Waxing

For those of you who DO wax your vehicles, what brand and type do you use? I've always used the "dry to a haze" then work your butt off to get the haze off type thinking I was putting down a good coat down.

Heat, humidity, and age are conspiring against me to continue this. So I'm intrigued by the wipe-it-on, wipe-it-off with no haze to remove and white chalk to chase with Q-tips.. Cleaner waxes, too..

And, no, adding "wax" to the do-it-yourself car wash doesn't count. I was using Xymol with good results. So what say you?

Wax Shoppe Super Glaze

Last time I waxed my car I used Zymol, it seemed to wear off pretty quick. I would wax more often but I never want to take the time.

I'm not much for detailing. A good carnauba wax and an old t-shirt used to be the way to go when I was in high school in the early-mid 90's, which was the last time I was really enthused about waxing.

I bought an '03 MINI that has been fanatically maintained and detailed it's whole life, so I felt compelled to keep it that way.

I read up and it seems like the newer chemistry has rendered carnauba about obsolete. I use Prima "Epic" synthetic wax about once a month. In-between waxings, I wash the car and get most of the heavy beading water off, then spray the whole car (glass and everything) with Prima "Hydro" and then wipe it off with a clean microfiber.

My impressions of a new high-end synthetic versus the old carnauba are that the new stuff is much, much easier to apply and remove. It also lasts much longer. After a month and several washings, the car still beads up water amazingly.

The old Carnauba stuff still seems like it is better for initial depth, but most of it is gone the first time you wash the car.

I'm a fan of the new stuff.

Meguiars nxt. Easy on, easy off. Lasts forever.

I've used all the high end stuff and NXT works as well or better.

You'll never look back.

Meguiars gold class - its pretty cheap, easy to use and lasts a good long while for me. Make sure your car is super clean and the surface is cool first though. I apply it with a regular old towel, and buff it with a clean sock turned inside out. its buttah

A wax thread and no votes for Brazilian?

The carwash up the street will wash and machine wax for $45. I let them.

protection: collinite insulator wax, or collinite super double-coat (old school, takes serious time & muscle to get off, but worth it),

cleaning: gliptone pro-buff cleaner wax

looks: nxt wax

I am at the opposite end of the spectrum. I enjoy detailing and of course like anything else there are entire web sites devoted to car care. One of the more popular sites and one I enjoy is http://www.autopia.org/ .

Briefly, clay bar the paint for contaminates, compound for any oxidation, polish, wax and seal. I know it sounds like a lot of work and expense but once you get it good it's easy to keep it there. Of course it looks awesome but the added bonus is it's much easier to sell when the time comes and typically commands a higer price.

tjthom wrote: Meguiars nxt. Easy on, easy off. Lasts forever. I've used all the high end stuff and NXT works as well or better. You'll never look back.

xGOOGOLPLEX

I finally got around to doing the Miata for the first time since I finished the 5 week mechanical restoration.

The paint looked pretty awful so I started with a wash then buffed the car w/ Meguiars medium cut compound on a medium foam pad - a second wash then went over again with swirl-free polish on a soft foam pad.

For what it's worth the first pass was cutting color everywhere - were miatas not clear coated in '89?...

Another wash then a good coat of Meguiars NXT worked in w/ the purple foam applicator it comes with and rubbed off with 2 microfiber towels.

The car looks really, really good.

The NXT is a good, easy to apply wax, but I wonder where ya'll who say it lasts a long time live. My observation is that it's notoriously short-lived.

The Land Crusher got Meguir's spray wax. I'm still working through a bottle of Meguir's Gold Class for everything else. Might switch to P21S when it's done, I only hear good things.

Zaino makes some really good products. Lots of discussion about it on the roadfly detailing forum

paul wrote: protection: collinite insulator wax

The Collinite 845 has been working well for me. Lasts longer than other oft recommended waxes (6-7 months v. 2-3) and looks pretty good when combined with a paint sealer after polishing. It's not necessarily easier/harder to put on than other brands but if I only have to do it twice a year it's worth the effort.

motomoron wrote: For what it's worth the first pass was cutting color everywhere - were miatas not clear coated in '89?...

No. Not for at least another 5 years and only on certain colors iirc.

Keith?

tjthom wrote: Meguiars nxt. Easy on, easy off. Lasts forever. I've used all the high end stuff and NXT works as well or better. You'll never look back.

Same here-love it.

Osterkraut wrote: The Land Crusher got Meguir's spray wax. I'm still working through a bottle of Meguir's Gold Class for everything else. Might switch to P21S when it's done, I only hear good things.

Sorry what?

You waxed a Land cruiser?

I'm glad you've chosen this way to come of out the closet.... I accept your new found sexuality and support the repeal of don't ask don't tel..

I'm in the same boat, give Optimum Car Wax (spray) a try.

and the best part... Optimum Car Wax even protects vinyl trim and moldings without staining it.

I've always bought it here > http://www.autogeek.net/optimum-spray-wax.html

Meguiars #26! I alway come back to it. leaves no white powder. power buffer it on wipe off easy by hand no swirl marks.

Tried Zmol twice it was awfully slimy crap never dried but left a slick oily slime that you could see every wipe behind that would not wipe off. Called there hot line they told me i used to much..WTF. Tossed it in the trash after having problems the second time.

44

ignorant wrote:

Osterkraut wrote: The Land Crusher got Meguir's spray wax. I'm still working through a bottle of Meguir's Gold Class for everything else. Might switch to P21S when it's done, I only hear good things.

Sorry what? You waxed a Land cruiser? I'm glad you've chosen this way to come of out the closet.... I accept your new found sexuality and support the repeal of don't ask don't tel..

The Land Cruiser was made the same offer I make all my vehicles: I keep them clean, they keep starting. So far, so good.

Osterkraut wrote:

ignorant wrote:

Osterkraut wrote: The Land Crusher got Meguir's spray wax. I'm still working through a bottle of Meguir's Gold Class for everything else. Might switch to P21S when it's done, I only hear good things.

Sorry what? You waxed a Land cruiser? I'm glad you've chosen this way to come of out the closet.... I accept your new found sexuality and support the repeal of don't ask don't tel..

The Land Cruiser was made the same offer I make all my vehicles: I keep them clean, they keep starting. So far, so good.

waxing a land cruiser is like shaving a dog. A horrible, painful and lengthy process that serves no purpose whatsoever..

I'm not a waxer for the most part. I'm barely a washer. When I was in high school and had a Mazda GLC (the rear wheel drive version)(great little car by the way) that had some rust and paint issues, I used to wash that thing all the time. I'd even clean the inside, windows, tires, everything.

Twenty some odd years later, I have no enthusiasm at all to clean my cars. I wash them when they really need it. I think it's been a couple years since I've vacuumed the inside of a car. I do take care of them - they are not full of trash or anything, but I sure don't have the time, inclination, or energy to wax.

Another vote for Meguires NXT, using a (ahem) inexpensive buffer. Hand-waxing is for the birds.

NXT lasts forever on my garage queen, and even seems to last a decent amount of time (rain water beads five or six months down the road) on the outside cars.

Do they still make NXT or am I going to have to eventually make the switch to NXT 2.0?

Collinite 476 worked really well for me in the UK, once I get around to cleaning and waxing the cars here I'll be buying another tub here.