Best Wax - Opinions

Thank you for all of the suggestions! Lots to choose from. I know little to nothing about ceramic coatings and how to do it after waxing my truck since it was new (2016). Might be time for me to dig into it.

 

Once you go ceramic you will never use wax again.

 

Nu finish. It’s a polish not a wax.

 

I'm also a Collinite fan - I use No. 885 - The fleetwax. It works great in a salt water environment (Sailboat), so I tried on my car. I won't use anything else!

It is not for weenies... ( ) - It does take a wax effort to apply... you don't just squirt it on. But it works - and it lasts!

Available on AMZ...

The Taco is the biggest vehicle I've owned. I take a while to wash properly and wax... - When I wash my old mini, I run out of car to wash in like 10 minutes with only a cup of water!

 

until recently chemical guys was my go to for almost everything but their business practices and declining quality have pushed me away.

I use a porter cable w/ hex pads.
basic maint. polish is the CG P40 and i think its called p4 now, its a mild polish and hard to screw up w/ it. I use it on a slightly more aggressive pad rather than using too harsh of a polish then switch to a finer pad to finish it out, this is for daily drivers for show finish thats a completely different story for a different day...

follow that with a rewash and then i'll hit it with mothers paste wax. i'll do quick touch ups to the wax randomly w/ some butter wet CG's liquid and then their sealant.

I generally try to stay away from any spray on gimmicks but I do like the lucas oil speed spray after washing dark vehicles but thats just a bandaid for rushing the wash.

I'm likely going to do the carpro's ceramic on my tacoma over the holiday break.

 

For everyone using polishes... BE VERY CAREFUL, These new modern waterborne finishes are very very thin, and you can damage the clear coat to beyond repairable. Even using softer pads, and low abrasive polishes, will over time deplete the clear coat. If you do this multiple times over a few years, you could/will have finish issues. Food for thought. Ski

 

I agree... Polishing is a poor substitute for a good cleaning and just not a good maintenance ritual for a vehicle's finish.

- If you pay someone to clean your car - have them clean it - not polish it!

I would never polish UNLESS damage has occurred to the top layer of paint and there was a need to get below this to try and salvage.

 

Way Way back in the day we used to use Johnson's Floor paste wax

 

Back in 1978 when I had a van I used turtle wax. Old habits die hard.
OG turtle wax It is.

 

I’ve been liking Adam’s H2O Guard and Gloss lately. Good stuff, easy spray on while towel drying

 

When polishing I only use Meguiar's #7 polish it has zero abrasives and does a great job in shine. You must go over it with some sort of wax or coating. Before I do any polishing I always clay bar. The key to make your vehicle shine is the prep and of course is the hardest part.

 

Compounding and polishing to correct defects in the paint are a part of the prep process if you are concerned with protecting and preserving the vehicles finish. Even with modern paints that are thin, soft, and fragile, it takes a serious amount of inattention or stupidity to ruin clear coat by polishing "too much" regardless of if you are using a DA, large throw DA, Forced Rotation DA, or a rotary. Most of the "Polishes" being mentioned in this thread are either a sealant with chemical cleaners (Nu-Finish) or Glazes (Megs No 7) that hide imperfections by use of fillers.

I advise against Ceramic coating daily drivers for a couple reasons:

• maintenance of a coating requires specialized, (Expensive), products for shampoo, and touch up sprays. This is less of an issue if you have nothing already and are starting from scratch.
• Cost and downtime for coating: coatings require a nearly perfect paint surface, so in addition to a normal prep process for a good wax or sealant, this means a 2 step paint correction, then the coating needs to be applied in a clean, well lit, climate controlled environment, to apply and let the coating cure, (coatings take multiple days to fully cure) Using CquartzPro UK 3.0 as an example: $180 for the coating, $50 for reload, $100-$150 in MF towels and applicators which will be discarded after use), $50 for eraser, $80/Gallon for a shampoo like Reset you are looking at spending somewhere around $400-$500 for the coating and a new shampoo, this assumes you have a polisher, pads, compounds, polish, and the skills to do the prep work. Otherwise you are looking at at least 1,000 to 1,500 to pay a reputable detailer to coat your vehicle.
• If you need to repair a scratch or have any swirling you want to clean up, the process requires re-application of the coating
• the longest you will get out of the most expensive professional coatings on the market is maybe 3-5 years with maintenance...no coating is lasting 8-10 years

Comparing that to Klasse HGSG (my favorite sealant I have ever used):

• Prep can be as simple as wash and clay or as involved as a full paint correction, you decide
• $25-30 for a 1 liter container that will likely outlast the vehicle you buy it for
• Can be applied as a wipe on, wipe off product, (seriously ignore the instructions on the bottle, letting it haze for 45 minutes makes it a pain to remove)
• Only needs 8 hours without rain or snow to cure and a second coat can be applied which has consistently given 12-16 months of protection including winter in upstate NY
• Maintenance washes are business as usual with whatever products you want to use, (shampoo, wash&wax, quick detailers, spray waxes, etc...)
• Your towels, applicators, etc... just need to be washed and can be re-used

 

There are many great products out there and you will get many expert opinions. There is no perfect product, just pick your poison. However, just prep the paint that is where you get your shine, then protect it.
Here is my prep.
Touch up any scratches and chips. I use Dr. Colorchip due to no blobs.
Wash with Dawn and never use it again. Dawn removes wax.
Clay vehicle
Polish with a buffer, I have the Porter Cable. This is a very important step because this will bring out the shine.
Spray and wipe vehicle with 15% rubbing alcohol and distilled water. This removes all residue.
Then apply your wax/coating which is the easy part.

Don't rush, take your time and expect taking a full day on this give or take. Do this in the shade and don't forget lots of beer.

 

waxes are fairly outdated. There are products far better than waxing.

Ceramic coatings are better in all aspects than a wax. They are harder, more protective and longer lasting. I used to use gtechniq products but moved on to gyeon. Pure is the product I love. last 2 -3 years. A little more work than a wax but worth it.

If you don't like the additional work, griots 3 in 1 ceramic spray. It's a spray on and wipe off product.

 

First time: Dawn wash, Porter Cable if it might need it, Zaino Z-2 with accelerator. If I'm feeling strong that day, wipe off and re-apply. Then finish up with Z-8

Subsequent: wash with Zaino, blow dry, then wipe down with Z-8.

 

That’s a bit of over exaggeration. It’s not something that’s going to happen instantaneously.

 

This is the best overall wax product I have ever used. It is cable insulator wax and it does a great job on the finish but even better, you can wax anything! You can wax your dash, your headlights, your interior, even your tires .....the key is, it does not leave white residue!

$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)

https://www.amazon.com/845-Sealant-...8&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY

 

Timely comment, was just wondering about this stuff! Do you need to be careful around non-painted areas or can you just go to town on the whole thing like you seem to be able to with 845?

 

This is the 845. I have used it matt finish and even super rough finish and never had a an issue.

 

The griots products are very good. Not magic, not exceptional, but still very nice. I like the results I got with the 3 in 1 and all in 1

I like the color and gloss. Seems to enhance color especially on metal flake finishes. Smells nice too.

https://www.autozone.com/wash-clean...arage-ceramic-all-in-one-wax-16oz/1172270_0_0

For a second coat the next day:
https://www.autozone.com/wash-clean...rage-ceramic-3-in-1-wax-spray-22oz/733625_0_0

As a topper after a maintenance wash the 3-1 works well, as does Turtle Wax Seal and Shine. Every few hand washings, I'll use a topper. I was about once every 2 weeks.

I do a yearly strip wash, iron remover, clay bar towel, then light polish with a DA and some griots complete compound, panel wipe, then apply a sealant. Takes about 3 hours start to finish net of cleanup.