Car Wax: Black Magic vs. Zymol
07-07-06, 09:45 PM
#1
Lexus Champion
Thread Starter
Car Wax: Black Magic vs. Zymol
I finally got a chance to try the Black Magic wax. Here's my take compared to my old favorite Zymol. Zymol has been good to me for many years, but its new formulation became scratchy, so I have been looking for a replacement. Black Magic was top rated by C/R, so I decided to give it a try.
Black Magic had an artificial cherry smell, which had quickly faded and replaced by a strong petrol odor. Zymol had a sweet natural coconut smell that lasted days and attracted insects.
BM was easy to apply like Zymol. However, its white color made it hard to see on my white RX300. So I had a hard time to tell if I had missed any spot. The baby blue Zymol was easy to see. People with dark color cars won't have issues.
The buffing was the "fun" part. It took forever to buff and shine the BM wax. (C/R did warn about this.) Zymol needs minimal buffing for the shine. Also BM wax showed finger smudges, Zymol never did.
I planned on waxing the whole vehicle, but it took me 35 minutes just to buff the mirrors and hood, so I had to stop. My arms almost fell off. Zymol would be a 10-minute job, if that.
I am not sure what my next step should be...
Black Magic had an artificial cherry smell, which had quickly faded and replaced by a strong petrol odor. Zymol had a sweet natural coconut smell that lasted days and attracted insects.
BM was easy to apply like Zymol. However, its white color made it hard to see on my white RX300. So I had a hard time to tell if I had missed any spot. The baby blue Zymol was easy to see. People with dark color cars won't have issues.
The buffing was the "fun" part. It took forever to buff and shine the BM wax. (C/R did warn about this.) Zymol needs minimal buffing for the shine. Also BM wax showed finger smudges, Zymol never did.
I planned on waxing the whole vehicle, but it took me 35 minutes just to buff the mirrors and hood, so I had to stop. My arms almost fell off. Zymol would be a 10-minute job, if that.
I am not sure what my next step should be...
07-08-06, 07:14 AM
#2
Originally Posted by HarrierAWD
I finally got a chance to try the Black Magic wax. Here's my take compared to my old favorite Zymol. Zymol has been good to me for many years, but its new formulation became scratchy, so I have been looking for a replacement. Black Magic was top rated by C/R, so I decided to give it a try.
Black Magic had an artificial cherry smell, which had quickly faded and replaced by a strong petrol odor. Zymol had a sweet natural coconut smell that lasted days and attracted insects.
BM was easy to apply like Zymol. However, its white color made it hard to see on my white RX300. So I had a hard time to tell if I had missed any spot. The baby blue Zymol was easy to see. People with dark color cars won't have issues.
The buffing was the "fun" part. It took forever to buff and shine the BM wax. (C/R did warn about this.) Zymol needs minimal buffing for the shine. Also BM wax showed finger smudges, Zymol never did.
I planned on waxing the whole vehicle, but it took me 35 minutes just to buff the mirrors and hood, so I had to stop. My arms almost fell off. Zymol would be a 10-minute job, if that.
I am not sure what my next step should be...
Black Magic had an artificial cherry smell, which had quickly faded and replaced by a strong petrol odor. Zymol had a sweet natural coconut smell that lasted days and attracted insects.
BM was easy to apply like Zymol. However, its white color made it hard to see on my white RX300. So I had a hard time to tell if I had missed any spot. The baby blue Zymol was easy to see. People with dark color cars won't have issues.
The buffing was the "fun" part. It took forever to buff and shine the BM wax. (C/R did warn about this.) Zymol needs minimal buffing for the shine. Also BM wax showed finger smudges, Zymol never did.
I planned on waxing the whole vehicle, but it took me 35 minutes just to buff the mirrors and hood, so I had to stop. My arms almost fell off. Zymol would be a 10-minute job, if that.
I am not sure what my next step should be...
If you want to replace your one-step cleaner/wax (Zymol), which I like BTW, look to Klasse AIO, Meg's ColorX or even NXT Tech Wax. Meg's also makes a couple Professional Cleaner/Wax products (#06 and #66.)
07-31-06, 08:50 PM
#3
Lexus Champion
Thread Starter
It's been a month, thought that I post an update on my Black Magic (BM) trial...
The BM wax seems to keep the insects from sticking to the front end and mirrors. My windshield glass is full of bugs as usual, but the front end is almost clean. And I can easily wash the bugs off. With Zymol, the bugs stuck to the vehicle as if they were glued on. BM also seems to last longer. Zymol usually wears out completely after a month (washed weekly,) the BM is staying strong.
So I decided to BM wax the front quarter panels and A-pillar. Took me 30 minutes. I have the same complaint as before: easy on, but hard to buff shine. Though the shine is great after I put in the time. It comes off easily from plastic and rubber parts around the windshield. That's a plus. The BM waxs odor is strong and nauseating, so I had to open my garage door and turn on the fan.
In response to jfelbab, I think the CR's wax review is right on the money. It did warn me about BM being hard to buff. It also said that it comes off plastic parts easily, which was true. I agree with all the CR rating on Black Magic. I also agree with CR's finding that the new 503 Zymol being scratchy. (I discovered this on my own and stopped using Zymol. Then CR's review came out. At the time, I didn't realized that Zymol had changed formulation, though I suspected it.)
The BM wax seems to keep the insects from sticking to the front end and mirrors. My windshield glass is full of bugs as usual, but the front end is almost clean. And I can easily wash the bugs off. With Zymol, the bugs stuck to the vehicle as if they were glued on. BM also seems to last longer. Zymol usually wears out completely after a month (washed weekly,) the BM is staying strong.
So I decided to BM wax the front quarter panels and A-pillar. Took me 30 minutes. I have the same complaint as before: easy on, but hard to buff shine. Though the shine is great after I put in the time. It comes off easily from plastic and rubber parts around the windshield. That's a plus. The BM waxs odor is strong and nauseating, so I had to open my garage door and turn on the fan.
In response to jfelbab, I think the CR's wax review is right on the money. It did warn me about BM being hard to buff. It also said that it comes off plastic parts easily, which was true. I agree with all the CR rating on Black Magic. I also agree with CR's finding that the new 503 Zymol being scratchy. (I discovered this on my own and stopped using Zymol. Then CR's review came out. At the time, I didn't realized that Zymol had changed formulation, though I suspected it.)
Last edited by HarrierAWD; 07-31-06 at 08:55 PM.
08-01-06, 07:16 PM
#4
A friend of mine who's into cars (BMW M3, Corvette Z06) read the CR report and tried the Black Magic on his G35. He raved about it's shine and how rain ran right off it. He's a big fan of Meguier products, but really liked the the BM. For $6 and the durability rating, I gave it a shot on my sister's red Mustang who has to leave her car outside (in PA). Easy to put on and a pain to buff off. It actually came off pretty easy, but took forever to really make it shine without streaking and required repeated buffings. I like how the water beaded on it, especially compared to Meguier's Cleaner Wax and better than Meguier's NXT. So I tried it again on my GS400. Still a pain to take off, but the beading and durability seem good. This Fall, I'll try the Collonite 476 to see how it lasts the Winter months in New England. Bottom line to me is that BM seems like a good product; some extra work, but the durability and continuous shine may offset the extra buffing.
08-01-06, 07:36 PM
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
I just used Meguairs NXT and am very impressed. I've been waxing pearl white cars pretty much the last 10 years, my first black in 10 years and it was easy to apply and take off and I am impressed with the shine.
It rained today, I spun the car quickly on the freeway and the water that beaded up just fell off.
Of course I clayed my car first.
It rained today, I spun the car quickly on the freeway and the water that beaded up just fell off.
Of course I clayed my car first.
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