Whats the Best Wax to use
10-19-12, 06:56 AM
#6
The best wax to use is the one you like. If you like it you will use it more often. Ask any 10 detailers what their best wax is and you will get 20 answers.
What are you looking for when you ask what wax is best? Best at protecting, best in appearance, or longest lasting. No one product is best at all three, IMO.
There are waxes (i.e. conventional carnauba or natural waxes), there are sealants that are entirely synthetic, there are hybrids which combine the two and lastly there are coatings. You will also find no official industry wide terms for these products. Meguiar's labels many of their sealants as waxes, for example.
Coatings provide the longest lasting durability and the best protection. Products like C-Quartz and OptiCoat 2.0 are a couple examples of coatings with more products in this category appearing every day. Coatings look pretty good but with all types of protection, looks are subjective. Coatings, at least the three I've used, seem prone to water spotting. If or when you choose to remove a coating you will need an abrasive polish and a DA. You can't remove a coating with an IPA or Dupont Prepsol type of chemical cleaner or body solvent like you can with waxes or sealants.
Sealants offer better protection in many environments (but not all) than natural waxes. Sealants typically deliver a saran wrap or candy coating look on most paint. IMO, sealants look better than carnaubas on lighter colors.
Carnaubas generally offer a deeper darker gloss that I often prefer on darker color paints. Carnaubas, as a group, seldom outlast sealants (Collinite 845 and Meg's #16 being notable exceptions) but do frequently offer better protection against acidic types of contaminants, i.e. bird and bug deposits.
Sealants and waxes leave micron thin coatings that wear away over a few weeks or months. Coatings, OTOH, are thicker, nearly as thick as the clear-coat layer itself and are semi-permanant. They require an abrasive polish to remove them, hence they will protect for years. That's not to say they will look good for years, yet they offer a lot more UV protection than either sealants or waxes.
As far as looks go, most of the stunning looks one sees from a well detailed car comes from proper prep work and not from the wax, sealant or coating used. I've done double blind testing on several occasions that have demonstrated this conclusively. In one case, I did not apply any product after the prep work and none of the judges could tell.
What are you looking for when you ask what wax is best? Best at protecting, best in appearance, or longest lasting. No one product is best at all three, IMO.
There are waxes (i.e. conventional carnauba or natural waxes), there are sealants that are entirely synthetic, there are hybrids which combine the two and lastly there are coatings. You will also find no official industry wide terms for these products. Meguiar's labels many of their sealants as waxes, for example.
Coatings provide the longest lasting durability and the best protection. Products like C-Quartz and OptiCoat 2.0 are a couple examples of coatings with more products in this category appearing every day. Coatings look pretty good but with all types of protection, looks are subjective. Coatings, at least the three I've used, seem prone to water spotting. If or when you choose to remove a coating you will need an abrasive polish and a DA. You can't remove a coating with an IPA or Dupont Prepsol type of chemical cleaner or body solvent like you can with waxes or sealants.
Sealants offer better protection in many environments (but not all) than natural waxes. Sealants typically deliver a saran wrap or candy coating look on most paint. IMO, sealants look better than carnaubas on lighter colors.
Carnaubas generally offer a deeper darker gloss that I often prefer on darker color paints. Carnaubas, as a group, seldom outlast sealants (Collinite 845 and Meg's #16 being notable exceptions) but do frequently offer better protection against acidic types of contaminants, i.e. bird and bug deposits.
Sealants and waxes leave micron thin coatings that wear away over a few weeks or months. Coatings, OTOH, are thicker, nearly as thick as the clear-coat layer itself and are semi-permanant. They require an abrasive polish to remove them, hence they will protect for years. That's not to say they will look good for years, yet they offer a lot more UV protection than either sealants or waxes.
As far as looks go, most of the stunning looks one sees from a well detailed car comes from proper prep work and not from the wax, sealant or coating used. I've done double blind testing on several occasions that have demonstrated this conclusively. In one case, I did not apply any product after the prep work and none of the judges could tell.
10-19-12, 07:15 AM
#7
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"...Carnaubas generally offer a deeper darker gloss that I often prefer on darker color paints. Carnaubas, as a group, seldom outlast sealants (Collinite 845 and Meg's #16 being notable exceptions) but do frequently offer better protection against acidic types of contaminants, i.e. bird and bug deposits. "
Or try Collinite 476S for even longer protection. But do not even think about doing large areas at a time though, as I can personally confirm that warning is true.
Or try Collinite 476S for even longer protection. But do not even think about doing large areas at a time though, as I can personally confirm that warning is true.
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10-20-12, 03:38 PM
#9
There's no reason to labor 10+ hours on detailing your new car. Wash it regularly, 2 or 3 times, a month and use spray wax. Easy one and extremely easy off without stains or powder residues. It may even look better than the typical crappy car washes detailer.
Use spray wax to wipe down the engine bay area, and all over the exterior and plastic parts inside. Chemical Guys V7 and Optimum (Light color car) are my favorite.
Use spray wax to wipe down the engine bay area, and all over the exterior and plastic parts inside. Chemical Guys V7 and Optimum (Light color car) are my favorite.
11-09-12, 07:08 AM
#15
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I'm lazy, and just buy my wash/wax stuff locally.
I've had great results with Maguire's Clay Bar, followed by NXT wax http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotiv...-wax-20-paste/
Over the top, I use Mother's California Gold Showtime Instant Detailer spray http://www.mothers.com/02_products/08224.html I've used this magic potion on my motorcycle for years, and it works wonders at making bug guts easy to get rid of. It's great on clear plastic (headlight lens, M/C faceshield, etc), and interior bits (dash, etc). Plus, it has a cinnamon smell that is easy to live with.
Hmmm... We're expecting >60F this weekend. Maybe I just made plans!!
I've had great results with Maguire's Clay Bar, followed by NXT wax http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotiv...-wax-20-paste/
Over the top, I use Mother's California Gold Showtime Instant Detailer spray http://www.mothers.com/02_products/08224.html I've used this magic potion on my motorcycle for years, and it works wonders at making bug guts easy to get rid of. It's great on clear plastic (headlight lens, M/C faceshield, etc), and interior bits (dash, etc). Plus, it has a cinnamon smell that is easy to live with.
Hmmm... We're expecting >60F this weekend. Maybe I just made plans!!