Wax on wax off

Very well said

 

tacomaman06,

Thanks for the tips. However, this is the first truck ive owned that I have to turn around in the parking lot, walk backwards and admire until i reach whatever store im going to. LOL (exaggerating...slightly). To put it bluntly, im scared to death that im going to screw up the finish. On top of that, I never waxed, and definitely have not "clayed" my other trucks. Could you give me some pointers as far as using the claybar, polish and wax? Ive read that polishing your truck can be dangerous if you dont know what your doing.
Idiot question I know but im an expert when it comes to beating the crap out of a truck, and a total newbie when it comes to making them shine.

Thanks,

Ted

 

hey man....i kinda do the same thing....walkind backwards and admiring and all(even when its dirty). i use mothers claybar......and what that does is takes out and impurities in the paint that wax or polish cant do alone. once you do this, you can actually feel how smooth the truck is. then you can use a buffer, or do like i do, and do it by hand and use a good polish like mothers or meguiars(i usually do 2 coats), then i do 2 coats of a good wax( i like to use eagle1 nanowax and the turtle wax ice, and also meguiars is good. alot of people like klasse or zaino.....but im good to go with what i can get at autozone or walmart. also use microfiber towels......they wont scratch your paint like regular cotton terry towels will. alos...if you want shiny tires, try the meguiars endurance with a sponge......your tires will shine like no other.....and this stuff doesnt sling off either.

zonks......just have confidence in yourself dude.......you arent gonna mess up the finish. and i guarantee you'll like how smooth and shiny your truck is after you get done with it man!!

 

You can do it. Check out this Detailing How-To that I put together. http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/t126955.html

 

I have no intention of waxing and little inclination to wash.
New Taco accesscab TRD W/7200 mls.
Let God wash it.
If you look closly at that lighting struck tree you will see that wax & wash won`t help a Taco here.
Armor will. And I have up armored it.
Pic when I get a chance.

 

It isn't God's job to wash my truck. God said that we are supposed to be good stewards with what He has blessed us with.

 

pb2themax amen i totaly agree with you

 

I use SMARTWAX and love it. I've not tried the clear wax out by others, but this stuff really does not leave any trace of being applied....other than a remarkable shine.

 

I've been using a variety of waxes. Will be using them on my new taco when I get it. If you guys want durability, the best wax to have is a synthetic wax. Carnuba waxes typically lasts about 30 days and then you have to reapply again. Again, the durability also depends on how well your surface is prepped. As mentioned in the previous posts: wash, claybar, wash, dry. I used to be a detailer, well I still am in a way, mostly side jobs when I'm not at work.

After that you should look at the surface and see if there are swirls or scratches that need to be dealt with. You need to use the right type of abrasives to do it. You can do it by hand but it will take you forever. I use a Porter Cable polisher. For those that don't want to take the time out to do an all out detail (I don't blame you....it's a hell of a lot of work) here's something that will make your finish last and it has worked for me:

1. Klasse All In One Paint cleaner
2. 4 Star Ultimate Paint protection
3. P21S (carnuba wax) <-- this wax does not stain black trim at all
4. Sonus Carnauba spritz every second wash or every month to maintain that just waxed look.

The stuff isn't exactly cheap....but you don't use very much of it. I've seen some cars detailed with zaino and the results have been really good. Just depends on what type of finish you want (deeper looking paint, better reflections, etc).

I recently just did my fiancee's mazda3 that hasn't been waxed for about a year. Took me about 4.5hrs from 2 of which was washing and claying the car to get rid of the bug and tar that were on the car. Car looks brand new. I did the above steps but didn't do the 4 Star paint protection or p21s. Instead, the car was treated to a few spot treatments for scratch and scuff removals. After that, a coat of Klasse All in One and then a coat of Meguiar's Gold class wax. The car is garaged so the finish should last awhile. One thing with the gold class....it's hard to remove but application via a polisher makes it a breeze....layers on very very thinly and you don't use very much either.

 

Meguiars #80 is the best polish you will ever buy for your truck. I have used it on my 06 charger, 01 ram and lexus. You can only get it from the body shop or at Amazon. It is professional grade stuff. Not sold in your auto part store. Top the 80 off with a NXT gen wax for acting as a sealant and then youll be able to shave in it. I PROMISE.

ps- Use the budder/rotary machine to get wax off. A cloth which I use by hand, takes me all day.

 

Rancid:
thanks for the info. i hate washing/detailing my car but on the rare occasions i do it i'll refer back to this thread

 

There are three brands out there I would use without question. Meguiers, Mothers, and The Wax Shop. Currently I am using Mothers and I could not be happier. Goes on easy and comes off just as easy. They have a three stage system, but I only use stage one and two.

I have been hearing a lot about Zymol lately from detailers....anyone else?

 

jmo.......zymol sucks and is way overpriced! mothers and meguiars are way better,imo! btw, eagle1 nanowax is some good stuff too!! i use it alot!

 

zymol blows. It's uber hard to take off. Mothers i found was a bit tough to take off as well. I use a lot of products that aren't on the store shelves. I trust those more than I would with the over the counter stuff. I would trust Mothers and Meguiars but won't look at anything else to apply to the car.

If you guys have a chance, check out www.autopia.org

Great car detailing website...a little confusing to navigate through but you'll have access to a vast variety of info on a lot of detailing products.

 

If wax is hard to remove then you are probably not applying it correctly. I almost always buff off wax and polish with a towel by hand.

Apply to cool paint, in the shade. Don't apply it too thick. A mist of quick detail spray will make the wax easier to remove.

If polish is hard to remove then you are probably not working it enough. You should work the polish until it makes dust, or until it almost disappears.

Zymol makes many different products, not just what you see at AutoZone. I doubt many people here have actually used their professional line of products. You have to know how to properly use it. Zymol Royal Glaze is probably the best show car wax in the world.

Zymol Royale Glaze

http://www.amazon.com/Zymol-12001-Royale-Glaze/dp/B000F3K0T8 BTW, I don't currently use any Zymol products, but that doesn't mean it's not good stuff.

 

The old gold class formula was hard to take off. It did leave a residue behind. One of the hardest part about that wax was applying a thin coat by hand. I used my porter cable to apply it and it did make a huge difference. Much easier to take off as what was applied was a very thin layer (which is all you need anyways).

For polishes...there are ones formulated for hand application but most of them are formulated for machine application. You need the speed of a machine because there are tiny little abrasives that break down as the temp increases from the buffing.

The most common mistake I see a lot of people make is applying too much product. All that is needed is a super thin coat. If someone applied too much of Autoglym's super resin polish....they will be there till day light removing that stuff....even with a quick detailer.

If anyone is looking for show car wax, pinnacle, zaino, p21s, meguiar's are products you should look at. Not to bash zymol or anything but I've used a few of their products...cheap and expensive...wasn't too thrilled with them. That's not to say they aren't good waxes. Just that it didn't suit my needs. But then again, everyone's needs is different. What i say to my customers...if you like how your paint reflects the light and shows reflections, keep using the product.

 

A lot of the local detail shops here in my town use Zymol. They told me that in their opinion its the best. I have had several black cars detailed at these places. Often time the cars had some serious swirls. Man, after the detailers waxed and/or buffed it with Zymol the cars looked absolutely AMAZING. I cant vouche for the ease of use- i dont wax my own car. I am scared to use an electric buffer.

I am sure in reality most of these products will make your car look awesome.

 

I"ll tell ya what, I just used the Ice by Turtle Wax last wknd. and man it blew me away!!! Tried it on my 06 FLHXI all black and it was HOT out, got the bike in the shade the best I could and went to town.. It went on with ease and came off perfect.. I have always done my own vehicles and have tried the " nu-finishes, zymoils, S-100, etc.." and I'm not bashing anyone, but even the Mothers and Meguires which is what I've primarily used over the last 15 yrs. doesn't compare?? May sound crazy but my wife did her 07 Blk. Jetta and i did my 07 red Taco at the same time and she loved it? I also have never used any turtle Wax product other than the ice stuff. Has anyone tried it? If so, what do you think? I am curious..

 

If I did not drink alone I could not have a beer.
To the point. I am not going to wax the Taco, The fenders are plastic anyway.
Don`t open a gate with them. I had to retouch the paint and rub it out,
That is why I bought the Roo guard. I open gates with the Power Wagon.
Tacos are not built for real work.

 

That may be true but I agree with the COL. It is not my job either.
I will maintain the drive train but it is a farm truck,