To "wax" or not to "wax" ?

mine melted 5 minutes after putting it on...

 

good old turtle wax in green can is the best. 3.18 at wally world. beats any high dollar wax i've tried, with the exception of ease-of-application.

 

I use a 2 in 1 car wash soap with wax in it. so, everything gets wax'd. turned out great.

 

I use Zip-wax car wash and it makes the truck look awesome

 

As everyone else has said, wax em if they're painted. If you do get wax on the trim/weather stripping, Back to Black works wonders for me for getting wax off of that kind of stuff.

EDIT: I use Meguiars liquid wax. Works the best out of everything I've tried, and doesn't leave a powdery substance behind.

 

Meguiars yellow #26..... really good shine

 

I dont wash my truck

 

I've been using turtle wax ice. doesn't quite shine like carnauba but it's the quickest to put on of anything I've ever tried (including spray wax) and there's no need to worry about the trim since it doesn't leave white gunk. I put it on pretty much everything but the chrome bumper.

 

for those that have had the displeasure of having their black (unpainted) plastic parts waxed by a PO or Stealership, try using plain ole Scrubbing Bubbles bath cleaner from Dow.


Doesn't always work, but does 51% of the time. Works great on Brake Dust, fender liners, mud flaps and road grime too.

Plus you might get some points at the store when the wife thinks you've taken an interest in cleaning the bathroom.

 

Get some Optimum Car Wax, spray on and wipe off. Won't stain black trim. It works very well.

 

As said before, definitely wax if you have painted flares. If not, use some 303 protectant or Meguiars Natural Shine. Both will do a better job than Armor All and contain UV blockers to keep your truck looking new.

Edit - apparently Armor has a revised formula with UV protection, but I still find the other two products easier to apply and have less of that greasy look and feel.

 

I've used the above for its intended purpose on many, many occasions and don't even want to think about getting it anywhere near my dick.

YMMV

 

As for my Taco, if it has paint it gets Meguiar's Platinum Wax.

 

X1

 

Exactly what I was gonna say.

 

I try and wax my truck every couple of months, sometimes once a month.
i use mothers carnuba wax.

 

My neighbor is a painter at a body shop and suggest masking off those black plastic parts before waxing. My wife's tribute has a lot of white wax residue on her black plastic parts and we use this product called "new look trim gel" by Chemical guys brand. http://www.chemicalguys.com/

Made the trim parts look great, and lasts 3-4 months between applications. Hopefully this helps your flares not look like shit any longer!

 

I don't know about these days but Armor-All use to have petroleum in it, which did in FACT, dry things out and lead to cracking and deterioration. They might have changed it because it was getting so much bad publicity but I still don't touch the stuff. Check the ingredients and see if it is still in there...

Formula 2001 is all I use... But then again I hardly use that because I don't like the oily look...


As for waxes, I have been through several. I have used(best to worst imo) Meguiars(3 step), Meguiars NXT, Zaino's, Eagle 1 Nano, Zymol and probably a couple others. I have been through 4 black cars and none of the waxes listed left a lasting impression. While the first couple would definitely shine better they would only mask swirl marks(because it doesn't cut) until the wax baked off or eventually washed off.

I switched to Griot's with a Random Orbital and the difference is crazy. I have not tried the Griot's by hand yet but I will be going after the Tacoma shortly.

 

Thanks everyone, the "Fender Flares" are "painted" - so I will be waxing them !!!!