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Snould I have a TEFLON service for a new car or wax it instead?
vter_67
Member Posts: 1
Should I go for a TEFLON instead of WAX for a new car?
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Comments
Seriously look into Zaino Bros Polish and look at the board here on Edmuds for Zaino and for other wax products. I have used most of them. Zaino is by far the most durable and great finish others are very good also. Dealer prep is huge rip off.
Imagine the result if you did that to the paint surface of your car.
Unless you know that your car dealer is using a clay bar to remove pollutants from your vehicle I would specifically request that they do nothing more than remove any plastic on the exterior. Quite often they scratch the finish with a hard brush, and don't do anything to remove the microscopic iron filings that get onto every new car transported by rail, or silicon and tar from the roads.
I just wash my cars religiously and keep them protected from sun and weather and they always look great.
About all wax does is make it a bit shinier, and if your paint has dulled for some reason, by all means shine it up and wax it.
But if it's a new car with a new car finish, I'd just wash it a lot and cover it and see how it goes. You should see my Benz. I haven't waxed it for almost three years and it looks great. Stays outside a lot, too. But no grit or grime is ever allowed to stay on it for very long.
If you live in acid rain country or in a rugged climate with salted roads, I don't think wax or teflon is going to prevent the worst, sad to say.
But washing a lot will delay the inevitable.
But the main point I'm trying to make is that it hasnt been waxed in 5 years Really speaks volumes about the true need to constantly clay/polish/wax/detail spray, etc.
And ALWAYS wash and/or wax in straight line motions. NEVER in a circular motion.
My good friend Keven is a professional car painter (owns his own shop in northern California) and he does truly beautiful work. He told me to trust him about not waxing my Benz after he repaired the nose (again). The subject came up when I had admitted to him, guiltily, that I never wax my cars and "would he have trouble matching the paint because of that". He told me my paint looked fine, that he would match the factory paintjob, and that I shouldn't wax over his work, ever---BUT that I had to keep the car very very clean and wash it carefully.
He recommended to "float the dirt off" with a hose first, no rubbing, no detergent, no nothing. Once the major grit was softened and floated away, then wash the car and avoid any hard rubbing. Then dry off with a chamois cloth or equivalent synthetic.
So far, so good. Haven't touched his new paintjob with wax in 6 months or the entire car in 3 years, and if you're ever in the San Francisco area, let me know I'll show it to you. And this car is not garaged! (my other one is, also never waxed).
My Subaru was 7 years old when I purchased it. The prior owner was from the bay area. Frankly its finish was the best maintained I have had on a used car.
My Mazda also came from California -- central valley. Oxydized. This is the worst finish I've had to deal with. Definitely needs wax for protection.
Hey, let the sun, pollutants, dust, bird droppings, acid rain, sand, etc. get on a coat of wax, not the clear coat. You'd have to wash almost every day in my climate to keep it perfect without waxing.
Bay Area is a seaside environment, don't forget, and cold and wet. It's not so benign here.
Pollutants take time to work on paint, so you don't give them any time. Yeah, it's time consuming, and maybe a bit wasteful of water, but if you are thrifty and well organized, you don't need to use very much.
I agree, you need to be careful with chamois. I clean them very well before use.
I can understand Shifty's painter's viewpoint. Having worked in a body shop and knowing pro painters, many do not like anything that masks or alters their artwork. Especially since so many waxes and polishes contain solvents and silicones that will dry out the paint over time. I agree that if a car is washed very frequently and kept garaged or protected, there may not be a serious need to wax.
New paint does not need much but older paint can really use some help. Any body remember the Autofom product...best thing I ever saw for new paint, has a consistency like thick milk, does NOT clean or polish but DOES do some kind of antistatic thing...dust/pollen kindof blows right off it.It is GREAT for a new paint job probably for about first 3 years...after that I definitely start using some polish, everyone has their own favorite...I like the "NU-FINISH" myself...
In particular during the spring and fall the pollen/tree sap/bugs/birds and water spots can leave prints on paint..
The drying products mentioned above help with the water spots very good and make a huge difference, but you still need to polish out the other stuff.
Think of it like putting a thin layer of polyurethane/wax on the paint that you just replace once or twice a year..that way the paint is actually exposed to the "stuff" only minimally, and the layer takes the abuse and then gets replaced....instead of the paint itself..
good luck!