50Cal Review - Combat Snow Foam and Pentawax

Few weeks ago I got in touch with Dave asking for a traditional wax to really bring out the detail and deepth of the Avus Blue the same way Chemical’s Guys’ Pete 53 would do on Metallic Black.
Furthermore I wished to widen my Microfiber Madness range of products being over the moon with the Drive me Crazy Drying towel.

http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DA0AD892.jpg

I was also running out of Orchard’s Care Cotton Candy so Dave told me about 50Cal now available at Detalingshed (more info here http://www.bmwhaus.ie/forum/showthread.php?tid=3537). I decided to join the ranks and give the snow foam and their wax a go :hehe!:

http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/...g/E6148153.jpg

After everything was set Dave sent the goods and I received them yesterday ready to give them a try this week-end with yet another impeccable and quick service with products which were nicely and securely packed.

As far as Snow Foam is concerned I had 2 choices with 50 Cal:

Ambush-Superfoam or Combat Neutral Snow Foam

Difference between the two is that Combat Neutral Snow Foam is more thought for those who regularly detail their car so the Snow Foam is less "aggressive" compared to Ambush which has more deeper cleaning properties.

PACKAGE

The bottle has a nice feel and touch to it with a nice design and logo.

Size is pretty compact as its capacity is of 500 ml.

Here is a shot in comparison with the Snowfoam bottle to give you an idea of its size:

http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/...g/3589717A.jpg

ONTO THE TEST:

Instructions at the back are pretty clear

Heavy soiling: recommended dilution with clean water: 5:1

Moderate soiling: reccomended dilution with clean water: 10:1.

General cleaning and light soiling: 20:1

As I recently detailed my car two weeks ago I went for the 10:1 dilution. I did not expect too much foam with this dilution...
As I poured the solution into the Snow Foam bottle I noticed that, compared to Cotton Candy, Combat is far more concentrated and therefore more viscous.

After I finished the bubble bath to my estate here is how she was looking while the product was working its magic:

http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/...g/A0ED2811.jpg

I must say that compared to Cotton Candy I was amazed by how Combat really worked its way through all the hinges and found its way properly cleaning all.
The way the car looked rinsed after 10 minutes had passed:

http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/...84AD90EA-1.jpg

Close-up detail at the front lower quarter panel behind the wheel just above the sideskirt which always gets really dirty:

http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/...g/5972872D.jpg

Once the car had been washed with the 2 bucket Method with the new Incredimitt
this is the way the estate looked once dry:

http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/...A32251FB-1.jpg

MARKS / SCORES

Look / feel 5/5

Ease of use 5/5

Effectiveness 5/5

Size 3/5

I think that if you have to wash the car often a 1 LT bottle would have been the way to go for

Price 3/5

Retailing at 13,95 for 1/2 lt compared to 11,95 for 1 lt of Cotton Candy it goes without saying that it is expensive. However I was blown away by how effective it is, by how clean the car looked without having even touched it with the mitt and the way the paint looked once dry.

I would reccomend it and buy again.

PENTAWAX

PACKAGE
As you could see from the first picture the wax comes in a nice and neat metallic tin box in a lively pink colour with a nice and strong scent of Cherry.
The tin box is nice in comparison to most competitors who do all in plastic containers these days.
However, should it be a warm day like today, the wax might melt a little becoming very soft so even 50 Cal advise to keep it somewhere at temperatures of around 15 degrees.
In hot days as the last ones, to keep it in the fridge bewteen applications is also a good idea for best results.

More pictures to give an idea of the size:

http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/...g/1F100387.jpg

and

http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/...4944B09B-1.jpg

ONTO THE TEST

Once the surface of the car was nicely dried with the MM Waverider (outstanding product and absolutely ridiculously good in drying the car after the JetWash) I took a polish applicator and put some wax on it. To apply the wax to the paint is very easy and it flows nicely and effortless nearly as good as liquid waxes even if it is a hard wax.
Here is a picture of the wax applied to the front left quarter panel:

http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/...g/BDC7D440.jpg

I do one panel at the time in order not to rush the job and evenly spread the wax.
After 15 minutes it was time to buff it off with MM Yellow Fellow and admire the end result.
Removing the wax after 15 minutes was very easy and did not leave any residue:

http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/...g/CFD79A43.jpg

I will have to do something about some skretches and marks so please do not mind those but if you have a look at the deepth of the paint this is the result I was hoping for:

http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/...g/99ADF672.jpg

Once out on the sunshine

http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/...ps945b22eb.jpg

and more detail

http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/...00636bf6-1.jpg

MARKS / SCORES:

Look/ Feel: 5/5

Ease o use: 5/5

Effectiveness: to be verified over the next months along with its beading

Size: 500 ml

Price: 3/5
As with the Snow Foam the wax is expensive if you think that Chemical Guys Pete's 53 sets you back 35 Euro. But than again it's twice the amount of wax and we are still pretty much at the beginning of 50Cal's life. Going forward and wishing this company all the best for the success it deserves once costs have been absorbed and mass production has started hopefully prices will adjust and go down a little.

End considerations:

As with the Snowfoam in few years time when I will run out of the wax :tounge:*I will definitely buy it again and would definitely reccomend it.

Thanks for reading

Harry

Now that's a review...great write up Harry just out of snowfoam myself might give 50Cal a go.

Appreciate that write up Harry! Had a feeling you'd like them!!
Car looks brilliant.

Few beading shots when the sun goes away....if the car is allowed out in the rain! :P

Very good review harry and beautiful car as always

Thank you for the comments and the thanks, appreciated guys :smiling:

@ eddiem74: thank you for your kind words! Let me know how it went but if you are coming from Cotton Candy like me I think you will be impressed :wink:

@ Curran: cheers Dave, it was my pleasure!
As you know this is my daily so although at night and for the winter time going forward she now has a nice and warm Garage during daytime she will still be outside and exposed to bad weather so there will be beading shots for sure :smiling:

@Owen E46: thanks a million Owen, glad to see the work and write up has been appreciated :happy:
I am extremely fussy and know what I want as an end result.
The paint has some skretches which will have to be machine polished away, some other panels which have gone past correction and would need to be repainted, other panels where you notice a very slight and minimal different shade in colour.
Having said this for those areas which are without marks, swirls and skretches the paint is nice and deep and not flat which is what I was looking for :wink:
I don't know about you but the more time I spend on the car detailing it the more things and imperfections I notice :sad:
I think it will be just a matter of time before I take the car off the road for three months and get it completely repainted. Possibly next year once all mechanical work is done and dusted :hehe!:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Harry-E36

@Owen E46: thanks a million Owen, glad to see the work and write up has been appreciated :happy:
I am extremely fussy and know what I want as an end result.
The paint has some skretches which will have to be machine polished away, some other panels which have gone past correction and would need to be repainted, other panels where you notice a very slight and minimal different shade in colour.
Having said this for those areas which are without marks, swirls and skretches the paint is nice and deep and not flat which is what I was looking for :wink:
I don't know about you but the more time I spend on the car detailing it the more things and imperfections I notice :sad:
I think it will be just a matter of time before I take the car off the road for three months and get it completely repainted. Possibly next year once all mechanical work is done and dusted :hehe!:

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I'm the same way when it comes to detailing, every new scratch I can spot the next time I clean the car, just got back to Ireland last Saturday and by Sunday I was tackling the paintwork by covering up the stone chips (unsuccessfully). will be going back over to England and will be bringing the da and a load of polishes with me to sore my own car out.

As I said before, your car will be very easy to spot stretches but on the flip side looks unbelievable when paintwork is corrected [emoji12]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Owen E46

I'm the same way when it comes to detailing, every new scratch I can spot the next time I clean the car, just got back to Ireland last Saturday and by Sunday I was tackling the paintwork by covering up the stone chips (unsuccessfully). will be going back over to England and will be bringing the da and a load of polishes with me to sore my own car out.

As I said before, your car will be very easy to spot stretches but on the flip side looks unbelievable when paintwork is corrected [emoji12]

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Thanks a million Owen, appreciate it :wink: Avus Blue is just sooo nice when clean... just yummy !
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Hello everyone
I am aware that I love detailing but today I understood up to what point…
To cut a long story short I was waiting for the rain to do some beading shots on the Pentawax so as we had a break from the rain at lunch off I went to take some pics as requested :wink:
This is the way the car looked as I approached it:

http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/...ps75a3857c.jpg

And a closer shot to the beading:

http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7a8a36c0.jpg

To say I am impressed is to say the least. A friend of mine blew some air on the hood and there were no more drops to be found. They just completely ran down the hood as if they never were there in the first place!
Car still looks pretty clean and I have only washed it one week ago today! Happy out :smiling: