Polymers anybody? Opinions?

[DRWWE]

I'm afraid I've become anal retentive about my little bimmer. [headbang] I'm reading everything about detailing products that I can find since I hate buying multiple different products only to leave them on my garage shelves to collect dust. I think the conclusion about the best wax is P21S. What about polymers? Are they better or worse? I read some stuff about Blackfire which looks impressive (Classic Motoring Accessories). I live in a climate with summer temperatures that will be over a hundred degrees for many weeks in a row and can get over 115. Beauty is important for my little E39 (and my ego) but durability is a necessity. [driving2]

 

[vlad]

It rather depends on what you are looking for in a wax. It almost goes back to an discussion of; "Which is better a BMW or a Merdedes?" It all depends if you want a sportier car or an automatic, (take it easy on me, i'm generalizing here).

Carnauba waxes do some things better while polymer waxes do other things better. Personally, I would advise you to try them both and pick which ever you like the most. As for a recommendation on a polymer wax, I have been hearing a LOT of good stuff about Meguiar's NXT wax. I can't wait til I can get my hands on a bottle to try it!

 

[Bryan330i]

Someone was telling me that carnauba wax does not do well in the heat. I bought the Zymol Concourse (47% carnauba) because I got a great discount on it. Then I hear it does not hold up in heat. Like Vlad says, just try and see what works.

I need to look into the carnauba and heat thing a little more but it does not really make sense to me. Take the color difference of a car, I would guess a black car in a 95 degree climate could actually get as hot of hotter than a lighter color car in a 110 degree climate, as far as the actual car surface temperature.

 

[wileycoyote]

I agree with Vlad, it's largly a matter of personal preference.

Carnauba has melting point of about 180 degrees F. If you park your car in the sun on a 115 degree day, the paint will likely reach temperatures high enough to cause significant evaporation. Since polymer manufactures won't give me their formuals (go figure) I can't say what temperature Zaino and others melt or break down at. I suspect there is no compound that will stand up to that kind of heat for very long. Invest in a car cover.

Regardless of what you choose, remember, dirty paint won't shine. Clean it first, then protect it.

 

[DRWWE]

Good advice. Time to experiment. [driving2]

 

[membim]

When you try the different waxes (polymer sealants vs. carnuba) you'll probably notice that the sealants will give great clairity and shine. The carnubas will give better depth and gloss. True concours judges look for both. That's why I layer carnuba over sealant. For example, my favourite combo is Klasse All-In-One with a coat of Pinnacle Souveran or P21S carnuba wax over it. The Klasse gives amazing shine and clarity while the wax gives depth. Hope this helps!

Oh yeah, don't forget that polishing is the "money step".

 

[coyotefreek]

Ever thought about Zaino? Zaino is a polymer wax. I like the shine from it plus you layer it so the shine only gets better with age, much like BMWs.

 

[DRWWE]

Thanks everybody for the advice.

I ordered Klasse All-In-One and Sealant Glaze as my first experiment along with some pads for my PC--I'll see how that works. My partner is using Zaino on his E55, so I will compare (very fast car, by the way, but doesn't have the road feel of my 530i. He bought it after I bought my bimmer because he couldn't stand his younger partner having a better car.... ). Will probably then try P21S on my wife's 325i next. We'll see what happens. This has the potential to be fun.

[driving2]