# wax



## bigbison (Jul 31, 2007)

the best wax to get a wet look shine ?


----------



## J55TTC (Apr 25, 2005)

Wax on its own will not give you the best results, you need to prepare the paint correctly to get the best look.

Basically:

wash, clay, wash, polish, seal, wax


----------



## Jac-in-a-Box (Nov 9, 2002)

For what colour?...there is a "sticky" at the top of this section which should give a good guide (said modestly of course :wink: )

As J55TTC has pointed out preperation is key to getting good results - best wax in the world on poorly prep'd paint will lead to a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth; however, even a cheapy wax on well prep'd paint will yield an improvement.

What else do you want from your wax apart from a wet look? Durability, ease of use and future maintenance should be considered too.

Plenty to choose from, I've tried most but only one manufacturer (so far) ticks all the boxes for myself and my customers :wink: With one wax in particular providing the wet look - and other all the other properties mentioned above IF you have a dark coloured car!

Wet enough?



















Dave


----------



## bigbison (Jul 31, 2007)

dark pearl blue which do you recomend ?


----------



## Jac-in-a-Box (Nov 9, 2002)

Morro Blue? (sp) then, "Best of Show" from Swissvax...not cheap, but an incomparable finish, great durability and easy to look after. That tub of wax will last you easily 3+years.

A cheaper alternative would be SV's "Saphir" with a look that's not too far off that of BoS - just lacks that extra bit of depth and wetness which makes BoS a little special.

BoS on Morro Blue










Dave


----------



## bigbison (Jul 31, 2007)

santurin blue


----------



## Jas225 (Apr 3, 2005)

J55TTC said:


> Wax on its own will not give you the best results, you need to prepare the paint correctly to get the best look.
> 
> Basically:
> 
> wash, clay, wash, polish, seal, wax


What do you use to seal :?:


----------



## tomchap81 (Feb 12, 2008)

Dave,

In terms of duration of finish, how often would you use Best in Show? Just been using meguiars nxt generation since I bought my car, and typically redoing every 3 months, but suspect it probably needs to be done more frequently! That said, salty air and sea gulls in Brighton don't help - roll on Oxford next week!

My Achilles heel is I have yet to dabble in claying or polishing so my paint preparation is slightly pants. Anyone in Oxford area who could demonstrate claying to me?

Tom


----------



## Jac-in-a-Box (Nov 9, 2002)

Jas225 said:


> J55TTC said:
> 
> 
> > Wax on its own will not give you the best results, you need to prepare the paint correctly to get the best look.
> ...


Depends on what you use to "seal" 
Sealing is an expression that should be reserved for paint that's protected with acrylic/polymer sealants aka synthetic waxes. Those on there own ought to be sufficient to provide lasting protection on there own; however their looks can be somewhat "thin" and lack depth...they're often overcoated with wax for a deeper look to the finish and, dubiously IMO, extra protection.

I've always advocated a "keep it simple" approach clay, polish and wax and I avoid sealants. There are of course, those who like the acrylic products; if it works for them - fair enough!

Dave


----------



## Jac-in-a-Box (Nov 9, 2002)

tomchap81 said:


> Dave,
> 
> In terms of duration of finish, how often would you use Best in Show? Just been using meguiars nxt generation since I bought my car, and typically redoing every 3 months, but suspect it probably needs to be done more frequently! That said, salty air and sea gulls in Brighton don't help - roll on Oxford next week!
> 
> ...


As you've pointed Tom location is one consideration in determining "how often" as is how often the car is used and how you look after it.

For a daily use car I reckon a thin coat every 3/4 months is more than sufficient - when the paint lose's its gloss and the water fails to bead are good indicators of the need for another application. Simple maintenance ...washing with Johnsons Baby Bath will ensure maximum life.
If your car is used less frequently the need for rewaxing will lessen...the Black Boxster above is only used at the w/e's (and washed after each use) I haven't touched it wax wise for over 14 months and it still looks great.

While I understand that the cost of BoS may cuase a sharp intake of breath! It really does last extremely well....35 applications per tub, a coat will last a min' of 3 months - you do the math :wink:

Claying - is very easy and nothing to be afraid" You really can't damage your paint, there is a guide at the the top of this section...follow it and you'll not go wrong 

Dave


----------



## tomchap81 (Feb 12, 2008)

Thanks Dave. What do you use to protect trim during polish/waxing process?

Have to say, not sure how you have the patience/stamina to detail so many cars. By the time I've washed/dried/waxed my car, I don't want to see a cloth again for a long time! Thought of six hours of paint cleaning is daunting!

Tom


----------



## Jac-in-a-Box (Nov 9, 2002)

tomchap81 said:


> Thanks Dave. What do you use to protect trim during polish/waxing process?
> 
> Have to say, not sure how you have the patience/stamina to detail so many cars. By the time I've washed/dried/waxed my car, I don't want to see a cloth again for a long time! Thought of six hours of paint cleaning is daunting!
> 
> Tom


I don't use anything...if I have to use an agressive polish for paint correction then I stay away from trim. In tight areas I'll use a blue 3M masking tape.

For gentle non-agressive polish's ie Swissvax Cleaner fluid I'm aiming to get it ON the trim! The same goes for the wax...neither have any effect on trim/rubber window seals etc except to provide a natural look.

Six hours! I wish I could take such little time :wink: 
The benefit of using something from SV is that once done properly with their Cleaner Fluid (it must be used to get the best from the wax) is that it only needs to be done every 6 months...pre and post winter. Once you have done the initial treatment any subsequent applications become so much easier. 
For a first time application, allow around 7-8 hours to thoroughly prep the car with Cleaner Fluid - waxing can be done; wax on and wax off in 40mins without breaking into a sweat.

Dave


----------



## J55TTC (Apr 25, 2005)

I did an extensive wash, clay, polish, seal and wax on our focus the other day and products used were as follows:

Clayed with meguiars smooth kit
polished with autoglym super resin polish to get rid of swirls - its hard work by hand but managed the following result

door scratched before:









door scratches after super resin polish and a lot of elbow grease:









Sealed with autoglyms extra gloss protection - I only used it as I was give 2 bottles of the stuff from a friend - I was amazed at how easy it was to apply and remove!
Lastly, waxed with meguiars NXT tech wax.

Final reflection photo:









The ISO on the point and shoot camera is automatic which is frustrating as its rather grainy :x


----------



## J55TTC (Apr 25, 2005)

Jac-in-a-Box said:


> I've always advocated a "keep it simple" approach clay, polish and wax and I avoid sealants. There are of course, those who like the acrylic products; if it works for them - fair enough!


Sorry to go slightly off topic but Id appreciate your opinion Dave on the werkstat acryllic kit. Im lead to believe its really good on light colours especially silver but I remain a bit sceptical. Im getting pretty good results on my TT with the new autoglym high definition wax however, once thats finished Ill either be moving onto werkstat (research depending) or swissvax saphir.


----------

