[ScottMDGTO]

Originally Posted by pontiac jack

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.

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