# Bilt Hamber Auotbalm - Before & After



## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

Just a quicky here, exceprt from the demo done at the NW detailing meet...

Take on swirly black scooby wing:










Treat with some Autobalm:










Excuse the product residue still left on in the after shot, but one thing that is well worth focussing on here is the level of correction that the product has achieved from a quick one to two minute application! Applied using the straight line technique to fille swilrs and it worked a real treat I would say!

Look out for a few more little excerpts on use of this product from me, as it impresses more and more by the day... what we have here is a gret value for money product that fills very effectively, leaves a nice gloss on the paintwork and actually does make a tenable change to the look, and is very durable! Best of all, its less than £20 delivered typically and the jar will last an age!

A few have mentioned how good this product is - and I am joining them. It really is superb, an unknown that deserves to become known for its performance! Superb :thumb:


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## -ROM- (Feb 23, 2007)

how does it compare against the old fave of SRP & EGP?


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

rmorgan84 said:


> how does it compare against the old fave of SRP & EGP?


SRP benefits from havign abrasives so on more severe marring you get a little cut which helps it along, and puts it in front on out and out correction... Where Atuobalm comes into its own is that it is a one step product that is highly durable and adds a gloss to the paintwork that IMHO SRP and EGP cannot match... Durability of EGP is superb, and I canot say yet whether or not AB will overtake it as its not been on my dad's car long enough, but it is highly durable on its current performance...

Overall comparison: SRP has it (just) for out and out correction, thanks to its light abrasive content... But AB is the winner for me thanks to its durability, and also the glossy look it leaves, as it really does add something to the finish in a single application that is lovely to look at


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## -ROM- (Feb 23, 2007)

Thanks!

Dave just a light-hearted point but considering you are an advocate of LSPs can't add anything noticeable to the final finish you now have a list of:

Zaino 
Duragloss
Autobalm 
BOS 

that for you do add something, you wanna stop falling in love with products for fear of completely contradicting yourself:lol:


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

AB is a prep product as well though  

Which I reckon is why yu see a difference being made on that scooby wing, as it can prep it as well as protect it...

What it would add to a fully machined panel? Guess I'll need to go and find out


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## PJS (Aug 18, 2007)

I've said this before (so I'm not worried that I'll pre-empt your findings Dave) as I'm sure you've read already, but I believe, and others locally whom I've shown it to from this forum and another have said without me opening my mouth, that glossiness and flake sparkle/pop are very noticeable, as well as depth of colour on corrected and lightly swirled paintwork, especially the medium-dark range of colours.

Good to see you're finally getting jiggy wi'it and seeing somewhat what I've been saying all along since joining 10 months ago.
If you come up against some black trim, give it a whirl on that too to see what it does.
Oh, and your Z 8/AqW over the top as well.


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

nice one Dave :thumb:

You'll be a fully paid up member of the Bilt Hamber fan club soon


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## maesal (Nov 24, 2005)

Great results Dave !!
I'm very very pleased with Auto-Balm also.


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## Porta (Jan 3, 2007)

Does anyone have applied Auto-Balm with a rotary/PC? I guess that the filling properites and durability would be even better if applied with machine.


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## maesal (Nov 24, 2005)

Porta said:


> Does anyone have applied Auto-Balm with a rotary/PC? I guess that the filling properites and durability would be even better if applied with machine.


Hi Marcus :wave:
I applied it via Cosmo polisher with great results. I prefer applying it via polisher because I get a thinner coat. I also mist the paint and the pad with water.


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

maesal said:


> Hi Marcus :wave:
> I applied it via Cosmo polisher with great results. I prefer applying it via polisher because I get a thinner coat. I also mist the paint and the pad with water.


IIRC some have also used a PC with a damp finishing pad. I keep meaning to do it but havent got round to it so far.... must try it soon.


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## organgrinder (Jan 20, 2008)

I have Zaino on my car (3 layers Z5 and 2 of Z2) and am very pleased with the results except for one thing: it does not cover (m)any imperfections in the underlying paint finish. Could Autobalm be used as a base layer on top of which Zaino could be applied, without compromising the Zaino durability and looks?


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## crazycallum (May 16, 2008)

im thinking about buying some autobalm but just wondering if this is used instead of a layer of wax? or could i put wax over it? and would putting wax over it give it more durability?


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

organgrinder said:


> I have Zaino on my car (3 layers Z5 and 2 of Z2) and am very pleased with the results except for one thing: it does not cover (m)any imperfections in the underlying paint finish. Could Autobalm be used as a base layer on top of which Zaino could be applied, without compromising the Zaino durability and looks?





crazycallum said:


> im thinking about buying some autobalm but just wondering if this is used instead of a layer of wax? or could i put wax over it? and would putting wax over it give it more durability?


I am not sure about topping the AB personally although as this is a well asked question it is something I will have a look into.

I can say though that judging its durability on the test car I have running with it on (part of), I can say that on its own it is very good. Its not a high beader, so if thats what you are looking for, it will disappoint. But - beads really are only a looks thing and certainly not a guage of protection and you soon begin to appreciate the water behaviour of AB, and much more so what it offers to the paint and how long it lasts


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## isherdholi (Sep 18, 2007)

crazycallum said:


> im thinking about buying some autobalm but just wondering if this is used instead of a layer of wax? or could i put wax over it? and would putting wax over it give it more durability?


Yes, Auto-balm would be used instead of a wax.

In other threads, Bilt Hamber have discouraged putting wax over Auto-balm, because the solvents in the wax will affect the Auto-balm layer, and make it less durable.

Auto-balm is already very durable, more so than any wax, so you shouldn't need to worry about making it even more durable. If you really wanted to, you could just put an extra layer of Auto-balm on top.


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## Guest (Jul 14, 2008)

One thing you cant see in that is pic is how good the panel looked after Balm.

I have used this on a solid black and it really does make it a deep gloss, and watching Dave apply it to the Scooby black (which is a different way than I apply, but we are all different) it really did bring out the flake.


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## nsanity (May 7, 2007)

Lol just ended up ordering some of this. And some Surfex HD, and some Clay.... damn DW!


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## crazycallum (May 16, 2008)

one more question cause im really considering buying it  compared to a wax how much of it do you need for 1 layer over a whole car?


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Very impressive... what consistency does AB have? Is it like a paste wax?


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## Guest (Jul 14, 2008)

How much depends on size of car, but a light dab of an applicator should do a wing for instance. So a very small amount does the whole car, I find its about 50% less than when I use a wax like Dodo.

Its like a jelly, sounds strange but true.

And it has a proper "man" smell to it, lol, reminds me of old skool workshops.

Its also good for chrome, stainless steel and you can even try it on your wheels. I wouldnt use it on exhaust however.


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

Its like a jelly shoe polish consistency, as Matt said ^^

I did a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow in the residue that was inside the lid - this stuff needs to go on VERY thin and a tiny bit goes a VERY long way :thumb: I've done quite a few cars and only just showing signs of use in the jar. Amazing value at £15 IMHO - a product everyone should have in the cupboard - especially if you cant/dont want to machine polish :thumb:


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## crazycallum (May 16, 2008)

this sounds very interesting as i dont, atm, have the funds to afford a machine polisher, is it applied the same way? on with a applicator then buffed off with a microfibre cloth?


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## Neil_S (Oct 26, 2005)

Those pics really show a huge improvement, I have recommended Auto Balm to lots of people and this just proves what a good recommendation that is.


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## PJS (Aug 18, 2007)

crazycallum said:


> this sounds very interesting as i dont, atm, have the funds to afford a machine polisher, is it applied the same way? on with a applicator then buffed off with a microfibre cloth?


Yep, and applicator is provided with the product - just make sure it's kept well damped.


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## gatecrasher3 (Jul 21, 2006)

Would this require an LSP over it, such as 476 for example?


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## maesal (Nov 24, 2005)

I'll try applying Zaino CS or Optimum Opti-Seal over Auto-Balm to check if this seals the fillers.


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

maesal said:


> I'll try applying Zaino CS or Optimum Opti-Seal over Auto-Balm to check if this seals the fillers.


I'll be interested to see what happens. I was told by the creator of OS that the solvents in it will move the product under the wax and to the paintwork, so I would be surprised if it didnt erode the AB to at least some degree.

I dont really think it should be topped. It lasts very well by itself and offers significant protection as well as long life


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## maesal (Nov 24, 2005)

Bigpikle said:


> I'll be interested to see what happens. I was told by the creator of OS that the solvents in it will move the product under the wax and to the paintwork, so I would be surprised if it didnt erode the AB to at least some degree.
> 
> I dont really think it should be topped. It lasts very well by itself and offers significant protection as well as long life


Yes, I heard that 
My wife's car has AB in the hood masking some swirls, I could split it in 3 areas, one for topping it with Opti-Seal, another with Clear Seal and another with Ultima PGP and check the results.


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## Tyrrell (Jan 29, 2007)

After looking at those pics and seeing its swirl filling ability i have just purchased some!!! 

I can't wait to use it looks a brilliant product !!!! 

Does anyone know about the durability of this product ?? 

Dave


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

Tyrrell said:


> After looking at those pics and seeing its swirl filling ability i have just purchased some!!!
> 
> I can't wait to use it looks a brilliant product !!!!
> 
> ...


From my perspective, durability is this product's strongest asset. The swirl filling ability is good, dont get me wrong, as the above pics show... but durability is superb. I have it on my dad's car (or part of it anyway) as he parks it near and sometimes on a beach for two or three days a week - it gets blasted with salt air all the time and this really does act to kill off LSPs quicker than normal in my experience (guess that's why ***** Concours seemed fine in summer, but the Scottish winter just laughed it off)... but the AB is holding strong and true.

If its corrosion inhibitors are to be believed, and there's absolutely no reason they shouldn't be judging by the tests, then this also presents itself as an ideal product for protection against things like road salt over regions of damaged paintwork (stone chips, we all get them, especially on motorway cruisers).


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## Brisa (Aug 9, 2006)

Have you tried your autobalm on plastic trim yet Dave? I found it to be one of its best uses since PJS the bilt hamber sales man came and got me hooked on it lol


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

Brisa said:


> Have you tried your autobalm on plastic trim yet Dave? I found it to be one of its best uses since PJS the bilt hamber sales man came and got me hooked on it lol


No I haven't, not got much on the Volvo worth noting, but will pop some on the Astra next time I have a chance :thumb:


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## tribs (Jun 18, 2007)

maesal said:


> Yes, I heard that
> My wife's car has AB in the hood masking some swirls, I could split it in 3 areas, one for topping it with Opti-Seal, another with Clear Seal and another with Ultima PGP and check the results.


I'd be interested too. Although I don't doubt its durability in terms of protection I find the fillers don't seem to last very long at all on a daily driver. I think this might just be fillers in general as I found megs tech wax to be much the same. I might try a wing with SRP and see if I find the fillers in that hold up any better.


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## _daveR (Jun 3, 2008)

Any chance of some more pictures of the scooby from the initial post? Im curious to see the finish from more/other angles and further out.


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## Tyrrell (Jan 29, 2007)

Dave KG said:


> From my perspective, durability is this product's strongest asset. The swirl filling ability is good, dont get me wrong, as the above pics show... but durability is superb. I have it on my dad's car (or part of it anyway) as he parks it near and sometimes on a beach for two or three days a week - it gets blasted with salt air all the time and this really does act to kill off LSPs quicker than normal in my experience (guess that's why ***** Concours seemed fine in summer, but the Scottish winter just laughed it off)... but the AB is holding strong and true.
> 
> If its corrosion inhibitors are to be believed, and there's absolutely no reason they shouldn't be judging by the tests, then this also presents itself as an ideal product for protection against things like road salt over regions of damaged paintwork (stone chips, we all get them, especially on motorway cruisers).


I'm so excited about getting my delivery i can hardly contain myself, I've got a few swirls but i'm not machine polishing my car anymore due to the fear of clearcoat failure and lack of PTG.

The swirls i have are minimal and nowhere near like the pics above so i think this product should leave my paint looking flawless !!!! i can't wait !!!

Oh and Dave do you have any more pics from the scooby demo that you could share please mate ??

Dave


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

Tyrrell said:


> I'm so excited about getting my delivery i can hardly contain myself, I've got a few swirls but i'm not machine polishing my car anymore due to the fear of clearcoat failure and lack of PTG.
> 
> The swirls i have are minimal and nowhere near like the pics above so i think this product should leave my paint looking flawless !!!! i can't wait !!!
> 
> ...


Afraid not really mate, all pics pretty much the same (only some are out of focus! :lol

The Autobalm will be with me at all future meets though so more demos will be done in the coming weeks


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## Tyrrell (Jan 29, 2007)

Dave KG said:


> Afraid not really mate, all pics pretty much the same (only some are out of focus! :lol
> 
> The Autobalm will be with me at all future meets though so more demos will be done in the coming weeks


Awesome,

I shall be using it on my car at the weekend hopefully and i'm going to do a 50/50 session on my mates Octavia which is really badly Albanian swirled, i think that this will give some interesting pics, i shall post on here with a report for all to see.

I really don't know how i've overlooked this Autobalm, i'm sure glad i've found it now though.

Dave


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## _daveR (Jun 3, 2008)

So this stuff is really a kind of all in one? not so much in the common use of the term but more just a product that can be applied on its own and give you masking + shine + protection?


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## organgrinder (Jan 20, 2008)

A bit like a super AG SRP then?


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## Tyrrell (Jan 29, 2007)

I would assume so, i shall let you know when i try it, today is the first i've heard of it and i'm really looking forward to using it. 

Its a perfect product for me now as i've got a phobia of going through my clear so i wont use abrasive polishes now, this should sort any swirls safely !!!


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## PJS (Aug 18, 2007)

gatecrasher3 said:


> Would this require an LSP over it, such as 476 for example?


No - nothing over the top wax wise, but some, I think, have suggested Z 8 adds a little something.
Then again, plenty of the guys over on Civinfo who've switched or dual LSP with 476 already on, and top with AB for a layer or two.
So, as always, play around on half a panel and see if you notice any improvement on looks, and durability over a month or two, before doing the whole car with whichever combination works best - assuming solo doesn't.


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## PJS (Aug 18, 2007)

Brisa said:


> Have you tried your autobalm on plastic trim yet Dave? I found it to be one of its best uses since PJS the bilt hamber sales man came and got me hooked on it lol


Cheeky git! :lol:


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## PJS (Aug 18, 2007)

tribs said:


> I'd be interested too. Although I don't doubt its durability in terms of protection I find the fillers don't seem to last very long at all on a daily driver. I think this might just be fillers in general as I found megs tech wax to be much the same. I might try a wing with SRP and see if I find the fillers in that hold up any better.


Fillers are within the layer put down, so I don't see how that'd change your perception other than the LSP layer had, in fact, gone.


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## PJS (Aug 18, 2007)

_daveR said:


> So this stuff is really a kind of all in one? not so much in the common use of the term but more just a product that can be applied on its own and give you masking + shine + protection?





organgrinder said:


> A bit like a super AG SRP then?


SRP minus the abrasives (but chemical cleaning ability) and an actual sealant LSP.
So, yes, just like a super duper über SRP......er......no!
The only similarities is fillers - much the same or a bit more than SRP.


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## PJS (Aug 18, 2007)

Tyrrell said:


> I really don't know how i've overlooked this Autobalm, i'm sure glad i've found it now though.


And neither do I!
It's not like I've been keeping quiet about it for the past 10 months I've been on here, nor mentioned it in the Wax test thread.

Blind git! :lol:


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## Tyrrell (Jan 29, 2007)

PJS said:


> And neither do I!
> It's not like I've been keeping quiet about it for the past 10 months I've been on here, nor mentioned it in the Wax test thread.
> 
> Blind git! :lol:


You are absolutely right i am a blind git !!!! :thumb:

If this stuff is as good as davekg pics suggest i will only ever use this from now on !!!

I really can't wait to try it out, its gonna be a brilliant test on my mates car i think that'll provide some great 50/50 shots !!! i'm so excited !!!

what does it smell like ?

Dave


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

Tyrrell said:


> You are absolutely right i am a blind git !!!! :thumb:
> 
> If this stuff is as good as davekg pics suggest i will only ever use this from now on !!!
> 
> ...


Smell... chemically. No masking of the chemical scent, I quite like the smell but in the same way as I like the smell of petrol! Not really a fruity smell like many products.


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## PJS (Aug 18, 2007)

Unless you have the vanilla version *cough, splutter, mutters* in which case it'll smell like erm.....vanilla, when buffing it.


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## Brisa (Aug 9, 2006)

PJS said:


> Unless you have the vanilla version *cough, splutter, mutters* in which case it'll smell like erm.....vanilla, when buffing it.


Which does smell good! :thumb:

Think I got my autobalm technique down today on a Daewoo! Brought a lovely wet look to silver... very impressed.


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## Tyrrell (Jan 29, 2007)

ok well my order from Elite car care arrived this morning so i've just been informed and i can't physically wait to do the 911 at the weekend (weather permitting). Also i'm looking forward to trying a 50/50 test on my mates Albanian swirled Octavia !!!! 

Just to confirm- i'll use the applicator damp and buff of straight away ?? 

Dave


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## PJS (Aug 18, 2007)

Give it 30 secs to set-up - if any areas are a bit difficult to buff, simply rewipe the pad over that area, and leave 15 secs.
You'll soon get a feel for what's needed given the weather conditions, etc.
Damp pad is really soaked and squeezed, then soaked again and half squeezed.
Sounds daft (Irish even?) but with the current pads they switched to, you need them moister than the original one, which they've been looking into returning to - supplier permitting of course.
You'll know you need more moisture if the pad feels draggy as you're wiping it on squeaky clean paintwork - less so obviously if it's on top of another LSP already on the vehicle.


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## Stew (Jul 9, 2007)

I coated my motorbike frame and swingarm etc with autobalm when it was delivered in April. I didn't do the bodywork though.


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

Tyrrell said:


> ok well my order from Elite car care arrived this morning so i've just been informed and i can't physically wait to do the 911 at the weekend (weather permitting). Also i'm looking forward to trying a 50/50 test on my mates Albanian swirled Octavia !!!!
> 
> Just to confirm- i'll use the applicator damp and buff of straight away ??
> 
> Dave


VERY damp pad is ideal. use tiny amounts and I remove immediately. Better to do 2 layers 30 mins apart than a thicjk layer you struggle to get off


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## maesal (Nov 24, 2005)

Wow, I always waited around 10-20 min to remove it. I have to try removing it immediately.


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## tribs (Jun 18, 2007)

PJS said:


> Fillers are within the layer put down, so I don't see how that'd change your perception other than the LSP layer had, in fact, gone.


Hmmm  This needs further investigation. I have put 3 or 4 layers on my drivers wing and it certainly looked like it had done a good job of filling the swirls. The swirls are definitely visible a couple of weeks later though. I wonder if my wash method is removing the Balm. :doublesho

I'll try adding another layer this weekend if the rain clears and scrutinise it further.


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## Glossmax (May 9, 2007)

Welcome to the AB club Dave.
A great product as is most of the Bilt-Hamber range.


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## bluetrebor (May 1, 2008)

What would you use after a weekly wash as a top up/QD? Z8?


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

bluetrebor said:


> What would you use after a weekly wash as a top up/QD? Z8?


just use a QD and top up with AB every couple of months


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## Glossmax (May 9, 2007)

bluetrebor said:


> What would you use after a weekly wash as a top up/QD? Z8?


There shampoo has boosters in it for the Auto-Balm.
If you want to use a QD the Duragloss 921 FCS & Zaino C8 would be my choice.


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## Warzie8 (Sep 11, 2008)

Can a wax be applied after the Autobalm?


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## my fast (Feb 16, 2009)

Does anyone know how long the fillers will last on a daily driver?


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## PJS (Aug 18, 2007)

Warzie8 said:


> Can a wax be applied after the Autobalm?


No need to, but if you must, then 30-60 mins after the balm has been buffed.
Has the potential to reduce the longevity of AB though, hence why not recommended.
AB has enough wax like properties to negate the use of wax other than purely for the aesthetics of wax's beading characteristics.



my fast said:


> Does anyone know how long the fillers will last on a daily driver?


As long as the balm is still on the paintwork - it's not like the fillers rise to the surface and are washed off, or gets under the balm, and removes them that way.
They are part of the film formed by the balm.


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## Chris_4536 (Sep 20, 2006)

If you use too strong a shampoo mix or SSF ratio, it will remove the whole coating prematurely.

Just as with any wax really. Something I have experienced in the past, less now as I always use ONR with maybe a PW pre-rinse if it's really gritty.


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