Hot Rods What is the Best Wax?

Forgot to mention Turtle wax makes a spray on detailer for black cars. Works great on suede vehicles.

Gary

 

I've been using NuFinish for well over 20 years with very good results, including winter time weekly trips through a car wash with the DDs. I've tried a couple "high tech" spray-ons with disappointing results.The overwhelming choices available today make it hard for me to switch from something that works.
One advantage of a satin finish (the '32) is no waxing, just good washing and detailing, with Wizard's Wipe Down my choice.

 

My wife has to much, two trips to the doc still dont listen to me.

 

When in doubt, pinkies out...
Only the finest for my motor cars.

 

Blue Coral saved from 1960

Hello,

Ever since I got started waxing my brother’s cars in 1957 and then his new 58 black Impala with Cadillac Blue Coral Wax, I have been a stickler for clean shiny surfaces on our cars. Back then, the cars would not leave without a daily wipe down with a dusting cloth. No, it did not leave swirl or scratches on the black paint. The car did not get dirty enough, but I wanted to at least start out with a clean car. Plus, If I wanted to go someplace in the 58 Impala, I had to clean it out and make it shiny. My brother had an advantage over me for sure. I just kept that up when it was my car to cruise around and race.

In the late 60’s and 70’s it was Classic Car Wax on all of the cars. The Cadillac Blue Coral did some chrome work. Then as technology advanced, new products came on the scene and some experimentation on other cars was a ritual. So, over the years of experimenting with all kinds of results and longevity, here is the current crop of car waxes and cleaners. But, everyone has their own favorites…YRMV…

For the deepest shine (sliding the cloth across the hood test), the easiest paste wax to apply and remove, it was: Collinite Carnuba Paste Wax
Using it on fiberglass boat surfaces with such harsh ocean elements, it lasted for 5-6 months. So trying it on car paints, (the easy application for the same job) lasted longer with the home garage and covered parking garages. Living by the ocean always gets salt air on the car, so there is some form of paint deterioration. Easy on, easy off, and lasts forever.

If a touch up wax job after a rain or snow, but not the whole car detailing, this product is excellent and fast. It is liquid, but thicker than the actual spray on liquids.
Finally, for those pesky road smears, "bird doo" drops, and over-splashes from water, this liquid from Meguiar’s does an excellent job of removal and liquid wax protection for those super fingerprint removal jobs.

As you can see I have used a lot of this one in a hand held sprayer. My wife has been taught to use it when she wants a clean door sill entry or gets caught under tree droppings, etc. Spray on, wipe off, easy peasy… With the water shortage in So Cal, this sprayer can be used on fiberglass boat surfaces and automotive painted surfaces for quick removal of salt and/or water spots. No water needed. It is possible to do the whole car with this spray. It is not a full on paste wax system, but a very quick and easy way to keep the shine going with little effort.
Jnaki

If you have any type of rust that is small or pops up from the elements, this product does an excellent job of removal.

This is an odd ball, pull apart, cotton material soaked with Naptha and other petroleum distillates, so be careful to clean your hands after use. Don’t rub your eyes. But, despite all of the warnings, it cleans rust off of just about any surface and does it well. It also polishes as it cleans after you wipe off the surface. But, is not a stand-alone wax for long lasting protection.

This final product does miracle work on stainless steel. Brush on hose off…it is as simple as that. (30 min wait in-between) It does what other cleaners can’t do with a scrubber, picks, scrapers, etc. It just works on stainless. In our experience, there are many varieties of stainless steel. This works to get the rust off of all types, regardless of where it is made. Most boats have good quality stainless on the fittings, but they are exposed to surface rust from the ocean elements. This brush on hose off system works wonders. Stainless steel on cars with access to hosing off with water? It works in any environment.

 

I like Flash Wax made by Macco Products the best.
It is sold to detail shops and I don't think you can buy it in stores.

Macco has dealers around the country who carry their products.
Here in Florida it's hard to find a firehouse that does not use their product on all the fire engines.

Jimbo

 

........

 

No one has mentioned Presta Fast Wax p/n 134132. Works good, if a car has this product on it, its extremely difficult to remove it to do a paint repair.. (speaking from experience) We did a buffing clinic and the presta rep buffed and used this. The next day, we were doing a single stage paint clinic, so we scuffed that same panel with a gray scuff pad, degreased and the product was still present (water was beading on surface), we used 4 other chemicals to try to remove and was unsuccessful, we eventually had to use the "Scuff Stuff" on a red scuff pad to remove.

 

I like to do the clay bar thing then use Nu Finish and White Diamond on wheels and bright work.

 

That's the shit that IS "The Shit". Real deal hard wax. Not easy to use so they came up with all kinds of easier to apply products. But nothing as old school good as this.

 

Ok,I'll put a plug in for California Custom, Ive been using it for several years now and find it to be very easy to use, you can do a complete car with it and wipe it down with no problem, the guy that owns it does a demonstration at car and truck shows on a black S10 they wax it on Tuesday and wipe a little each day till Saturday and this is an outdoor display,it lightly cleans as it waxes. He did the exhast elbows on a Peterbilt lowbed tractor I had at a show and I didn't see it till I made 4 8 hr round trips to haul everything home, it wiped off like I had just put it on.

They also have a cleaner and polish for brass,alum,crome, it works very well also.

 

I still like carnauba wax but its work. I have been known to use liquid turtle wax, its not work.

If you have a car that needs waxing and it is not a modern finish you cannot beat a good past wax, turtle wax makes on and then there is always simonize. When I was in Mexico I bought a can of DuPont Carnauba wax, it was exactly that "wax". But where I lived it rained more than 100" a year and temps over 80 were common. I paid to have it applied once a year that was all that it took to keep the water beading on my old truck.

 

The statements of guys saying what they use on their DD's threw me for a moment. I'm hoping that abbrieviations for daily driver?

 

NuFinish has worked well with Mequires detailer in between.

 

I shouldn't say this. But I just bought some wax and came across this thread. Funny timing.
Difference is the wax I bought is in a candle and made for dripping. Wife's birthday is in two days.

Ok. Little TMI for here. Delete away mods.

 

If I worked at it I could think of something really inappropriate to say here.

Tell your missus happy birthday from the 'beaner

 

Will do. I'll let you know how the wax goes over Monday night.

Ok. Sorry to OP...... Back to waxing hot rods........

 

That's just AWESOME... My guess is, if he can see this, hes laughing his ass off!

 

For the best protection, I always use Meguire's yellow paste wax after cleaning with a clay bar, especially on dark colours. I have done many, many cars in 25 years of detailing as a sideline business.

 

Surf from the silver strand ,mission beach,pacific beach and on and on -n- on,
was never as good as over in Hawaii but in the 60's it was all we diegans had...lol
frickendang hippies ALWAYS stunk of patchouli oil and they were in close proximity
hanging around at the HEAD shops, yep i transformed from part time surfer to full time car nut.

 

I'll stick to

 

This is a great testimonial on why there are so many waxes.

 

For a Dailey that get waxed once or twice a year. I love the liquid Meguiar's cleaner wax A1216. Works unbelievably good on white and light colors.

 

Is this for real? When I read the link I said out loud, "P.T. Barnum" and I'm here alone...!

Back to the who's n what's, I've never found anything that beats Meguire's #3. Is it wax? Not really, it's a glaze, but nothing will keep the car "wet" like that will. Between treatments their quick spray products do a great job. I use #3 to compound with a wool bonnet, glaze with a foam pad and hand glaze with clean soft terry or micro fiber. The only product line close and on some colors almost better is Wizard's. Their cut is nice and clean, their glazes and wax products easy, their in between spray is nice too. Sadly it's like Amsoil and not an easy product to grab off the shelf around here.

Back to that Chemical Guys link, I have a very hard time with that, even believing they'd ever sell a single can. Not even if I was a billionaire...

 

I've used Harly Wax for 30 years and it has never let me down! It is straight carnauba with no polishers, so your paint needs to be clean. I usually do two or more coats and it lasts a long time!

 

In my experience, wax is to protect a good polishing job. So, I use Zymol to polish and Turtle wax to protect it. As with all products, you have to FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS!

Check this out:
http://www.zymol.com/images/press/wax-polish.pdf

 

I didn't open the link till now, SWEET JESUS! I'm with you, I use Meguires.