favorite wax?

[arrow]

anyone heard of cling?

soundguy

This is a New Finish product which makes pretty good stuff (sometimes streaky if you've just moved your vehicle in the shade or on warm days even though it states can be used in the sun) and is readily available. Cling is intended for in between waxings to keep up a shine with little effort for those touch up applications. It is not intended for long lasting protection as in once or twice a year applications.

 

[NewToy]

Liquid Glass has always been a favorite of mine. Really durable and easy to work with. It's a liquid, comes in a rectangular can and I believe Auto Zone carries it. A tad expensive but produces an amazing finish.

John

 

[ray66v]

Modern automotive finishes absolutely DO NOT need to be waxed.

They have very tight structures that do not allow moisture penetration like finishes of the past.

They do however, need to be cleaned, and occasionally polished. Pollution, brake particles, etc., need to be removed, and a light polishing needs to be performed if you want to maintain your gloss.

Neither of these operations can be done with any of the "spray and shine" products. They simply make your vehicle bead water, which can actually cause harm, by increasing the likely hood of minerals forming water spot on your finish. And the silicone's these products are loaded with, can be detrimental to paint repairs.

Until recent years, few over the counter products really provided the public with a product that will actually do these jobs. Everyone wants a simple spray on some silicone, call it wax, and declare the job done product.

Meguiars now has products for the public, that are very similar to the professional products I have used in the shop.

Proper car care requires some real effort, and some time. But, not a lot of sweat, if you do it right.

For those who are interested, here is what I recommend:

If you have a newer vehicle, I recommend a cleaner of some type be used on the finish, like Meguiars Cleaner Wax. This is a very mild cleaner, with just a bit of wax, so you say you waxed it. Follow with a Carnuba paste wax, if you really insist on waxing it. Don't let the wax dry, it servers no purpose other than making the job a lot harder. Don't believe me? Do 1/2 your hood letting it dry, and 1/2 buffing it in an wiping it off right away, you will never see any difference.

On an older vehicle, you should use a clay bar first, it will remove the grit. The clay is rubbed over the finish, lubricated by dipping it in soapy water first. Then, apply a product like Meguiars Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner. This is a heavier cleaner, that will remove minor abrasions from everyday wear and tare. Again, you can follow with a paste wax if your a glutton for punishment.

They sell kits that have these products combined in one box, at places like Advanced, and Autozone.

The Cleaning should be done using a soft cloth. An old T-shirt balled up is ideal. Buff in a circular motion, until the product starts to dry, flip the rag over, and buff off the residue. Work in small areas. You will be able to feel the difference, when you run your hand over the finish, if you have properly cleaned it. When it is clean, the waxing goes a lot easier.

Once you have it all smooth, and clean, it take much less effort to occasionally go over it, and keep it that way. :thumbsup:

I have done enough of this, to last me through my next 12 lives, so I won't be joining you.

 

[General Lee]

Modern automotive finishes absolutely DO NOT need to be waxed.

Sorry sir, you are wrong.

 

[Soundguy]

still.. I like hearing all the info from all the users.. gives me a bigger menue to choose from.

thanks

soundguy

 

[ray66v]

Sorry sir, you are wrong.

I have worked my whole life in the industry, been trained by the paint manufacturers, and worked with product developers.

We offer a lifetime guarantee on our finishes, which is backed by the manufacturers of the paint. They, (the paint manufacturers), tell us the finishes do not require any wax, and they, (the paint manufacturers), tell us, to tell the customers, that waxing them is unnecessary.

If you would like, I will tell them first thing Monday, they need to talk to you, so you can straighten them out. :thumbsup:

Cars were originally waxed for 2 reasons.

1. To seal the finish against moisture.

Finishes used to be very porous, they benefited from having wax applied because it sealed the surface to help protect the base material. This problem has been eliminated by producing better undercoats, (that means primers, and sealers), and top coats, which do not allow moisture penetration.

2. To remove oxidation.

Finishes used to oxidize rapidly. Waxes years ago, generally had significant amounts of polishing compound in them to remove the oxidation. Modern urethane finishes don't break down quickly, like the old time finishes. On top of that, almost all vehicles are coated with uv protected clear coats. This clear coat effectively eliminates oxidation.

Since both reasons have been eliminated, there is no reason to wax your car.

As far as cars you may have owned, or seen, with defective paint, I repair them all the time, those problems cannot be attributed to the lack of a coat of wax, no matter how badly you want to believe that.

However, I understand that some do not realize it's 2010, and will still insist on waxing their cars. Just like some insist on changing their oil at 3,000 miles, writing checks, and using snail mail.

Old traditions die hard.

 

[Soundguy]

wow.. I don't even know where to begin.

1, alot of older paints ( and current ones ) were using alkyd enamil.. that's leftover from the 30's and 40's technology. You can still get alkyd paint.. for instance the BPS paint from valspar is alkyd enamil. I would not classify that as non sealed and porous. It makes a right nice shine.

2, I think the reason many of us wax an item is 2 fold.

1, make it shinier.. purely cosmetic.

2, make it resist dirt / easier to clean. take the average bird dropping and plop it on the average un waxed car, and on the waxed car.. then hit them with the hose. the bird doo-doo washes off the waxed car easier.

I wasn't challanging anything you know or anything the paint manufacturers know.

the fact you an find about 300 different wax and wax like products on store shelves shows there is a consumer demand for tem. And most of that I'd wager is based on the cosmetic aspect of shedding water ( less water spots ), and the shine. Both quite valid points, regardless if a paint needs waxing or not.

Wow.. I guess with any topic.. you start one asking which products people like and there will always be someone standing up saying they are bad..

oh well.. just hit up walmart on the way to work and grabbed some basic turtle wax.

soundguy

 

[ray66v]

wow.. I don't even know where to begin.

1, alot of older paints ( and current ones ) were using alkyd enamil.. that's leftover from the 30's and 40's technology. You can still get alkyd paint.. for instance the BPS paint from valspar is alkyd enamil. I would not classify that as non sealed and porous. It makes a right nice shine.

2, I think the reason many of us wax an item is 2 fold.

1, make it shinier.. purely cosmetic.

2, make it resist dirt / easier to clean. take the average bird dropping and plop it on the average un waxed car, and on the waxed car.. then hit them with the hose. the bird doo-doo washes off the waxed car easier.

I wasn't challanging anything you know or anything the paint manufacturers know.

the fact you an find about 300 different wax and wax like products on store shelves shows there is a consumer demand for tem. And most of that I'd wager is based on the cosmetic aspect of shedding water ( less water spots ), and the shine. Both quite valid points, regardless if a paint needs waxing or not.

Wow.. I guess with any topic.. you start one asking which products people like and there will always be someone standing up saying they are bad..

oh well.. just hit up walmart on the way to work and grabbed some basic turtle wax.

soundguy

Soundguy???, I am totally puzzled about why your responding to my post, since it was specifically directed at someone else.

Please note: The first thing I said was, modern automotive finishes do not need to be waxed.

"Modern" meaning today's, not the old products you described. And "need" meaning it is not necessary. That is not to say you can't make a vehicle look shinier by doing so.

If you were to follow the procedures I prescribed, you would find that any paint will have the same, or better shine, and it will clean up just as easily, as if you put on wax.

Most of the shine in today's wax is the result of the silicone compounds contained in the wax, to make it easy to apply, and remove. Many "waxes" people use are nothing but silicone. They hide the surface imperfections with a temporary oily layer. The silicone evaporates, and wears off quickly, re-exposing the worn surface.

Proper cleaning, and polishing, like the way I suggested, will renew the surface, and produce a more permanent, lasting shine.

I am not going to convince everyone here. I offer advice to those who are open minded. I would appreciate it if those who are not interested, would simply disregard it, since neither of us is going to change the others mind.

 

[Soundguy]

I'm not sure what, if anything, that changes what I said.

my point anbout the older paint tech was that it was pretty darn shiney with no wax.. IE.. I've painted plenty of tractors that had a finish nice enough to see yourself in.. IE.. not a porus finish needing a sealer.. etc. ( old tech paint )

not worth arguing about.. waste of bandwidth..

soundguy

 

[arrow]

Sorry sir, you are wrong.

Ray gave valid reasons as to why you do not need to wax a modern finish. He also gave methods on how to obtain a sheen on a car. For you to state he is wrong and not give any reasons why does not substantiate your stance. Much if not all he states is dead on. Us guys who are in our 60's and 70's still wax cars because of habit. One of my daughters cars (2001 Neon) was untouched for 8 years. We polished it one day and the paint looked brand new. You could not do that with a 65 Mustang. I just finished cleaning one of my other daughter's 2008 Accord. It did not look much different from when I washed it, to when I waxed it. Clear coats brought in a whole different world to auto surface detailing.