how often should i wax my car?what kind of wax do u guys use? whats the best way to wax a car? my buddy told me that if u wax a car wrong you can screw up the paint. is this true?i think he is just tryingto scare me. any help would be great. thanks
Wax ?
- Thread starter bob335
- Start date
taylor414ce2003
Dedicated LVC Member
the only way you could screw it up if you polished with a dirty cloth with abrasive material in it or used a high speed buffer and strip off the clear coat-as far as wax goes any brand made from carnuba wax is good-I usualy hand wax my car only 2 times a year ,before and after winter.
c dubya
New LVC Member
I used to detail and my boss was very knowledgable on paint and he used to do some pretty amazing paint restoration. This is what he used to tech me for having showroom looking paint. Buy a real chamois, a wash mit, and a bucket that are only for your car. Not your wifes car or any other. After every wash throw your chamois in the washer and run it through a cold cycle with no soap. Do not dry it. This keeps all of your washing gear free of debris and keeps your clearcoat virtually swirl free. When it comes to wax you can bet you pay for what you get, but I wouldnt buy the most expensive you can find. I wax about once per month, and I use polish in between waxes. Polish wont seal your paint the way wax will. Wax is protective, polish is too, but it lets your paint breathe. If you get in this routine after about a month your clear coat will look like its a mile deep. Also, dont use any rubbing compound on your car. Most of that stuff can not accomplish what it says it can by hand. And stay away from any wax that says cleaner in the name, unless you park under a sap tree year round.
JC1994
Dedicated LVC Member
I use liquid Turtle wax, in the green bottle. It's cheap and last's just as long as anything else. I wax my car every 6 months.
Taylor
New LVC Member
A: I wax my car about every week or two, your friend was just trying to scare you about damaging your paint, the only damage you can do to it is not waxing it at all. i use "zymbol" brand wax, its about $20 a bottle but its worth it! its a natural mixture with fruit extracts and other natural compuonds. it doesnt has any distilates in it like conventional wax does. it does a better job and lasts longer than conventional wax does too! if you havent waxed your car before, I strongly suggest you use a caly bar first, it cleans the paint and clears off all the road grime and other things that keep the wax from sticking to your paint and when your using the bar, use the lube very generously, its bette rto use more than you need than less!!! after you use the bar, wash it again and dry it, then apply the wax. hope this helped you and you are satisfied with the results!
-Taylor
BAD97LSC
Dedicated LVC Member
i use IBIZ professional products, wax, leather sheen, tire dressing and some special compound called black beauty, its buffing compound specifically designed for black paint, but can be used on all clear coat colors. it kicks ass for removing oxidation, haze and especially swirl marks.
Kevin O'Connell
Well-Known LVC Member
Griot's
Check out Griot's Gararge website. They'll give you a complete course on clay bars, cleaners, waxes and polishes- best info out there.
Check out Griot's Gararge website. They'll give you a complete course on clay bars, cleaners, waxes and polishes- best info out there.
midi_junkie
Dedicated LVC Member
i use every meguires (Sp) product out there.. first i polish... then glaze.. then wax....... my car is always turning heads.. once a month.. in between.. i use the spray on like 'in between' wax products. turtle wax is garbage. dont clay unless you know what youre doing.
Bob Hubbard
Dedicated LVC Member
I have to respectifully dissagree with the comment about using a rubbing compound.
A while back, my Dakota was parked what I felt was a reasonable distance from where I was spray painting a storage shed.
To my dismay, it was still in the path of the overspray, even though it was about 100 yards from the work area.
Any way, I used 3M fine cut rubbing compound by hand, and not only did it remove the dried on overspray, but smalll scratchers as well.
The big plus was, it was easy to use, and the shine was unreal.
I finished with 3M show glase liquid wax.
My 59 Convertible gets the same treatment, but Black always shows a shine better , which is why I am including a picture of the Dakota so you can see the result.
The picture below was taken about two months after I compounded the overspray.
One thing I have always done, and will continue to do, is use a light spray of glass cleaner every day, and dry with a good clean, soft towel.
This is the glossy shine that the R/T has all the time.
I only wax two or three times a year, but the truck gets the windex treatment just about every day.
Many have said the amonia in the windex is not good for the paint, but I can only say, look for yourself.
The shine is awsome, and I see no damage to the paint at all.
I never use any soap when washing the vehicles, I don't have too.
The wax is so good, I only need a damp rag, or just the garden hose, if we have had a rainy day.
Dirt just doesn't stick to the body of either the convertiblke or truck
As for time, it takes me about 20 minutes each day to keep these two vehicles looking like they do.
Time well spent.
Bob.
A while back, my Dakota was parked what I felt was a reasonable distance from where I was spray painting a storage shed.
To my dismay, it was still in the path of the overspray, even though it was about 100 yards from the work area.
Any way, I used 3M fine cut rubbing compound by hand, and not only did it remove the dried on overspray, but smalll scratchers as well.
The big plus was, it was easy to use, and the shine was unreal.
I finished with 3M show glase liquid wax.
My 59 Convertible gets the same treatment, but Black always shows a shine better , which is why I am including a picture of the Dakota so you can see the result.
The picture below was taken about two months after I compounded the overspray.
One thing I have always done, and will continue to do, is use a light spray of glass cleaner every day, and dry with a good clean, soft towel.
This is the glossy shine that the R/T has all the time.
I only wax two or three times a year, but the truck gets the windex treatment just about every day.
Many have said the amonia in the windex is not good for the paint, but I can only say, look for yourself.
The shine is awsome, and I see no damage to the paint at all.
I never use any soap when washing the vehicles, I don't have too.
The wax is so good, I only need a damp rag, or just the garden hose, if we have had a rainy day.
Dirt just doesn't stick to the body of either the convertiblke or truck
As for time, it takes me about 20 minutes each day to keep these two vehicles looking like they do.
Time well spent.
Bob.