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Store Bought Waxes Part II (No Zaino Posts)
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Comments
http://www.3m.com/market/automotive/newsletter/winter98pg1.html
I am not sure it can be considered "store bought" since I have never seen it in a retail store, but considering the price I do not know why it is not sold in major chain stores.
I saw that article a long time ago too. Since the product is about 3 years old, I would think if it was that great we would have heard more about it by now? Anyone here ever try it? I'm sure it's available or can be ordered from your local NAPA store.
fastdriver
I don't visit this site very often, but I notice a lot of talk about Meguiar's. I fell for the ad hype and tried the "Gold" (or something like that)paste wax. Worst stuff I ever used. Extremely hard to apply and remove, and didn't last a month.
ASF comes in the 3M paste wax which you can buy at any NAPA nationwide, among other places. I don't know if 3M sells ASF as an additive to any other car care mfr. I guess you'll have to ask 3M.
Sometime ago I posted that 3M had made improvements to their products and this is what I was referring to.
Come on, lonestarsled, "miracle" product? The stuff was developed some four years ago, and it sure hasn't taken the automotive world by storm (as some other "miracle" products have -- and I'm really not trying to be smug!) But I am curious about the price, where you can buy the product, and I'd even be willing to give it a try if it's used in anything other than 3M paste wax, as Bret says.
http://autosupermart.com/shopcart/bodycareindex.html
Scroll down and use the 3M link and then use the drop sown box to select show car liquid wax. It is only the 39526 "paste" wax, not the 39026. Do not know why they show them together as if they were equivalent, just more WWW incompetence!
I do get a kick how some of yuse guys get all bent out of shape over automotive "wax." Really makes one wonder who is doing the self serving work on the WWW.
Whether someone likes the look of the product, ease of use, or other characteristics--that's another matter entirely.
As far as "miracle products" go the 3M products certainly have taken the "world by storm"--if anybody has.
They sell a lot more car care products than most of the companies we talk about on these forums--certainly they are up there with Meguiars in terms of total sales of "paint care and car care products."
You can get 3M Perfect-it Show Car Wax at any Pep Boys, NAPA, or at just about any body shop supply store.
For all we know, they may even make other waxes/polishes/polymers that are labeled under other names. I remember at one time Consumer Reports used to list a company i.e. Firestone- and then name all the other tires that they made for like gas stations- when gas stations were full service places. Also, Sears appliances- made by name brand companies.
From what I understand, there are only a handful of companies that make polishes/waxes.
fastdriver
But as I've mentioned before I have a blaze red Mazda that had a poorly maintained finish when I purchased it. I couldn't even get it to last 6 weeks in the summer. Due to this group, I heard about 3M Perfect it Show Car Wax. Everything I can find says that it is durable.
Does anyone know how this wax holds up.
Topic: July 31st: Fanatical Car Care Behavior - 'Fess Up!"
What exactly is a cleaner wax? How is it different from "normal" waxes and should I or should I not use it on my 1 month old '01 Protege? Any advice appreciated.
Protege_fan
Cleaner waxes are the most ubiquitous products on the market. When you go to a parts store and look at all the products, most are the cleaner wax variety.
I don't mean to contradict "britton" but most every car, new or old, needs some polishing to remove surface crud and light oxidation. The goal is to "clean" your paint before applying protection. Even a brand new car needs a little cleaning of the paint, if only to maximize the shine.
Some of my favorite cleaner waxes are Meguiar's Medallion, Meguiar's #6 Mirror Glaze cleaner wax, Eagle One carnauba wax with cleaner, and Klasse All In One.
Every brand new car I've detailed has received a shot of cleaner wax before final waxing. Your Protege can be waxed right away.
Enjoy your new car. Let us know if you have more questions.
I am most familiar with Meguiars (but asking about 3M line) In your situation I would use a glaze every 6 months. It really deepens the shine. Use a very light one like Meguiar's #5 New Car Glaze, or some of 3M's light ones like Hand Glaze.
Right now I personally would buy Meguiar's #26 Hard Hellow wax in both liquid and paste. Use a random orbital buffer to apply the liquid, then apply a paste wax coat on the horizontal surfaces for extra protection. Rewax every 6-12 weeks depending on the environmental exposure and condition of the wax. Meguiars hard yellow has been very durable on my car that was repainted a couple of years ago. It should be similar on yours.
It will be beautiful. All of my cars stand out in a parking lot.
But I avoid car washes if I can. They are a lot more expensive than hand washing, and can cause chipping and peeling. It's definitely harder on finishes.
A long washing brush really speeds the process.
Thanks.
Protege_fan
Do you still have the receipt in case you want to return it?
Or will the #7 or #5 be OK for both??
Thanks
#5 -- which is finer for new car finishes. It might be ok for both if the finish is already well preserved.
#7 for most vehicles. I have fount this beneficial to maintain briliance on finishes that had to use the heavier surface preparations to remove oxydation.
Neither contains harsh abrasives, bur rather mild ones. The object of a Glaze is two fold, use a small amount of abrasives to buff off imperfections and restore a smooth glass like finish. And, to oils to the paint finish to nourish it and add shine.
The hardest natural wax is Carnauba. In it's natural state it's the consistency of a brick. Other ingredients are added to allow it to spread.
A combination product contains both glaze items, and waxes. being a combination product it doesn't glaze as well, nor does it have the durability of a pure WAX.
I worked on 2 cars on the same day. One got the glaze wax treatment, the other got the combination cleaner wax. They both looked great initially, but at 6 weeks the combination wax was wornout. The separate glaze and wax treatments still lasted 3 months later.
The line you are using for a combination is Meguiar's lower line. If you want to use a combintaton move up to the Gold Class series. It uses higher quality ingredients.
Pro_fan
Many brands of carnauba and synthetic waxes can be purchased with or without cleaning agents. If you are using a polish before you wax, select a “pure” wax without cleaners. These formulas should produce a higher gloss and last longer. If you cannot devote the extra time for separate polishing, select a one-step cleaner/wax. One-step waxes can do an excellent job of maintaining newer finishes but cannot restore older cars with dull, oxidized, or neglected paint.
For example, I went there to read what they say are the diffs between #5 and #7. No mention of the humidity issue but they do have a description of each product including model number and container size.
Click on "Products", "Professional", then slide your pointer to which step you want. Step #3 is "polishing" and that's where the #5 and #7 are displayed.
http://www.smdistributor.com/Auto/durashine.htm
or autobarn.com.
Most synthetic waxes lack depth, giving the car a washed out appearance. Scratches become more prominent, rather than being covered up like a Natural wax does.
If that is true of some of the most expensive ones, it may be more true of the less expensive ones like this.
On this site others have spoken highly of Liquid Glass, or Klasse. These products have good reputations. I understand that they are expensive, but go a long ways.
Thanks for the good priced site, however; my question is:
Has anybody used this product and WHAT RESULTS???
I hate those little scratches. But they can be caused by just driving down the road. Here are the ways to minimize it.
1. Use a random buffer. This cleans off small scratches much better without a chance of damaging the paint.
2. If it doesn't work, then you might want to try a mild swirl remover like Meguiar's #9 although I don't use it more than once a year.
3. Use Foam Pads, not terry. They have more give and catch hard to reach areas better. Never mix pads. Keep one for remove, one for glaze, and another for wax.
4. I use a machine applied liquid wax then follow up immediately with a paste coat applied by hand. The liquid fills the small scratches better, and the paste is better protection. I always make sure the paste coat is applied to the hood, roof, and trunk or tailgate. Environmental abuse is strongest here. With this method you will be surprized how little paste you use with this technique. It should be pure wax after glazing, and not a cleaner wax.
5. Only use good terry cloth or microfiber drying cloths for removing wax. Wash them in a separate load with a liquid detergent that doesn't have fabric softener.
You may want to do it quarterly, but I find that one coat of glaze in the spring, and another in late fall gives a great look with less effort.
I generally Wax every 4-6 weeks, depending on the car's needs.
However, now when I look at my car I can see a whitish residue on the hood and roof!! It looks as though I never even cleaned my car. Where did I go wrong?? Did I not buff hard/long enough? Did I apply too much? Any and all advice appreciated!!
Pro_fan
1. Are you using the product in the maroon-colored bottle or the #6 Mirror Glaze in the tan bottle?
2. You say a "whiteish residue". Can you lift it by rubbing your finger on it or does it look whiteish in the sunlight?
3. What did you use to remove the wax? Cotton terry towels work great but so do cotton diapers or even cheesecloth. Anything that will lift off the product.
4. It is possible that you used too much. Not to worry; it's a common mistake. You may want to try rewashing the hood and roof. If I make a mistake or misapply a product, I just break out the car wash gear and start over. No harm done.
Let us know and maybe try some of these ideas. I'm sure your car will be fine.
Anyway, I was using the Merguiar's cleaner wax that is in the maroon bottle....no number to it. Also, I was using linen cloths to remove the wax.
Hood looks great now except for some white marks that weren't there last night...I'll have to take a look at those later. Thanks again Bret.
Regards,
Pro_fan
This was the first year I used a glaze and pure wax (in my case Meguiar's #26 hard yellow. It would have to be redone every 3-6 weeks. With a glaze, and the hard yellow it is going on three months, and all 3 cars still bead well. Result. More work initially, but much less in the long run. It's held up to our very dirty rains very well.
BTW what color is your car? That can influence the products you use. More polymers are better for darker finishes.
Very frustrating weather here, because I washed the car and 3 hours later it rained!! After 5 days of sunshine I should have expected it...Sigh...
That brings me to another question. After you've just spent countless hours on your car, and it does rain, how do you remove the inevitable water marks? I used Quick Detailer today, but I was afraid that I might just be grinding the dirt into the surface.
Also, the other white marks I mentioned just turned out to be excess wax residue. They were easily removed. Thanks again for listening to my woes. I'm sure more will come up soon.
Cheers,
Pro_fan
Like you, I found that a waterless cleaner scratched the surface. I'll use it to clean up bird droppings, bug tar, or in an emergency, but I won't use a spray cleaner on a regular basis if there is any dust.
Hey, in Calgary at least you can look forward to snow for part of the year.
Also, what about washing in the winter? Won't parts freeze and get damaged if I wash it in the winter? Thank goodness we get Chinooks up here in Calgary...
Thanks again in advance!
I would like to try a little more expensive and detailed polish/wax regime. I'm thinking of polishing with Meguiar's No. 9 Swirl Remover, and then apply a coat of Klasse All-In-One and finish with a coat of Klasse Sealant Glaze. If anyone has used any of the Klasse products or tried the Meguiars #9 with a orbital buffer, please share your tips or comments.
Respectfully,
Larry
I haven't used #9 since I was a little Bretfraz but my educated guess is that it will do the trick for you. Currently I use 3M's Swirl Mark Remover (#39009) along with Imperial Hand Glaze. My Saab needed a bit of aggressive polishing as it had sat on the lot for awhile. I'd think #9 would do the same thing.
Before going to Klasse you'll want to wash your car after the #9 to get most of the oils and residue off the paint. Klasse is an acrylic polymer product and sometimes they don't like oily, natural products like glaze.
Now that I think of it, if you use the All In One (AIO) and the Glaze after it, I don't think you need #9. The AIO should take care of your problem but you may need a couple coats. It might be worth a try first before spending extra $$ on #9.
Klasse..... man, I trip everytime I hear about it. It's a great product but I thought it disappeared long ago. Lemme see, when was the first time I used it....
"I used it on my brother's Mitsubishi Starion turbo.... we were living in that townhouse in Costa Mesa.... this was just before Bill and I started White Glove detailing.... he still had that shop in Santa Ana where we did $5 hand washes on Saturday......"
Musta been 1990. Seems like a lifetime ago.
Anyway, so much for Inside Bretfraz's Brain. Lemme know how I can help.
What do u reccomend for winter prep? Something that will last most, if not all winter, and will protect against road salts.
Thanks,
Pro_fan
Respectfully,
Larry