Th3Franz Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 What do people like to use for wax that looks good and lasts a long time? I guess I'm looking for something that might hold up a bit longer than the Meguiar's NXT Tech wax, but I have not used the paste yet, so maybe that lasts longer. -Franz The end of a Legacy http://www.youtube.com/th3franz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted February 16, 2005 Author Share Posted February 16, 2005 Here's the thing... carnauba waxes have a life of about 6 to 8 weeks tops. Carnauba just isn't that durable. A synthetic like Zaino, Klasse, Wolfgang, etc. will last longer because it bonds to the car differently. A good comparison is to imagine dipping your finger in hot candle wax. The wax dries to form a shell around your finger. If you wriggle your finger around a bit then you can pull the shell off. That is similar to car wax. It is forming a shell that will loosen as your car shrinks and expands in the heat. A sealant is like dipping your finger in super glue. It bonds to the surface and will shrink or expand with the car. That gives a sealant 12 weeks or longer durabiltiy. Many people will top their sealant with a carnauba to get the 'glow' effect as well as the durability. I like to do that too, but I like to get about 3 layers of my favorite sealant on there before I do that. You can't layer a sealant over a carnauba simply because of the oils in the wax. It will inhibit the sealant from bonding properly. I've got more information on carnaubas and sealants on www.ocdetails.com if you are interested. There are lots of choices in either catagory once you start shopping outside of Walmart or autopart stores. Many of the best looking products are only available online. Once you cross over to some of these products you'll never be going back. I still shop at Walmart for a lot of my stuff, but when I am looking for a sealant or a fine carnauba paste wax, then I go online for that usually. NXT has been very good and I am glad I can get that locally. Its great to have high quality products like that on the shelf for people who don't want to order online. NXT is only "so-so" compared to what else is out there though.... _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddog Posted February 17, 2005 Share Posted February 17, 2005 Thanks for the excelelnt write up OCDetails. I have a regal blue GT as well, only mine is a wagon. Could you tell me what kind of sealant and wax you are using? And where did you buy them from? Thanks. Here's the thing... carnauba waxes have a life of about 6 to 8 weeks tops. Carnauba just isn't that durable. A synthetic like Zaino, Klasse, Wolfgang, etc. will last longer because it bonds to the car differently. A good comparison is to imagine dipping your finger in hot candle wax. The wax dries to form a shell around your finger. If you wriggle your finger around a bit then you can pull the shell off. That is similar to car wax. It is forming a shell that will loosen as your car shrinks and expands in the heat. A sealant is like dipping your finger in super glue. It bonds to the surface and will shrink or expand with the car. That gives a sealant 12 weeks or longer durabiltiy. Many people will top their sealant with a carnauba to get the 'glow' effect as well as the durability. I like to do that too, but I like to get about 3 layers of my favorite sealant on there before I do that. You can't layer a sealant over a carnauba simply because of the oils in the wax. It will inhibit the sealant from bonding properly. I've got more information on carnaubas and sealants on www.ocdetails.com if you are interested. There are lots of choices in either catagory once you start shopping outside of Walmart or autopart stores. Many of the best looking products are only available online. Once you cross over to some of these products you'll never be going back. I still shop at Walmart for a lot of my stuff, but when I am looking for a sealant or a fine carnauba paste wax, then I go online for that usually. NXT has been very good and I am glad I can get that locally. Its great to have high quality products like that on the shelf for people who don't want to order online. NXT is only "so-so" compared to what else is out there though.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Posted February 17, 2005 Share Posted February 17, 2005 Stay away from those blades!!! I bought one and used it ONCE on my 96 Impala...Black of course, and it scratched the hood to $hit. You must have been doing something wrong. I have been using the same cali water blade for my weekly washes for the past 6 years. First on my black GTI, then a red GTI, and now my Regal Blue Legacy. Never one scratch ever, except for the time it slipped out of my hand and scuffed the fender of my black car. The cali water blade is great and I swear by it. As for wax, I used to use One Grand Blitz wax, which is fantastic stuff- comparable or better than the P21S. I have since switched to Meguiar's NXT, and it is also good, but cheaper and a bit easier to use. -Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted February 17, 2005 Author Share Posted February 17, 2005 Thanks for the excelelnt write up OCDetails. I have a regal blue GT as well, only mine is a wagon. Could you tell me what kind of sealant and wax you are using? And where did you buy them from? Thanks. Currently I'm using Wolfgang sealant. There are several places you can buy it from. Autogeek.net and PremiumAutoCare.com are the two that I usually order from. I have more than a few choices of sealants and waxes on my shelves and when I got this car in the garage the first one I reached for was Wolfgang. I wish I had a picture of it today. It looks amazing. I didn't think that a new car could look better than new, but it can. I'm sticking with Wolfgang for this car. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted March 1, 2005 Author Share Posted March 1, 2005 Just out of curiosity, has anyone noticed one wax or another that helps with dust? Some products just attract it because of all the oils while others like Klasse repel dust. I'm just curious what kinds of waxes you guys like that perhaps don't attract dust as bad as some others. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red beast Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 that's not true about the carnuba wax. mine does last 3-4 months. when my car needs a wash i will either do it by hand myself or bring it to the car wash in a do-it-yourself wand "garage". at the car wash i never use the brush they provide, only the spray wand. if i want to add to the wax i will use the wand thus getting an extra month out of the carnuba hand polish job. btw the nxt car polish does not work over carnuba. the nxt will just streak up over it and not blend in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted March 1, 2005 Author Share Posted March 1, 2005 The wax available out of a wand is not going to last a month. You will be lucky to get a week out of it. The amount of actual "wax" in that is so minimal that I'm surprised they can even get away with calling it one. What is the brand of wax that you are using that lasts 3 to 4 months? Is this a carnauba wax or a synthetic sealant product? The only way to get a straight wax to last 3 or 4 months is to not let it sit outside durring the day and probably not drive it much at all. Carnauba is just too fragile to last that long. It has nothing to do with the quality of the wax. It is a fact that a carnauba wax cannot last 3 or 4 months in normal daily driver conditions. Anything that lasts that long is a synthetic and not a carnauba. NXT has micro polishes in it that will likely remove any wax that you are trying to layer it on top of. It won't streak or blend in. It will just remove the wax and then replace it. It is better to layer carnaubas on top of NXT if layering is your thing. NXT is a synthetic wax that will last longer than a carnauba, but very few products (even synthetic ones) will last longer than 3 months. Most waxes are in the 6 to 8 week realm and synthetics will last 4 to 6 weeks longer than that depending on your environment and exposure to the elements. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerMan Posted March 30, 2005 Share Posted March 30, 2005 I use Meguiar's Gold Class. I find it easy to put on and take off. I may try something else when I run out but for now it works well. After the Gold Class I usually do some Mequiar's Quick Detailer over the whole car. It seems to help the dust issue and tends really make the wax job stand out. I tend to buy the Meguiar's gift packs around Christmas and Father's Day time when they get marked down to like 50%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted March 30, 2005 Author Share Posted March 30, 2005 Gold class is great stuff. It has long been held as one of the best liquid waxes that you can buy off the shelf. One of the resasons for the dust issues with wax is the oil in the carnauba. What makes the car look so good is the oil on the surface that gives it gloss and depth. That oil eventually evaporates, but before it does it becomes a huge dust magnet. Using a QD after waxing will help reduce some of that oil and cut down on the dust factor. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtguy Posted March 30, 2005 Share Posted March 30, 2005 Griot's Garage Best of Show wax for me. My waxing frequency depends on how often I drive. These days, on my 5-6k annually program, I wax every two months or so. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvigneau Posted March 30, 2005 Share Posted March 30, 2005 I use the 3M Perfect It stuff for my medium cut, fine cut, swirl mark remover and polisher. Seems to work ok. I am not as OCD as others (especially the Autopia guys). I also have the Porter Cable (PC) 7336 and it works great. I was able to "remove" the scratch the car wash put on it. This was prior to my new gained intelligence and now will only hand wash. Definitely worth the $100 at Lowe's. No Silent CD Aux-In Solution Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sawyer1370 Posted March 30, 2005 Share Posted March 30, 2005 Ok, there is tons of good suggestions for waxes. What do you guys use for clay bars, or does it even matter? I need to spruce up my Maxima so I can trade it in and get a Regal Blue lgt with taupe interior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mosca Posted March 30, 2005 Share Posted March 30, 2005 1) Gold Class has been reformulated. It has gone from one of the waxes I like least to one of the ones I really like to use. If you are ready to buy another bottle of wax, the new version is easier on, easier off, looks great and lasts MUCH longer. 2) I NXT'd my white 2.5i a month ago, Feb 27th. Since then it's been outside 24/7; I haven't even had a chance to wash it since then, the weather's been so bad. It's still slick, still beading. Typically I use whatever comes to hand. I might try the Zaino, I might use Mother's Cleaner Wax. I might use Klasse, I might use Meguiar's #26. I have a sample of #21, the new Meguiar's synthetic sealant. I might try that. Tom FRA-GEE-LAY... It must be Italian! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unilat Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 I'm an S100 kinda guy for waxes. You can get it at Harley Davidson dealerships. I dont' know why they sell it there and nowhere else, but its worth the hunt for it. Off topic warning.... S100 makes a great water-based wash on/wash off cleaner as well. I've been using it for at least 20 years on my bikes and I continue to be amazed at how well it works. S100 products can be found at most good motorcycle stores - sometimes rebranded under the bike manufacturerers name (i.e. Suzuki). I would guess Suzuki S100 is going to be cheaper than Harley S100 though. Check out http://www.ironpony.com for the real McCoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted March 31, 2005 Author Share Posted March 31, 2005 I dunno..... I don't know that S100 can get much cheaper than $15 bucks a jar. I've never seen it rebranded for the specific shop its sold in. Its just regular S100 at the Harley shops I've been in. On another side note... Its been widely rumored that S100 is the same product as the twice as pricey P21S. While I've never been able to tell them apart other than S100 is now a little more yellow, I have heard that S100 has special flex agents in it and is designed specifically for use on motorcycles. I've been using it on cars for years and never been able to figure out why it is special, but hey... whatever works. S100 is an awesome product no matter what it is meant for. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drewster Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 what do you recommend if I want the look of carnauba but the lasting protection of a synthetic/polymer product? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted April 4, 2005 Author Share Posted April 4, 2005 Wolfgang or Four Star Ultimate. Zaino has more of the sealant look and so does Klasse. Of the sealants on the market that I have used it has been Wolfgang, Four Star Ultimate, and Blackfire that have been outstanding in protecting like a selalant but looking like a carnauba. If nothing else then you can always top the sealant with more carnauba to increase the warm glow that wax gives, but I have found that Wolfgang looks best all by itself. They made that product right the first time. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drewster Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 I vowed i would never own another black car but I just got a black XT. I want the paint to look deep and wet and not highly reflective. I've used Zaino on a red s2000 and thought it was too reflective and plasticky looking. I then used Klasse SG topped with Souveran and really like the deep wet red color. I sort of want to do the same with the black XT but don't want to bother with a carnauba topper. Haven't kept up with current products so I'm willing to give Wolfgang or Four Star a try. Where's the best place to order it and if you were deciding, would you go Wolfgang or Four Star? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted April 4, 2005 Author Share Posted April 4, 2005 I would go with Wolfgang for sure. The Four Star would look great, but on black I think that Wolfgang has the edge. I've never seen anything do what Wolfgang does. I'm glad you said that about Zaino. I would have normally suggested it for black, but the downside is that it looks a little plasticy. Its not a bad thing, but its a look that some people just don't go for. www.premiumautocare.com is where I shop for my Wolfgang. I've got an order on the way in fact. I've been trying to talk him into coming over here and becoming a sponsor so we can get a discount. Try to read between the lines here... if you are a member of www.detailcity.com then you can type 'detailcity' in the discount code box and get 10% off. I talked to Dwayne this weekend and told him to contact Tide so he can become a vendor and hook us up. He's a great guy to do business with. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mosca Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 I'll second Dwayne as a great vendor! I'd recommend also Meguiar's #26 for blacks and reds. I honestly can't say I like the Souveran better. I like it as much, but not better. And for over-the-counter products, Gold Class has been reformulated, and has pretty much addressed the shortcomings of the old product (doesn't last long and hard to work with). I've been slowly giving away my excess detailing products; I have enough stuff to last several lifetimes. I'm 50 years old, and some day I will die and my wife will throw it all out. I'd rather give it to people who can use it. First person to PM me an address gets a can of #26 paste. The key to #26 paste (and almost ANY wax) is thin, thin, thin coats; the stuff is a real bugger if it cakes up. Tom FRA-GEE-LAY... It must be Italian! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mosca Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 Aaaaaaannnndddd, Chaching! We have a winnah! David Lew, step up and claim your prize! Tom FRA-GEE-LAY... It must be Italian! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted April 4, 2005 Author Share Posted April 4, 2005 #26 is probably my favorite liquid wax that I can buy off the shelf. I bought two gallons once a couple years ago when my Meguiar's distributor had a sale. $10 per gallon. You can't beat that. I don't think I'll ever run out of the stuff.... _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drewster Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 OCD....thanks for the recommendation, just placed an order for Wolfgang. I'll give it a shot and tell you what i think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vineee1 Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 this may have been asked before but i was just wondering if i did not want to clay a new vehicle what would be the best way to treat a new vehicles surface?? should i use a sealant? gloss? wax? polish?.. i should be getting my new subbie in about 2 weeks,pretty pumped.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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