wiping down the car. The haze was grabby in some areas compared to others and as I was wiping the product the MF towels were picking up everything. The product was also “popping off” and getting airborn, which I will call “dusting”. The dust wound up getting everywhere. Overall, I went through all 5 Cobra MF’s for the wipedown.
Here is a 50/50 of the hood. You will notice the haze on the right-side of the photo and clear/shine on the left-side. The back lines in the reflections are telephone wires from my house to the utility pole. You can see how deep and noticeable the haze is simply due to the contrasts.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/50-50_Hood_After_-_DSC03256.JPG
Due to the level of dusting I had to perform a final wipe on all surfaces to pick up any areas where dusting settled; particularly in cracks and crevasses (e.g. – door jams). The dust particles were noticeable and could not be disregarded. I am fairly certain the next time I apply the product I can do a better job of reducing the dusting. I doubt I can eliminate dusting completely. All that said, I do not mind the extra wipe-down time.
Total time spraying, hazing, waiting and then wiping was approximately 45 minutes.
After shots; immediately after wipedown
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_-_Driver_Side_-_DSC03261.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_-_Profile_-_DSC03267.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_-_Passenger_Side_-_DSC03264.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_-_Profile_-_DSC03267.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_-_PassRear_Reflection_-_DSC03265.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_-_PassRear_Reflection_-_DSC03266.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_-_Hood_Section_-_DSC03259.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_-_Hood_Section_-_DSC03262.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_-_Hood_Section_-_DSC03263.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_-_Driver_Side_-_DSC03260.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_-_Front_Reflection_-_DSC03269.JPG
Here are some pictures 2 days after application and moments after the first post-test rainfall ended. I noticed an improvement in beading; which is what I was hoping to see and frankly speaking….expecting.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_Rain_-_Roof_-_Beading_-_DSC03275.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_Rain_-_Hood_-_Beading_-_DSC03277.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_Rain_-_Front_-_Beading_-_DSC03280.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_Rain_-_Front_-_Beading_-_DSC03278.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_Rain_-_Driver_-_Beading_-_DSC03279.JPG
Results & Observations
[B]The product does a good job and seems to be on-par with competing products. I cannot say it excelled at anything in particular at this time. Aside from a few lessons learned, the product itself did not disappoint. I will add more feedback on subsequent tests. Here are some more tidbits in closing.
The skies were overcast which for my car’s color is a benefit in terms of seeing depth. I did not see any noticeable difference in gloss or depth.
Slickness did increase and after a few hours I noticed slickness increased a little more. Maybe some cure time helped? Maybe my hands were cleaner than before? I do not know, these could have contributed to the additional slickness.
I suspect the product will always “dust” a little more than other products so I am expecting to use more MF towels with this product.
The “up to 6 week” durability statement is being tested as we speak so some final comments are pending.
I am a "need to know" person. I would like to understand why aerosol was chosen as the delivery mechanism. Sometimes knowing why the decision was made can also be used to help improve the application technique, justify quality vs. cost, and permit additional discussion. All of this permits experience to be gained faster than if the discussion never occurred to begin with.
Product Description (from AG website):
WHIPLASH in an aerosol spray!
BLACKFIRE Midnight Sun Spray Wax gives your vehicle the rich, reflective shine of carnauba in a quick aerosol spray wax. There’s no easier way to give your vehicle a glossy coating of protection that creates WHIPLASH! BLACKFIRE Midnight Sun Spray Wax can be sprayed on and buffed off in minutes and the finish lasts up to six weeks!
In the Package:
I was surprised to see a sample size of BF Waterless Wash. Thanks AG!!!! I didn’t use the sample in this review but certainly will give it a go in the future.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/BFMSSW_Package.JPG
Initial Product Observations:
Let’s get this out right away….. aerosol can!?!?! I am neither happy nor unhappy about the packaging and delivery mechanism but I have to say I am curious. Aerosol tends to get all over the place. The BlackFire brand, being what it is, certainly receives the benefit of the doubt without any debate.
Products used during test:
1.- Mother’s California Gold Wash
2.- Chenille sponge
3.- Cobra Supreme Guzzler
4.- Cobra Deluxe Jr. 600 Microfiber towels (3)
5.- Cobra Supreme 530 Microfiber towels (2)
Vehicle Condition:
In mid-April the CC had a full wash, clay and 2-step performed. Two layers of BFWD became my LSP. Since that time, I performed 3 quick details with UWW+, ONR V2 and OID. Overall gloss has not waned since that time but the slickness factor had decreased around 30-40%. I also started to notice the size of the water beads were increasing. I suspected the pollen was the primary reason. Over the last month, if it wasn’t raining the pollen layers were collecting on any vehicle left outside. In my mind the pollen leftovers (what cannot be seen) had to be the primary culprit. Pollen will attach itself to anything, including water droplets.
In short, the arrival of BFMSSW was a perfect time for me to add another layer of protection. The gloss and anti-static protection offered by this product is exactly what this car needed.
Reflection Shot After QD #2 (circa May 12th)
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/DSC03242.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/DSC03241.JPG
Application:
Date à Thursday, May 24th
Location à Long Island, NY
Weather à Overcast skies; temperature was around 74 degrees F and dropping, humidity was around 70-80%. Wind was less than 5mph and sporadic.
Wash Step à Mother’s California Gold Wash is a reliable, non-abrasive wash that does not remove any protection layers. There are no wax or gloss enhancing properties I am aware of; a perfect wash for this type of test. My Cobra Guzzler easily handled the drying with ease. At this point the car looks like it did on May 12th.
Wax Test à If you have ever used spray paint before you can certainly think of a half-dozen things you need to guard against to ensure you don’t use too much product, keep overspray to a minimum and ensure cleanup is easy…. Besides overspray, I did not worry too much about the rest. J
Directions on Can:
SHAKE WELL BEFORE USING
Blackfire Midnight Sun Spray Wax separates quickly and needs to be shaken well to produce outstanding result. Spray Blackfire Midnight Sun Spray Wax on surface where shine is desired. Let product sit for 5-15 minutes (product must dry to haze) and wipe off with clean, soft cloth for an outstanding durable shine. FOR BEST RESULTS USE BETWEEN 65-75 degrees F.
After shaking the can for about 30 seconds I started on a 3x3 test section of the hood. After 5-10 seconds of spraying I stopped and inspected the wax layer. The liquid has somewhat of a grayish/yellow tint to it. It has thickness to it and does not seem to drip or run. The spray radius is wider than what I was expecting.
Going forward I began to spray at a distance of 6-12” and refined the application by constantly moving my arm side-to-side briskly. As with any aerosol, if you stay in one place too long you will get too much product in one area. I had some overspray in one area of the hood and decided to leave it there to see what would happen.
Also, there is not a lot of trim on a CC, just the door seals. The front section of the car has some black trim. The windshield and windows themselves are “frameless”. If some product landed on these surfaces I wasn’t going to make a big deal of it. Taping these areas defeats the time-saving benefits of a spray wax; and this was a test.
I spent the next 10 min. applying the wax to the rest of the vehicle’s surfaces with the exception of the windshield. Here are some pictures as the wax was drying.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Driver_Side_-_Hood_-_Hazed_-_DSC03258.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Driver_Side_-_Full_-_Hazed_-_DSC03257.JPG
[COLOR=black][FONT="]Wipedown à After about 15 min. it was clear that this car needed a really good wipe-down. The product hazed to a light-gray, white color. It was clear that all surfaces sprayed had a light to medium-heavy film on it. The best way to provide a reference point to the readers is to think about a dust or pollen layer on the vehicle. Being this is my first time, the spray pattern was not even so some areas had more product than others.
I spent the next 20 minutes wiping down the car. The haze was grabby in some areas compared to others and as I was wiping the product the MF towels were picking up everything. The product was also “popping off” and getting airborn, which I will call “dusting”. The dust wound up getting everywhere. Overall, I went through all 5 Cobra MF’s for the wipedown.
Here is a 50/50 of the hood. You will notice the haze on the right-side of the photo and clear/shine on the left-side. The back lines in the reflections are telephone wires from my house to the utility pole. You can see how deep and noticeable the haze is simply due to the contrasts.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/50-50_Hood_After_-_DSC03256.JPG
Due to the level of dusting I had to perform a final wipe on all surfaces to pick up any areas where dusting settled; particularly in cracks and crevasses (e.g. – door jams). The dust particles were noticeable and could not be disregarded. I am fairly certain the next time I apply the product I can do a better job of reducing the dusting. I doubt I can eliminate dusting completely. All that said, I do not mind the extra wipe-down time.
Total time spraying, hazing, waiting and then wiping was approximately 45 minutes.
After shots; immediately after wipedown
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_-_Driver_Side_-_DSC03261.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_-_Profile_-_DSC03267.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_-_Passenger_Side_-_DSC03264.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_-_Profile_-_DSC03267.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_-_PassRear_Reflection_-_DSC03265.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_-_PassRear_Reflection_-_DSC03266.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_-_Hood_Section_-_DSC03259.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_-_Hood_Section_-_DSC03262.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_-_Hood_Section_-_DSC03263.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_-_Driver_Side_-_DSC03260.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_-_Front_Reflection_-_DSC03269.JPG
Here are some pictures 2 days after application and moments after the first post-test rainfall ended. I noticed an improvement in beading; which is what I was hoping to see and frankly speaking….expecting.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_Rain_-_Roof_-_Beading_-_DSC03275.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_Rain_-_Hood_-_Beading_-_DSC03277.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_Rain_-_Front_-_Beading_-_DSC03280.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_Rain_-_Front_-_Beading_-_DSC03278.JPG
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/After_Rain_-_Driver_-_Beading_-_DSC03279.JPG
Results & Observations
[B]The product does a good job and seems to be on-par with competing products. I cannot say it excelled at anything in particular at this time. Aside from a few lessons learned, the product itself did not disappoint. I will add more feedback on subsequent tests. Here are some more tidbits in closing.
The skies were overcast which for my car’s color is a benefit in terms of seeing depth. I did not see any noticeable difference in gloss or depth.
Slickness did increase and after a few hours I noticed slickness increased a little more. Maybe some cure time helped? Maybe my hands were cleaner than before? I do not know, these could have contributed to the additional slickness.
I suspect the product will always “dust” a little more than other products so I am expecting to use more MF towels with this product.
The “up to 6 week” durability statement is being tested as we speak so some final comments are pending.
I am a "need to know" person. I would like to understand why aerosol was chosen as the delivery mechanism. Sometimes knowing why the decision was made can also be used to help improve the application technique, justify quality vs. cost, and permit additional discussion. All of this permits experience to be gained faster than if the discussion never occurred to begin with.