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Store Bought Car Waxes (No Zaino Posts, Please)
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http://www.spyder.net/duragloss/
By the way, the site says that Duragloss products are available at the following auto parts stores:
Auto Value, AMA, Carquest, Parts Plus, Pronto, and NAPA. As I said, I bought the polish at Advance Auto.
I didn't realize they had such a large product array. The only products Advance carries are the two polishes, the car wash, and the cleaner.
I really am pleased with the results. Happy hunting.
I use Meguairs liquid cleaner all in one on a daily driver that sits side by side with another daily driver that has Zaino z-1, z-2.
The M product lasted max 1.2 mo
The Z product is going on its 6th mo.
Both products are easy to apply. I have washed both trucks at the same time with eaches recommended car wash.
I don't know what the math in the ratio indicated to you, but it will be an interesting discussion for sure. (One thing I don't enjoy is getting the same results working 5 x's as hard)
Also I forgot to say, that there is one way to make waxing even less of an ordeal. It is a tad controversial. The horizontal painted surfaces are more fully exposed to the elements than the vertical surfaces. (memory fads on me a bit, I believe it is 3-1)
Hmmm... It's beginning to sound like Z on the cheap. Whether the last part is true or not, this seems like a cheap way to try out a polymer polish. When the weather gets better I'll try it and report on my results vs. Meg's Gold Class Wax.
I've never used the prep liquid, and the polish seems to "bond" just fine.
I'll be interested to hear your results using the prep liquid.
Initial impression: smooth, even shine. Very reflective, clean looking. But, the nagging impression is that it's not the same, and not quite as nice as a good polish and wax job.
At this point, a friend offers to let me try some Boyd's Ultraviolet paste wax he has, which is a high carnauba wax with polish I think.
So I unscientifically apply a second coat of Duragloss to most of the car a day later, BUT I apply the Boyd's wax to part of the right side and part of the roof.
My conclusion, the polymer improves with the second coat, but the wax over the first polymer coat has a ... umm... glow, lustre, or depth of shine that is nicer than the polymer, particularly when seen in direct sunlight or at night under bright artificial lighting. Sort of like the difference between polyurethaned wood floor and old-fashioned wood that's been properly waxed.
However, I assume that the polymer will last longer, and at the price, the Duragloss is much cheaper than Z (under $8 for 8oz, under $20 for a 32 oz container), widely available, and competitive with meguiar's.
The bottom line however, is that IMHO for the best short term lustre (at least on my champagne gold car)good wax is best, but for practical use, the Duragloss wins. (Always assuming the polymer holds up as expected.)
I'll update as time goes by.
Is it a good product, or no?
I used Meguiars three step deep crystal system on my silver ZX2. I was very impressed. I did not think silver could be so glossy. My dad said it looked wet. I then did his white metallic maxima for his birthday. he said that he was surprised that white could shine so much. In my own unscientific opinion, it is an excellent product. Expect to spend at least 4 hours doing all three steps. One suggestion is that you perform step two, the polish coat, twice for maximum gloss. However, you may have some difficulty finding a store that carries all three steps. If you already have, great.
One thing tho. You do not really have to do the polish step or even the cleaner step(step 1) every time. I would only do step one in the spring, step two twice or three times a year, and step 3, the wax, anytime you feel like it.
Don
1. Can different paint make that much a difference in how long a wax lasts?
2. The car was brand new. Could there have been something on the paint that made both waxes not last as long as they should have? I did not use any strong detergent or clay before waxing.
3. Could the age of the Nu Finish be the reason it didn't last this time?
I am thinking about washing and claying just the hood, then redoing the Emerald/Nu Finish test to see if they last any longer on a cleaned surface.
signed 90 miata
Haven't checked Consumer Reports lately but should as spring is here and the baby needs a wax job. I can do the car after the wife gets done with her legs..
Anyways, I have a black car, and I use circular motions, and I don't have swirls... I use the 3-step Crystal Polish system by Meguiars, so it probably got rid of the swirls, because I remember when I first got my car there were some swirls on the rear quarter-panel...
Have numerous terry cloth towels on hand (I use small white ones). Keep turning the towel to a clean side & switch to a clean towel when needed. If you don't change towels often enough, you'll get a buildup of wax on the surface of the towel which will leave you with the infamous swirl marks.
An orbital polisher can also be a +.
Lanni LeBlanc
ps Hey you guys, what's up with your Q & A, I've
tried to printout on 2 diff computers and the print on the right side of the pages is cuttoff?
Help...love that Q&A, tho!
thnx, LL
you all might be surprised. if you can't figure out the manufacturer, check out the city/address.
Also, on swirls, you can get them if you take stuff off by hand. I find they happen most often with dirty cloths (the recommendation to keep the cloth clean is a good one) and if you apply too much pressure, no matter what cloth or how clean. A fine weave soft cotton cloth is better than a bath towel.
Don
As polishes give shine and waxes give protection, with Duragloss polish, do you need a coat of wax or just the duragloss?
Please help
Would you put rubbing alcohol on your hands to keep them moist and supple? Didn't think so...
For Vinyl/Plastic use Lexol Vinylex...
For Leather, use Lexol Leather Conditioner or Hide Food, or the Z-stuff....
For tires, use No-Touch... or whatever you like... Just make sure it says, "Contains no petroleum distillates"
I have been happy with car wash (few times a year) at gas station (mostly because I am physically challenged and don't want to spend a lot of time and money on the car), until I got this '99 dark blue Odyssey. Everytime after rain, the dirt on the van is pretty obvious. I can't stand it and am open to any solution, easy one though
My goal is to keep the van "look" clean.
My ideal solution:
1. least work and easy to apply
2. last longest (at least 8 month for waxing)
3. inexpensive
From what i read from this thread, looks like NuFinish - for durability (maybe clay before that) maybe the answer? Also, can anyone comment on NuFinish's paste and liquid on durability and time spent (I assume they are in can and bottle respectively)
Thanks
The problem is that they claim to remove oxidation, scratches and still protect the finish for a long time. In reality, you need two products to do that, one to clean/shine and another to protect. Do it right and your paint will last longer and look better.
Don M.
Water still beads well. Car looks good. I'll stick to the Duragloss. Seems like the best all around compromise. Reasonably priced, available at Carquest or mail order, and according to another poster identical in results to Z. I cannot vouch for the last, but it does look reasonable and so far (not yet 2 weeks) is holding up well.
However, I seem to be the only person who thinks that the waxed look is (when freshly applied) better than the polymer look. So I'll stick to Duragloss for ease, but if I want to make it look good (for me) for a night on the town, I'll put some quality wax over the polymer. YMMV.
At least I've lost the urge to experiment. I've pretty much made up my mind about the relative merits of the two types of wax/polish and will use either as the need or mood takes me.
Anyway, now I know that if I become a billionaire and own a dozen show cars, I'll hire someone to wax them up every week!
I guess I prefer (my ideal) would be the just waxed look. Looks more "natural" to me.
But then my floors are polyurethaned and my car is Duraglossed. Laziness wins over aesthetics.
since you have used both the meguiars and the Z
, do you find any noticeable difference between the two in terms of protection, shine and durability ..?
regards
binu
Have read the posts both here and on the "Zaino network". I have tried 3 products that are only polymers - Finish First, Klasse, and Zaino. I did not have any problems with any. I also did not see any difference between Klasse and Zaino regarding color, depth, or clarity. Finish First makes the car look new but I couldn't get it to look Concours quality.
My favorite carnauba liquid is Best of Show by Griot's Garage. My favorite paste is Blitz Wax by One Grand Products - it really is the easiest paste to apply. If it has to be "store bought" I like Wax Shop's Glaze (although it lasts only 4-6 weeks), Meguiar's Medallion, and Eagle One Wet Paste.
Now they form a crust on the windshield and front end of the car. Three hours, a sponge, and an Armour All brand product called "Bug and Tar Remover" have all failed. Suggestions?
Try a little engine oil to soften the little dead bodies. Then wash with Dawn and Clay your car. Claying the car WILL remove that previously flying residue. But you will then have to wash the car again and reapply your wax (or Z) of choice. Good Luck.
Yes I have tried Gold Class Prep. Yes it does remove contaminants and smooth out the clear coat surface. Product is a pre conditioner for the Gold Class. If surface is fairly wonderful, you dont need to use it. If you think it replaces claying try it side to side. You can make your own mind up if the claying is worth the extra cost and work.
(To me it is a no brainer, do the clay)
All you need to do is apply a bit of the liquid onto an applicator and then rub it on the paint till the tar vanishes ...
"I" have found it to be better than claying ..( unless I have not been doing the claying right )
Since this is a new car with silver metallic clearcoat that already is very glossy, I can't judge how well any of the waxes would improve the gloss of an older paint job. But I will keep track of how well water beads over the months and report back on which wax lasts longest.
As to application ease, not a lot of difference. The Turtle Wax was a bit easier to apply and remove than the others, but not by much.
It would be great if others would set up similar tests and report the results. My goal is to find an easy to use store-bought wax that lasts a long time...like 8 months to a year. I want something that goes on in one step, comes off easily, doesn't hurt clearcoat, looks great and lasts a real long time. Hopefully one of these will do it, since the first three were top rated in the Consumer Reports test.
I watched the Prolong Paint sealant infomercial for the 3rd time today on TV ..
Looks like a great product( if an ad can be believed) ..
The ad goes to the extent of spraying a can of paint on a car which was treated with Prolong paint sealant and then the demonstrator just wipes the paint off clean with a towel ..
another scenario ...shows another guy spraying sand at a high pressure onto the paint and the paint is still undamaged ...
I have seen this product in Target or somewhere but havent used it yet ... will probably wait till my pile of meguiar's run out ..
has anyone else used this product ..?
What makes it attractive to me is the ease to apply it (at least that's what they said in the infomercial). They even had an old gentleman (probably in his 70's or 60's) sitting in a wheelchair and applied the Prolong to his shinny vehicle.
I want my cars look nice but also want to spend as little time on waxing and polishing as possible. I want to spend my time with my children rather then with my cars. Most of the other waxes or polishes I have used takes a long time to apply or to buff off. I hope this prolong thing is really as easy to use as it claims.
I will probably try it if I can find it in my local stores. If anyone has tried it already, please share your experience.