Car Wax: Whats your favorite? and does it really work?
Okay Guys. I was taught by my dad (God rest his soul) that a car should be religiously and thoroughly waxed at least twice a year; spring and fall.
Spring for the anticipation of the hot summer months, and fall: in the same for the winter months. Being the firstborn, my dad really hammered these things to me, (also the most important of all to never let my tank go below one quarter of a tank...which has made me gasoline OCD to this day)
Anyways.... I have heard the most of those waxes out there are nothing better than cucumber coaters...(carnuba...I'm lookin at you) and some claim to be the next best thing to a glass coat. You car renovators,etc...whats the word? I got that urge to wax...what should I choose?
I'm not convinced that one wax is a LOT better then another one. Personally I like a Carnuba wax. It seems to last the longer then most. Almost every company out there sells a carnuba wax. The MOST important thing is to wax it...doesn't matter with what...just put some wax on it.
I usually use a three part system...After I wash it...then I use a cleaner....then polisher...then wax...Takes me about 2 hours per vehicle....sometimes I use a barclay.
I like macguires..too...Also like Blue Coral and even Turtle....just stay away from the gimmick waxes you see advertised on TV.
I always used to wax my cars religiously 2-3 times a year, until one day 21 years ago. I spent that day waxing our car while my wife took care of our new baby. My wife believed I should be spending more time helping with our daughter than on the car, and she let me know that. While the discussion did start off as an argument at first, I did listen to her and am glad I did. The years of spending time with our kids and family means far more to me than how shiny our cars were.
I agree...family time is far more important....But if keeping your car well maintained and looking nice is important you make the time. I've spent several nights working on cars or waxing our cars well past midnight. Don't start until kids are in bed.....that's when I have MY FREE time....
Of course ANY brand name car wax will work if you use it. Three or four times a year is fine, depending on the climate and where the car spends most of it's life. If you park in a garage at work and a garage at night you'l most certainly have a much longer lasting finish than if yuo park in the Arizona sun all day.
TSM, I've Been Using NuFinish For Many Years. It's Fairly Inexpensive And It's Liquid. It shines very well and lasts quite a while. I've even used it in the sun and I like how easily the residue wipes off.
I use a little 5-6 inch electric random orbit waxer to apply it and being liquid helps soften bugs and crap and gets all the little gritties off. I used to do this by hand rubbing, but it kills my wrists for a couple of days and takes three times longer and doesn't work as well. I still do nooks and crannies by hand, but there's not many.
I just did mine yesterday and that is what I used. I will be doing the she who must be obeyed's car today. I agree NuFinish seems to be a good product.
The last time CU rated them, Black Magic and a Turtle liquid were tops for very low $. In general, liguids>paste>>spray-on.
It makes a difference if you have a white or very light-coolored car vs. a dark one. Black ones can tolerate no hazing, but some of the ones that do a little hazing are better in other areas.
I generally use paste waxes. I use Carnuba on my red vehicles and Turtle Wax on everything else. I also use Turtle Wax's chrome polish. I don't think the brand matters that much.
You've gotta be nuts to use wax. Glare auto-polish. Apply, buff. Wash using their carwash replenishes the shine. Dry with a micro-fiber towel and it looks good as fresh waxed. I applied polish a year and a half ago, and have no reason to redo yet.
Auto Polish is NOT a wax....it does NOT protect the paint.
Polish is GREAT for conditioning the paint. In fact....it will actually REMOVE most wax...Once polished the paint is ready to be waxed. Read the directions of any polish...it says that after you polish the paint you need to apply a sealant or wax.
Read the directions for Glare autopolish. Even the best carnuba shine will fade in 6 weeks, and will yellow eventually. Not the same protection? Anything you say buddy.
I suggest you actually go to the Glare website and actually READ their product information....here's their URL....http://www.glare.com/ecart/products.asp
Their polish is NOT a polish...it's a polish AND sealant....which is exactly what I said...Some companies combine two different products into one...In this case a Polish and Sealant...Some companies have a cleaner/wax combo...others have a cleaner/polish combo.....I stand behind my original statement....."Polish is GREAT for conditioning the paint."...it is NOT good at protecting the paint (which is what a wax/sealant does).
OK, I understand what you're saying, and the product description. But, if water beads up on the paint is it not protected? Who should I believe, you or my lying eyes? 18 months without a reapplication. Can any wax do better? I think not.
. But, if water beads up on the paint is it not protected?
The Glaze stuff you mentioned DOES have a sealant...so when you use it the paint is protected. Other companies like Mcguires or Blue Coral make a Polish ONLY...So after you use their Polish then you'll have to use a wax...I think they also both make a Polish AND Wax combo (just to add to the confusion).
A Polish is what actually makes the Paint shine.....A Wax protects the paint.
cwwjr1, just admit that what you are using is not really a polish. It is a product that calls itself a polish but is really more.
If it provides the protection you need, and you like, go on using it. However, in discussions like this one, saying you only polish your car and that you don't wax it isn't really the case. You do both in one step, and it has worked well for you.
Mike and I just want to be sure someone doesn't read your posts and think that a true polish is all that is needed.
10/19/2009 6:02:37 PM
