Subject: Car Waxes for Clear Coated Paints...SUMMARY
From: rockroll@cbnews.ATT.COM (guy.r.belliveau)
Date: 26 Jun 89 20:43:38 GMT
BASICALLY THIS IS WHAT MY ORIGINAL QUESTION WAS. FOLLOWING THAT IS A SUMMARY OF REPLIES.
THANKS TO ALL WHO REPLIED!
I asked -->> Just a quick survey to see if anyone recommends either
I asked -->> of the following two brands of car wax.
I asked -->>
I asked -->> 1) Nu Finish - Liquid
I asked -->> 2) Meguiar's Car Cleaner - Paste
I recently bought and used Simonez wax made for clear coat, and it seemed to do a fairly decent job. We've been having a lot of rain here in Pittsburgh, and it beads off as it should.
I'm not sure what 'difficult application' means (its all relative) but the Simonez wax followed what I consider the 'standard' procedure: apply, dry, and buff. Personally, I don't mind working hard to wax my car because of the way it feels and looks afterwards.
I've also tried Nu Finish a little once. Because it is a liquid, it took longer to get to the point where you buff. But it did seem to do the job (I didn't do the whole car because it took too long to dry).
I have used Meguiar's products for about 12 years (since high school) and I have been quite satisfied. Currently my car has a new paint job (I didn't plan things that way, though...:-( ) and is clear-coated. I use Meguiar's Carnuba wax (no cleaner) and have been quite happy with it.
The new car make ready guys at my father's dealership have always used Blue Coral (this one man who's followed my father from dealership to dealership for years also preps cars for auto shows. I respect his advice.)
In a related note, not being a parent, where would be the best place to buy cloth diapers? I've heard they make really good polishing cloths...
I have personally used Meguiar's products, NU finish, Zymoel (or Zymol in US spelling :-)), Rain Dance.
Zymoel: I like alot, provides a very deep shine but it does not last as long as Nu finish or rain dance. This stuff is very pricey. And it smells great too.
Rain Dance - good garden variety wax, somewhat abrasive, average shine, last long, cheap.
Nu Finish - I used this stuff on my older cars but I just don't like the shine at all. It is incredibly durable however. I had a hell of a time taking it off, to apply the Meguiar. I take everything Consumer Report says with a grain of salt. I don't really care for this stuff! it even smells bad.
Meguiar gets my vote, they have so many products for different applications. For clear coated paints, I am using No. 26 wax and No.7 oil feeder. No 7 is especially good in removing (covering?) the swirl marks on black cars. I like the wax better. And Meguiar is reasonably priced compare to Zymoel. I can't recommend it enough. Their numbering scheme is very confusing, I had to call them to find out what all the numbers mean.
For a new black car, No 5 and 26 would be my recommedation, they are made for new and clear coated paints. It is extremely important NOT to use anything abrasive on black paint.
I've used Nu Finish for years and like it a lot. Among other things, it kept two old cars from rusting away when I lived at the beach. (Where the paint was scraped off to bare metal I just applied a coat of Nu Finish. It never rusted).
Their claims for once-a-year use may be somewhat exaggerated, depending on climate and other factors. I found 6 months to be a better working figure.
I have used this on my '87 clear-coat finished car and have been very satisfied.
I have used the Nu Finish on a car that was purchased new one year ago and one that is about 10 years old and not in real good shape. The new car, a Ford, has a clear coat like the one you mention.
I have been _very_ pleased with the product. It is easy to apply, and lasts as advertised. You should note that to get the 'one year' life of the application, you need to apply a second coat within 30 days of the first. I did not find this to be a big deal as I usually apply two coats of polish and seldom go a full year between application.
Highly recommended. Good luck!
I've used Meguiar's on my black RX-7 for 4 1/2 years; looks great. The wax itself is nonabrasive. They use a petroleum based solvent instead of abrasives to remove the old dead paint. It is very important to make sure the car is spotlessly clean before waxing if you want to avoid abrading the surface. You should also change your polishing cloth often.
Meguiar's gives a very shiny finish if you are willing to put enough elbow grease into it. The last time I was aware of these things, it was the wax of choice among the Concours crowd. It doesn't last all that long, but it looks great in the meantime.
I've seen Meguiar's selling for as much as $6.50, but I usually stock up when I see it sold as a loss leader for less than $3.00.
Meguiar's Life Insurance car wax is non-abrasive, specifically for new car finishes. Easy to apply. Excellent results.
I've used a bunch of different waxes over the years and recently tried Nu Finish for the first time. It is by far the best I've ever used. It goes on easily, can be applied in direct sunlight, wipes off with (relative) ease, and leaves a shinier finish than anything else. It's supposed to last longer too, but I haven't had it on that long....
I tried the Nu Finish on my 1983 Honda and 1984 Toyota. It applied very easily, produced a very good shine and seems durable.
Last August we bought a dark blue Accord, and it has a clear coat finish. I too have been nervous about waxing it and have only been using a pure Carnauba wax which is barely adequate. Last week I tried some Raindance on the trunk (I have some hard water spots there). It said on the can "safe for clearcoat finishes", and it didn't ruin the finish. But if I looked really close I could make out some slight scracthing and I think continued use would be a mistake.
I am interested in what you find out.
I presently use the Meguairs solution. It changes the appearance of my black car dramatically at the time of the application. Unfortunately, I think you will find this true as well, I find it very hard to determine whether the wax is still there after the very next wash.
It beads well even when there is no wax on the car so that criterion is difficult to consider as valid. The only way I think I can tell is when the surface feels rougher when I am drying the car. If you'll notice that when the wax is first applied that this method can be used to determine where you left off. A towel glides across the fresh wax and sticks to the unwaxed portion.
The guy who tinted my windows also does the detailing work for the mercedes types and says that wax on a black car just evaporates within a short amount of time. He suggests using this stuff called Klasse which isn't a wax and should last 6 months. I haven't tried it out yet although I am almost to the point of believing him on the wax evaporation stuff.
also when washing the car the spot free rinse with a chamios is a necessity to keep the water spots from sticking to the car. I have begun to try using the 'Jet Dry' stuff used in dish washers to prevent spots. I have tried is once and it worked pretty well.
Get back to me if you here of any other good evidence to back up that claim on the wax evaporating.
Have fun kevin
ps could you let me know if the .sig file gets included with this
reply??
--
Kevin Tomasek kevin@neptune.amd.com AMD - Advanced Micro Devices, Austin, Tx (512)462-5381
Really? I've used Malm's exclusively (the wax only, not the polisher, as I have a clear coat finish myself), and have had no problems with wonderful results. Of course my car is grey, and you have (uh! hard to keep clean) black.
I can ususally wax my car with Malm's carnauba in about an hour.
I just tried NuFinish this last weekend (first waxing of my car).
So far nothing very exciting to report... other than it clearsly shines the car up, and didn't take the paint off ;-)
NuFinish may have a slightly lower friction than other waxes. Even after it "dries" the car feels very "slippery". Road dust seems to wash off easily by just driving through rain, no less! Hopefully this property will last a while.
I've tried many waxes and polishes and have found the Meguiar's products to be my favorites. I haven't tried Nu Finish. Meguiar's Liquid Cleaner/Polish is easy to apply, easy to buff (I use an electric buffer), easy to remove, and leaves an excellent shine with minimal streaking/buffer marks. Other Mequiar's products have proved equally satisfying. I've used them on black and clear-coat silver. My clear-coat never seems to dull, but its still nice to polish it once in a while.
Guy Belliveau
comments added to summary by Richard Welty, 11/07/89 14:10