Favorite Wax?

I'd look at it, feel the paint, and then decide what it needed.

• Baggie test for determining if claying is needed (please don't ask what this is, use the search function or Google)
• View car in sunlight for determining if polishing is needed, and if so, how abrasive (compounding, heavy-cut polish, finishing polish?)
• Do a little research on detailcity.org or other detailing forum to find out how hard or soft the mfgr's paint is if I don't already know so I can make adjustments to pad, polisher rpm, and product if needed

 

Auto parts store junk. Meguiar's Gold Class is a cleaner-wax. What if you've brought your paint into perfect condition by polishing and don't need a cleaner-wax? Then what?

 

I finally waxed my car for the first time last week after owning it for two years. I used Meguiar's cleaner wax with good results. It was relatively inexpensive ($8.99 @ Fred Meyer's), and I have had good results with their products in the past. I found the paint job quality on the Prius to be about average (read: "orange peel"). It is not great, though not bad either, and it shined up rather nicely, except for all numerous rock chips. Also, I think it should be noted that not everyone views car polishing/waxing as a ritual, though obviously one needn't be luxury car/suv owner to engage in at least a little automobile worship. To each their own.

 

I just bought a bottle of the Turtle Wax ICE liquid clay and ICE liguid polish for my 2008 black Prius. The liquid clay is good for getting off water marks but it didn't do a very good job on dried bug splates. I haven't used any of the clays from Zaino or Adams for comparision. Maybe I need something special for bugs. The ICE liquid polish goes on easy and comes off easy and will not leave any white paste in crack and crevises and seems to do a good job.

I may purchase a Zaino kit later. I needed something fast and check out the Turtle Was website and saw these products and decided to try them.

Kelvin

 

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Whatever wax you do choose, make sure it's carnauba wax #1 yellow.

I use:

Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant

P21S Concours Carnauba Car Wax
.

 

For real? I've heard of using it for the plastic, but the paint too? How often do you use it? What do you use to strip it? Intensely curious.

 

I have been using Zaino products for 11 years on my 96 ImpalaSS show car. Zaino Store is the web site. I originally bought direct from Sal for the entire POSSI (Pennsylvania Owners Of SS Impalas). My paint looks as good or better than delivered 11 years ago! Zaino clay with griot's Garage Speed Shine as a lubricant is a great combo. Before car shows I top coat the synthetic Zaino with Blitz carnuba .... and yes Souveran Wax is phenominal but expensive. Regular glass cleaning .... Stoner's Invisible Glass with a microfiber towel. Stubborn spots on the outside glass .... Glass Cooktop Polish from Sears. Bugs ..... Stoner's Tarminator. Zaino leather treatment is to die for ..... it smells so good and your leather will love it.

For $49.95 Complete Vehicle Care Kit from Stoner you can clean anything on the car .... and these products work.

Black trim ..... nothing beats Black Wow....$25 for 4 ounces, but well worth it.

I've just given away many of my car show winning tricks. I am not affiliated with any of these products. Several coats of Zaino will give your car a great UV protection that can not be beat. Most SS bumpers of my vintage show signs of fading. Mine do not. Detailer's Paradise also has a great line of products (Epic) that is very comparable to Zaino. Zaino is just so easy to put on and take off. I leave mine on overnight before removing the next morning. Microfiber towels are a MUST use. I wash with chanille mitts and use an "Absorber" to dry followed by a waffle weave microfiber towel. Ok ... What wash? Zaino wash or Turtle Wax Ice wash. If you are not a fanatic like me ..... Please go to Walmart and buy a big bottle of Turtle Wax Ice car wash as it is a very very good wash.

 

Meguiar's NXT.

 

Thank you for sharing this info!
I almost bought the Souveran Wax but yeah, expensive!
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Just got through washing my Prius and used Eagle spray wax. This was the first time I had used a spray on wax man it was so easy and took only a few minutes and what a shine it put on my prius..If you are going to use a spray on wax wash your wheels first so the car will not dry before your ready to use it... I waxed it with Turtle Carnauba wax about three weeks ago..

 

If you like repeating the process frequently, use wax. Someone before suggested Collonite Insulator Wax which is highly regarded on the detailing forums, holds up well and is a reasonably priced product. (Leave the Pledge for the furniture). The new line of sealants will give you significantly longer protection than wax. I used to use Zaino, which is a very good product, but very labor intensive if you're going to layer it (add additional coats). There are new WOWA (wipe on walk away) products available now that will simply astound you with both their ease of application, results and durability. Ultima Paint Guard Protection Plus is one of these new products, there are others. (Optimum has a great one, too. Zaino makes one, but it is not that well liked on the detailing forums). After you have the surface properly prepared, you literally spend 10 minutes using about 1/2 ounce of this product....spray it a microfiber applicator sponge, wipe on, let it cure for 12 hours and you are done. You can apply additional coats if you wish. No buffing. It leaves the paint surface very slick, has excellent gloss and has held up well under the Florida sun.

 

I use Black Magic Wet Shine. Consumer Reports rated it #1 (didn't compare to zaino or other "specialty" products, just against other auto store quality products) so I decided to give it a try. It works well.

I got my car a little more than a month ago (an 04) and the paint had some scratches and the paint was a little blah.

I clayed it (with Meguires clay...I'll never get that again, it's like play dough, clay magic was much better).

Then I used Turtle Wax polishing compound (which works pretty well and it's cheap, but it's a real pain to buff out).

Then I topped it all off with 2 coats of the Black Magic.

I'm not any kind of perfectionist but I do like to keep my car looking clean and shiny and protect the paint to make it last. The results I got from this process were good. I don't know how much better it could be, but for the money I'm pretty pleased.

 

Chris,
I love the Wolfgang Deep Gloss Sealant. I was curious though--why add the wax to the sealant. I thought one could use either sealant or wax, but it was not necessary to use both.

Thanks,
Scott

 

I use a product called NuFinish on the paint. It's not a wax. It's easy to apply, holds up really well (many months before reapplication), and easy to find in most stores. The manufacturer says that it's a once a year application, but I don't wait that long. Beads well for months and holds a deep shine.

It also does a great job a keeping bugs from sticking. I just drove over 900 miles one way. Lots of bugs splattered on the front bumper. The next evening after we returned, I washed with warm water using Zip Wax car wash, and let the soap sit for a couple of minutes on the buggy areas. Then I hit it with the car wash again, and then rinsed. Bugs all gone. The last time that I had applied some to the bumper was probably around 2 months ago.

Frank

 

If you like NuFinish then I strongly recommend Wolfgang Deep Gloss Sealant to you. You'll end up throwing out any remaining NuFinish product you may have. (That's what I did.) Much higher quality and typically lasts an average of 6 months. It will cost you more, but it is like going from single A ball to the big leagues.