Wax, Clay, or Ceramic?

I have a brand new 2023 jet black Tacoma TRD Offroad and or wondering what's the best wax to use. Is there a particular wax just for black Tacomas and protects against love bugs?

 

You're going to get a wide variety of answers on here, especially when you ask "best." Just make sure the paint is clean. Clay is good for removing contaminates, but can easily mar the finish if you aren't careful. It'll show pretty easily on black. They make various liquid iron removers that do the same thing and no risk on marring the finish.

Far as wax, I use

$22 Collinite 845 Insulator Wax-Easy to Use Carnauba+Polymer Wax Sealant-High Gloss Shine+Durable Hydrophobic Beading & Long Lasting Paint Protection for Cars/Boats/Trucks/RVs & Motorcycles (16 fl oz)

Collinite 845 or 476 depending on my mood. It last around 6 months. Now, I have the 845 on a Subaru that's garaged and it has been on there a year and still sheds water. Truck sits outside so it doesn't last that long.

 

Nothing other than daily wipe downs will prevent love bug damage

 

Since it is brand new I would buy some iron-x, good towels, and a c-quartz uk ceramic kit. This would get you a good, proper, ceramic coating on that new paint without much fuss. If you wait much longer you will almost certainly want to correct the paint before coating it which adds expense.

I am a fan of sealants over wax and have been using the same bottle of chemical guys m-seal now for a few years. Longevity seems good and it's very easy to use.

 

Sealant for the cost effective and durable win

 

Black is sexy as hell clean!
Black is a bitch to maintain also.
I would use a magic duster on my 08 bsp and I also used a black pigment wax to wax. It turned those lite scratches black instead of being white.
On a new black vehicle I think I’d go full in on a good ceramic coating?
Not sure though I’ve never done a ceramic coating.

 

Use a sealant and let it bond. Then use a black wax, it’s literally black or dark grey if you can find it. Ceramic is good too but imo wax or sealant gives you peace of mind if regularly used a few times annually. Biggest thing is use a two bucket system. Don’t wash your paint with the same stuff you use to clean your rims and undercarriage. Have a paint specific bucket, if you drop the mitt, don’t touch your paint with it. If you drop your clay, don’t touch your paint with it. Don’t use a car wash either, unless it touchless! This is the paint on my hood..
On a complete detail I use:
Rejex to seal(12 hour bond period)
Meguiars show car glaze 7
Meguiars hi-tech yellow wax 26
And finish with a coat of chemical guys Lava
In that order, this is just my hobby, but my cars are drippy

 

I use Zymol products (liquid clay bar and wax) twice a year. Once late fall and early spring. Looks amazing, protects well. I might have tried ceramic if I had purchased new. But I don't mind doing it and I have the time.

 

Having owned toyota pickups since the 70's. imo, nothing beats a professional ceramic coating when correctly prepped.

 

I’m huge fan of Adam’s polishes. I would suggest investing in a good orbital polisher.

 

Thanks

 

Chemical Decon, clay, polish and a ceramic coating in this order will give superior results most anything else.

Watch YouTube for proper methods of application.

 

If the truck is new, don’t clay it no need. Definitely a good ceramic coating over wax. They can be had for quite cheap via Amazon. Real and lasting ceramic coating never come in a spray bottle. The big thing with ceramic is try not to get truck wet for 48 hours and no car wash for 7 days to allow it to bond. It will last 2+ years, easily.

 

This is definitely NOT good advice! All the steps mentioned above are very important to provide the best possible clean prepped surface for your ceramic coating. You definitely NEVER want to put ceramic over wax. You want to apply directly to a properly prepped clear coat.

Chemical decon, clay, polish and ceramic coating on a brand new vehicle. Period.

On older vehicle that have gone through car washes or have been neglected may require a compound for paint correction and even wet sanding for extreme cases but this is not for inexperienced detailers or weekend warriors.

 

No, not on top of wax, lol, choosing ceramic coating over choosing wax… also, many professionals don’t find it necessary to clay and correct a brand new finish. If you clay you really need to buff it out and then clean again before application. Usually unnecessary.

 

There is no such thing as color-specific wax.

Surface prep is the most important and PITA part. That’s true with any type of coating project (house paint, lacquer, car wax, etc)

The best wax is the one you’ll actually use. I’ve moved on from Klasse to Turtle Wax ceramic wet wax in the grey bottle.

Don’t laugh at the turtle wax, their stuff rocks and it’s easy and fast so I use it all the time. No need to set aside an entire weekend three times a year…

 

These two statements are 100%!! Best advice in thread!!

 

I can't speak about black, but I have used Meguiar's wax since my 70s muscle cars. Lately been using Meguiar's Gold Class Premium. There may be better products out there but it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks.

https://www.meguiars.com/search?sea...ba plus premium liquid wax g7016 16 oz liquid

 

Been a big fan of Griot's products for many years. Their Synthetic Clay is so easy to use and provides results equal to clay bars.

 

Wax lasts 3-4 months on average. An over the counter ceramic coating should last you 1-2 years, a professional one 5+.

I’ve been very happy with consumer grade ceramic coatings… every 2 years, I wash, clay bar, decontaminate (70% ipa), then ceramic coat with Gtechniq CSL & EXO. For under $200 you’ll have a fantastic finish you can do yourself. Worst part is the clay bar as it takes the longest.

I would suggest using clay bar (Wally world sells mothers, merguiers, both great) on a new truck as well… once you ceramic coat, anything trapped in that paint is locked on for good.