# Wax on - wax off: what's the best wax?



## mr.happy (Jul 13, 2004)

I want to wax my new 2005 Altima 3.5SE (1 month old, colour = Smoke). I guess the idea is to protect the paint and give it a nice shine. A few of my friends have made different suggestions as to what brand of wax I could use. One has suggested the Zaino line of products - the merits seem to be that this brand does not contain abrasives, which sounds good to me. Another has recommended Maguires, steps 2 and 3 (step 1 is for color repair). But both tell me I should wait 3-4 months before applying wax - not sure why. Having never really paid attention to waxes and paint protection, anybody have any advice for me? I wany my Altima to look good for a long time...


----------



## Coco (Apr 30, 2002)

Both Zaino and Meguires are great waxes. Click here to download a free detailing eBook.


----------



## dsuave624 (May 4, 2004)

The last wax I used was Eagle One Nanowax. It's actually time for another application. Here is my review of the product.


----------



## GarrettSER (Apr 6, 2003)

Its all about Meguires. Great stuff.


----------



## eleuthardt (Dec 12, 2002)

GarrettSER said:


> Its all about Meguires. Great stuff.


Same here.


----------



## 3-fity (Nov 1, 2002)

Coco is right. Its ALL about the Zaino. Expensive, but the best.


----------



## togenji (Oct 10, 2002)

I've been using turtle wax but I'm sure that not the best out there...

How long does wax on the car last? Every time I wash the car after waxing it before, the water doesn't bead up.


----------



## Honest Bob (Nov 7, 2002)

If the water dosent bead up I think that means the wax wore off. It shouldnt come off after ever wash though.


----------



## togenji (Oct 10, 2002)

I only wash my car periodically after it gets pretty dirty. Does the wax last longer if you give your car an easy wash?


----------



## mr.happy (Jul 13, 2004)

Coco,

Thanks for the link - good info. Will definitely help me out!

Happy.


----------



## mr.happy (Jul 13, 2004)

All,

Thanks for the input. Really want to wax the car this weekend but can't find any Zaino sold retail here in Vancouver. So, will give the Meguires a try, but will probably be ordering some Zaino for next time. They have a great line of products that will help with detailing the leather, so will get going on that in the next while.

Cheers!

Happy


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

If your waxing is up to date, your paint should be smooth as glass. If Meguiar's Quick Detailer does not wipe off easily it may be time for a wax also. Meguiars Gold Class Clear Coat is a good wax. I believe it is pure caranuba. If you are using your hands or an orbital buffer, it will give a great shine and lasting protection. If you can rotary buff or knows someone who can, this is the best (significantly better than hand or orbital). If you wan work a rotary, you are opening up an all new chapter of paint care. A few Meguiar's products are X Press Wax (quick and easy), Professional Paste Wax, High Tech Yellow Wax (very good for your car's color). And Meguiar's Medallion Premium Paint Protection (also very good for your car).


----------



## mr.happy (Jul 13, 2004)

nick Z,

Wow, you know your crap! Thanks for the tips. When I was shopping around last weekend i noticed that Meguiar has a 3 step process (can't remember what the actual product name was - but I didn't think I needed sep 1, which was for swilr marks and "colour repair". I think step 2 was some kind of gloss and step 3 was the actual wax. Am I on the right track here?


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

mr.happy said:


> nick Z,
> 
> Wow, you know your crap! Thanks for the tips. When I was shopping around last weekend i noticed that Meguiar has a 3 step process (can't remember what the actual product name was - but I didn't think I needed sep 1, which was for swilr marks and "colour repair". I think step 2 was some kind of gloss and step 3 was the actual wax. Am I on the right track here?


I believe it is Step 1: Wash
Step 2: Polish/prep
Step 3: Wax
Step 4: Maintaining

It is a good system but has been around a while and we have never used it. Just a wash, use of Meguiar's Scratch X and then a Gold Class Wax would be fine and is virtually the same system. The truth is a rotary buffer is the only machine that can create swiril marks, but is also the only machine that can remove them.


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

I am wrong, it is actually a 5 step process, but the final process is just quick detail. It is similar to a professional treatment except not as strong of products are used.

http://www.meguiars.com/product_showroom/showroom_template.cfm


----------



## mr.happy (Jul 13, 2004)

I'll be rubbing it on manually - no rotary buffer going on here. The car's only 4 weeks old, so I'm babying it for now, and forgive my ignorance of good waxing technique. I will give the Meguiar's a shot and see what happens. Thanks!!

Happy


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

mr.happy said:


> I'll be rubbing it on manually - no rotary buffer going on here. The car's only 4 weeks old, so I'm babying it for now, and forgive my ignorance of good waxing technique. I will give the Meguiar's a shot and see what happens. Thanks!!
> 
> Happy


You may want to consider buying a Ryobi 11 in Orbital Buffer for like 30 bucks. It is almost impossible to damage a car with one and is easier and more effective. You use it for Scratch X/Polish and Waxing.


----------



## mr.happy (Jul 13, 2004)

I will check this out - thanks for the help!


----------



## JOTDADDY (Jul 20, 2004)

*Meguiars Gold Class!*

it is definitly the way to go when waxing your car.. for even more protection consider a double coat of wax


----------



## AznTommy530 (Jul 11, 2004)

*Meguiar's NXT Gen Wax*

This product saves time and it's great. It lightly cleans, polish, and protects all at once.


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

JOTDADDY said:


> it is definitly the way to go when waxing your car.. for even more protection consider a double coat of wax


But you always want to do some sort of prep/polish...ScratchX works to remove light oxidation and swiril marks (only a rotary buffer can both create and remove them fully). Medallion is a great line...one of the best and it can be used with an orbital buffer as well.


----------



## mr.happy (Jul 13, 2004)

NickZac said:


> But you always want to do some sort of prep/polish...ScratchX works to remove light oxidation and swiril marks (only a rotary buffer can both create and remove them fully). Medallion is a great line...one of the best and it can be used with an orbital buffer as well.


Yo,

I figured since my ride is brand new, I would just apply the polish and the wax (after a wash). I went with Meguiar Deep Crystal polish and wax, very easy to apply and remove for both. End result was wicked, paint feels smooth and looks mighty sweet. I guess I'm more concerned with the protection from UV rays than anything. The Smoke finish comes with a nice sparkle in it, don't want to lose it. 

On another topic I cleaned the wheels using Eagle One wheel polish, and MAN do those rims look nice now. I mean, they might be just stock wheels, but man they look sweet when they're all polished up. A little Armor All on the tires and the ride's lookin' good baby!

Next step if finding a good leather cleaner/conditioner to do the interior. Any suggestions?

Thanks for your input folks! :cheers:


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

Some people wax their wheels...I generally only wax bendz wheels because they are made poorly and need as much protection as possible. Lexol is probably the best combo of effectiveness and safeness for your application. Since your car is new, I'de imagine that you dont need anythinng too strong. After cleaning with Lexol, Meguiars makes a nice leather shine and protectant (this is NOT a cleaner) that smells good and makes the leather look slick.


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

And o yeah, as a general rule of thumb for you to go by...if your car's paint (after a wash) isnt as smooth as glass, then a wax is probably a good idea. 
-Zac


----------



## mr.happy (Jul 13, 2004)

dude, that make's sense to me. Thanks!


----------



## 7875 (Apr 3, 2003)

Meguiars :thumbup:


----------



## altima25s (Feb 26, 2003)

irontom said:


> Meguiars :thumbup:




WOW cant believe no one said mothers.Thats the best. And to get your car smooth as a detailer's job..get mothers clay bar kit and then wax your ride. You will get the best look.


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

altima25s said:


> WOW cant believe no one said mothers.Thats the best. And to get your car smooth as a detailer's job..get mothers clay bar kit and then wax your ride. You will get the best look.


clay bar....meh!


----------



## mr.happy (Jul 13, 2004)

You know what, I'm surprised no one said Mothers as well. I use their leather conditioner/cleaner, and it works great. Does a great job. But the Maguires wax kicks ass. Very smooth - like butta. Easy on, easy off.


----------



## 7875 (Apr 3, 2003)

.


----------



## 7875 (Apr 3, 2003)

mr.happy said:


> You know what, I'm surprised no one said Mothers as well. I use their leather conditioner/cleaner, and it works great. Does a great job. But the Maguires wax kicks ass. Very smooth - like butta. Easy on, easy off.



A friend of mine just used Mother's 3-step waxing and said he's found a new favorite.


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

As far as the best wax if money isnt concerned and buying in bulk isnt a problem, I'm ready to recommend Gliptone any day of the week.

http://www.gliptone.com/prod/ws.asp

http://www.gliptone.com/retail/

In fact we are about to switch from Meguiar's to almost using solely Gliptone.


----------



## GarrettSER (Apr 6, 2003)

Nick, what about it do you like better?


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

GarrettSER said:


> Nick, what about it do you like better?


It's more concentrated hence you need to use less of it. Their cleaners and degreasers remove ANYTHING. And their wax they claim is 100% Brazillian caranuba and it goes a long long long way. It smells like caranuba and it does go a long way.


----------



## GarrettSER (Apr 6, 2003)

So its better than mecquiars? What's good about caranuba, by the way? Is that the secret ingredient of a good wax?


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

GarrettSER said:


> So its better than mecquiars? What's good about caranuba, by the way? Is that the secret ingredient of a good wax?


Meguiars, Mothers and anyone else uses caranuba so it seems to be the industry standard. Gliptone is definately more cost effective than Meguiar's and their cleaners are much much much more effective. Among the things their degreasers can remove is 2 year old window chalk, crayon, tar, sap, the worst of worst brake dust, and glue (dunno what type, it was just on a customer's car). Honestly though I havent used it enough to tell you if it is better in the long run than Meguiar's Medallion line. I'll have to wait and see how the Gliptone holds up over time.


----------



## Coco (Apr 30, 2002)

Moved to Car Care Section.


----------



## hotnissanbabe2003 (Oct 10, 2003)

Zano i heard is pretty good. if you put it on coat after coat, then your paint practically looks like a mirror. i am right now using Meguiars Gold Class wax. i like it alot. makes car look shiny


----------



## dmroberson (Jun 24, 2004)

I use Prestone High Protection Wax. Used it on my 89 Mitsubishi Montero, and it actually shines more than my 04 Sentra 1.8S does! Not too expensive either. Works great, no abrasives, squirt bottle, even applicable in direct sunlight.


----------



## wes (Apr 30, 2002)

altima25s said:


> WOW cant believe no one said mothers.Thats the best. And to get your car smooth as a detailer's job..get mothers clay bar kit and then wax your ride. You will get the best look.


I had HORRIBLE luck with the mother's clay bar kit. Clay Magic is the only clay system I have found to be worth a crap. For the most part I use the Meguire's products that hav eben recommended, high tech ellow is VERY nice... But if I am going to do a one step process that has GREAT results and is EASY to apply/remove it has to be Zymol one step. I do the meguire's 5 step once a year and zymol 2-3 times a year depending on how much the car actually makes it out of the garage.


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

wes said:


> I had HORRIBLE luck with the mother's clay bar kit. Clay Magic is the only clay system I have found to be worth a crap. For the most part I use the Meguire's products that hav eben recommended, high tech ellow is VERY nice... But if I am going to do a one step process that has GREAT results and is EASY to apply/remove it has to be Zymol one step. I do the meguire's 5 step once a year and zymol 2-3 times a year depending on how much the car actually makes it out of the garage.


Yea, clay bars suck. Too much time and too much risk and their are other products that can do the job just as effectively.


----------



## Dwntyme (Dec 18, 2002)

I use Liquid Glass, It's an excellent system...


----------



## Binger (Aug 29, 2002)

Meguiars Gold class gets my vote. However Mothers has a much more extensive options for paint restoration waxes and comounds and such. 
I'd use those and top it off with Meguiars.


----------



## Luv2Race (Sep 9, 2004)

Mcguires three stage. Paint cleaner, polish, wax
Best shit ever and get mcguires car wash too. 
Mcguires all the way


----------



## Dav5049915 (Sep 26, 2004)

i just got the mcguires quik detail, or whatever it is, OMG :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: 

i waxed my car yesterday, it rained last night, i was angry, so i decided to give this a try, as i've seen many people on here say its good, well, i was in heaven. it works soo good. got all the rain spots off NP.


----------



## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

i love meguires. it may not be perfection but for the price it is the best! the gold class is the greatest but i tried the nxt awile ago and im not impressed at all, it may be because i have a light colored car but it did non of the things it clamed other than lasting long :thumbdwn: im gona stick to gold class :thumbup:


----------



## 1slowZ (Jul 8, 2004)

i'm straight turtle waxin......and i love it.....never had gut to try anything else because the turtle has always worked for me


----------



## Blank (Aug 21, 2003)

togenji said:


> I've been using turtle wax but I'm sure that not the best out there...
> 
> How long does wax on the car last? Every time I wash the car after waxing it before, the water doesn't bead up.



just a reminder, don't wash your car with dish soap!!! it cuts all the wax right off the car, so you will need to wax it every time...

and BTW lexol is all i use on leather, and vinylex(by lexol) is pretty much the best interior cleaning product invented...


----------



## Blank (Aug 21, 2003)

ZAc... are you applying wax with a rotary buffer? i dont think ive ever seen that, we use a Dual action orbital, but i hate it because it only taskes liquid wax, and i like a good hard paste...


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

37 stickies said:


> ZAc... are you applying wax with a rotary buffer? i dont think ive ever seen that, we use a Dual action orbital, but i hate it because it only taskes liquid wax, and i like a good hard paste...


We only ever use a rotary if necessary and try to be very weary about working it on clearcoats. Most of the cars we do are German luxs with nice paint and the owners keep them decently well. For poorer paint wea've worked rotarys (ive worked the wax at low rpms on a mild pad without problem but we use it primarily for deeply cleaning the paint with a medium cut cleaner if need be)...but for most cars to tell ya the truth, we use a 50 dollar orbital polisher and a premium wax (they dont really need anything else; people really want the carpets shampooed and looking new more than anything else).

edit: btw, i think this spring when we start back up again, we may spring for a dual action polisher, especially since practically none of the cars we do has swiril marks or even strong scratches. ive had the same meguiars paint cleaner since june...


----------



## Blank (Aug 21, 2003)

DA's rock for quick applications... but like i said, i prefer a paste, but donig 20-30 waxes by hand a day might kill me without a DA


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

You guys are probably much more large scale than us. Right now we have 3 workers including me and my partner and a man on call lol. 2 cars a day is what we were shooting for. Once spring comes, we may try to expand and then we would definately change our material route. Right now a lot of the work is done by hand other than waxing and shampooing. If we hired 5-10 more guys, we would work on an industrial property or company cars, cars would by all means be easier and less to insure and full costs than a full scale industrial property. In that case, we would upgrade to a more effecient shampooer and try to equip each guy with an industrual vacuum, a high effecient shampooer with built in heater, an orbital polisher and a variable speed rotary buffer (all things would have needed accessories of course). The real problem is getting guys comfortable with rotary buffing to the point where they make a car look better as opposed to melting the paint or swiril marking it to death. I was luck enough to have someone let me use their car which was in crappy condition and I got to work chemicals to see what does best for paint resuscitation. I had a good amount of time to play around with it. We would need something like that to train new guys though; just giving them a rotary (and even a high speed orbital polisher at that) could be a huge costs for us. Considering we are not that big and dont have a huge amount of capital, this would be catestrophic.


----------



## Dustin (Dec 14, 2003)

so, have you guys used the eagle one nano wax? i know someone said they did, but the link doesnt work anymore, and what should i do to keep my paint in top condition blank? zac? i know i wash it by hand as often as i can with some kind of wild cherry car soap thing, it sucks, but it works, and then i usually use a meguiars cleaning wax, and then gold class, but it just takes entirely too long to wax my car twice by hand.


----------



## Exalta (Jan 21, 2003)

Meguiars works best for me. Looks a lot damn better than the Turtle wax the local carwash uses. Good thing Meguiar's opened up a detailing shop nearby


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

KaRdoN said:


> so, have you guys used the eagle one nano wax? i know someone said they did, but the link doesnt work anymore, and what should i do to keep my paint in top condition blank? zac? i know i wash it by hand as often as i can with some kind of wild cherry car soap thing, it sucks, but it works, and then i usually use a meguiars cleaning wax, and then gold class, but it just takes entirely too long to wax my car twice by hand.


buy an orbital. meguiars car shampoo is very gentle on paint jobs. zaino wax is good but it is a pain in the ass to rub in not to mention expensive. an orbital buffer is easy to use and hard to mess up paint with. meguiar's medallion is a good line also.


----------



## Nismo240 (Jul 24, 2004)

meguire's is good, but mothers works well too


----------



## Baddad (Jan 10, 2005)

All products mentioned above work well, I've used them all :thumbup:

The days of having to wait a few months for paint to cure before buffing or waxing a new car are over. It is however, wise to let a fresh paint job "breathe" for a week or so before wet sanding and buffing, I do anyway.

I have found 3M products to work the best (for me) for getting down to the paint (removing oxidation, hard water spots etc.). These products work best with a foam buffing pad @ *low* RPM. I know that not all are comfy cozy putting a machine on their new finish....I know, my 05 Maxima (dark red) is about to be down and I've been buffing for years & years (Mostly on expensive resto jobs....old Porsches, Jags, Street rods etc.) and am never comfy doing it. For hand application and since your car is so new try the mothers clay bar, it works pretty darn well, make sure you follow the instructions.

I recently read Consumer Reports and for the best *all-around * wax, (luster,durability & use) they recommended Zimol.....believe it or not. Remember, just because it's in all the mags with hot chicks in the pictures, doesn't mean it's a better wax or polishing product. 

I have my favorite waxes, I'm sure we all do, just like our motor oils & comdoms.....he he, sorry. All do the job, pick one and do it. For removing wax on a dark colored clear coat finishes I like to use a cotton baby diaper (well washed & worn if possible), you can find them at most department stores that stock baby goods.

I hope this info helps, send in some pics of the finished product.

Good Luck,
Baddad


----------



## guitargoddess85 (Jun 14, 2004)

i've always used the turtle wax, my oldest brother used it on his car and it seems like a tradition. i'm sure there are WAY better waxes out there


----------



## Red Nissan (Nov 19, 2004)

*Wax on-Wax off.What's the best wax?*



irontom said:


> Meguiars :thumbup:


I use Meguiar's wax. you have a nice nissan there irontom :thumbup:


----------



## huskya83 (Apr 20, 2004)

i use Mother's wax. i do it by hand, and the outcome is nice, if i could compare it if another i could, but i still haven't used up the wax i have now.


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

Having neglected washing during the salty and snowy months, there was no wax on the car, many hairline scratches from salt and minor oxidation (pretty sad for someone who details). Infact, it looked like outright shit. Today I used the Medallion line and I am now convinced this is the _*ultimate*_ wax for the home user considering it can be used by hand, orbital or rotory. I used an orbital and did a 2 stage job. For this line, I reccomend an orbital (even a cheap 30 dollar one will do). As far as what it is, it is not caranuba and not a polymer seal either but the shine was superior to all and the paint was smoother than glass.

This: 

http://www.meguiars.com/store_megui...fm?parentURL=index_pro.cfm&sku=M-97&store=pro 

Then this: 

http://www.meguiars.com/store_megui...fm?parentURL=index_pro.cfm&sku=M-98&store=pro 


The results were more impressive than Zymol; Goldclass; Mothers; Gliptone; Zaino; or any other brand I have tried, even when I have used a cleaning/polishing compound before. To what I understand, it endures significantly longer too. Time will tell. I shipped my laptop off but I will post pics soon (although they do not do justice as this shine makes you put on sunglasses).


----------



## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

ill try that, i have used that eagle polymer crap the last 2 times and i hate the polymer wax, it gums up and i feel like it is thinner than real wax. i really need to get a buff job because i have scratches all over my car, and not just swirl markes either, you can see some good sized ones on my hood. clay bar, buff, polish, clean, wax, thats what i plan when it gets warm.


----------



## Twiz (Aug 24, 2004)

I tried those two so far... besides other crappy wax... Meguiar's was 10.99 and the Black Magic was 6.99. Meguiar's smells like peaches... smells so good I want to eat it lol. Black Magic smells nice also. Meguiar's was hard to buff... gets the job done but Black Magic does whatever Meguiar's does and leaves your car very slippery to touch (my car is black KH3 looks all chrome after I buffed it with Black Magic). It's amazing... My gf touched the roof of my car as she was getting inside and she went like... Wow what did you do to it. Your polishing cloth just slips by itself across the top of the car when you're done applying it. Give it a try... my opinion it's the best wax.


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

Like I said, I have used almost every "consumer" wax and the Medallion series will be the best 45 bucks you ever spent.


----------



## Twiz (Aug 24, 2004)

I never said the 45 dollar wax is not good but when you achieve similar results with the seven dollar one why spend the extra. You may think its weird but the way I apply wax is diff. First I wash the car from excessive dirt, then I fill up half the bucket and pour wax in the bucket, few good squirts. Then I grab the milky shake lol and wash my car again then wipe it off (rub the hell out of it) with a clean towel. 





































I took the pics today after the Black Magic wash


----------



## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

:jawdrop: ................................................


----------



## Twiz (Aug 24, 2004)

Thanks pete I know it looks good thats the original paintjob from the factory too... wait till you run your hand over the paint you'll say: Holy shit! What did you put on it ? The silky feel doesn't last long tho about 2 to 3 days but the shine stays on.


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

*That is skill.*

Mad props as it looks very good, but how long does the Eagle one provide good protection?


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

If you are wondering why the side panel isnt shining as much as the hood, it is because I had buffed the wax in but not ran the final pad over it. I was so excited by how much it helped my paint I set the buffer down and took a picture lol. Now if only it were a sunny day...


----------



## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

NickZac said:


> Mad props as it looks very good, but how long does the Eagle one provide good protection?


its black magic not eagle one.


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

*oops*

oops. I sometimes confuse the two.


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

Yesterday we used this:
http://www.meguiars.com/store_meguiars/product_detailpage.cfm?sku=A-16&store=meg









I was impressed with how easily it went on, how good the car felt after, the shine it gave, and how it looked after it rained (it is pouring now). The customer simply wanted a fast wax, and while I doubt this will last as long as the Gold Class which is their top consumer wax, this can save anyone who hasn't a lot of time, but wants to protect their finish.


----------



## Blank (Aug 21, 2003)

i just used gold class for the first time, i am very impressed by the shine and feel, the element is sparkling, so is the busa! smooth like a baby's ass!


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

*'Nother Great Wax, Put Your Shades On*

Today we restored a car, literally. My buddy told me he was going to clean his car real fast and I was like, allright. He busted out the dish soap and I nearly had a seizure. After taking a few animal tranqilizers to calm me down, I inspected his paint and realized it needed some major help. Until today, it had not been waxed in almost a decade as he said he thought waxing was for car enthusiasts only. This made me shoot a few more animal tranqulizers, at this point I am drooling all over myself. We didn't have our full setup as this turned into an unexpected cleaning. While a rotary, fine cut cleaner, and polish would have made the job faster and easier, the orbital we had did the jorb as being the only jorb do'er available. Being that I did not want to go to where we store our chemicals, I told my buddy that we would buy what we needed. At the local stores, I then realized that no one sells very strong paint cleaners or polishes (crap!). The strongest they had was the Meguiars 3 step system so we decided this would have to do. We purchased the first two steps (cleaner and polish) and we would use our wax in place of the third step as I never thought the shine from the system alone was as good as it could be. This turned out taking up quite a few hours and occupied most of the day. I am tired so I am at home typing this.

What condition was the car in? It had moderate oxidation, multiple hairline scratches, some deeper scratches, swiril marks, dirt that was not removable from washing, no shine at all, over a decade of not being waxed, minor industrial fallout and was rather rough to the touch even when washed.

What color? White (Oh shit; it is going to be a long day...).

What we did? For the exterior, we did 2 washes all by hand and dryed. We then did the paint cleaner, twice because the dirt was too much for a single run. Then we did the polish which seemed to restore the oils that the lack of waxing and Cascade had probably removed. At this point the car was beginning to look white again; the paint became smoother and had some shine. For what we had to work with, I was pretty pleased so far as I didn't think that what we had could save his paint. The final step came with another wax that doesn't dissapoint. It is Meguiar's No: 26; Hi-Tech Yellow Wax. After buffing this in, even through sunglasses, the shine could not be ignored. Of course all of the commotion and with the site of my buddy's older car looking new, we recieved a few inquiries about our services and the wax we used.

The Hi-Tech Yellow is predominantly Brazillion Carnauba, but also has silicones, polymers, and a few other additives. It deepens and enriches the paint's color even more than most carnaubas. Considering this also has polymers in it, I can't wait to see how long it lasts which I imagine will be longer than most waxes. It goes a very far way, is easy to apply, smells like bananas, leaves a gloss that even Gold Class cannot touch, and is relatively inexpensive. I doubt this will last as long as Medallion, but the shine is much better. I plan to use it on my car possibly tomorrow to see how much the gloss and color is deepened. To what I have been told, this is also a winner for Euro finishes where as straight polymers are not. This definately makes the top five, and could very well could be the best all around wax. Pictures of our restoration will follow as well as other cars that have had No: 26 used on them. I think a black car will be the best illustration and with many of our customers having black cars, we will roll one out sometime very soon.

http://www.meguiars.com/store_megui...fm?parentURL=index_pro.cfm&sku=M-26&store=pro


----------



## myoung (Apr 15, 2002)

NickZac said:


> It is Meguiar's No: 26; Hi-Tech Yellow Wax.
> http://www.meguiars.com/store_megui...fm?parentURL=index_pro.cfm&sku=M-26&store=pro


Killer stuff.. :thumbup: Well worth the extra few bucks..


----------



## myoung (Apr 15, 2002)

Twiz said:


> I tried those two so far... besides other crappy wax... Meguiar's was 10.99 and the Black Magic was 6.99. Meguiar's smells like peaches... smells so good I want to eat it lol. Black Magic smells nice also. Meguiar's was hard to buff... gets the job done but Black Magic does whatever Meguiar's does and leaves your car very slippery to touch (my car is black KH3 looks all chrome after I buffed it with Black Magic). It's amazing... My gf touched the roof of my car as she was getting inside and she went like... Wow what did you do to it. Your polishing cloth just slips by itself across the top of the car when you're done applying it. Give it a try... my opinion it's the best wax.


Black Magic isn't even in the same league with Meguiar's.
The polymers, additives, and wax quality is no where near as good.

like you mentioned.."it comes off easy" ...this proves it doesn't adhere to the paint very well.. So your picking up most of it in the rag or buffer. Maguiar's is harder to get off because it adheres to the paint on a molecular level.. ie... in the paint... where as the cheap stuff just covers the top.


----------



## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

awsome, iv got to try that. i need to give my new car some serious TLC because the seller told me he hadnt even waxed since he got the macco job!!!!


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

myoung said:


> Killer stuff.. :thumbup: Well worth the extra few bucks..


I'm considering using it as our basic wax for all of our customer cars. We use Meguiars and Gliptone soley for the exterior. I also plan to start offering an option that uses Mirror Glaze, with the application of a rotary of course, for anyone who is a 'paint fanatic' per say (in other terms, the polish of choice for major car buffs as it looks spectacular).


----------



## UnkalledFor (Sep 21, 2004)

I haven't waxed my car since i bought it.. the paint is fading in some spots also.. its kinda cool how you posted that wax right after one of my car buddies saw my car and the paint condition and recommended the 3 step wax thing.. i kinda brushed off the idea, but i think i should try it... how much did you pay for all the supplies? 

My car is black.. i will take pictures of my car before i apply the wax and after.. i just need to get to doing it.. if i dont do it in the next 2 weeks.. i will deffinetly do it when Spring semester is over.. :thumbup:


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

I would do that system as it is easy to use and hard to damage your paint with. I would buy and do this:

1) Wash with a mild shampoo just to get the outer debrit off
2) Clean paint, go by hand.








3) Polish paint, also go by hand.








4) Wax paint, use oribital buffer.










For a consumer setup, this system isnt bad at all but I would still substitute the step 3 wax for what we used today. Considering your paint is black, the Hi-Tech will really excel in deepening and enriching color.

The step 1 and 2 are like 5-6 bucks each and we only used a quarter bottle of the cleaner and even less of the polish on a severely neglected finish. The wax is about 10-15 bucks shipped and it will be good for 50+ cars.


----------



## Twiz (Aug 24, 2004)

I like Meguiars Wet Tire Shine stuff once you wipe that on it stays on for weeks. Nothing comes close to it in quality.


----------



## wes (Apr 30, 2002)

Kill the first and second step and replace them with the irror glaze cleaner and polish then top it off with #26, you will be on to something then! I have used that combination for years and I LOVE it. Once that's done I actually use zymol one step for touch ups in between the 3 step. No one believes my paint is factory paint from 1996.


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

wes said:


> Kill the first and second step and replace them with the irror glaze cleaner and polish then top it off with #26, you will be on to something then! I have used that combination for years and I LOVE it. Once that's done I actually use zymol one step for touch ups in between the 3 step. No one believes my paint is factory paint from 1996.


I would have loved to use Machine Glaze instead but I didnt have a rotary on me nor were we near any store that sold it.


----------



## Baddad (Jan 10, 2005)

I have also used that yellow wax and have had great results....best used with low rpm buffer.

Last weekend I gave the little women's 05' Maxima and spring lift. I used a 3M _Machine_ glaze then followed it up with a 3m hand glaze and topped it off with TWO layers of the new Meguirs *NXT* wax.....AWESOME SHEEEET MAN!!! I've detailed cars since they all came in Lacquer and this is one of the best waxes I've ever used (we'll see how well it lasts, too early to tell right now). Her car is the RED OPULENCE color and I'm tickled how well it turned out. I got the stuff from a recommendation from a local Hot Rod builder and it's all he uses. Again, it's new and not cheap, I paid $12.99 for 10 oz., on sale at Pep Boys. 

I just thought I'd share, since I've used every product mentioned above I felt I could contribute :thumbup:


----------



## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

i have used both the nxt and the eagle one likeness. i hate both, these new synthetic waxes are not as thick as the normal paste wax. yes its great because it protects longer but it dosnt give that deep finish


----------



## Baddad (Jan 10, 2005)

Wow, I must not have any idea what I'm talking about. Ya know what's even funnier? The Dumb Arse's paying me $350+ to detail their 100K+ Street Rods. :thumbup:


----------



## ASsman (Mar 23, 2005)

Christ, I still don't know which one to use.

USE THEM ALL!!!


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

ASsman said:


> Christ, I still don't know which one to use.
> 
> USE THEM ALL!!!


What is more important? Shine or endurance or a combo? What do you have to apply with? Your hands, an orbital or a rotary? No 26 still gets my vote.


----------



## Baddad (Jan 10, 2005)

#26 has been around for a long time and is really good stuff. That's why I was specific on how I obtained my shine on the wives car (machine glaze, hand glaze & wax). Depending on the condition of the paint starting out with will most likely determine what you end up using. On my truck that sits outside, I use an _endurance_ wax like Zymol or New Finish, for my new car with a sweet paint job, I use a _shine_ wax like NXT or Wax Shop Super Glaze. You go to a car show and ask 10 different rodder's what they use on their cars, you'll more than likely get 8 different waxes.

Paint chemicals are like motor oils...everyone has their preference and they all do a pretty good job.

There's allot of good forums out there concerning detailing.

Good luck,
Craig


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

Baddad said:


> #26 has been around for a long time and is really good stuff. That's why I was specific on how I obtained my shine on the wives car (machine glaze, hand glaze & wax). Depending on the condition of the paint starting out with will most likely determine what you end up using. On my truck that sits outside, I use an _endurance_ wax like Zymol or New Finish, for my new car with a sweet paint job, I use a _shine_ wax like NXT or Wax Shop Super Glaze. You go to a car show and ask 10 different rodder's what they use on their cars, you'll more than likely get 8 different waxes.
> 
> Paint chemicals are like motor oils...everyone has their preference and they all do a pretty good job.
> 
> ...


I am guessing you work for or own a detailing firm?


----------



## tony200 (Mar 23, 2005)

the best wax so far at this moment would be the new meguires next generation hightek wax. its a little costly but you get what you paid for. great stuff


----------



## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

tony200 said:


> the best wax so far at this moment would be the new meguires next generation hightek wax. its a little costly but you get what you paid for. great stuff


honestly its far from being the best, it lasts long, looks pretty good, lacks depth and that great thick finish a caranuba paste wax gives. if your looking for long lasting protection (like before winter comes) and a decent shine. NXT is perfect.


----------



## Baddad (Jan 10, 2005)

> I am guessing you work for or own a detailing firm?


No sir.....well kinda. My father & I, over the last 30 years have restored old European sports cars (Mercedes, Porsches, Healeys, Jags etc.) and some real nice Mustangs & Vettes. Back before these high-tech paint booths & paints, a painter would put 7-8, sometimes more coats of paint on a car, let it sit for few weeks and then wet sand and buff the thing out. This was my job, since 14. Word got out that I was pretty good and so for extra money, I spend a weekend (when my backs not killing me) detailing, buffing, touching up nice cars. I'm not cheap, so I'm not over run and I pick and choose my work. It's fun, but I'm not young anymore and doing a 3-4 stage buff job on a rig is tough work. I just love cars (ALL CARS) and I love to make someone proud of their prize possession. 
I prefer to work on cars that are built by the owner verses "checkbook" cars....does that make sense?

More of a hobby than anything. Any questions, if I can help, please don't hesitate to hollar,

Take care,
Craig


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

Baddad said:


> No sir.....well kinda. My father & I, over the last 30 years have restored old European sports cars (Mercedes, Porsches, Healeys, Jags etc.) and some real nice Mustangs & Vettes. Back before these high-tech paint booths & paints, a painter would put 7-8, sometimes more coats of paint on a car, let it sit for few weeks and then wet sand and buff the thing out. This was my job, since 14. Word got out that I was pretty good and so for extra money, I spend a weekend (when my backs not killing me) detailing, buffing, touching up nice cars. I'm not cheap, so I'm not over run and I pick and choose my work. It's fun, but I'm not young anymore and doing a 3-4 stage buff job on a rig is tough work. I just love cars (ALL CARS) and I love to make someone proud of their prize possession.
> I prefer to work on cars that are built by the owner verses "checkbook" cars....does that make sense?
> 
> More of a hobby than anything. Any questions, if I can help, please don't hesitate to hollar,
> ...


Sounds awesome mate. My buddy and I have a small detailing company that is slowly growing. It's always nice to have people on tap to contact if need be such as Chris (BlankgazeX) and yourself.

-Zac-


----------



## Baddad (Jan 10, 2005)

:thumbup: Anytime, good luck on the biz.


----------



## Blank (Aug 21, 2003)

NickZac said:


> It's always nice to have people on tap to contact if need be such as Chris (BlankgazeX) and yourself.
> 
> -Zac-



oh thats me!!! OMG Hi2u!!!


----------



## tom434 (Feb 24, 2005)

mr.happy said:


> I want to wax my new 2005 Altima 3.5SE (1 month old, colour = Smoke). I guess the idea is to protect the paint and give it a nice shine. A few of my friends have made different suggestions as to what brand of wax I could use. One has suggested the Zaino line of products - the merits seem to be that this brand does not contain abrasives, which sounds good to me. Another has recommended Maguires, steps 2 and 3 (step 1 is for color repair). But both tell me I should wait 3-4 months before applying wax - not sure why. Having never really paid attention to waxes and paint protection, anybody have any advice for me? I wany my Altima to look good for a long time...


Ive been using Mothers carnuba wax seems to go on easy off easy and lasts :hal:


----------



## asleepz (Feb 24, 2004)

I just bought the 3 steps of the Deep Crystal by Meguires and I must say I am very impressed. I already had some Meguires #26 but I figured I'd give the wax they say to use for step 3.

I must say it really brought out the shine of my old ride. There was little to no reflection on my front nose cone and plastic side mirrors and it turned them back to the original color instantly after the polish step 2.

I had some oxidation on my driver's side back quarter panel that I've never seemed to be able to get away from. Did step one and nothing happened. Got to the polishing step 2 and it totally went away. My car is basically come from a crappy dust/black/non-reflective color, to probably better than mint condition with this stuff. I really like it a lot. The wax of course smells like bananas but that's cool with me.

Spent $17.75 from Advance Auto Parts

I could easily make over 1500 bucks from just these 3 bottles.

5/5


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

♣AsleepZ♣ said:


> I just bought the 3 steps of the Deep Crystal by Meguires and I must say I am very impressed. I already had some Meguires #26 but I figured I'd give the wax they say to use for step 3.
> 
> I must say it really brought out the shine of my old ride. There was little to no reflection on my front nose cone and plastic side mirrors and it turned them back to the original color instantly after the polish step 2.
> 
> ...


It's good stuff. And if you think that stuff is great, imagine what their professional products can do. I am wowwed all the time by em


----------



## Adobo-Holic (Apr 29, 2005)

*Wax*

For my car i use Malco Flashwax..Its a kinda pricey though..but it satisfys my car after im done waxing it.. :thumbup:


----------



## ASsman (Mar 23, 2005)

This is insane.... I'm gonna use the 3 step Deep Crystal, sounds simple to use, on my boys car. He has a 94' Accord with a dark dark metallic green paint. I'll post up some pictures of before and after...


----------



## Anthony Orosco (May 19, 2005)

mr.happy said:


> I want to wax my new 2005 Altima 3.5SE (1 month old, colour = Smoke). I guess the idea is to protect the paint and give it a nice shine. A few of my friends have made different suggestions as to what brand of wax I could use. One has suggested the Zaino line of products - the merits seem to be that this brand does not contain abrasives, which sounds good to me. Another has recommended Maguires, steps 2 and 3 (step 1 is for color repair). But both tell me I should wait 3-4 months before applying wax - not sure why. Having never really paid attention to waxes and paint protection, anybody have any advice for me? I wany my Altima to look good for a long time...


There is no reason to wait any amount of time to wax your car. It is oven baked from the factory and can be waxed right away.

Even fresh re-paints can be waxed with the appropriate wax.

Zaino is a nice system but it will not correct any paint imperfections. Meguiars also has some good products but because both systems have so many choices and/or steps that it can become mind numbing.

In detailing less is more.

Anthony


----------



## Anthony Orosco (May 19, 2005)

Instead of multiple steps guys, like using this product for cleaning, another for polishing, another for glazing and then several coats of wax, wouldn't it be better if you could do all that in one or two steps?

Here is what I am talking about. I recently detailed this 97 Guards Red Porsche which is a single stage paint and heavily oxidized. Notice the right half of the hood? It is untouched while the left half has been buffed only one time with a wool finishing pad and Optimum Polish.










Here is the passenger side rear fender BEFORE










Here it is after being polished and waxed with Optimum spray wax










Anthony


----------



## Blank (Aug 21, 2003)

Anthony Orosco said:


> Even fresh re-paints can be waxed with the appropriate wax.
> 
> Anthony


you sound like yuo nkow what you are talking about, but this is the worst advice ive seen in this section, fresh paint needs time to cure, it is not baked on, it air cures, at least a month, id wait 2-3


----------



## Anthony Orosco (May 19, 2005)

Blank said:


> you sound like yuo nkow what you are talking about, but this is the worst advice ive seen in this section, fresh paint needs time to cure, it is not baked on, it air cures, at least a month, id wait 2-3


Well this is why I said "appropriate wax". If it is a high solid/low solvent modern urethane paint then it can be waxed within 24 hours. Valugards Finishing Wax allows the paint to cure. This is not a carnauba based wax but a polymer.

So the advice may not be the worst, just unknown  The advice given by most paint shops should be stuck to by the general public and not waxed with over the counter waxes until the designated cure time.

Anthony


----------



## Blank (Aug 21, 2003)

Anthony Orosco said:


> Well this is why I said "appropriate wax". If it is a high solid/low solvent modern urethane paint then it can be waxed within 24 hours. Valugards Finishing Wax allows the paint to cure. This is not a carnauba based wax but a polymer.
> 
> So the advice may not be the worst, just unknown  The advice given by most paint shops should be stuck to by the general public and not waxed with over the counter waxes until the designated cure time.
> 
> Anthony


do you work for valuguard? i use VG products at work, we have a valuguard trainer on our staff, the only detail shop in america that does, i have never heard that finishing wax is safe on freshrepaints, in fact, i am certified valuguard prep excellence, and i know the trainer said to not wax freshly painted vehicles... if his own product was safe for it,, wouldnt you think he would tell us?


----------



## Anthony Orosco (May 19, 2005)

Blank said:


> do you work for valuguard? i use VG products at work, we have a valuguard trainer on our staff, the only detail shop in america that does, i have never heard that finishing wax is safe on freshrepaints, in fact, i am certified valuguard prep excellence, and i know the trainer said to not wax freshly painted vehicles... if his own product was safe for it,, wouldnt you think he would tell us?


No I do not work for ValuGard but I do speak with Ketch often. Ron told me while here in San Antonio that Finishing Wax is safe for fresh paints within 24 hours. Optimum Spray Wax I am told is also safe, in fact Optimum Polish was applied to a fender then painted and it came out great with no fisheye or solvent pops.

If you find out otherwise please let me know because I do not wish to hand out misinformation as I am seeking to correct as much information/urban myths as possible.

Thanks,
Anthony


----------



## Blank (Aug 21, 2003)

Anthony Orosco said:


> No I do not work for ValuGard but I do speak with Ketch often. Ron told me while here in San Antonio that Finishing Wax is safe for fresh paints within 24 hours. Optimum Spray Wax I am told is also safe, in fact Optimum Polish was applied to a fender then painted and it came out great with no fisheye or solvent pops.
> 
> If you find out otherwise please let me know because I do not wish to hand out misinformation as I am seeking to correct as much information/urban myths as possible.
> 
> ...


like i said, i have a valuguard trainer on staff, he taught us about air cured vs heat cured etc... i use finishing wax all the time as well at VG paint sealent. the sealent is the only thing that he said could go on a fresh car, because it seals in the paint and acts as a wax(as it is a wax applied sealent) for a few months, then go with a finishing wax... we use both VG quick shine and VG finishing wax, newither has been approved for freshly painted cars since i have worked here, we recently dicentinued useing VG elegence polish in favor of the Finishing wax.. Optimum spray i have never used, not a big fan of sprays, though i do use reflections aerosol on trim sometimes...


----------



## Anthony Orosco (May 19, 2005)

Zac said:


> Yea, clay bars suck. Too much time and too much risk and their are other products that can do the job just as effectively.


What is more effective at removing piant overspray, sap and fallout than a clay bar? How is using a clay bar "risky" ?

Anthony


----------



## Anthony Orosco (May 19, 2005)

Blank said:


> like i said, i have a valuguard trainer on staff, he taught us about air cured vs heat cured etc... i use finishing wax all the time as well at VG paint sealent. the sealent is the only thing that he said could go on a fresh car, because it seals in the paint and acts as a wax(as it is a wax applied sealent) for a few months, then go with a finishing wax... we use both VG quick shine and VG finishing wax, newither has been approved for freshly painted cars since i have worked here, we recently dicentinued useing VG elegence polish in favor of the Finishing wax.. Optimum spray i have never used, not a big fan of sprays, though i do use reflections aerosol on trim sometimes...


Well like I said I got it straight from Ron Ketcham. I have not personally used it on fresh paint, only repeating what I was told.

As for the Optimum spray wax.....man you have got to try this stuff. It will outlast any of the paste waxes I have at the moment, Trade Secret, P21S, Pizazz, Blitz, Gliptone paste, Vanilla Moose and Victoria's.

I can wash and wax a car in 40 minutes with no wax residue left behind in the emblems, won't stain trim and can reduce Uv rays on glass by 35%, in fact it is the only wax with the same UV inhibitors found in clear coats.

Anthony


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

Anthony Orosco said:


> What is more effective at removing piant overspray, sap and fallout than a clay bar? How is using a clay bar "risky" ?
> 
> Anthony


A clay bar has been noted to remove this:
Rail dust, Brake Dust, Industrial Fallout, Tree Sap, Road Tar, Bug Residue, Paint Overspray, and Acid Rain Deposits

Sap is best removed with alcohol in terms of household cleaners. I use Gliptone Emerald Green to remove anything unwanted on paint and it has no problem removing sap. Industrial fallout must be removed with an alkali cleaner and anything other than mild IF will not be removed with just a clay bar and sometimes IF can completely ruin paint. When using a clay bar, you must lube like crazy.

There are many types of overspray:
http://www.detailmasters.com/OversprayTypes.aspx

While any detailing is dependent on the specefic case, I have not seen any cleaner that will eliminate every problem. Some detailing shops will use as high as an 8 stage system to remove overspray. If you have some oxidation, you use an oxidation remover/mild cleaner. If you have swiril marks, you use a swiril mark remover. If you have indistrual fallout, you may have to do anything from using an alkali cleaner to repainting.

If your paint is in decent condition, a clay bar may work for you but the conventional clay bars such as Mothers I look down upon. Clay Magic has a good name although I have never used it. Why did I call it risky? Doing anything with a finish is risky and especially with Nissan paint. When larger particles are being removed, they can scratch paint. While it is unlikey to happen if used right, any product can be risky. I have seen claybar users scratch paint although it is rare and they did not lube enough. Forgive me for any awkward wording as it has been an awkward night.

-Zac-

edit: I just saw a few of your other posts and I realized that I have just stated a bunch of information that you already know. Doh!


----------



## Anthony Orosco (May 19, 2005)

Zac, 

I appreciate the time you took to reply and when one refuses to seek to learn more they are then ignorant. I hope to never be as such.

What you stated is correct, one chooses his or her plan of attack by the degree of contamination.

Take care,
Anthony


----------



## Blank (Aug 21, 2003)

oh i just had an 8 hour detail session thursday night, concentrating on the outside of my friends 2000 impala, black with 90k on it, akalai wash, 3 stepclay bar, 3 step buff and hand wax and a finishing wax over that... hes trading it in, bet he can get close to a grand more for the car where it stands now, wish i would have brought my camera...


----------



## Neil (Aug 13, 2002)

I'm getting either the Blackfire full kit or zaino full kit in September before my "winter wax". Need to restock on cleaning supplies.

I've gotten random compliments before with the Mothers 3 step system but if I was to go no cost limit and was not buying from a local pep boys type store my top 3 waxes would be:

Zaino Bros.
http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

Klasse System
http://www.properautocare.com/klasse.html

Blackfire
http://www.properautocare.com/blacwhatdif.html


----------



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

I have heard the Klasse is exceptional and every picture I have seen looks great. A lot of guys use the Klasse polymer and then use a carnauba on the VBoard.


----------

