RP,

Well, whatever the case, it sure looks nice!

Oh yea, nice house too!

 

Well just got done doing part in NXT and part in Black Fire.

One thing that I did do was follow the directions on the booster, and use it wet, similar in application to a QD ( read the package, it says this, along with the web site. You don't let it haze, and when applied like #34, there is no haze, I just got done doing it. ).
Guess what, the seran wrap look was minimized, at least on my Silver color truck it was.
The NXT alone did have that seran wrap look, but use the booster like a QD, and it minimizes the look of the NXT alone. Strange enough. You would think that the same ESP product layered would look the same ??
I clayed the entire truck, using the corresponding mfgr's clay and lubricant choice, in the areas that that mfgr was going to be put on.
The Meguirs, I used a 'standard' polish on it, as there is no NXT polish per sey, and I did not want to try #20 under NXT, to see if it was going to have an adverse affect to the NXT..
Black Fire has a synthetic polish that is used as part of the system.
First look just after finishing :
The NXT with the NXT booster used like a QD looks better then the Balck Fire part.
Black Fire can have a standard wax applied over it, just like NXT can, but the QD from Black Fire cannot be used over standard wax, it is not made to bond to it like other Black Fire products.
I am guessing that the NXT booster wax is the same way, only over another NXT product, not wax.

The snow is starting to melt here, so I should get plenty of salt spray on the sides on the highway, so this should give me an incidation of how well each lasts in the salt spray application.
The part that might decrease the NXT life cycle, is the use of a polish under the NXT. This might be a mistake on my part, but the web site and the bottle do not give any inidication if this can be done, and if so, what should be used.
The Black Fire areas feel slicker then the NXT areas ( both with and without Booster over the first application ).
I don't have survivability temps for NXT, but Black Fire claims to have a ~ 400* F break down temp, so sun should not be a problem on it.
The wheels, I am us-sure if they get much hotter then this.
I put Black Fire on 2 wheels, and NXT on the other 2, again following the same polish routines.

Time will tell if it is any better then carnuba wax that I have been using to date, I know both do not shine as well as a carnuba wax, and if this bothers me too much, I will go back to using carnuba wax alone, as it has seemed to work well this long.

 

Nice review SSCULLY.

Indeed an interesting observation with the Booster Wax over the NXT... I've heard pros and cons about applying wet so, I'm not sure how to address that thought...

No haze? I suppose that's because it was applied 'wet'? Everywhere I've read stated that the booster hazed... *shrugs* I'm assuming they must have been dry applications.

Keep us posted.

RP

 

Here is a list of the part numbers :
http://www.showcargarage.com/forum/s...p?threadid=274

This is what I use to keep them all straight. I don't have them commited to memory like Brad does

 

How does this stack up with some of the other premium products out there?

With warmer weather (and a new truck) both on the way, I want to make the right investment in car care products. Have read alot about Zaino and Mequiar's and Poorboys in the many, many posts, and have also found information other product lines elsewhere.

I have not found many comments about Pinnacle other than their line is "expensive." However, a few of their "kits" seem to deliver some good value for the money, right down to the MF applicators and towels. How does this product line match up with the others from a quality/ease of use standpoint?

I like the fact I can walkout and buy Mequiar's off the shelf, but want to get the right stuff and stick with it!

Of course being a Jersey boy, might be hard to pass on Zainos given they are "sprung from cages on highway 9."

Thanks in advance for your comments and for the many other posts you may have already made on the subject. I cannot describe how excited I am about my first F150 on its way and I want to make sure I take good care of it once it gets here!!!

 

NXT - Black Fire test stage 2.
The finish of the wax job was getting to me today, so I did the next step already of applying a carnuba wax over the NXT and Black Fire sections. The NXT "directions" give no indication if this should or can be done, but I followed RP's lead and went for it anyway. The Black Fire directions say this can be done, but to test a section prior to doing the whole car, as once Carnuba wax is applied the synthetic QD type product, nor additional coats of the finish can be applied over carnuba wax. If you want to go back to the Black Fire you need to clay the paint and start over with the Synthetic polish to go back, or wait 60 to 90 days for the wax to wear / melt off.

To remove any hint of same - same, I used 2 other mfgr's of Carnuba wax ( i.e. I did not apply #26 over the NXT and the Black Fire, hinting at giving the NXT a head start in the better finish contest ).

I used Top of the Line Ivory Carnuba wax on part, and Mirage Premium Carnuba Micro wax on another part. I have used these before over both #26 and Phase III Mother's wax with great results.

1. NXT sections :
1.1. The areas that I used the NXT booster wax applied like a QD product did not like either carnuba wax on it for some reason. The finish was exactly the same before and after, the muted seran wrap look.
1.2. The NXT only areas turned out better with the Top of the line wax. The Mirage wax did not turn out that great finish wise. Seems that the NXT does not like the formulation of the Mirage wax for some reason. Got me, I tired it in an additional area, to be sure, and it looks the same, seran wrap finish, not depth change.

2. Black Fire sections :
2.1. The Top of the line wax seemed to disapear when applied to the Black Fire sections, and seemed to only mute the seran wrap look, and do nothing for depth of the finish. Strange.
2.2. The Mirage wax applied to the Black Fire sections did not disapear like the Top of the line when appliying, but the same finish was produced, a muted seran wrap look, and nothing for depth of finish imporvement. Now I know why Black Fire says to check the finish before doing the whole car, it is a waste of time and product to apply either of these over the finish, as no real improvement is obtained.

Now the tally stands at :
Black Fire : Slicker finish
NXT better at taking carnuba wax ( one of the 2 used ) over the syn product.
Of course, no salt spray to be had today. For the life of me I could not find any to run through on the highways. When you are looking to trash a wax job, it won't happen, Murphy's law is in full effect.
I will check the finish in the day light on TUE, as this comparison is using SP35 color corrected FL fixtures. the 4 2 bulb 8' fixtures put out some serious lumens, but I want to confirm what I just did in pure natural light. Of course, this means it is going to snow or rain on TUE

At this point I am going to have to find time to re-clay the spot mobile, and start over

 

Why?

 

FX4Me,

The NXT stacks up pretty well against some of the premium products out there.............. at least as far as looks go. The verdict is still out on the durability.

The Pinnacle products are excellent products. Their Pinnacle Souveran may be the best carnauba on the market.......... it's certainly one of the most expensive. Awesome on dark colors, but with limited durability.

Zaino, and many of the Meguiar's products are excellent choices. Much of it will depend on what color your vehicle is, and how much money, and effort you will be willing to put into keeping it in tip-top shape.

So far, I've found the NXT to look great on non-metallic, darker colored vehicles. Platinums UPP has a slight advantage over the NXT on metallic, and lighter colored paints. Poorboy's EX seems to resemble NXT very closely. Zaino is also another great product for metallic, or light colored vehicles.

Of course, those are just my opinions........... in the end, it's your opinions that will matter to you............. on your vehicle.

Good luck with the new ride.

 

It was late when I posted this.
What I meant was starting the process over, at least on the Black Fire areas, I wanted to get to ground zero.
I did not want to trust using polish alone, and don't know how the Black Fire product removes with something ike #9 alone.
Maybe starting off with #9 or Pre prior to clay. I will have to play it by ear when doing this, as I don't know how involved or obvious it will be with the Black Fire product. This is my first time using Black Fire. Using Pre should do the trick, but I only know for sure that removes non-synth products, never tried it on synth products before.
Why for the starting over as a whole, I don't really care for the look of the finish as it stands.
The Mirage over NXT area now that I look at it the next day, looks worse then NXT alone. I have no idea why Mirage and NXT don't get along, but they don't. The area with Mirage over NXT looks more blured then NXT alone. The test area for this that is most noteable is the black area for what would be the B-Pillar "cover". The paited black trim that runs between the front and rear doors ( part on each door ).
I have NXT on the front door trim panel, and Black Fire on the rear door trim panel. I then used Mirage in a test area on the driver's side, and Top of the line in the test area on the pass side. The test areas are overlapped, with the Mirage being at the top side of the trim panel on the front driver's door trim panel, and the Mirage on the lower part of the rear door.
Agrevates me to no end when I looked at it this am, it is eye height for me, so every entry into the truck reminds me.
I'm just not a person for synth products. Still like the looks of the carnuba wax. Maybe I'll use synth products in the late fall this year prior to winter ??
Pending the lasting test, I do know that I will be using NXT on the L wheels. The finsih looks great, and unless you are on your hands and knees, you don't notice the look of it. The only question is what temp the NXT holds at, and if the wheels will exceed that temp.
I'll probably ride out this finish until after the spring rains are done in May some time and start over fresh.
All in all, the Black fire alone, or the NXT alone are both nice products. For the general consumer that wants to wax 2 times per year and have it last 6 months, these are great products. It is better then using something like #6 2 times per year, when the wax is gone after 90 days. Guess you could qualify it as a middle of the road waxer product. They want the shine and protection, but don't look at the finish in great detail.
I am just too picky about how I want the finish on my truck to look, and the Synth look is not for me. If I'd stop looking at it that close, I might actually be happy with it.
From a distance would it be noticable, no I would guess..

 

Okay... I think I see what you're thinking now but, I'm still not sure it's totally correct, in my opinion (certainly not meant as a flame)....

Clay will remove surfacial, stuck on, contamination. Not necessarily the wax.

If you're wanting to get it down to 'nothing', I'd recommend going back over it with a slightly abrasive polish like #9. That will remove whatever is 'topping' the paint and bring it down to a point where you should feel comfortable building back upwards.

I should say, however, that it is a good idea to wax post-clay as you certainly will remove some degree of anything that is sitting on top of the paint (ie: the wax protection layer). I just don't think it would be a complete and total 'stripping' of the wax.

RP

 

That is the order I was trying to get to. I was going to #9 or S21 the paint, and then check it with clay, to see if it is gone. The post #9 might feel right to the touch, but not remove all the product. Either that, or #9 it, and then wash it in dawn, and I should have the studder feel to the touch to know the paint has nothing on it.
Once I get back from DEN I will try Pre on the driver's side front fender, to see if Pre will remove Synth products, and post back what happens.

Of course, no sun, nor rain or snow today. Murphy found a way to completly screw me

 

I guess I see what you're saying...

Good ole Murph... he gets me EVERY time as well.

 

After getting back from DEN, there was actually some sun in Chicago. I will say, the Black Fire has the severe case of lifeless shine.
It does have a mirror finish to it, but the pop or sparkle is not there. This is to be expected from Synthetic paint protection.

I decided to strip each an area of the NXT and Black Fire.
The process was to be Polish, then wash with Dawn, then check with the hand and clay to make sure I got the studder feeling.
I used Paint Perfect 1 step polish, not as agressive as #9.
I almost used Mother's Reflection Polish, but this is a part Synthetic polish, and did not knwo what would happen post Dawn wash.

The NXT seemed to polish off nice, after washing the regular polish off with Dawn, I got the smooth studder feel from the paint, the signal that it was down to the clear coat.

The Black Fire, not so much. I did the same process, and after washing with dawn, the finish still felt slick. WTF is that.

The area that I already did, I used Pre on, doing 2 passes then washed, and finally got the studder feel.
I will say that the Black Fire seemed to be a tad more resistant to removal then the NXT.

I used Polish and Carnuba Wax on the stipped off area, and got the sparkle back that I like better. So it looks like I am not a Synth paint protection person. I'd rather take the time every 60 days to wax, during the summer, then have that finish.

I still hold to, prior to winter using the NXT, so I can extend the length between "wax" jobs in the winter months.

That is it for the testing right now, albeit subjective.

 

Which Polish with Carnauba Wax did you use? Poorboys?

 

The previous NXT area is Paint Perfect 1 step polish, #20 and #26.
The previous Black Fire area is Mother's Reflections and Phase II wax.
This project for me is turning out to be a full compare project. Synth first, now back to standard wax ( Reflections is part synth I seem to be recalling ).
I figured that is has been quite a while since I have shopped waxes, so I figured I'd go to the head of the list, and work my way down.