Store Bought Waxes Part II (No Zaino Posts)

jster · March 2000

Here is a web address for the Duralube/GloShield Website

http://www.duralube.com/GloShield/index.html

It doesn't say anything about the product being clear-coat safe, one way or another-but there is an e-mail link. Maybe you would have more luck than with the 800 number.

I would expect that the product would be considered clear-coat safe. Very few cars are manufactured without a clear-coat paint job anymore.

Usually "clear-coat safe" is another way of saying "no abrasives"-although plenty of people use mildly abrasive glazes and cleaner-waxes on their clear-coated cars-many of those bottles say "clear coat safe" on them as well.

Can't blame you for wanting to be careful, though.
Good luck with whatever you decide to use.

sascuderi · March 2000

)

A detail guy told me to try Collinite Insulator
wax on my new I30. Can't get in stores, only
online. He gave me a sample bottle and I must say
it works. Easy on and off and great shine. This
wax was used on high voltage lines to prevent
flashovers, according to whats on the bottle.

Any opinion on this product??

jster · March 2000

I have seen Collinite for sale in body shop supply/auto paint stores. However I live in upstate New York, about 100 miles from where the product is made-so I'm not sure if Collinite has nationwide retail distribution. You could call around to a few in your area and check, if your are looking for it and prefer not to buy online.

Collinite also makes other waxes; some people speak very highly of their products-never tried any myself.

sascuderi · March 2000

Thanks for the info. I don't mind buying online, but I am looking for input from people who have used it.

Meantime, I have applied it once, from the bottle the detail guy gave me, to my new I30 and my wife's 96 accord. I will give updates on my first hand results in the future.

peterskm · March 2000

I am currently testing Collonite's marquis wax. This is supposed to be the best wax they make. I am mainly looking for durability. If it lasts a few months, then I am sold on it, otherwise...Zaino here I come. It has been on my car for about 1.5 months and still holding up well.

We'll see.

BTW, you can buy Collonite for http://www.dccarcare.com. Don is the owner and he is a good guy to deal with.

Kevin

joe166 · March 2000

If you maintain your car as "suggested" by the polyglycoat package (unless they changed it from when I wrote it), then what you are doing is adding a polymer based wax at reasonable intervals. Guess what? ANY WAX, if renewed regularly "lasts". The point is to find the wax that "lasts" WITHOUT renewing it. Along those lines, tests have been conducted by various entities on some commercially available "waxes". The one that lasted longest in one particular test without any further applications was NuFinish. They did not test every product on the market. They tested the stuff you usually would find at Pep Boys and Discount Auto Parts and AutoZone. I suggest you use whatever you want and see how long it lasts. I still maintain that if you applied Polyglycoat three or four years ago and you are still satisfied with the results, you are not that finicky. That is good. If you are satisfied with the results of Polyglycoat still, you will probably be ecstatic with the new polymers which are somewhat improved. Polymers share an ease of application that I love. Carnauba Wax is harder to apply. Some people think that if it is harder to apply it must be better. I am basically lazy. Your not being finicky will make it easy to satisfy you. Since everyone has different tastes, and different circumstances (garaged, lots of sun, dirty, wash with detergents etc) the only real way to "prove" which product is best is to do half the hood in one and the other half in another wax. I don't care enough to do that. I am satisfied with Nufinish, but some people have spoken very highly of other products. I don't think I can go three years before I do it again, but I might.

theyus1 · March 2000

To joe166 and jster:

Thank you both for responding to my post. Your constructive suggestions/information are very appreciated. I guess the reason we are all here at this website is that we all believe in driving clean cars ( = self respect). Just finished applying Glo Shield and no swirl marks. Shines real well and real slippery. Let's hope it lasts.

brentskic · March 2000

Doesn't anyone use a Chamois to dry their car? I thought this provided the best protection to the paint finish when drying during washing. Yet everyone talks about using cotton towels here.
What up?

I'll be polymerizing my new car for the first time this weekend. Can't wait to see the shine.

Will Dawn take off protectants that are normally on Aluminum wheels?

Thanks everyone for great information.

Gischpel · March 2000

For drying, I use an artificial chamois called the Absorber. You can buy them at Kmart for about $10-12. Someone recommended them in the first Wax and Polish forum along time ago and they really work well. There is no lint or fuzz left over like with towels and you just wring them out and keep drying.

Dawn should not affect the finish of your wheels. It didn't hurt the finish on the aluminum wheels on my wife's Odyssey and they also have a protective coating of some kind.

Terry

peterskm · March 2000

While I agree with your point that the real search is to find the wax that lasts the longest without renewing, I also must add that I take the renewing process into account. All things being equal, I think I would much rather apply Zaino or another polymer wax easily removed than to have to reapply a carnuaba wax. That said, I have never tried Zaino and am currently testing the durability of Collonite (see above post). However, I just want to state, on record, that if the Collonite last about as long as the Zaino and the Zaino is as easy to apply as EVERYONE says it is, than I will switch to Zaino.

--Kevin

jster · March 2000

Best chamois I have used (artificial or real) is the p21s drying towel. It is quite small-but it works amazingly well, especially on glass. The only thing I don't like about it is the case you store it in-it's really small (roughly the size of my hand) and you have to be careful how you put it in the case, so as not to crack it. Costs about 8-10 dollars, but hard to find in stores. Several online sellers carry it.

P21s car wash is excellent too-best I've ever used- but pricey ($9 bucks a bottle).

peterskm · March 2000

I used to use these all the time. I bought them at the motorcycle shop I worked out (got a great discount). If you are having a hard time finding them, check the motorcycle shops. The company P21S makes a lot of M/C cleaners and waxes. I agree with the small case...man it was a pain to fold it up to fit in there.

I just switched to the Absorber which I bought at Walmart. It is another synthetic chamois. It works really well. I think it might even be better than the P21S chamois and is bigger (and, subsequently comes with a bigger case).

Kevin

joe166 · March 2000

Maybe I was not clear. I agree. My inherent laziness requires that I only use polymers. I sure wouldn't even try a difficult wax such as a Carnauba based wax because it would just mean that I might finish doing it once and then never again. With Nufinish it is very easy and the study seems to support the long lasting part. Frankly, if a study were to show that Zaino was longer lasting I would suck it up and send in my money order, but all I have seen is anecdotal testimony that sounds as though it came from the Davidian ranch or the Jones Rancho. As long as I am satisfied, I don't see a problem, but the Z supporters seem to be offended if someone doesn't become a true believer based on their testimony. To each his own. Try what you want and if it works, great. If not, there are lots of options.

jster · March 2000

peterskm:

Thanks for the tip. I would like to get another p21s towel, and if I could buy it local that would be great.

theyus1 · March 2000

I have been using the California Water Blade (about $20)to dry my car after washing. This thing is great! Saves a lot of time.

luck11 · March 2000

I posted sometime ago. I was a regular user of Mothers, until a few years ago when I switched to Meguiars. Really happy with Meguiars but found it did not last as long as I would like under the conditions my car is subject to. So I gave Zaino a try a few weeks ago. I am really happy I did. It is amazing! Depth of shine and ease of use. My father now owns all my Meguiars and Mothers products. Won't go into details, here, but if you're interested in my experiences, check for the Zaino thread for my posts. The real test, as mentioned in some previous posts, will be the durability of the shine.

goodwin · April 2000

i was out today at my local auto zone and noticed some wax that i have not tried before, i picked up some wax shop super glaze liquid wax, can anyone tell me if this stuff is any good or should i return it?. for the last 10 years i have used the mothers gold paste wax and found it to be good, last year i went out to try to find some more to replace what was left of my wax and the 2 big stores in my area auto zone and cap dont carry the mothers gold pure carnauba wax anymore they have the wax/cleaner but thats not what i'm looking for. i did pick up some meguiars gold class liquid wax and that seem to be good also but i notice it doesn't last as long as the mothers, maybe a month to a month and a half. so i would like to know if i made a good choice with the wax shop and would like some feed back on the meguiars wax also. thanks

jster · April 2000

Goodwin:

Haven't tried any of the Wax Shop products-but there used to be a guy who posted a lot in these topics who spoke highly of the Wax Shop's products.

IIRC he said that "Super Glaze" was not the longest-lasting wax (one or two months), but gave a nice shine, and was very easy to apply. You could search through the archived "Wax" topics on this site and see what you could find out.

Wax Shop also has a web site, with a bulletin board:

www.waxdepot.com

derf6669 · April 2000

I have water spots on the drivers side window of my pickup and can't remove them. I tried Windex and PROGLASS and the spots still won't come off. Anyone have any suggestions?

fastdriver · April 2000

derf6669-

I could tell you, but I'm not allowed to mention that word in here!

fastdriver

pat455 · April 2000

We have an archived topic containing 18 posts discussing Windshield water spots. Click on that link and review the posts - I think you'll find some helpful suggestions there.

Come back here and let us know what worked best for you!

Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference

newwestd · April 2000

I had posted about this.

While using Mother's or Meguiar's, Eagle One or other waxes, I often used the Wax Shoppe liquid carnuba as an over-glaze. It really looks good on a clean, well polished paint (after glazing or using a cleaner-wax). It goes on and off really easy. I felt that it did not last too long, but was so easy to use that it was fast to replace. Also- I liked to use the 3M or other Gloss Enhancer spray afterwards for a really good shine.

I have read that waxes in general cannot expand and contract well with the car, that is part of the reason that they deteriorate. Lately I have changed to the popular polymer polish for testing, instead of using a wax. It seems to have far and away the very best shine, and we will see if it lasts as long as claimed.

Also - I am trying some of the new tire gels instead of sprays. The Meguiar's was OK but not great, the Turtle Wax one seems better. They take a little more work to rub in, but they keep your tires black and shiny for weeks, and seem to dry hard and not sticky. I'll let you know as I try more types.

jster · April 2000

newwestd:

From what I have read on the subject-a good carnauba-based wax should be able to expand and contract with the paint on a car. It is considered one of the advantages of carnauba. In the past, polymer sealants supposedly did not have this ability, which is why polymers previously had the reputation of causing paint cracking. Whether this is true today depends on who you talk to.

Not sure why polymer sealants generally last longer than Carnauba-based waxes. Polymers are generally said to "bond" with the paint, while a carnauba-based wax doesn't have this ability.

Also it figures that a carnauba-based wax is more suceptable to the effects of sun and heat--when I use a carnauba-based wax it always seems to last longer during the dark, cold upstate NY winters than during the summer.

I would like to see a chemist or chemical engineer explain some of the technical aspects these products, and the differences--(one unconnected to any company).

Unfortunately they all seem to be too busy trying to cure horrible diseases or solving environmental problems, to bother with a crucial subject like car wax.

newwestd · April 2000

You are right - it is up to us to solve the world's car maintenace problems!

projectzx3 · April 2000

my new car has black body side mouldings. is there a 'great' wax or polish out there that won't stain them with a tan mark??? also, i already found out the hard way and i have a wax mark on one of the mouldings. is it possible to remove it. lastly... are there any products you would recommend for keeping the black mouldings looking new? i hate to say it but i used armoral on my wifes car with poor poor results. help. thanks.

fastdriver · April 2000

projectzx3-

I could tell you, but I'm not allowed to mention that word in this group.

fastdriver

newwestd · April 2000

First - try a stiff brush to get off the old wax. You can also try some solvent, or - peanut butter! Really - the oil may dissolve the wax.

I have been using tire foam on our black plastic and rubber, but now I use the tire gel from Turtle Wax. It dries hard, not gooey like Armor All or the tire foams. Rub it on and then buff it a few minutes later. Of source there are other good treatments as well, as mentioned above.

projectzx3 · April 2000

thiz product you're not allowed to mention here appears to be very popular. is it a wax or a polish? i mean if the product is that good why can't folks talk about it? is there a separate topic for it? will it stain body side mouldings? i have alot of questions....geez.

cygnusx1 · April 2000

First, for a bajillion posts on Zaino, go to that topic (it's separate).

Next, try peanut butter to get the haze off the moldings (I'm presuming they're black in color).
It was recommended by the Z guys to me - and it worked!

Also, me personally, I'd stay away from Armor All, particularly on the interior. On a car I no longer have I used it near the clear plastic window that covers the speedometer and instrument panel and it left a white blurry haze that never did come off in the ten years I owned that vehicle. Made it impossible to see the speedometer.

I tried some stuff called Black Chrome on my moldings and it worked well, but it only lasts a few weeks so you'll have to keep reapplying it periodically. It's only 2 or 3 bucks at your local auto shop. Give it a try and see what results you get.

Just my .02 worth.

sjuhawks · April 2000

I currently use Mother's Carnuba wax, but I wasn't all that impressed and have been wondering about what wax to get. I have a brand new 2000 Jetta in dark blue, so I'd like to keep it pretty clean. I've been reading most of these posts and I was wondering what the pros and more importantly, the cons are of Zaino. Why is it that some people love it and some hate it? Is it bad for a car? I don't understand, can someone please shed some light on the subject. Thanks.

pjyoung · April 2000

I will only address the few perceived cons of that product.

1. The initial price is somewhat higher than store bought waxes.

Yes, it is a bit pricey.

2. there is a perception that it takes a long time to apply it.

Couldn't be further from the truth.

I, or others will be glad to discuss this in more detail in the thread dedicated to that product.

newwestd · April 2000

The problem is that the 'Z' product (which is a polymer, not a wax) is so extraordinary that about a year ago, some folks got a little carried away preaching about it, and I heard that a big flame-out occured here between them and others that were preaching about some other finish. This is too bad, because we all want the best for our cars - that's why we are here, right?

Also, there are always people that are resistant to change, and don't want to hear about anything new. "It was good enough for my grampa and it's good enough for me!" You know the attitude.

There is a very active separate forum for it, with lots of converted skeptics (like myself) and testimonials and pictures. Check it out if you are curious. If not, there is a lot of good advice on conventional products right here.

pat455 · April 2000

Here is a link to the separate topic to which folks are referring: Zaino Car Care Experiences.

Folks who are curious about this product would do well to read all of this topic, and might want to follow the links to previous topics provided in post 0.

Let's keep this topic to exterior car care products other than Zaino.

Thanks!

Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference

newwestd · April 2000

Thanks for the link, Pat.

fastdriver · April 2000

pat455-

Oh no!!! You mentioned the WHOLE Z word! You're brave! LOL....

fastdriver

cygnusx1 · April 2000

I just applied some Mcguires #26 Hi-Tech Yellow Carnauba, shooo-weeeee what a shine. And it took pretty much no time to apply and remove. For what it's worth - there are tons of products that work as well if not better than 'Z'. Pretty much boild down to personal preference. I'm a carnauba fan myself. 'Z' made no diff to my vehicle.

graphicguy · April 2000

Just curious...which "Z" products did you use?

pblevine · April 2000

Chris is correct to stear such questions to our other forum thread, BUT with a proviso. There are naturally going to be questions such as the one posted by sjuhawks and the comment by cygnusx1. I'm not starting an argument, just stating a fact. People who like this topic the way it is should not get upset by these posts, just suggest (via links) the more appropriate topic. The qestions are legit and natural. Maybe there should even be a third topic: Zaino vs Wax Products. That way, when such questions arise in the future, us Zaino users will have a proper place to refer the writer, and will be able to give an appropriate answer without being yelled at.

peterskm · April 2000

If you just applied the Meguiars, there is no way you can compare it to other products on the market other than on the shine. The main concern among car owners is shine and durability.

What I can say is that Meguiars is NOT durable. I have used many different waxes and every Meguiars product I used produced a great shine, but didn't last past 1 month. It might last longer if stored in a garage, but that is not the focus of my testing. I am now using a wax called Collonite. I have had it on the car for just about a month and a half and am happy to report that it is holding up pretty well. My initial thought was that if it doesn't last long enough I'll give up on carnuabas and switch to Zaino to test it's durability. All in all, I am pretty happy with Collonite's performance so far.

Disclaimer: I have not used the "Z" product banned from this topic.

--Kevin

jbadams · April 2000

I use Meguiars Premium Medallion wax and am very happy with the durability and shine. My car beads up well even 3 to 4 months. I think the reason all the "Z" folks claim how durable it is, is because they put 2 to 3 coats and more of this stuff on.

Gischpel · April 2000

I did one coat last August. After I washed my truck this past weekend and I left it sitting out front. Two of the neighbors stopped by to see what wax I had just used.

That's durable enough for me...

Terry

luck11 · April 2000

I disagree. I just recently (a few weeks ago) began using Z. Prior, I was a user of Meguiars, and previous that, Mothers (total of about 6 or 7 years.)

I used the a two coat process for waxing with these convential waxes as well. Twice a year, I would use a pre-cleaner wax. As for the wax,each time a I waxed, I would apply one coat, then repeat a second coat a few days or a week later. I found that otherwise, the durability was just not there (for the conditions my vehicle was faced). But even with this two coat process, the durability and shine would be gone after a month and a half or so and a few washings. That's why I gave Z a try, and very happy I did. So far it outperforms the Meg & Mothers for beading and preventing dirt/dust build up. Durability? Time will tell, and I will post my objective results in due course on the other thread.

cygnusx1 · April 2000

Everyone will have their own different experiences I guess. I'm partial to no brand name in particular. Whatever works...works. I'm loyal to no brand names for any products. Personally I've had great success with Meguires #26 over the years on my vehicles. I've used Meguires for years and to me it is DURABLE and lasts way more than a month. 'Z' is not bad either, but I never noticed it lasting any longer really than carnauba. Every two to three months I wax/polish my vehicles reagrdless of whether 'Z' is on there or Meguires so durability past two months or so isn't a factor for me so 'Z' makes no difference to me. I personally can't tell the difference, but everyone is different.

luck11 · April 2000

I'm with you on that everyone's situation is different. Go with whatever works best in your situation, for your car, in the conditions your vehicle operates, whether its Z, Meguiars, Mothers, Collinite or any other product.

Changing the subject(slightly off topic)...TIRE GEL.
Anyone use this stuff? Anyone have advice, experiences, preferences that they can share? I must admit, I was a frequent user of Armor All....yes, I know, shame on me. I would like to switch to something that won't brown my tires every time they get dirty or it rains. comments appreciated.

joe166 · April 2000

I have used almost everything on the market. The best stuff I ever found I could not get regularly. It was some form of Armorall "Exterior, All Weather Protectant" which was not too glossy so it made the tires just right and did not attract dirt like the greasy stuff. Unfortunately, I could not find it easily so I gave up on using it. I tried silicone based sprays, "No Touch" aerosols, and recently I tried the Meguiars stuff that comes with an applicator. Only the Armorall (not regular armorall) was acceptable. I give up! I am even going to try the dreaded "Z" stuff. As of now, I prefer just to really clean the tires with something really strong like Bleche White, scrub them and leave them be. All the Silicone based stuff got all over my car and stained it. I have not used any of it on my LS. If anyone finds anything really good, let me know, please!!!

peterskm · April 2000

I have used quite a few products as well. I currently use the armor-all tier foam for lack of a better solution. The black magic silicone spray works well, too. I do not have the problem with getting silicone all over the place because I usually let the tires dry for a while. I tried the Meguiars endurance stuff and, IMO, it sucks. It's hard to apply and doesn't really last that long, either.

newwestd · April 2000

I was using the Turtle wax 2001 spray foam for a couple of years. It is not bad, especially if you spray a little on a rag and buff the tires as it starts to dry. The problem is that it's a little sticky, builds up and you have to periodically clean the tires with Bleche-White (you should do this anyway), hose off the brown stuff and start over.

I tried the Meguiar's gel, and did't like the look. I am now using the Turtle Wax gel in the green bottle. It is pretty good so far. It dries hard and black, not sticky, and doesn't spin off. It seems to last through car washes OK.

The problem with all gels is that it is hard to get the coating into the little cracks and lettering on the tire compared with a spray. I use an old pices of towel and rub it in in small circles. Again, as it starts to dry, I put a little more on the cloth and buff it - it gets nice and smooth and shiny.

luck11 · April 2000

Thanks for the comments on tire dressings. Bleche-white...never heard of this. Is this speacially made for tires? I usually use a strong dishsoap and scrub with a brush to clean. Occassionally, I use something like Fantastic or Spray-9 to get the brown stuff off, but try to avoid since it will damage painted surfaces and cause corossion.

Anyway, I am willing to invest in Bleche-White if it is special for tires and will not damage my alloy wheels. Can anyone provide insight?

Thanks.

joe166 · April 2000

Bleche-White is a tire cleaner that has been around for ages. I think it must have some form of chlorine in it as it used to clean the whitewalls great. When black tires became the rage, it kind of went into disuse, but I recently discovered it cleans the rubber part of the tire as well as it ever did and turns the brake dust into brown goop which rinses right off. I would not personally spray it on my wheels on purpose, but I have not seen any damage from overspraying it on a wet wheel while using it on the tire. It is a relatively cheap product. I saw it this afternoon at Pep Boys for $3.99 for a 32 oz spray bottle and the 64 oz refill was $4.99. I have used it on the wheels of my last car as I didn't care anymore, and it worked on brake dust, but not as well (IMHO) as some other products.

stewardrobbins · April 2000

I don't care about having the shiniest car in town, but I do want great protection for my paint so it will last. I'm not willing to apply 4 or 5 stage products. Any suggestions?

Store Bought Waxes Part II (No Zaino Posts)

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