Best Car Wax

Tips, tricks, and recommendations for keeping your vehicle looking new
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A Psycho Martyr
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Re: Best Car Wax (ponta2147)

Post by A Psycho Martyr »

We have one about 30min from here, but I've never been in there.I typically shop for wax in Auto Zone, Walmart, or Advance Auto Parts. Guess this proves I need to branch out some
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Re: Best Car Wax (A Psycho Martyr)

Post by ponta2147 »

Quote, originally posted by A Psycho Martyr »We have one about 30min from here, but I've never been in there.I typically shop for wax in Auto Zone, Walmart, or Advance Auto Parts. Guess this proves I need to branch out someTrust me, most normal people don't think Aldi=Car Wax. They put totally random things out for sale sometimes.
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vibenvy
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Re: Best Car Wax (A Psycho Martyr)

Post by vibenvy »

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic »Last year ALDI set out some "Quixx Wax" as a special purchase, it was $10 so I decided to try it out. It's some sort of German product so it is hard to find here (and I don't think they make it anymore..) Goes on easy, no effort for removing either. Beautiful shine, no streaks or swirls, seems to last forever.My local Aldi had a ton of this on clearance the last time I was there. I immediately thought about this thread and laughed out loud. If anyone wants any, let me know !
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Re: Best Car Wax (J_TO_ENVY)

Post by tpollauf »

Quote, originally posted by J_TO_ENVY » If anyone wants any, let me know !Can't remember the last time I waxed a car BUT I am definitely going to wax my Vibe soon I also have to give it it's first oil change soon! If you bring a few of these to the Indy meet, I'll take one off your hands, then put it to use immediately... at the park
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Re: Best Car Wax (tpollauf)

Post by vibenvy »

Wow! I can't believe you've never waxed a car !I spent all last weekend washing, drying, claying, washing again and drying again and than doing 2 coats of wax on my mom's Vibe. Memorial Day weekend I'll be doing the same to mine. It's a pain in the (removed), but what a difference it makes in the look and feel of the paint.
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Re: Best Car Wax (J_TO_ENVY)

Post by ponta2147 »

Quote, originally posted by J_TO_ENVY »Wow! I can't believe you've never waxed a car !I spent all last weekend washing, drying, claying, washing again and drying again and than doing 2 coats of wax on my mom's Vibe. Memorial Day weekend I'll be doing the same to mine. It's a pain in the (removed), but what a difference it makes in the look and feel of the paint.Mine hasn't gotten a wax yet... and I'm probably going to procrastinate until July since the car lives outside and it'll quickly look like crap again. But I do wash it every couple of weeks...
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Re: Best Car Wax (ponta2147)

Post by vibenvy »

The fact that it lives outside is exactly why you should wax it . Wax will protect from UV damge, oxidation, bird poop, acid rain, etc. It will also aid in preventing rock chips (it won't totally eliminate them obviously, but it will add some more protection against them). I try to wax our Vibes usually once a month. It also makes the paint easier to wash and dry. My paint feels like crap right now because it hasn't been waxed in quite some time. It's harder to slide the sponge and towel over my paint, but if I were to go out and wash my mom's right now it would feel like the sponge and towel have butter on them or something . Oh... and since this is a thread about wax... my current favorite combination is a coat of Nu Finish Scratch Doctor followed by a coat of Mother's California Gold Pure Liquid Caranuba Wax. I let the first coat of the Scratch Doctor "cure" for 24 hours before applying the second coat of Mother's. Both coats are applied by a small orbital buffer with micro fiber bonnets and removed by hand with micro fiber towels.
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Re: Best Car Wax (J_TO_ENVY)

Post by ponta2147 »

Quote, originally posted by J_TO_ENVY »The fact that it lives outside is exactly why you should wax it . Wax will protect from UV damge, oxidation, bird poop, acid rain, etc. It will also aid in preventing rock chips (it won't totally eliminate them obviously, but it will add some more protection against them). I try to wax our Vibes usually once a month. It also makes the paint easier to wash and dry. My paint feels like crap right now because it hasn't been waxed in quite some time. It's harder to slide the sponge and towel over my paint, but if I were to go out and wash my mom's right now it would feel like the sponge and towel have butter on them or something . Oh... and since this is a thread about wax... my current favorite combination is a coat of Nu Finish Scratch Doctor followed by a coat of Mother's California Gold Pure Liquid Caranuba Wax. I let the first coat of the Scratch Doctor "cure" for 24 hours before applying the second coat of Mother's. Both coats are applied by a small orbital buffer with micro fiber bonnets and removed by hand with micro fiber towels.Geez, I wish I had one free day a month to wax. The car badly needs a detail though, especially so I can touch up all the paint chips and then seal it all up... but between this ridiculous work schedule and doing fundraising/training for the Susan G Komen I've got no time (walking 10+ miles for training takes like three freaking hours!!!! lol) It'll happen eventually... I'm hoping my "new car freshness" will last me another month or so of procrastination.
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Re: Best Car Wax (J_TO_ENVY)

Post by tpollauf »

Quote, originally posted by J_TO_ENVY »Wow! I can't believe you've never waxed a car !Now Carrie, I merely stated that I couldn't remember the last time I waxed, which implies that I DID wax years ago Enough corrections I"ll contact you 25 years from now and see how much free time you have to devote to your vehicle(s) Hopefully at that time you'll still have time, energy, & motivation to continue your awesome care as you do today I am fortunate to be able to park my Vibe inside our attached garage thus it stays looking new all the time. My 1992 F-150 truck on the other hand has seriously suffered from UV rays & more, and it only has 45,000 miles on it! Over the years, marriage, kids, college, MORE college, etc. took most of my free time away Now I'm getting a "second youth" sort of, as the above fore mentioned things don't get in the way as they used to.
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Post by 1SC »

My car is waxed about once a month, but I give a good detailing (clay+polish+wax) in the spring and in the fall. Depending on the work I have (I do detailing "on the side" for customers), I *try* to wash it every week.Right now, my favorite waxes are Meg's #21 Synthetic Sealant, Meg's new Gold Class Carnauba+ and Meg's #26 Yellow Wax. All are very easy to apply and remove and give a great shine.
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Post by cptnsolo77 »

All I have used is Mothers & Meguiars. When I wash/clayed/waxed over Thanksgiving I tried Megs NXT for the first time and it was quite easy to apply. Needs another wax before hurricane season.
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Re: (cptnsolo77)

Post by 1SC »

Quote, originally posted by cptnsolo77 » I tried Megs NXT for the first time and it was quite easy to apply. Needs another wax before hurricane season.Hurricane season... so glad we don't have to worry about it up here in Quebec.NXT used to be one of my favorite. The #21 2.0 Synthetic Sealant I use right now is almost the same wax, but is in the Professionnal line instead of the consumer line of Meg's.
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Re: Best Car Wax (tpollauf)

Post by vibenvy »

Quote, originally posted by tpollauf »Now Carrie, I merely stated that I couldn't remember the last time I waxed, which implies that I DID wax years ago Enough corrections I"ll contact you 25 years from now and see how much free time you have to devote to your vehicle(s) Hopefully at that time you'll still have time, energy, & motivation to continue your awesome care as you do today I am fortunate to be able to park my Vibe inside our attached garage thus it stays looking new all the time. My 1992 F-150 truck on the other hand has seriously suffered from UV rays & more, and it only has 45,000 miles on it! Over the years, marriage, kids, college, MORE college, etc. took most of my free time away Now I'm getting a "second youth" sort of, as the above fore mentioned things don't get in the way as they used to.My bad . I totally understand. Back when I was fresh out of High School and before I had a "real" job I would wash my Sunfire GT almost every day it seemed like. I have really slacked off over the years, but I still enjoy detailing cars so I am trying to get back into it more. Plus my mom and I plan on having our Vibes for a long time so I'd like them to stay nice looking as long as possible. They are both parked in our garage though so that helps to keep them somewhat cleaner and out of the elements. Our '94 Sunbird has almost no clear coat left on the hood and trunk so I definitely want to avoid that with the Vibes. That sucks about your truck with such few miles . Heck, with that few of miles you should just have it re-painted. It'd be well worth it in my opinion.Quote, originally posted by 1SC »My car is waxed about once a month, but I give a good detailing (clay+polish+wax) in the spring and in the fall. Depending on the work I have (I do detailing "on the side" for customers), I *try* to wash it every week.Same here. I use the clay bar in the spring and again in the fall. I use the Scratch Doctor every other wax. I also try to wash our Vibes every week but sometimes due to the weather it doesn't always happen.
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Post by ponta2147 »

Aw, you guys are making me feel bad for not waxing my poor car... maybe I'll find time before June to do a full detail, so I can just do a "touchup" for July...
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Re: (ponta2147)

Post by A Psycho Martyr »

I'm sure there would be a couple volunteers to help wax your car at the meet... Just sayin I'd help if we can get one or two other people in on it. It'd take 15min MAX....for the MOTM?
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Re: (A Psycho Martyr)

Post by ponta2147 »

Quote, originally posted by A Psycho Martyr »I'm sure there would be a couple volunteers to help wax your car at the meet... Just sayin I'd help if we can get one or two other people in on it. It'd take 15min MAX....for the MOTM?Aw that's nice, but not necessary! I *want* to wax my car, it's really fun to take care of it and baby it and be able to check it all over for five million paint chips (sad...) Plus I have ol' whatshisfacethatimarried to help me.
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Post by audiovibe »

I mainly use Meguiars products but I am running low so I ordered a bunch of stuff from Adams polishes. I have read great things about them and my car is due for the full treatment. This is how I will spend my time off the week before the Indy meet.
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Post by 1SC »

Tonight, I washed my Vibe and wanted to try the Meg's ShowCarGlaze #7 / yellow wax #26 combo. All I have to say is WOW !!!My car was already shiny to begin with, but now the paint look very deep and wet.Total time : 1h45 with the wash, glaze, wax and tires/wheel wells dressed as well as door jambs wiped down.
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Re: (1SC)

Post by areles »

Meguiar's Gold
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Re: (areles)

Post by A Psycho Martyr »

I'll second that.You using Meguiars gold class liquid wax?If not, you NEED to be
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Re: (A Psycho Martyr)

Post by areles »

Yes, gold class liquid
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Re: Best Car Wax (A Psycho Martyr)

Post by Caretaker »

Has anyone else tried the new Turtle Wax Ice synthetic liquid? I think the stuff is amazing. It is like wiping on baby oil and leaves no powdery residue. It also goes on all rubber and plastic surfaces and makes them look brand new. I have used it twice now on the Vibe and only used 2 ounces for the whole car each time. It is that easy to spread on and wipe off. I don't know how long it will last, but since it is so easy to use, I did a double application over a one week period. I have washed the car 5 times since then and the plastic and body seem very protected from my hand washes. The stuff is available in WalMart. I give it a huge thumbs up over Meguiars carnuba gold which I had used for many years.
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Re: Best Car Wax (Caretaker)

Post by 10vibe »

Turtle Wax Ice is what I have been using. Every time I see a sale, I seem to try another version of it. Used the liquid clay bar, real clay bar kit, detailer spray, total interior care spray, synthetic wax spray, synthetic liquid polish in bottle, and the Ice car wash. Must have 50 bucks or more tied up in the stuff. Being able to apply it on virtually everything with no powdery residue is a real positive to me. If I were to only wax once a year, I do not know how it would last, but it is so easy to use that I seem to do it at least once every month in the summer. The detailer and synthetic wax sprays usually stay in the car along with some microfiber towels during the summer for when I am lazy and go through a touch free car wash. When the car wash bill becomes more than the gas bill, there might be a problem. Need to stick to doing it at home. To my horror, the local gas station recently changed to a spinning brush type car wash. I did not realize it until I pulled up to a stop and it started. They must of heard me yelling like somebody was dying for the first minute until I went catatonic, rocking back and forth counting my teeth from left to right, and then right to left while drooling with my eyes rolled back in my skull. I tried going to my safe place, but Helena Bonham Carter was there wearing yellow dish gloves telling me to slide, so that did not work. Luckily I did not lose control of any other bodily functions. I still have not really looked at my paint in the light. I told the gas station attendant that they have to take down the touch free car wash signs, but they have not as of the last week or so since the horror of horrors. Synthetic and or sealants first or carnubas first? What is the best order for getting the depth? Which is the best for protection? I suppose once you get the rich wet depth of some carnubas, adding synthetics might slightly dull it a little. I think I remember Barry Meguiar of Meguiar's wax once commenting that carnubas can age and turn yellow and dull paint too.As it is now, I will probably stick with the Ice liquid polish, and use the synthetic wax spray as a detailer after the detailer. Besides, half the time I am stacking the liquid polish over the synthetic spray anyway. Probably find out all of it is the same stuff, just in different packages. edit*Decided the correct procedure for detail waxing would be to use a sealant or very durable synthetic wax first, doing layers and letting it cure over night, then adding layers of carnuba based waxes, like in the link below. This is after proper prep of paint. I probably will not do this because I do not want to deal with powdery residues and the ensuing clean ups on the plastics. Easier to stick with the Ice.http://www.yamahafz1oa.com/fzs...shtml
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Re: Best Car Wax (10vibe1.8auto)

Post by TONY TAT2 »

I use nothen but the line of T'Wax,I like the synthetic Ice,as you mentioned no resido & I can apply it in the sun,actually workes better that way. I wash my cars at home,my 1 daughters boy friend works at a car wash,I wont go there even tho I can get it washed for free.Ya gota figure thay recycle the water,I doubt very much that during that process it removes all the road salt,so Im thinken your getten a "salt water" wash,Im tryen to get more info on that. I asked the boyfriend but he is a little leary to answer that question !
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Re: Best Car Wax (TONY TAT2)

Post by 10vibe »

Excellent point on the recycled water. When I go to some washes and after the wash there are tiny orange specks on my ultra white paint, I sometimes wonder about the salt and rust and other contaminants still in the recycled water. Much better and easier clean up since I clay barred and keep it waxed. Some of the tiny orange specks must of come with the car from Nummi and all the rail cars and pollution around there. I think the road salt also leave orange specks on the paint. The paint in general on these cars are thin, soft, and applied horribly. Talking about all this orange reminds me of the very slight orange peel look of the paint at the right angle and in the right light.
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Post by RWatters »

On my Vibe I use a coat Meguiars NXT 2.0 followed by a coat of XPel sealent wax (it's actually used on clear bras but I've had great luck using it on our cars as well). Using this combination I can go 6 months without any worry. The paint still shines when clean, still beads when wet, and is still smooth as glass when you rub your finger across it.
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Post by 10vibe »

Unfortunately my suspicions were correct when it comes down to one of my favorite waxes, Turtle Wax Ice Liquid Polish. It tested dead last in the newest Consumer Reports' tests (liquid category). It did poorly in gloss improvement and durability. I will still use it up because of it's ease of use and compatibility with plastics, but will be putting a couple coats of Nu finish NFP-80 paste on before winter. I have always had good luck with Nu Finish when it comes to durability, it was just the worry of white residue on plastics that I switched to another brand. According to the tests, Nu Finish paste is a little easier on plastics than Nu Finish liquid (which rated second only to Meguiar's liquid NXT generation Tech 2.0 in the liquid category), which I previously used. The white residue that plagued my Dakota's plastics could of also been caused by Meguiar's Cleaner Wax or Kit's Scratch Cleaner, along with whatever the previous owner used. Turtle Wax Ice Synthetic Paste Polish T-465 tested second to Nu finish NFP-80 Paste, and is over twice as much in cost, but might be slightly better on plastics. If I see it on sale, I might give it a try. After all, that is about the only ICE product I have not bought on sale.
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goodvibesGT
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Re: Best Car Wax

Post by goodvibesGT »

Waxes do not last on a vehicle. They are short term protection. If you want the vehicle to stay shiny for a bit longer you need to apply a sealant after wax job. I've used the better waxes and more inexpensive ones applying it with a DA buffer out of direct sunlight. The differences are minimal for most everyday drivers. Only the high end car guys get crazy about it and it's funny too. I like Mothers but I also like Meguiar's quick one step system because scratch correction takes a lot of time and money that most don't have these days, so... It has a filler in it and makes most customers happy and keeps car looking good for a while. Every day drivers needs not worry too much. Buy a reputable brand and have at it :D
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Re: Best Car Wax

Post by Whelan »

I need to do a Meg's re-order myself. However I still use the #26 NXT Tech 2.0 Wax all the time. But if you want to keep the car clean inbetween waxes, pickup a bottle of this.

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I have used this product for years to great success. It is basically a wax enhancer that lengthens the time between waxing your car. All you do is spray it on the car once you finish washing (with the car still wet, best part), then chamois the car dry and the product leaves a nice wax protectant on the car. Heck it even goes so far as to give you that clean shiny smooth feeling on cars that have not been waxed in awhile. You can find it at most any store, but give it a try, you won't be disappointed.
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