Spirit - The reviews thread

[Auto Finesse]

This thread is here for our members of the product test panel to submit reviews, pictures and discuss our Spirit Carnauba Wax.


An overview:

Our Spirit wax has been carefully designed to give optical clarity and a crisp gloss to all metallic and pearlescent paint finishes. While many waxes and sealants can actually mute pearl and metallic paints, Spirit’s visual clarity, crispness, and gloss have the opposite effect. Pearls and metallics truly sparkle. Spirit is one of the harder waxes in our range, its firm consistency allows the wax to be spread in super-thin coats, minimising waste, and making buff-off really easy.


Putting it into action:

Preparation is key…

As with any of our carnauba waxes you need a clean surface for Spirit to bond too. Our pre-wax cleanser, Rejuvenate is designed to work in-conjunction with our hard waxes to insure any last contaminates are removed before application. The glazing oils in Rejuvenate will then leave behind a clean surface ready to apply the wax.

Start by adding a pea-sized amount of Rejuvenate onto a microfibre applicator.

Next, using straight linear motions work the Rejuvenate into the surface.

Once it has cured, take a fresh microfibre cloth and buff off any residue left behind, be sure to work one panel at a time.

Application of Spirit:

Once you have insured the paintwork is correctly prepared, it’s time to grab a Waxmate or our new Handi Puck and wax spot pad! Place the applicator inside the wax pot and twist a quarter-turn to prime the pad.

Spirit can be applied to the whole vehicle first, then buffed off straight after. Some people prefer to apply the wax to two panels at a time - buffing these off before moving on to another two panels. Let us know what you guys prefer…

Spirit should be applied with small, overlapping circular strokes, light pressure, and in a consistent pattern to obtain full coverage of the paint. The goal when using this wax is to apply the product as thinly and evenly as possible - a little bit goes a long way! If the applicator feels like it is starting to run dry across the surface, or coverage becomes uneven, return the applicator to the container using another quarter-turn of the pad to re-prime the foam.re

Removal:

When removing Spirit make sure to use a clean microfibre towel. Here we are using our Primo Plush cloth which has a deep fluffy pile both sides, making it perfect for that final buff down.

The finishing shots:

Once Spirit has been fully removed and buffed away, it will leave a crisp glossy finish that offers between 3 and 4 months durability on a daily driven vehicle.

We look forward to seeing your experiences with Spirit and the result it gives you…

More info on how to use it and reviews can be found here on our website here http://shop.autofinesse.co.uk/spirit-200ml

 

[JD]

Looks like a good bead. Could you remind me of where this sits in the range, as I've tested and reviewed Illusion and Essence for you previously...

 

[Yellow Dave]

Priced a little below desire, it's one of the longest lasting waxes I've used

 

[yellowbelly]

Bought recently and yet to use so am keen to crack on if we get a bit of warmer/nicer weather anytime soon

 

[Dan...]

I've also bought a pot of this recently but still haven't had chance to use it

looking forward to using it

 

[Scrooge]

Looks like a good bead. Could you remind me of where this sits in the range, as I've tested and reviewed Illusion and Essence for you previously...

You must've done a spirit one, I did...

http://www.cliosport.net/threads/auto-finesse-product-test-spirt-mazda-mps.723966/

 

[Knuckles]

I was a bit disappointed to find spirit was sent out to review again.

But that quickly dissipated as its my favourite wax from you guys. I even prefer it to desire.

This sits under desire and illusion price wise. With looks slightly beat by both but lasting longer and iirc being more enjoyable/easier to apply.

Here's my old review of it from the first test, but a new one will follow :smile:

If memory serves I got 4-5 months out of it last time before I had to remove it and reapply.

http://www.cliosport.net/threads/liquid-yellow-r27-with-auto-finesse-spirit.721555/

 

[yellowbelly]

Not sure if you meant to write that @Knuckles but Spirit (£90) sits inbetween Illusion (£75) and Desire (£120)

 

[Yellow Dave]

All I'd say is apply it as thin as possibly and don't leave it to cure too long

 

[yellowbelly]

All I'd say is apply it as thin as possibly and don't leave it to cure too long

Did you work a certain amount of panels at a time Dave or go round the entire car before buffing away?

 

[Yellow Dave]

Generally worked 3 or 4 panels at a time, I found it cure quite quick in warmish temps. If not too high I have done half a car/ all of one side before removing

 

[Lawro]

I prefer it to Desire too personally, it's very hard to fault. Finish and durability are brilliant!

 

[Knuckles]

Not sure if you meant to write that @Knuckles but Spirit (£90) sits inbetween Illusion (£75) and Desire (£120)

Whoops, my bad.

I thought illusion was around desires price.

 

[yellowbelly]

Whoops, my bad.

I thought illusion was around desires price.

Nice surprise if you were looking to buy a pot hey

 

[Auto Finesse]

Hi guys, I now have my email address set up (aaron@autofinesse.co.uk), so feel free to get in contact if you have any queries or questions. Looking forward to reading the reviews! Thanks, Aaron

 

[yellowbelly]

Hi guys, I now have my email address set up (aaron@autofinesse.co.uk), so feel free to get in contact if you have any queries or questions. Looking forward to reading the reviews! Thanks, Aaron

On thing I've pondered on Aaron, why/how the hell are some of your products so blooming cheap on Amazon now and again?

 

[davo172]

Not as easy as desire to apply and remove but is fantastic product !!
Great finish and lasts months !!!
AWESOME !!

 

[Knuckles]

Not as easy as desire to apply and remove but is fantastic product !!
Great finish and lasts months !!!
AWESOME !!

How long are you leaving it before removing? Iirc on the initial test I took the piss a bit applying it thick and leaving it for a while, it still came off fairly easily.

 

[Lawro]

What was the closing date on this guys? I can't find the letter for the life of me.

 

[Auto Finesse]

What was the closing date on this guys? I can't find the letter for the life of me.

Hello mate, the closing date for this is the 15th February.

 

[yellowbelly]

Hello mate, the closing date for this is the 15th February.

Closing date for what?

 

[Knuckles]

Closing date for what?

Deadline for submitting a review.

 

[yellowbelly]

Deadline for submitting a review.

Thanks Knuckles, was hoping someone would reply as it appears I don't exist in the eyes of the Autofinesse lot.

 

[Knuckles]

Thanks Knuckles, was hoping someone would reply as it appears I don't exist in the eyes of the Autofinesse lot.

Lol!
To be fair they have a bunch of forums to keep on top of replying

 

[Auto Finesse]

Thanks Knuckles, was hoping someone would reply as it appears I don't exist in the eyes of the Autofinesse lot.

Sorry mate. As Knuckles said, we do have a number of forums to keep our eyes on and sometimes it takes a little longer than expected to get replies out.

 

[Paul172sport]

How are people getting on with the cold. Still need to review mine and battling weather and it's only getting colder!

 

[aucky]

Ugh. I was planning on doing mine today but the dew point has just plummeted.
I got a maintenance wash in though so fingers crossed for Thursday!

 

[JD]

Hello mate, the closing date for this is the 15th February.

Thank god for that - just back off hols and intended to do a test on Sunday!!

 

[Lawro]

I will get on this on Saturday.

Next months test panel looks very very interesting!

 

[aucky]

Here it is!
Not sure how much of a write up you're after? but here goes.

*The pictures don't really show anything, its more just to break the text up a bit! dull sky and quick phone snaps*


The was still clean from a wash the other day, so I cracked straight on with decontamination.
Tardis followed by Iron-X. Interestingly the Barely seemed to touch the Hydro2 that was in place, and the IX only stripped it a little.
There proved to be virtually no contamination on the car so Skipped the claying step.

Avalanche with G101 for extra bite:

Still some Hydro2 present:

The car was then blow dried, and any residual water patted dry with a fluffy towell

Ready for prep

Rejuvenate applied via a damp Dodo (iirc) MF pad

And buffed

Last year I made the mistake of trying Rejuvinate by machine, and it performed horribly. I haven't used it since. So I was keen to give it another go today.
It spread just fine on the damp MF and worked reasonably well on dried water spots etc. Does it work better than Prime Strong at this? I suspect not but I didn't want to contaminate the MF pad to with another product to find out.
Removal was a breeze and came off very nicely, even in areas of over application.

Panels received a quick Z6 wipe-down prior to wax just to ensure the panel was ready. Then it was time for Spirit.
The first thing that struck me was its quite a hard wax but not OVERLY easy to spread. So I presumed it must have high carnuaba content. (Reminded me of the feel of Presidenziale except obviously a million times easier!). Apparently I was right, I've just looked it up, 50%
Anyway, it wasn't too much of a chore and I got on with it, coating just one panel at a time before buffing.
Finger swipe test showed it seemed to cure fairly quickly, which suits me, and it came off very easily. Which was a relief after my reserves upon application.
(Both waxes applied via separate Swissvax black 'German' applicators)

It was immediately noticeable that the paint had gained in gloss and depth.

However I'm now suprised to read AF's description that this wax is aimed at clarity and flake pop. Perhaps the poor lighting today didn't help, but I really didn't get that feeling. It was more of a deep glossy glow than metallic pop, and a little underwhelming I must say.
A Z6 wipedown followed to remove any potential gassing (which I may do again today, incase this is the issue).

As a comparison wax for the other side I chose Bouncer's Satsuma Rock due its similar price in terms of £/ml. It's been a long time since I've used this wax so I was keen to give it another go.

You know that feeling when you go to pick up something you assume will be heavy, and it isn't?
Well that's what it was like on my first swipe with SR. Typical of all Bouncer waxes, it spreads with an uncanny 'butteriness'. It just wants to spread! and absolute joy to apply.
1 panel at a time, finger swipe, remove. It came of nice and easy just like the Spirit did.

It was very evident that the reflectivity was far great on the SR panels (something that B22 is also excellent at) and on this dull grey day, gave the SR the edge of Spirit.

I was starting to flag, and ready for some lunch so for the remaining front bumper, roof, rear bootlid and bumper I chose anotehr AF product that hasn't seen use for a while; AF Tough Coat.
As always it was lightening fast to apply and a breeze to remove. I quickly remembered how glossy the finish is on TC too.

No scenic after shots today I'm afraid, the sky is just too dull!

Conslusions:

Hydro2 is one tough MotherF*

Rejuvenate seems to be a fine cleanser, it performs as it should without fuss. I'd like to test it against Prime Strong (not the most relevant test seeing as you can't get it anymore!).

Spirit was not particularly enjoyable to apply but it came off ok, and the dull light doesn't do it any favours. Hopefully I'll see it in some sun tomorrow, I'm not ready to write it off just yet.

Satsuma Rock is a pleasure to use in every way. I doubt it will contend with Spirit in durability, but we'll see. I'm also not sure what to expect in terms of water behavior. Will update.

Tough Coat. Fast, easy, glossy, great.

 

[ADS_V6]

looks stunning from here,whats the satsuma rock like?

 

[aucky]

looks stunning from here,whats the satsuma rock like?

Thanks!
Think I explained it in the last post?

 

[Lawro]

The R looks lovely mate!

 

[aucky]

The R looks lovely mate!

Cheers mate. The close work revealed a couple of light bumper grazes (I can only assume cause by women's handbags etc) but nothing I can't deal with. Still 98% swirl free though, and big plans for the spring!

 

[Knuckles]

Sigh, I need to pull my finger out and do it this weekend.

Cheers for the heads up regarding application via machine. Saved me a lot of trial and error lol.

 

[aucky]

Yeah, it's far too 'watery' to machine, not greasy enough.
If you want to experience the awesomeness of LimePrime via machine I'll lend you my bottle.

 

[Knuckles]

@Auto Finesse should know, this month has been horrible weather nearly non stop. Today was the first half decent day I've managed to make use of. I started doing the car at 8:30 this morning lol!

A little test turned into a mini detail 😧

No garage ftl 😧


Pics and a write up to follow.

Yeah, it's far too 'watery' to machine, not greasy enough.
If you want to experience the awesomeness of LimePrime via machine I'll lend you my bottle.

Ace thanks, I'll steal a bit when I come to correct it when the weather picks up.

 

[aucky]

I caught a glimpse of the beading on the car in the dark this morning. The 50/50 bonnet test showed Spirit to have slightly tighter beads than Satsuma, as I expected. In terms of beading SR is vaguely similar to the Tough Coat at this point.

 

[CrippsCorner]

Right. This is the first test not carried out on my own car unfortunately! I'm unable to drive atm so got mum to take her car to the local jet-wash and give it a mini spruce up with Spirit :smile: a few before shots looking rather beaten and dull after some winter weather (and birds) had their toll on it...

Wax on...

Wax off...

Wax on and off a couple of other segments...

Also I finally managed to get some droplet pictures this afternoon looks alright for paint that's never seen any polish or wax previously!

Overall one of my favourite waxes to use as it just applies so easy and isn't hard to get great results from. Can't wait to get my own motor out from under the cover and try the remains of all different waxes you guys have been very kindly sending over! :yum: hopefully I'll get some sun to play around with next time too...

 

[Lawro]

Here goes.. Unfortunately this month has been ridiculously busy so this hasn't turned out quite as I planned initially.

This month I'm using the TT. Now, this is currently wearing Gyeon Cancoat which was applied on 28th November last year after a full decontamination. It's not been touched since with the exception of a wipe over with Gyeon Cure just over 3 weeks ago during a quick maintenance wash.

The car was washed and dried. I then taped up half the bonnet and using G-Techniq Panel Wipe, removed the current protection from the right hand side.

AF Rejuvenate & Spirit Test by Lawro1988, on Flickr

AF Rejuvenate & Spirit Test by Lawro1988, on Flickr

The products in question, Auto Finesse Rejuvenate and Spirit.

AF Rejuvenate & Spirit Test by Lawro1988, on Flickr

With the surface prepped I applied Rejuvenate in circular motions via a MF pad by hand.

AF Rejuvenate & Spirit Test by Lawro1988, on Flickr

It seemed difficult to work into the paint so I decided to wet the MF pad slightly and continue. It seems to spread far better via a damp pad.

Removed the residue with a plush MF Towel.

AF Rejuvenate & Spirit Test by Lawro1988, on Flickr

Quick wipe down with Finale prior to wax application.

AF Rejuvenate & Spirit Test by Lawro1988, on Flickr

On to the wax..

AF Rejuvenate & Spirit Test by Lawro1988, on Flickr

Having used Spirit a few times in the past, I found less is more. It's a hard wax due to the high carnauba content so over applying makes it a chore to remove.

Applied a thin coat to the panel and allowed to cure.

AF Rejuvenate & Spirit Test by Lawro1988, on Flickr

Quick swipe test and it was ready for removal.

I was left with a deep glossy finish but it seems to have dulled the flake pop in comparison to CanCoat. (Very hard to photo in this dull weather)

AF Rejuvenate & Spirit Test by Lawro1988, on Flickr

AF Rejuvenate & Spirit Test by Lawro1988, on Flickr

AF Rejuvenate & Spirit Test by Lawro1988, on Flickr

I then decided to do a quick water test to see how the water behaviour differs.. Bare in mind here that Cancoat (on the left) has been applied for over 10 weeks at this stage.

AF Rejuvenate & Spirit Test by Lawro1988, on Flickr

AF Rejuvenate & Spirit Test by Lawro1988, on Flickr

Some nice sheeting here..

AF Rejuvenate & Spirit Test by Lawro1988, on Flickr

It's evident that Spirit offers some nice tight beading and sheets well!

In summary, less is more. As with any wax with high carnauba content it's never going to be the nicest wax in the world to apply, however it's no real core if you apply thin layers.

It leaves a lovely deep glossy finish, smells beautiful and clearly offers superb water behaviour. If it holds up to the durability claims, it's clearly a great all rounder!