Which wax product?

[goonersteve 0]

I've recently bought a few new cleaning products off a guy I know, but one thing he didn't have was wax for the finish. I have been previously using Meg's tech wax, but he said this is sh*t and is only really good for a nice glaze finish, but doesn't really do what a wax should do, which is to seal the paintwork after the wash / polish etc. He said this was the case with most / all of the liquid form waxes and that I should look for one in a solid form.

So what do you guys recommend?

[Dazdub 0]

i use Auto glym hi def wax. Get a really nice deep finish with it. Cost 40 squid a tub though. Anything maguiers or zymol will be good. have a look at www.cleanyourcar.co.uk

[goonersteve 0]

Cheers mate. Don't wanna spend that much, tbh! My car is no show car, just want to treat it well for what it is really. Probably looking to spend no more than £20 / £25 if I can get a decent product for that? There are so many out there though, not sure what to go for.

[Dazdub 0]

i know its a little steep. As long as you go for a well known make you should be fine dude. Maybe try turtle wax or something, should be a little cheaper

[goonersteve 0]

Ok thanks for your input mate

Anyone else got any specific recommendations for my price range?

[binliner 0]

For that price I'd go for collinite http://www.elitecarcare.co.uk/collinite-23915-marque-delegance-detailing-kit.php?cPath=66

[soul-2-soul 3]

Agree with Binliner go with the Collinite. The 476 is just as good & cheaper as well http://www.elitecarcare.co.uk/collinite-super-double-coat-auto-wax-no-476s-18oz.php?cPath=66

[hvr6 88]

I use Zymol

[goonersteve 0]

Which one specific Zymol product do you use Helen?

Collinite sounds good guys, I may well give that a go and see how I get on

[hvr6 88]

Zymol Carbon Wax for Dark Coloured paint

heard good things about Collinite too

[bungy 2]

I use the High Definition Wax aswell. £40 sounds steep but it lasts for ages. I've had mine 2 years now and used about 1/4 of the tub. You can see the tub in the reflection showing the depth of shine from the product..

[goonersteve 0]

Wow, that certainly gives a clean, deep shine! (h)

[VeedubVR 0]

Zymol Carbon Wax for Dark Coloured paint

heard good things about Collinite too

Ive got the carbon wax and its awesome. Waxed my car a few times and it looks like ive barely used anything. Water beads really well.

I used dodo juice before and found it really good. (cant buy sample pots of this tto try out).

Heard good things about collinite but never used it myself.

Get a good paint cleaner Something that will strip off all the old wax. So your not putting new wax ontop of old wax cos this will dull the shine. A paint cleaner wont harm the paint, but helps to remove some contaminaion which builds up from driving. Ive go tthe zymol paint cleaner, but the dodo juice paint cleaner is just as good.

[kie_dub 0]

by the way dodo juice will probably have a stand at ultimate dubs this month, they did have last year, if you arnt in a rush

[goonersteve 0]

Get a good paint cleaner Something that will strip off all the old wax. So your not putting new wax ontop of old wax cos this will dull the shine. A paint cleaner wont harm the paint' date=' but helps to remove some contaminaion which builds up from driving. Ive go tthe zymol paint cleaner, but the dodo juice paint cleaner is just as good.

[/quote']

So is this in addition to a decent shampoo and T-cut polish?

[VeedubVR 0]

Yeah, but I’d use a milder polish rather than T-Cut. T-cut is a very fine abrasive polish, used to rub out very fine scratches. It can be a good product to get rid of some small defects in the paint. If used incorrectly it can leave a marring effect, which will need a rotary to correct it. There’s plenty other alternatives which will give a much better finish. Autoglym Super resin polish is good but only gives temporary results (lasts for about a month or so and the effects are reduced after every wash). It has fillers which mask up the swirls. It’s also good to bring back faded colours.

With shampoo, go for something that is pH neutral. You want a product that isn’t going to strip the wax off. Always best to use a washmit rather than a sponge (a sponge will create swirl marks) and have a grit guard at the bottom of the bucket.

Water marks look awful and can take ages to polish out, so get a good drying towel. Don’t use a water blade! If a piece of dirt lands on the paint and you’re using a water blade, it’s going to scrape the dirt along your paint.

Paint cleaner wont get rid of all the contamination on the paint. If it’s really bad then you'll have to clay bar the car. It’s fairly simple to do but it can take a while. There are a few different strengths of clay bar depending on how bad the contamination is. Bilt Hamber is a good clay bar to use. Cut the bar in half, if you drop the bar then throw it away and start with a fresh piece, otherwise you will just be rubbing dirt into your paint which will scratch it. Just keep kneading and turning the clay as you go. Don’t press too hard because it will mark the paint (Paint marring) and keep the clay bar and the panel wet. Some companies will recommend a clay bar lube, but a few people just use soapy water. Re-wash the car if you have used a clay bar.

Its worth investing in a good wax because that is what adds the protection to the paint. But there are a lot to choose from. A hard wax will last longer than a softer wax and it’s mostly used over the winter months. A softer wax is much easier to work with. A lot of people apply a softer wax by hand rather than use an applicator pad. A decent wax will work for a few months (can usually tell by the way the water beads). Some waxes work better on certain colours or shades.

To add an extra layer of protection and shine on top of the wax, then you need a quick detailer. I’ve got zymol field glaze and its brilliant, it easy to apply and takes 5 mins to do the full car. I did have Red Mist by dodo juice before the zymol, but if it’s not applied properly then it can leave grease marks on the paint (just spray more and wipe it off to get rid of it). A quick detailer can be used if the car is just dusty. A few people wash their cars before shows and just use a quick detailer when they are at the show (just use a good microfiber cloth if you do this to stop any small piece of dirt scratching the paint)

With wheels I’d check to see if the products you have will work especially if they are not painted. Polished/chrome wheels don’t like certain products and could possibly stain the wheels, particularly acidic products, which a lot of wheels cleaners contain. (Best to work with a pH neutral shampoo). The only thing I use on my wheels is a shampoo and wheel sealant (Poor boys or rim wax).

The more microfibre clothes you have the better. You will go through quite a few.

It’s best to wash your car in the morning or evening and in the shade, so it’s cooler and not in direct sunlight. It stops the panel on the car heating up.

A lot of this I’ve picked up from detailing world and edition38. The lads at my local detailing shop have helped a lot as well with testing products, telling me how to apply them and what I should be using and what to avoid. Not everyone will think the same about the same products, but its all down to personal opinion. Read the labels to see what they contain and how to apply them. It’s always best to test a bit of the product first in a small area to see if it’s going to work and that it won’t damage or ruin anything.

Paint marring - http://www.shineondetail.com/images/369.jpg

Swirl marks - http://www.eagleone.com/images/sample_nanowax.jpg

[goonersteve 0]

That's really helpful, thanks! I do have a mild polish as well as a T-cut. I was going to use that once, then stick to the mild polish after that. The bit I have most trouble with when cleaning the car is water marks. I've tried so many different techniques and still can't seem to completely avoid it :@ I've even gone to the extend of washing the car panel by panel and drying as I go. This is a right chore, but seems to be the most successful, but still doesn't completely eliminate all the water marks Any tips on this?

[bungy 2]

Are you spray rinsing the car after you've shampoo'd?

[bungy 2]

Here's how to dry your car after washing leaving no marks.

[goonersteve 0]

Are you spray rinsing the car after you've shampoo'd?

Yes. I use a pressure washer. Is it better to rinse off with running water then?

[bungy 2]

Have a look at the link I posted above. Steady running water should sheet off the car leaving it dry and no need to towel. Sprayed water leaves droplets that leave water marks.

[VeedubVR 0]

Only a waxed car will bead and remove water like that.

I think its worth buying a decent drying towel http://www.elitecarcare.co.uk/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=drying+towel&osCsid=9470a4c1d28bd0be1056365db54b3c72.

Tried a quick detailer to try and get rid of them?? Spray it on the car and buff it off with a microfibre cloth.

[bungy 2]

wax it then and save yourself the trouble