Different brands

[chappy48]

Hello everyone. Long time Camaro enthusiast, just started getting serious about detailing. I always took care to wash the car, clay then wax, thinking I was doing it right. After all, the swirls would dissappear with a few coats of wax. Well...since that time, I've bought a DA Polisher, and a host of products. My question is this. After the car is washed and clayed, does it matter if you mix different brands for the final process of polishing and sealing? I have Meguiars M105 and M205 for polishing, but have just ordered the Blackfire Ice over Fire combo. I know polishing is the main process of making the paint perfect, but that certain sealants will make the paint really pop. Make it look wet, deep and shine like no other. My question is if I use the Meguiars products, will using the Blackfire sealant and wax as the final step work? Or is there some microscopic and chemical reason why they wouldn't work well together?

[Fiveg56]

You can mix brands, most do. Find something you like and use it.

[Good_Times]

I use so many different brands while doing a car , I've lost count. I have a few favorites but they all work fine together.

[heRS]

remember that a line of products is chemically formulated to work together. You can use different products if you like but you might have better results using all one product. Last year I used Ice products and this year I'm using Meguires. I like the Meguires better.
I did buy & use Adams Clay Bar, Detailing Spray & Sealant and want to give their other products a try when my Meguires is gone.

[CamaroDreams07]

Originally Posted by heRS

remember that a line of products is chemically formulated to work together. You can use different products if you like but you might have better results using all one product. Last year I used Ice products and this year I'm using Meguires. I like the Meguires better.
I did buy & use Adams Clay Bar, Detailing Spray & Sealant and want to give their other products a try when my Meguires is gone.

Why do you keep saying this? It's not true, with only one exception that I can think of.

*In life, there are no nandroids*

[Todd@Autopia]

Originally Posted by chappy48

Hello everyone. Long time Camaro enthusiast, just started getting serious about detailing. I always took care to wash the car, clay then wax, thinking I was doing it right. After all, the swirls would dissappear with a few coats of wax. Well...since that time, I've bought a DA Polisher, and a host of products. My question is this. After the car is washed and clayed, does it matter if you mix different brands for the final process of polishing and sealing? I have Meguiars M105 and M205 for polishing, but have just ordered the Blackfire Ice over Fire combo. I know polishing is the main process of making the paint perfect, but that certain sealants will make the paint really pop. Make it look wet, deep and shine like no other. My question is if I use the Meguiars products, will using the Blackfire sealant and wax as the final step work? Or is there some microscopic and chemical reason why they wouldn't work well together?

As the director of development for BLACKFIRE Car Care products and somebody who helped Meguiar's with the intensive testing of their SMAT polishes and microfiber polishing discs years before they came out I may be able to offer some help

BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond will apply fine over any residues from M205. (Short answer).

If you want the absolute best performance from any BLACKFIRE Wax or Sealant then Gloss Enhancing Polish (even by hand) should be applied first. This is a very very mild polish (functionally non-abrasive) that has a polymer "primer" which will promote the bonding of the Wet Diamond polymers. That said, you don't have to do this step since you are already cleaning the paint with abrasive polishes. If you want a little more shine/durability then go for it, if not, make sure you have all of the residual M205 wiped off and go straight to BFWD. Either way your Camaro will look amazing!!!

[Todd@Autopia]

Originally Posted by CamaroDreams07

Why do you keep saying this? It's not true, with only one exception that I can think of.

*In life, there are no nandroids*

I will add that BLACKFIRE was designed, exhaustively, to work together as a complete system, and a lot of cross-testing was done to promote this. The polymers in the all of the sealants, for example, are near identical and use the same core three polymers (what we call Wet Diamond Polymers) so that bonding is never an issue.

Even the wheel and tire cleaner and the all-purpose cleaner were tested to ensure that both the waterless and rinseless washes would remove them completely. It was a LOT of research.

At the end of the day though, I want to stress, that you can plug and play BLACKFIRE into any product detailing regimen. The variety of polymers and the oil-in-water emulsion let Wet Diamond bond to near any surface (minus a carnauba wax that has a high level of silicone). Crystal Seal can even bond over (and technically through) most carnauba waxes.

Just thought I would throw that tidbit in there

[CamaroDreams07]

Originally Posted by Todd@Autopia

I will add that BLACKFIRE was designed, exhaustively, to work together as a complete system, and a lot of cross-testing was done to promote this. The polymers in the all of the sealants, for example, are near identical and use the same core three polymers (what we call Wet Diamond Polymers) so that bonding is never an issue.

Even the wheel and tire cleaner and the all-purpose cleaner were tested to ensure that both the waterless and rinseless washes would remove them completely. It was a LOT of research.

At the end of the day though, I want to stress, that you can plug and play BLACKFIRE into any product detailing regimen. The variety of polymers and the oil-in-water emulsion let Wet Diamond bond to near any surface (minus a carnauba wax that has a high level of silicone). Crystal Seal can even bond over (and technically through) most carnauba waxes.

Just thought I would throw that tidbit in there

Hence the one exception.

*In life, there are no nandroids*

[Todd@Autopia]

Originally Posted by CamaroDreams07

Hence the one exception.

*In life, there are no nandroids*

That's what I figured! (I read your posts )

[Adam's Polishes]

Mix and match till your heart is content... for the mostpart as long as you follow the 'rules' there isn't going to be some weird chemical reaction that will open up a black hole in the universe and destroy the world.

If you're ever in a situation where you think "maybe these won't play together nice" test an area first... anything that happens won't be something that can't be undone.

The worst I've ever seen is some reactivity to fresh carnauba and a polymer based detail spray causing some clouding. It was fixed with a quick alcohol wipe down and reapplying the wax.

As I've said many times before here, part of the fun of detailing is getting the opportunity to play 'mad scientist' and play with combos, processes, and techniques to "find your shine". So feel free to play around with stuff... you may find a combo that you love, or hate, but thats all part of the game.

[Angelo@Autopia]

To then OP if your worry then just do a IPA wipe down and wash before using Blackfire as a LSP or any other product. Once your done step back and enjoy your hard work with a cold one!

[chappy48]

Thanks for the reply everyone!!! I kinda figured I'd be ok. The problem with being a mad scientist is spending all the money to get the products! Lol. Close to $800 spent so far in the last month or so! I'll probably run out and grab a bottle of the Blackfire polish in the next couple months and side by side compare them to see how much of a difference it makes.

[chappy48]

Originally Posted by Todd@Autopia

As the director of development for BLACKFIRE Car Care products and somebody who helped Meguiar's with the intensive testing of their SMAT polishes and microfiber polishing discs years before they came out I may be able to offer some help

BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond will apply fine over any residues from M205. (Short answer).

If you want the absolute best performance from any BLACKFIRE Wax or Sealant then Gloss Enhancing Polish (even by hand) should be applied first. This is a very very mild polish (functionally non-abrasive) that has a polymer "primer" which will promote the bonding of the Wet Diamond polymers. That said, you don't have to do this step since you are already cleaning the paint with abrasive polishes. If you want a little more shine/durability then go for it, if not, make sure you have all of the residual M205 wiped off and go straight to BFWD. Either way your Camaro will look amazing!!!

So are you saying to get the best shine follow up the M205 with the Blackfire Gloss Enhancing Polish? I'm assuming I would be using a finishing pad like the black meguiars pad to apply it.

[Adam's Polishes]

Originally Posted by chappy48

Thanks for the reply everyone!!! I kinda figured I'd be ok. The problem with being a mad scientist is spending all the money to get the products! Lol. Close to $800 spent so far in the last month or so! I'll probably run out and grab a bottle of the Blackfire polish in the next couple months and side by side compare them to see how much of a difference it makes.

On the bright side there are much worse vices you could spend that money on... detailing is at least a productive, somewhat active, healthy activity.