Best Wax
 

just a curious question. up until a few years ago, my car (67 gto) had the original lacquer paint job. red. i washed the car a few times a week, and every 2 to 3 weeks i would wax it with dupont rain dance wax. easy to put on. the car always looked great. a few years back i had the car repainted with base coat clear coat. same color. i've changed waxes because the guy who painted the car told me to use a durable carnuba wax. it would protect the paint and give the car a good shine. its a pain to put on, but, if it protects the paint, oh well i'll use it. what do most of you guys use on your cars for durability & shine? there are so many waxes out there, i cant believe everyone uses carnuba. if you dont mind, please expound.:D

I have found that it is hard to beat Liquid Glass polish...

Did a quick search on this site as this has been covered many times before. Here's a thread with many opinions and some very good info.

Jim

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...ighlight=zaino

Liquid glass is the best. You absolutely have to apply three coats at first for best results. No build up or residue and a breeze to apply.

The guy I bought my car from was a bodyman since the 70s he said don't use anything to clean this paint job with except water then hit it with some hand glaze every now and then.

This is the best wax in the world hands douwn.
http://www.swissvax.com/

In all these discussions, I've seen no specifics about durability. My old vehicles all have old single-stage enamel paint that oxidizes as soon as the wax starts to go away. The Rain Dance paste wax I've used for years only lasts through about six months of exposure to the outdoor elements. Anybody know durability periods of other waxes? Granted that it depends on many variables- prevailing weather, etc.- but any experiences would be of interest to me. Thanks.

X 10

Zaino. (www.zaino.com). Plenty of information to read about on their web site. Outstanding products.

Tim john---

I agree 100% that's all I use on my black 66. Never use soap, only clear water to clean.

I've been a professional detailer for the last 20 years, there are two things to start with, do you want a wax or a polish?
Wax is a natural product from the Brazilian Carnauba tree. Polish is man made, it does not contain carnauba wax, it will normally last longer than wax.
My choice is wax, it's better for long term protection of the paint, polish can clog the paint pores and cause oxidation(dead paint) faster than wax could. This is not a huge concern, the oxidation problem can devolop over many years, and the UV damage is more of a concern, but the issue does exist.
Zaino is a good polish, but it does require a lot of steps and time. My choice is Zymol Wax, it's expensive but it will not stain any trim and it goes on fast and comes off fast if you apply the correct amount. Too much wax on the applicator will cause big removal problems. No wax or polish should last more than 6 months, if people started to believe that, they would have better looking, longer lasting paint.
Just as motor oil has a life expentancy, so does wax. Even if it does "look" good after 4 or 5 months, you should wax it again, you always want to keep a barrier between the paint and the elements.
There should be no real difference between wax for clearcoats or single stage paints, clearcoat is just paint without any pigment, it's all the same, that's marketing from the wax/polish suppliers. My recommendation is to wash the car once a week with a quality CAR WASH soap and wax it every 1-2 months with a high quality wax and ONLY use microfiber towels on the paint, never use diapers or terrycloths, they can and will scratch the paint. Lots of soap suds and a good microfiber wash mitt will help as well. When you wax, stay out of the sun and wax section by section at a time, don't wax the entire car and than remove it all, do one section at a time, it will look better. Also wax side-to-side or up and down, no circles. My 67 GTO gets Zymol.

Good luck,
Scott

Also, polish is a surfacing agent.

Wax only protects the paint.

Carnauba wax is difficult to remove when dried. That should tell you something about it's long-term durability. Good results never come without hard work. That adage applies to car waxes as well as to anything else in life.

Easy on-easy off paste waxes are made for folks who are allergic to hard work.

You can find hard carnauba waxes in cans. Usually made by Blue Coral.

:usa2:

I use Duragloss products.
I start with their 111 (or one of their other polishes) and seal and "wax" it with their 951 spray.

Plus you left out it smells like bubble gum. Beside looking super on the car. I use it on another toy that is plastic. While most everyone is complaining how screwed up their plastic is. Mine still looks better than new after 3 years. So it is a very mild polish no swirls even if you try for the shine that it gives

I also use Zaino. I used many different products over the years , but Zaino does make my 20 year old Single stage acrylic enamel look fantastic. It is NOT the easiest polish to use. It is very tempermental to humidity, and you have to get used to using a very small amount each coat. I don't even think about applying if the humidity in my garage is 50% or more. FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS!

Dave

Zymol. You will not be dissapointed. Zaino is great too.

my candy cobalt blue laquer paint job is 21 yrs old and looks very reasonable still. Never have i used any silicone,wax or polish on it. 3m imperial hand glaze is all i have used. A garage kept car that never sees rain or snow or salt or a extened time in the sun doesnt need much protection. This is what has worked for me. My painter now says never wash a car only use that detail spray and he has painted many show cars. I read in Hot Rod where this one guys car has never even been wet. Thats my uneducated opinion.

Zymol and it even can be used as a ice cream topping !

Your situation is very unique, very few cars can say they never see rain, salt or extended sun, so your needs may be different. What if you drive thru recent road work and get tar or road paint, would you want to have a protective barrier between the paint and the substance? 3M hand Glaze is a polish, they may not use the word "polish", but a glaze is a polish.
I'm not one to tell a painter how to paint a car, but he is dead wrong about not using soap and water to clean a car, maybe you could get away with a detail spray on a car like yours that does not see the elements, but to use a detail spray on a car with even a medium amount of road debris and dirt, is wrong, very wrong.

Scott

Meguiars #7 and once in a while I use their poly sealant. The car in the link below has 15 year old paint. I have never put a bit of wax on it. The guy who painted it told not to use wax. I think he was right!

I mentioned durability of these products, but they do vary from car to car, situation to situation. In regards to your paint issue, if the paint is fading soon after waxing, you have oxidation, defination: dead paint. Just like skin, paint has layers, your top layers have died and are faded, the difference with paint from skin, paint won't grow back. You can buff the paint with a mild compound and remove the oxidation, but it's impossible to know how deep the oxidation is. If you compound the paint and get a good looking finish, wax it and see how long it lasts. If the shine only lasts a few weeks, you have serious oxidation that most likely will need a re-paint to fix, if it lasts a few months, it's minor and you can buff the paint again and re-wax and if maintained with regular wax on a regular basis(every 2-3 months) you should be ok for a while.

Wax the paint frequently and you'll reep the advantages in the long run, it's time well spent. Use a wax or a polish, don't use cleaner waxes and buy a good product, it's worth the extra money.

Natural Wax, Zymol, P21S, Swissol: 2-3 months
Polish, Zaino, 3M Glazes, etc..6 months

Scott

This. Best stuff made.

I have to agree. Time consuming and lengthy process to use, but worth it. I've said it before and I'll say it again. My 02 Mustang GT Ive had since new that now has 171,000 miles on it, STILL looks better now than it did when it left the dealership. Used nothing but Zaino form day one.

If it weren't for all the road construction and potholes on lo cal highways 24 and 495 causing all the chips in the hood and front bumper, youd be hard pressed to know this car wasnt brand new.

Zaino rocks.

Another vote for Zaino. Best stuff out there. Well worth the effort to apply!

Zaino. Worth the effort. The laquer paint on my Regimental Red '67 was done in 1980. Car definitley needs a repaint, but Zaino still brings the old paint to life.http://racerboy.net/images/cars/gto/67c.jpg

Great looking car!:cool:
mines a regimental red convertible.
tony

So you're saying 2-3 times more durability with polish/Zaino/glazes than with waxes? If that's the case, then I'll try a polish next time I do my daily driver, instead of Rain Dance carnauba wax.

Applying Zaino or Zymol by hand or with buffer
 

I have a buffer (Craftsman 8 in) but have been hesitant to use it. Those who use Zaino and Zymol. Do you use a buffer, micro towels or something else? Rick

Zaino is pretty specific about their wipe down guidelines - check it out.

http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/...S&Store_Code=Z

In summary, towels only. Borderless (cut them off) 100% cotton white made in America towels. The just recently added an actual towel product, but pricey for the size and quantity. Might be the way to go because finding a towel that fits the guidelines is becoming increasingly difficult since none seem to be US made anymore.

I use Omega Glaze followed by their Bltz Wax. Made by One Grand Products from Ventura Calif.

Used on the original laquer paint on the TA. Man it sure did bring it back to life. Use the glaze first then follow it with the wax. It adds depth to the paint. You can reapply after 5 to 7 days if you want to.

A friend hadn't seen my car in a while. After using this stuff, the next time he saw it he, he wanted to know what I did to my paint. He thought I buffed it out.

zanio
 

Seen a number of post on Zaino that say it's hard to use, or time consuming. I've been using on my black 66 since it was painted 3 years ago. In the spring I use Z5 Show Car Polish and then Z6 Gloss Enhancer over it. It takes about an hour to do both. After that I only use the Enhancer takes about twenty minutes. The car is covered and garaged, only put about 1K a year on it, never use soap, only clear water out of a bucket.

With dry times in the approximate 30 minute range in ideal conditions, applying a coat of Z5, Z6 and then Z2 (my standard set after washing) at least adds another 90 minutes to the 30 minute process of washing and drying the car. I can see some folk thinking that might be a bit much, considering most waxes go on and off in 30 minutes. But for those that want a car that stands out in the crowd of many, to me, its the only way to go.

Phil as a recommendation, I would consider using the Zaino car wash with the water in the bucket. Wont dry the paint, and it softens up the water some. Just my $.02

~Mark

I use a combination of Adams products and Zymol Destiny. Together they have produced a outstanding look and shine on my 32 year old lacquer. Both product are not cheap, Zymol Destiny runs around $650.00 for 8oz jar

I used to use Rain Dance too, over 30 years ago. I didn't know they still made it :) . I do show car type body and paint too, and know about using the glazes and carnuba, and have tried many waxes.
If you want something that's simple and easy to use, produces excellent results and long lasting protection, try Meguiar's NXT generation Tech Wax 2.0. I use the liquid for ease of application. It's easy to apply and remove. You can apply it to the entire car before wiping it off(in the shade or inside, of course). Use the microfiber cloths. It makes the paint color look richer than before, water beads up for a long time, and it's noticeably slicker. This seems to be the type of product you're looking for. At about $17 a bottle, it's more than your usual everyday wax, but a whole lot less than some of the fancy "treatments".

Zog's :D

Zymor options
 

I checked out Zymor at their site and at Amazon. ScottMDGTO, which wax do you use and do you also use the Hd Cleanse first as recommended?
Here is are some of the Zymor options. Several positive comments by customers at Amazon.
Zymol Wax- Carbon Wax for dark cars 8 oz 49.00 (Not on Amazon but Zymol site)
Zymol Hand Crafted Waxes - Creame Wax, 8 Ounces 52.00
Zymol 201 Hd Cleanse, 8.5 Ounces 26.00
Less expensive Zymol products:
Zymol Premium Products - Zymol Natural Liquid Cleaner Wax, 16 fl. oz. (Z503) 10.95
Zymol Z-503 Auto Polish, 16 oz. 11.99
Zymol Z505 Natural Concentrated Auto Wash, 16 ounces 8.99
Thanks! Rick