Prima Epic polymer wax review...

Nutshell version Easy to apply and remove, Very
rich, wet look. It goes on and off like NXT,
just don't get any on your black plastic and rubber bits.

Update: Actually easier to use than NXT as there is no
buffing needed. Just remove the haze and let it do its
thing over the course of 24hrs. morning dew, rain is
ok. Just watch and be amazed.

Update: No dust buildup which is always a big plus!!
Update: Light swirls are very well hidden.

Long version...
I might be the first one trying this out here at NAM. I used my 06 Civic
AtomicBlue (light blue metallic) as a test vehicle. Special thanks to
Heather at Detailer's Paradise for the great offer and super quick
service. www.detailersparadise.com

The reason why I wanted to try something different from the Griot's
Best of Show on my Civic is because the color of the car hides dust and
dirt so well that it also hides the warm natural wax shine... Best of Show
didn't do much for the car. I needed a very wet look.

I started out by washing the car using Meguiar's GoldClass shampoo
and used Griot's PaintPrep liberally to remove the Best of Show. I
dried the car and started shaking up the Prima Epic.

The Civic's paint had barely any rough contaminants nor swirls, so I
skipped claybar and any polish for this test to simulate a rough
application as if some regular-joe or jane did the app. I plan to
go back and do some spot clay and reapply Epic later on.

I shook the bottle of Epic for maybe 3min as it says to shake real
well on the bottle...

Then I used a fresh Griot's orange pad (polish pad) and put a few
small dabs on the pad and started applying it by hand. It went on
easily, but the sun was going down pretty quick so I pulled out my
orbital. It went on super quick and easily...and very thin.

I guess you can use a regular wax applicator, but the goal is to
put on an extremely thin coat so i opted for the harder foam pad
as it's easier for me to use.

After applying a very thin coat of Epic (Heather recommended no
more than 2 table spoons to do the entire car ), I let the wax
dry for about 30min or so. While i was curing the wax I washed my
orange pads to kill time. Obviously the wax is synthetic so it took
more soap and effort to wash vs natural wax, but it was comparable
to washing NXT'd pads.

After the Epic turned to a nice haze, i pulled out the Detailer's Paradise
Monster Fluffy MF towel and started gently buffing the paint. The
haze came off effortlessly. I felt the paint and it almost felt like
it had nothing on it... the shine wasn't that great at first either...
I was a bit confused as I was expecting a super slick feel, but
just moved onto the next panel.

http://www.detailersparadise.com/Vie...-691513519674#

btw, you'll love this 16x16 MF towel. perfect size and so soft!
also, unlike Griot's MF towels, there's no wash tags that can swirl
your paint.

After removing the Epic's haze, I went back to the first panel and
started buffing again. I then noticed a wetter look... and the
surface was a little slick. so i buffed the entire car again while
still using the same MF and to my surprise the car looked even
wetter. So, beginning to feel a little obsessive, i started
buffing a 4th round, 5th round on the same MF. holly crap, it's
gotten even wetter looking and slicker now!!! and
i stopped, thinking that i'll remove too much. lol...

the Epic bottle says to wait 24hrs for a 2nd coat, so Im going to
apply my second coat tomorrow evening after a quick mist and
wipe and do some spot clay. You're not suppose to wash the car
between the coats using any shampoo's, but rain and some
detailer spray is ok. I will then apply a 3rd coat on Saturday.

I'll take some daytime picts tomorrow. so far so good.
it's so easy to use even if you don't have an
orbital.

After applying the 3rd coat, I am going to count how many
washes and rain storms the wax can take before it starts to
loose its flavor.

Conclusion: super wet look even with only 1 coat. I am
looking forward to the 3rd coat.

Here's what the bottle looks like, along with product info.
http://www.detailersparadise.com/Vie...20060714131508



Thanks again, Heather!!!

 

was hoping to get a pict up this morning, but the car was covered with
morning dew, so will post a pict later on.

i picked a small part of the trunk lid and felt the paint. it is now
very slick. i mean VERY slick. can't wait to give it the
2nd coat tonight.

 

Great write-up. I am waiting for the pictures and to see how coat #2 goes on. BTW - Detailer's Paradise has a great drying towel as well. I bought a pair of the purples and they work very well.
The main reason I'm tracking this is because of the accessibility to Detailer's Paradise being here in Denver. I am totally happy with my Zaino products and their results, but if I can find a similar product that doesn't need to be shipped and I can go grab a bottle if I run low - I'm so there.
I wonder if an accelerator like the Zaino Z-FX would have a positive effect on the cure time of the Epic? Reduce the time to slickness and 2nd coat. Also I wonder if a QD like Zaino's Z-6 would be good to use between the coats like Zaino recommends.
Perhaps Heather can chime in here and stop my wonderings...

 

Ken,
As it sounds from your reply you've learned this already, but you can save your arm! LOL Although it's tempting to keep buffing and buffing after you buff off Epic, you can achieve the same results (increased slickness and wetness) by just letting it setup and cure the full 24 hours. Then you can buff again and see the improvemnts. You can dry buff or QD buff after that 24 hours. Before that, save your arm! (...still chuckling, btw!)

Also, general note...
Although, like many synthetics, Epic can be layered with even greater results, you'll find that 1 coat actually does alot and has excellent durability. But I know how some of you are... you just can't resist the temptation to do more than one coat! LOL...

Re: washing your pads, post-Epic. Ken, glad you did so right away. I should've told you to be sure... as with many synthetics but I think maybe even more so with Epic, you'll be much happier washing your pad or applicator right away. Epic can be a you-know-what to wash out if its left to cure in the pad.

Thanks, Ken, for the great review so far... I'm really happy you like it already! Have fun with layer #2.

-Heather

 

^^

The wet appearance became even more enhanced by
the late afternoon and the paint was very slick when i did my
light dusting and mist & wipe to prepare for the 2nd coat.
It was slick enough that i could fire a mist and the dust would
just blow off the paint.

The paint showed no sign of static buildup, a very important
factor for cars that are parked outside like mine.

I used the same Griot's orange pad + orbital and did the
thin 2nd coat. I let it dry for a good 35min+. This time,
i just did one buffing and let it be... but so~ tempting to
buff it even more!! but I contained myself. lol

Based on how it looked this late afternoon, i don't think a 3rd
coat is necessary. Here's a teaser what it looked like at around
lunch time today... which is about 18 hours from when I finished
buffing last night. it was actually wetter looking by 6pm.





Considering that it takes far less effort to remove and buff
than NXT, and how well it has that tremendous wet look,
i think this wax can be both a weekend car polymer,
or a daily driven car sealant.

I will wash it once a week (weather permitting) and not add any
spray on type waxes and see its durability...

Epic is so easy to use that I feel like im cheating. lol
so far very good results!


I will post another pict of the whole car tomorrow.

 

Thread hijack -

How do you like the Civic? My GF and I test drove one and I really fell for it. Great gearbox and it looks cool too...

To be somewhat on the topic of polymers, she now has a 99 Civic that is similar in color to yours. I threw a coat of Klasse AIO on it and that 7-year old, 115K mile, always outside paint job looks really good now

 

Here's a couple of shots from this morning... i must say, i am
amazed with how wet Epic looks. I mean, I only buffed
it once just to remove the haze. Nothing else! so far I am
really liking this product. I almost feel stupid that i worked so
hard with Best of Show on this car just to get maybe half the
wet look of what Epic did with only 2 apps that was absolutely
effortless. On a darker colored car, i bet you can just do one
coat and let it do its work.

my camera sucks , but look at these...!


Shaded from the sun side of the car (holly crap! )




Sunny side of the car (check out that hood and around the curves )




Full pict of rear...wish my camera could capture the real deal...but you get the idea:



here's the LX model with the same color as advertised... HUGE DIFFERENCE!
the Epic brings out a very deeeeeeeeep wet color look and sparkles the metallics.

 

Ken,

So on a AB, it would really look wet and sharp? Hmmm, I might just order some to see it how it goes.

Nice review.

 

I would most definitely recommend on cars that you want to achieve
a super wet look and for those that want to achieve it with far less
effort.

It's good to have an open mind and try new things. Epic is definitely
worth a try.

 

MiniMaybee- I am looking at the car right now and just amazed how it
changed in the wetness look over the course of 48hrs. I think
you will be happy with Epic.

Im not sure about those accelerators but even one app was looking very
good last night. If you can be careful to apply evenly in one app, i dont
think a second app is necessary unless you're going for extreme wet look
like I was on this car. Also, my car's a daily driven car so wanted to
achieve max durability. I am not doing a 3rd app... i don't think it's
necessary any more.

 

Ken...your car looks awesome, seems like a great product.......but
This is a deal breaker for me. And...

...so is this.

A great discovery for many folks, though!!

 

yep.

I recommend that you be very careful not to get
this stuff on the black plastic, as a lot of waxes.

the 24hrs curing time... you can use the car while its curing
like I did. it's not wet or anything. it can go through morning
dew like mine did and go through rain too.
so it's not that you can't get it dirty while its curing.

Unless you need instant results, i don't see a down side to
the 24hr curing time.

 

There may not be one. I use Klasse and, although they don't mention curing (if memory serves), it may still be a factor...not sure. I can get it all over the plastic bits, though, w/ no residue. I have to detail in less than controlled conditions, so the easier, the better for me.

 

Ken - Fantastic! Based on your results and effort it looks great. I think I'm in.

Good find, good write-up and good looking results!

Chuck

 

im glad to hear!

and thanks!

 

Got 3 rounds of heavy rain today. water beading very well. very refined
bead. can't wait to wash it later on this week.

 

Good review Ken! I just wanted to highlight a couple things you pointed out. This isn't meant as criticism, but rather to enlighten those that may not know.

1.) The photo of the Civic that was professionally shot was most likely shot with a polarizing filter. This is done to control the reflections in the glass. Look at your photos where you didn't use such a filter. The glass is highly reflective. Using a polarizing filter allows you to control which reflections to show--essentially dialing in the reflectivity of the shine. If you look at some of Dave Buntings photos where the MINI looks almost "plasticky" or matte, that's the reason. It offers increased contrast with the adjustability of the gloss.

Why did I bring this up? Comparing the shine of your photos to that is like comparing apples to oranges since being in a studio environment, reflecting light stands, etc.. isn't desirable.

2.) Letting Epic cure for 24 hours before applying a second coat is actually common with any synthetic polymer wax. Atleast it's true for Meguiar's products which I only bring up that brand because it's what I'm familiar with. Not many people do it, but it does make a difference. Professionally, it's not feasible unless it's a job that lasts multiple days. So applying two coats after a 30 minute to 1 hour curing in between is better than just applying one coat and calling it a day. I'd also say it's highly preferable to not let the car get wet during that 24 hour period.

Good work! I'm still waiting for you to try some M21. That doesn't turn the trim white!

 

thanks for the input, octaneguy. its aways best to have professional
opinion on these reviews. for the curing, some of us don't have a
garage for our commuters so it's really not an option not to get it wet
sometimes. but it turned out REAL well, regardless!

Yep M21 will be tried next spring. i always keep a 3rd person
view on everything i try including cars, waxes, even appliances.

 

Any reports of durability? How long it lasts vs. Zaino?

 

Just a quick note on trim and wax for anyone new that might have stumbled in here...

2" wide Painter's Tape takes about 15-20 minutes to apply to all of the trim prior to waxing, and will save you a TON of heartache and time. It may SEEM like a PITA to prep like this, but it's well worth the extra effort and, really, you should only have to do this a few times a year.



Oh, and DO NOT STORE YOUR TAPE IN THE GARAGE. The extremes of heat and cold can cause the tape glue to get soft and negate it's "no residue" nature (don't ask me how I know that).

Let us know about that durability, Kenchan!

 

im working on it right now as we speak...under real world conditions.

I can do an accelerated car wash wear test using my Audi trunk lid
(practice lid i have from my PDR), but it makes no sense as waxes
need to be out in the sun exposed to weather, contaminants and
car washes to get a true durability result.

 

Good points Imagox, but taping goes farther than just protecting the trim.
You also want to prevent product from getting in the cracks, so
headlight surrounds, bonnet scoop seam, bonnet grill chrome, side vents, door handles, Cooper logos, and for the Convertible, the point where the hardtop ends and the fabric top begins. This is crucial since you don't want to get wax on the top.

As for the bonnet vent/grills beneath the wipers, I'd save the tape and just remove them. Using a plastic squeegee takes 5 seconds. You can then stuff any extra rags in there to protect from splatter.

Also 3/4" or 1" tape is more cost effective than 2" tape and works just as well.

Richard

 

I found plain, non-colored 2" tape at a hardware store for only about $2 (tyhe colored stuff is like $7 a roll). As for cracks and such, that's a great point - I ended up just using a Q-tip to clean out the cracks which probably took less time than taping, but there is some trace resudue in there that would probably be totally unacceptable to a pro.

As for removing the grills under the windscreen, I wanted to pull them out (I heard - maybe from you - that this was the best option) but couldn't find the method to release them, so I just taped over 'em.

 

I don't know about you guys, but i clean my cracks with boar's hair brush
(looks like paint brush) and just tickle the dust away.

btw, the Epic produced very little to no dust. I use their MF towel and
also tried the 2nd coat using my Griots' MF towel (soft side). You can
use one towel to do the entire car. completely effortless.

 

I use Mothers Reflections polymer wax. From this thread I am assuming I should put one coat on, let it dry for 24 hours, buff it out, then put a second one on. I would really appreciate the information and help. Thanks, Peter