Ultimate Autocare Products?

[ZZZZZR1]

Originally Posted by GOLDCYLON

Theres an ARRRRRRRRRHHHHH in there somewhere. Actually David I would have airbrushed ole Orange Beard out of that photo!

I couldn't disagree more... He made me crack up and still does!

Wish I was him with the best view!

[DaveK]

I can personally attest to the fact that the kid was just taking a picture of David's car because he couldn't believe how much David had spent on "superfantasticamazingmiracle" wax.

The "booty" was photoshopped in later...

Dave

[secondchance]

Ah well... Back to my turtle wax with "super hard shell" finish.

[xlr8nflorida]

Originally Posted by secondchance

I was watching a new car show on Velocity channel called "Fifth Gear" and they were showing 5,000 pound detailing (about $8,000 US).
I noticed the detailer was using a product called Swissvax Shield. So, I searched the web and came up with the link below - $225 wax, $80 clay, $200 leather cleaners, etc... I thought Adams products were expensive...
"SWISSVAX Crystal Rock - Paul Dalton's state-of-the-art Carnauba-Glaze, 200ml" - $1,499!!!

http://www.swissvax.us/usa/

Find something you like and use it often, so if you are happy with the performance and value, stick with it.

In the final analysis; a wax or sealant can only reflect what is underneath it, so a clean, level well-prepared surface is the most important consideration (85% of a surfaces reflectivity is its preparation) along with applied product clarity.

Some products are EASIER to use than others and more DURABLE.

The most important is the prepwork BEFORE any wax (ie wash, clay and polish)...after that the difference in a $35 can of wax/sealant vs $200 can is trivial

I've used several forms of wax, from Meguiar's to Swissvax, Dodo Juice, Menzerna, Poor Boys, or Chemical Guys and truthfully, the difference is so minute that no one will notice.

It's like wearing a Parmigiani Fleurier watch; to everyone else it's a watch, but to you it's "special."

[secondchance]

Originally Posted by xlr8nflorida

Find something you like and use it often, so if you are happy with the performance and value, stick with it.

In the final analysis; a wax or sealant can only reflect what is underneath it, so a clean, level well-prepared surface is the most important consideration (85% of a surfaces reflectivity is its preparation) along with applied product clarity.

Some products are EASIER to use than others and more DURABLE.

The most important is the prepwork BEFORE any wax (ie wash, clay and polish)...after that the difference in a $35 can of wax/sealant vs $200 can is trivial

I've used several forms of wax, from Meguiar's to Swissvax, Dodo Juice, Menzerna, Poor Boys, or Chemical Guys and truthfully, the difference is so minute that no one will notice.

It's like wearing a Parmigiani Fleurier watch; to everyone else it's a watch, but to you it's "special."

Agree!
However, mine being a black car, I noticed in summer heat silicone base wax was turning greasy in the sun on a hot day. So I switched to Rejex, a polymer base wax, recommended by one of the WAZOO gang, and I am very happy with the result.

[USAFPILOT]

the guy taking the up skirt shot cracks me up

[Paul Workman]

Black (dark cars)...

W/o exception, EVERY carnuba wax I've tired failed the "BLACK CAR IN SUMMER HEAT, DRIVEN ON A DIRT ROAD test.

I have not tried Swissvax or Adams, I admit. However, without exception, EVERY flavor of Carnuba (or bees or whatever) wax I tried on my BLACK 95 LT1 Vette was a PIA, far as maintenance goes. A black car in summer sun get very hot, and seems to attract pollen and dust like a magnet. If looks are important, stripping and starting over at least a couple times a season was what I was doing until I switched to polymer.

Case in point, this my Z, fresh washed and spritzed with a high-end show quality polymer shine sealer. The paint was prepped 4 seasons ago (at the time of the picture) and nothing had been done beside washing and spritzing and ONE coat of polish and a sealer at the beginning of driving season. Thats it!




Somethin to be said for polymers, methinks. No hazing (e.g., pollen and dust imbedding in the wax on a summer day), touch marring (finger prints or anything touching the surface in the sun), frequent stripping and re-waxing/sealing... Just wash and spritz for several seasons and it looks as good as it did after it was first applied.

I'm just sayin...

P.

[mike100]

I just discovered machine polishing and got my first DA orbital along with a collection of pads. Got a fair way along to correcting my black paint (enough for a driver anyhow) that I'm now considering what sealer wax to use.

I guess my $12 polymer wax is working well enough functionally. I would like to use a more durable sealer maybe, but all the work seems to be in not scratching the car in the first place.

[Paul Workman]

Originally Posted by mike100

I just discovered machine polishing and got my first DA orbital along with a collection of pads. Got a fair way along to correcting my black paint (enough for a driver anyhow) that I'm now considering what sealer wax to use.

I guess my $12 polymer wax is working well enough functionally. I would like to use a more durable sealer maybe, but all the work seems to be in not scratching the car in the first place.

Gotta luv dem Porter Cable 7424s...

P.

[Hib Halverson]

The problem with carnuba-based waxes is the melting point of carnuba is quite low. Your car, if a dark color, sitting in the sun on just a warm day will have an exterior surface temperature on upward facing surfaces higher than the melting point of the wax, thus, the wax quickly deteriorates due to vaborization and disappears.

A couple of years ago, during research for a series of articles for print and Internet on car care, I tried a couple of different polymer finish products. I settled on CMAGIC for a couple of reasons. 1) It's a polymer-based formula which doesn't melt like carnuba, 2) it was formulated by a Corvette owner/enthusaist and the same guy still owns the company 3) a number of my pals at GM who work on the Corvette Team swar by it and 4) it's the finish product of choice for the National Corvette Museum's "Museum Delivery" program. The NCM buys CMagic in 5-gal pails. The NCM tests waxes all the time because of the volume of free samples it gets. Since the late '00s, it's continued to buy CMagic...the latest car care vendor to try and get the NCM delivery program was Adam's Wax. They failed and they were offering it to the NCM for free. CMagic gave the NCM better results so the Museum stuck with that.

I use CMagic on my ZR1 as well as my other cars.

Want more info? www.cmagicwax.com

To apply CMagic I use a Cyclo twin-head buffer. I like it because there's no annoying vibration and the two heads over more area so I get the job done more quickly.