Store Bought Waxes Part II (No Zaino Posts)

gkelly3

I need help-I have 1997 SATURN SC-2, which I love, with dark green metallic paint/clearcoat. I have a lot of pitsd in the clearcoat, and the wax builds up in them (looks like white spots). Can I do anything (short of repainting the car)?
I have been using LIQUID GLASS-I find it to work quite well.

dhanley

Well, i have tons of chips in my clearcoat, and the gs-27 scratch remover seems to fill them in OK. Since it's basically big crayons, i'd be tempted to get a big crayola box from the store for a better color match next time.

dave

pocahontas

Thanks a lot for your input.

So far, I've had good results with the blade. I've pretty much been able to just use the blade alone to swipe the water off my van. Of course in addition to the large flat areas, it also helps that it's white... so water spots don't really show.

I decided to very carefully try it on the Maxima yesterday; only on the hood, roof, and windows. Seemed to work pretty well. I think the water blade works well with the heat in Florida; the water dries very quickly, so there's very little towel work needed afterwards.

Btw, I found a good product for removing the swirl marks on our Blk Maxima (Meguires swirl remover). Any suggestions for removing small scratches? In the store I saw a scratch remover product by Mother's. Has anyone here tried that? Thanks.

Pocahontas,
Community Leader/ Coupes, Convertibles, and Sportscars Conference

graphicguy

I can imagine that the quicker you get the water off of your finish in the FL heat, the better (I hate water spots).

I've never used the Meguire's Swirl Remover, but I've seen it advertised. I'm a big fan of that "other wax".

I have used 3M polishing pads on scratches to a certain degree of success. Ask for it at your favorite auto supply store. Swirls are handled by the "Z" product.

If the scratches are deep enough (feel it with your fingernail), you may want to talk with a body shop about "buffing" them out. That should be a last resort, though.

cruiser1

OK...I've read thru thousands of posts on this site.

What is the best non-zanio product to use on my new y2k Honda Accord...Night Hawk Black.

Thanks,

joe166

There is no BEST product. This is an impossible question to answer. There are lots of good products. I found Nufinish to be easy to apply. If you want to go by others opinions, buy last months consumer reports. They at least tried a lot of the products. If I were to tell you that Nufinish was the best, I would be telling you that without having tried more than two or three products. How does that make any sense. I have tried a couple of "waxes" and a couple of polymers. The polymers I have tried seem to be much easier to use and remove. I would buy either Nufinish paste or liquid or Mothers or Mequiars whichever was cheapest at the time and try it. If you don't like it, it isn't like you spent the national debt on it and next time you can change. If you read this entire subject, you must have read lots of subjective anecdotal reporting. Do what you want, it is hard to go too wrong with most modern products, but in my opinion, carnauba waxes are just too much trouble (for me). I think the differences between products are less than the differences in how they are applied. I now use the "Z" products but I don't think they are that much better than the polymers I used before. I just like the way the different products work together so I keep using them. If they went out of business, I would try a couple of the polymers and find the one I liked best and wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

pocahontas

The best product is elbow grease. All kidding aside, I've tried just about every wax on the market..., including the stuff discussed in the other wax topic. I second joe166's opinion: "There are lots of good products...."

Also, I think the best thing you can do for your car is wash it on a regular basis to keep to the impurities from corroding your paint.

Btw, I mainly use Mother's products. I like the way they smell. ;-) My 2 cents.

Pocahontas,
Community leader/Coupes, Convertibles, and Sportscars Conference

silvercoupe

Whatever you use on that black Accord, be sure that the car is very clean before you wax it. Also, use a clean applicator and clean 100% cotton clothes for buffing. The black on that car scratches very easily, and the scratches will be noticeable.

I might consider using a detail shop for my first wax!!! Just because the car is black.

gkelly3

and it did remove some of what looked like pits in the clearcoat. But, my original guess was right-the wax is sitting in (the pits in the clearcoat). Would a pintshop be able to strip the CC , clean the surface, and recoat it? Any idea what this might cost?

dispatch1

Is this for the whole car? I've seen places around here that will do it for $500, but most of my painting/bodywork is done somewhere else where they garantee their paint for 3 years. A whole car at my body shop probably cost upwards of $1500, but is worth every penny. (I've only had doors, hood, etc painted, so not sure about a whole car. I am estimating the $1500, might be higher or lower)

When it comes to get cars painted, you will end up with what you paid for. Might as well get it done right the first time. You might can get a body shop to buff the pits out, which would be alot cheaper.

hotrod20

I finally got up the nerve to clay my '82 Buick Regal. The trunk and to a lesser extent the hood had a rough feel to it. Even though I used a cleaner wax, the shine was not deep. I clayed both the trunk and the hood. The process went well. Both areas are very smooth. Now the whole car has a deep shine when waxed. I'm a confirmed clayer now. Claying doesn't harm the paint like compounding does. The process was quick and easy.

jjmatt

I live in Dallas (Texas) where the temps are hovering between 80 and 100 every day.

I am dying to clay and polish my new car, but I am afraid it is too hot.

I was planning to wash it outside, and then move it to the (un-airconditioned) garage for the claying, back outside to wash, and then back to the garage to polish/wax.

Is this advisable/feasible ?

I am planning to use First Finish, which you leave on for several hours or overnight - will the heat "melt" it ?

Thanks for any help

pjyoung

I know of something that can be applied in direct sunlight and high heat, but you'll have to pose your question in that "other" topic to have it answered.

hotrod20

You should wash, clay, and wax your car in the shade. The surface of the car should not be hot. You don't want the wash shampoo or the clay residue to dryout on the car. If it is too hot even in the shade, perhaps you can wash and clay in the evening. As to First Finish, I've never heard of it.

hotrod20

What's with you Z people. Why do you concern yourselves about the products that other people use? The products that I use are satisfactory to me. I could care less about the brand of wax that you use. Is Z a multi-level marketing item? Are you members of the company trying desparately to get business?

pjyoung

No Z's not MLM. IT just works. Soprry to offend y'all. A guy asked a question about waxing his car in the heat. Z can be applied in heat AND in direct sunlight. If that's a concern for him, he might want to check it out. Just figured that if people are asking, they must car about the way their car looks. I didn't mention the name, I merely suggested he look in the other topic. I don't get you anti Z people...is 16 bucks too much to pay for over a years worth of shine and protection?

More power to everyone who wants a nice looking car, regardless of what they use. Sorry to have tried to help. My cars due for another Z treatment. I may just go back it out of the garage and put it on in the direct sunlight and let it sit for a couple of hours in the heat...just because I can.

div2

What "NO ZAINO POSTS" means???

pat455

Zaino is a mail-order polymer based product that quite a few folks around here are very pleased with. It has its own topic Zaino Car Care Experiences so this topic is where we discuss all other exterior car care products.

Rather than revisit all the history behind these two topics, if you really want to know you can go back through this one and the archived one to find out more.

:-)

Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference

pat455

Let's make that the last Zaino post here for now, okay folks? I think pjyoung's discrete invitation to the other topic to find a wax that can be applied in direct sun was fine, but this doesn't need to be discussed any further here.

Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference

bnormann

A discreet invitation to the other topic for discussion of the other products is exactly the right way to keep everyone on board and on track.

Your host, Bruce

Sorry for the further discussion....{%^)

div2

Sorry for the confusion; my comment was a sarcastic barb aimed at the Acolytes of the Church of Zaino who continue to ignore this topic's heading.

armtdm

Spelling may be slightly off but I have recently starting using this wax,( Carnuba etc) just great stuff. Previouly used Mother's Gold but this Collinite is remarkable. I have tried the clay bar, dissapointed as it did not remove water spots, yes smooth finish but the marks remain.

kevp913

Does anybody out there use a power buffer or polisher to polish/wax their car? I was looking into getting one and wanted a few pointers as to what product is the best.

Thanks,
Kevin

armtdm

Yea, I use one once in a while, a rotary, (brand ???) Works fine except for tough places, molding, crevices etc. Great for the first take off of wax and hand buff the rest. I don't like for putting wax on as it could place too much pressure/friction if you use a cleaner/wax. With todays waxes though it is almost as quick to remove by hand as you need to take out the electrical cord etc.

hotrod20

I have to agree with the above statement. It's just as easy to wax a car by hand. Also you don't have to clean the buffer. 20 years ago I also wanted a rotary buffer. But with today's waxes, there is no hard buffing to do. I also noticed 20 years ago at a body and fender shop, that they used a pneumatic (air driven) buffer. The buffer was very light and easy to use since there was no electrical motor in the buffer. This is not practical for home use unless you are willing to purchase an air compressor to run the buffer.

Good luck anyway with whatever you decide.

pocahontas

Be careful with a power buffer; if you're not sure what you're doing, it can create major swirl marks.

;-)

Pocahontas,
Community leader/Coupes, Convertibles, and Sportscars Conference

jdonnee

There were a couple of postings regarding Finish First. I have been using it for about 2 months on a new black Lincoln LS. I switched from Mothers because I wanted a polymer but i did not want to go through the Z process. I am very pleased with the product. The sun will not melt it. Humidity will take it longer to dry yet leaving it on over night will do the job. it goes on easy and comes off easy. I have 2 coats on and the swirls are disapearing. They also have a great pre-cleaner that I would recommend using prior to putting Finish First on.

divavolv

I picked up one of those waxes with car color already in it. Now I'm worried about putting it on my car! I have an older blue Vovlo which still has excellent paint except for a few door dings. The product says it's blue will match all car blues. How can it match my dark blue and a light blue Aries? Does anyone have any experience with these products? Is it safe to put on?

marsha7

After all, if something went wrong, I would hate to see you get a case of "the blues"

hotrod20

The Meguiar online site www.meguiars.com does not reccommend colored wax. They don't think one blue can match all blues. Also if you have clearcoat, the blue pigment would not get into the paint. The blue wax would mess up you clearcoat.

If your Volvo is old enough you probably don't have clearcoat. Why did you buy the blue wax? Is you paint in bad shape? Oxidized?

Good Luck!

hotrod20

I have a dark blue '82 Buick Regal. Due to a recommendation earlier in this topic, I purchased and used Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze which is an acrylic polish. The product is very good and the thing that I like most about it is that it seals the paint with a coat of acrylic. Now when I reapply Klasse or any other wax or polish, my applicator and buffing towel do not turn blue. The paint is sealed. I am sure any brand of acrylic polish will do the same thing.

I also recently purchased a black 2000 Eldorado ETC. Naturally the Eldorado has clearcoat and I do not use the acrylic polish on it. I decided to splurge and bought Pinnacle Souveran a refined white carnuba wax. I got excellent results with the wax and it is very easy to apply. The wax is recommended for dark colors only. There is another formulation for lighter colored cars. I also use their carnuba spray wax after every wash to restore maximum shine. I don't waste the Pinnacle wax on my Buick.

I am sure most of you have your favorite wax or polish. I only offer the above for information.

dallas75

where did you purchase the Pinnacle from?

Jerry

hotrod20

I bought Pinnacle Wax from www.pinnacle.com. It is also available at www.autogeek.net. The service from Pinnacle was very good and prompt. Actually I called them up to ask a few questions and to request USPS priority mail instead of UPS. I received the order in about 5 days.

I bought my first "Miracle Towel" for $12.95. After searching the internet, I discovered a much cheaper site for the towels. The towels are sold under the generic name of "microfiber cloth". You may get them at www.neatitems.com ($6.95 each or $4.95 each if you buy five). There are 2 types of cloth. Make sure you get the "terrycloth" style and not the "suede" style (my personal preference). Service was excellent and included free shipping. I got the order in 2 days.

I use the towel dry to do the final buff after I wax or after I wash and dry the car. The towel will enhance the shine and remove all the dust and lint that your polishing cloth left behind. I guess you could use the towel to buff the wax off but I thought it was too expensive to possibly ruin with wax. Use it damp to clean your windows without any window cleaner. My wife uses the towels for household cleaning.

hotrod20

I believe Palm Beach Motoring Accessories runs the pinnacle web site (www.pinnacle.com).

hotrod20

I re-checked the Pinnacle site and saw no mention of Palm Beach Motoring. Then I remembered that when my credit card statement arrived, the order from Pinnacle was billed to Palm Beach Motoring Accessories.

Bretfraz - What's your thoughts on applying wax or a polymer polish to my '82 Buick which has been polished with Klasse? I won't be using Pinnacle on the Buick. Pinnacle is too expensive for the Buick. Perhaps I'll just stick with the Klasse. If what they say is correct, I have nearly a year to go before re-polishing. I used the Klasse All-In-One first to get rid of some oxidation. The All-In-One worked a little but not enough. I clayed the car and then used the Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze. Now the car shines all over. Unfortunately at least till the end of the year, I have to park the Buick outdoors. With the sun and light rain the car has to be washed frequently.

dallas75

..for your replies. I'll check out the various sites.

Jerry

bdstrie

Hello!

I LOVE Mother's Wax products. They apply and wipe off SO easily. I've cut down my waxing time by 1/3.

I was hesitant to use Mother's because I really like Meguiar's, but my dad uses Mother's on his 1999 Red Corvette Convertible, so I thought if it makes his car look as good as it does, I'd give it a try.

If you're looking for a nice shine that requires a little less elbow grease, I suggest Mother's.

hotrod20

Thanks. I too am suspicious about long term claims for any product. Of course if I warehoused the car for a year I am sure the car would still shine. But in the real world things are a lot different.

I would like to thank all who have contributed their advice and experience. A few months ago I had not heard of Klasse, Pinnacle, claying, etc. I didn't even know what a cleaner-wax really was. I thought a cleaner-wax allowed the user to wax without first washing the car. I couldn't believe such a claim so I didn't ever buy cleaner-wax. I didn't know the basic difference between a polymer polish and a wax. I bought whatever was on sale at the local discount store. Some products I stay away from such as Simoniz. Many years ago I bought a pint of Simoniz liquid polish. It was the toughest polish ever to buff off. Don't ask me which Simoniz it was, I have no idea. It came in a blue container. After polishing my car once with it, I threw the product away.

I also learned that I should polish with a straight back and forth motion. My dad taught me to use a circular motion which I now know causes swirl marks. It took me a while to break the circular habit but I think I've got it licked now.

I used to think polishing my car was a chore. Now thanks to all of you it's a pleasure especially when I get such great results with much less effort.

Thanks!!!

koury

hotrod20 - these forums are great to increase your knowledge. Do yourself a favor and check out other forums as well, particularly #1319 - you'll find an even easier to apply product!

fastdriver

bretfraz-

Branch Davidian??? LOL.... Come on! We're not THAT bad! We just love our shine and ease of application!

fastdriver

hingram

don't you understand?

I'm sure it is a great product but all that rah-rah stuff starts to worry me after a while. Some people can't resist pushing the product.

Strange.

marsha7

Can you spell s-t-o-c-k-h-o-l-d-e-r? LOL

fastdriver

marsha7-

Hey! No fair! They have stock? No one told me! How can I buy some? ;-))

fastdriver

pat455

Let's look at what just happened here. Someone made a post suggesting that an inquirer check out other topics here, including a specific topic number.

There is NOTHING wrong with that, what part of that don't YOU understand? :-)

Then comes the predictable flurry of posts about Zaino.

You need to keep in mind that since the old "Waxes and Polishes" topic became "Zaino Car Care" a Topic Search for wax will not find it. So you sort of have to already know what Zaino is in order to go looking for it.

There are lots of folks here who want to find all the information they can on all the products that different people like. A suggestion here and there in this topic to go check another topic is not out of line.

When it happens, just leave it be, and you won't have to read anymore about Zaino.

Try it! :-)

Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference

pat455

What kind of cheese? I LOVE cheese! Could I have a Stilton soup? ;-)

Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference

fastdriver

bretfraz-

Sorry to hear that your Eagle One Wet has worn off after all that work on your QX4 black beauty. I can't answer your question, but I wanted to ask you if you have ever used the Eagle One tire dressing. Two people in a car topic used it to shine their tires and ended up getting stain spots on their bottom bumpers when it came off the tires. Seeing that your SUV is black, it probably wouldn't be noticeable now that I think of it. The people I am referring to had a white car and a silver car. Have you ever heard of this happening?

fastdriver

fastdriver

bretfraz-

Thanks. I don't know if Eagle One makes different kinds of tire dressings or not. I see that you mention Concours. I'll see if I can find out exactly what they used and get back to you.

fastdriver

peterskm

I've used Eagle 1 tire dressing on my wife's mustang and I do notice it ends up on the car. Even after letting it dry for a few hours. I use the armor all tire foam on my jeep (cause I don't like the higher gloss of the Eagle 1) and this doesn't happen. I also used Meguiar's Endurance tire stuff and it sucks.

automophile

I have been using a tire creme from Turtle Wax - 2001 type - it does not spin off and dries hard so dust doesn't stick to it.

fastdriver

bretfraz-

The guy who had the problem with the stains on his back fenders was using Eagle One Wet Tire Shine. Don't know if this is the same as the Concours that you mentioned. Just thought I'd give you a heads up before it's too late.

fastdriver