K24tunr

Can anyone recommend a good off the shelf wax, like Meguiar's or something different than Griots Garage and Zaino? Looking for a process that requires less steps if that is possible?

hardrock32tls

Well, I have not used it yet (its in shipment) but on the advice of exceldetail I am going to be trying 4 Star, which is simular to Zaino in that it is a Polymer sealant. He let me know that it is VERY simular to BlackFire, so much so that he thought for awhile that it was just a repackaging deal. BlackFire has gotten some really good reviews from ppl here on the board. If interested, do a search on it.

sbuswell

NXT tech wax, first wash car with dawn, clay bar car, rinse and wash with NXT car wash, dry and then coat on the NXT Tech Wax, looks awesome!

Hawhyen51

Four Star UPP has garnered a pretty good reputation and pretty sure one of exceldetail's favorites. As mentioned by hardrock- Blackfire review by Darkwraith is here. This is another good thread about products folks use/recommend. Info on Four Star products can be found here and here. Blackfire can be found at Proper Auto Care. IMO, you can't go wrong with either product and the application process is simple.

BTW, make sure your surface is prepped (free of surface contamination and smooth as a baby's a$$) by using a clay bar. Your next step would be a polish/prewax cleaner (Blackfire Gloss Enhancing Polish or Four Star Ultimate Paint Cleanser) followed by the final layer of wax (BF APP or Four Star UPP).

hardrock32tls

PLEASE read this thread about washing your car. As it says in the article, don't confuse car care with kitchen care. So many people here seem to say to use Dawn, but the experts, the professionals in car care say don't. Now who would you go to for medical advice, a doctor or a guy that plays one on TV??

https://acurazine.com/forums/wash-wax-23/how-wash-your-car-like-pro-281511/

aaronng

Don't ever use dawn to wash your car. The reason you Zaino recommends dawn is because it requires a surface free of old wax.

With NXT Tech Wax, it has mild cleaners, so it will take off some of the old wax, to give a suitable surface for it to adhere to.

Also, if you want your paint to look the best, it is not by using the best wax, but by using the best surface preparation/cleaning.

If you're waxing for the first time in a long while, make sure you do these steps:
1) Wash (I like NXT carwash)
2) Clay
3) Paint cleaner (optional. Do it if you are paranoid of remaining contaminants that the clay didn't take off. Meg's Deep crystal step 1 paint cleaner is safe)
4) Polish (optional. Do it if your paint looks lifeless with a slightly dull colour. Meg's Deep crystal step 2 polish is safe because it is non-abrasive)
5) Klasse All-in-one (I like this as it cleans and also leaves a polymer layer)
6) NXT Tech wax
7) Carnauba wax (optional if you are anal about deep colour)

Taking out the optional steps, you just need to Wash, Clay, Klasse, NXT Tech Wax. After doing this once, you only need to wash and apply NXT Tech wax until you find that your paint is rough again.

psd112

If you are looking for longggg lasting protection for your paint, check out Maguire's #20 poly sealant ( pep boys). I have been using this on both my CL and my Tacoma ( daily driver), and the paint protection is great, and lasts AT LEAST 3-4 months.

It's a synthetic though, so you won't get the "depth" of a carnuba, rather you will get shiny-as-hell results. I put about 500-600 miles a week on my truck and I"m serious when I tell you that all I have to do is give it a quick washf and it looks brand new, the #20 lets all the dead bugs and dirt slide right off...

Easy one step application.

exceldetail

A lot of good posts! Dont short yourself with OTC products if you can though. Most vendors can have it (Blackfire, UPP) in your hands by the weekend if ordered midweek. And there really is a difference in products. But if your limited to OTC, Megs and Mothers have some great products. With Mothers, give the new Synwax a shot, Megs, #20 is real good, plus you have the peace of mind knowing your getting state of the art Polymer protection with Synwax or #20. However, Blackfire and UPP will knock the doors off those two ! Heres a BF'd 05 GT I did a couple days ago........And heres a UPP'd Porsche 977.......BF and UPP are very similiar as stated, BF takes a little getting use to, and usually requires an additional step in the end process to remove excessive oils. UPP doesnt, its a little heavier viscosity and can be thoroughly removed during the product removal stage....Both bring incredible depth and gloss.......Another note, i peronally dont recommend using Dawn for any stage....It just doesnt make sense if your polishing anyway, not to mention its not recommended by its maker.....

SpecialFX

This past weekend I finaaly got around to REALLY cleaning the TL. Washed it with Dawn (i know...), then Mothers' clay bar with the detaile spray for lube, followed by Meguairs polish (step 2) and finally Meguairs carnuba wax (step 3). The car hasn't looked this good in a while. Next week I'll do the wheels since I ran out of time. I'll probably rotate them and clay/wax them while they're off. If I'm feeling really ambitious I may try to repair the curb rash first.

BTW - My car is ABP. The deep blue looks incredible when it's polished and waxed.

racer77

There was a similar post that had almost the same question. To be honest with you, I will tell as I did in the other post, I use F21 wax and have had no problems with it. I recommend it, even more now that they are having a buy 3 get 1 free deal.

hardrock32tls

hmmmmm..... I think that someone (manufacture) is trying to move a product that is not moving.... buy 3 and get one free...No thanks

SpeedyV6

Turtle Wax does it for me.

Savio

NXT is the stuff!

CRAP!!! It just showered and it just beaded off my car. I just had to wipe away here and there but wow! NXT is some good stuff. I only put one coat on but I'm going to wash and put another coat on later this week.

Anthony Orosco

If you want a simple, easy to use wax/polymer, then you can't beat Optimum Spray Wax. A bonus is that it also contains the same UV absorbers in its forumula as does the clear coat on your car. No other spray wax has that.

It has no cleaners, no solvents, which means it won't stain white any trim or moldings and it can be used on glass, chrome and wheels. It lasts around 3 months on average, although many claim 5 months on the more garage queen types. You can seal your car with it in about 10 minutes and it also works while your car is semi-wet. So you can wash the car, rinse it, blow it dry then go over it with the spray wax.

Here is a Seal Grey Porsche that I use Optimum Spray Wax on every week. It has had nothing but OPT applied to it for the last 6 months, no polishing, no other waxes or sealants.



OPT though can't be purched at your local car store so if that is ideal for you then go with NXT.

Anthony

sbuswell

nothing worng with dawn every 2yrs or so, there are plenty of rubber/plastic molding conditioner products that will more than reverse the effect of dawn. I know what the experts say "don't use Dawn it will dryrot you rubber and plastic moldings". Sorry that is BS I have used Dawn(only once on my car) and the rubber and plastic moldings look brand new. so what's the big deal.

Anthony Orosco

The point is.....what is the point of using DAWN if you don't need to?

I have detailed thousands of cars in over 16 years and I have never needed to use DAWN to remove any wax or sealant. They make car soaps designed to remove wax so again, why use DAWN?

Wash your car every week with DAWN and see how it looks a year down the road.

Anthony

AT7Driver

Get a can of 3m yellow paste wax. Best shine yet!!! Ive used NXT, Blackfire, and Griots. Downside is that, most retailers dont sell it. Look for it at your local car paint shop. Here in Atlanta, I get it at a store called Auto Color.

racer77

Maybe you are correct, but for me is has worked really good. I mead it has to do on how good you take care of your paint. I'd still recommend F21.

xenonhid

wooo, nononono, No dawn , ever!! Bad advice

hardrock32tls

I even read someplace that Dawn will actually soften the paint, not sure if that is true, but why take the chance? Dawn once in the life of the car may not be terribly bad for it, but why take the chance?? Most (all) paints scratch too easy as it is, why would you possibly make it easier?

ac2001cls

Ok i have a couple of questions as a result to this thread. btw... this is a very helpful thread! So here we go...

1) Where can i find NXT Car wash by Meguairs? I've looked and looked at my local Auto Zone and Advance Auto Parts and didn't see it. I've seen the NXT Wax but not the car wash. Also when you use this NXT wax, how do you apply it? You put it on and let it sit for awhile and then wipe it off?

2) As far as "claying" the car? What kind of process is used to make this happen? In other words, how do you put it on and where's the best place to get it from along with the best type of clay bar? Or are all clay bars the same?

hardrock32tls

Question 1. No answer for you, I got mine at PepBoys.... and I don't use the NXT wax.

Question 2. Read this Article by ExcelDetail on the claying process. It is not a matter of putting the clay on and taking it off, more of a matter of using the clay to "shave" imbedded material off the surface of your paint. For the layperson, I would say that what clay you use is really not going to matter, professionals may have a preference, but I don't think that there is that much difference to really worry about for the hobbist.

ac2001cls

Thanks hardrock... i actually just found a website that someone included in one of the threads. (autopia-carcare.com) It is great as far as all the products you need to wash/dry and detail your car with. I'm making my list right now as we speak!

Hawhyen51

1. Apply NXT the same way you would use any other wax, except do a section at a time. Apply, let haze, and buff off with a MF cloth.

2. Good advice there about exceldetail's post. Most of the claybars are typically the same and manufactured by different companies. They serve the same purpose - to clean and remove imbedded contaminants from the paint's surface. There are numerous brands like Clay Magic, Pinnacle, Poor Boys, Megs, Mothers, and Four Star are just a few of the names available. What one uses is a personal choice. You can get them from any of the online sites like Autopia, Superior Car Care, Proper Auto Care and Exceldetail. Mothers and Megs are available OTC at Pep Boys, AutoZone and Kragen.

Jsinn

I have been using race glaze for years. I have never found anything better for not only washing your car but waxing your car. I have never used Zaino but i was wondering if anyone has tried both and found one better than the other.

ResidualFreedom

This pic was taken off of Hobes' black CL-S and in the pic is Tatewaki's TL (with the girls hangin on it), if you look closely you can see a line in the upper left on the pic, that is the where the trunk meets the bumper!!! I detailed both of these cars for a Darknights show a year ago...

The camera that took the pic is the one in the pic.... That's me takin the pic too!!
process...

1. Wash
2. Clay
3. Meg DACP (Multiple coats to achieve the desired ammount of swirl removal)
4. Klasse AIO
5. Meg #16, P21S, Natty's Paste wax (basically a good caranuba topper to enhance depth and shine)

just one reason I picked up aNew black TL-S, I love the reflection black gives off!!!

VB87

One of my favorite reflection shot^^^

How's your business going? Haven't seen you on here for a long time now.

jlukja

Why one section at a time instead of the whole car? How long should the NXT be on the car before you buff it? I've seen posted 30 min - 24 hrs. I usually just do the whole car and then start buffing the panels in the same order that I applied the NXT (essentially about 30 min. drying time).

Hawhyen51

jlukja, you can apply NXT to the whole car and then buff it off. I prefer to do it one section at a time and it works for me. Another reason is I'm using a different product for the fall season. Drying time for the NXT, in all honesty I really don't know. I don't see an advantage letting it dry for that long a time. I usually let it haze over (usually about 40-60 sec), and then buff with a MF towel. If I was gonna top with a 'nuba, I would probably wait a day.

ResidualFreedom

Hey buddy, good to see you're still here....I just picked up a NBP TL-S of my own, there will be a bunch of new pics of that one comin..

My business partner bailed... Rich kid Never go into business with a friend.... Ah well,we parted ways and I've got all the products

because once the wax dries too much it actually becomes a fine powder and can litghly scratch the paint during removal. I'd say wipe the hood, the roof and trunk, then go back and remove the product, total stand time of ten min, maybe fifteen.

jlukja

Thanks for the advice.

mg7726

is there a good spray similiar to NXT that's just spray and wipe, without waiting for it to haze up?? i'm done with my bottle of nxt and looking to try others.

exceldetail

Optimum Spray Wax.........Blows the doors off of NXt.....

mg7726

^^ thanks man.

maximumdetails

k24tunr, as it appears, everyone has their own opinions on what makes the best wax. As I always say to people, do what works best for you. Whatever you do, just remember to properly prep your car before you wax or seal it. Good luck to you in your future detailing sessions!!

vidoprof

Ok so here is a question from this thread. Thanks for all the comments they are really helping.

1. The NXT wax is more of a protectant?

2. I like the WET look so is that a carnuba wax? can I use two or more waxes on top of each other to get the wet look? I need a sealant also I would assume rght?


Basically I need a small step by step (with what products to use) to get the best protectant + the best LOOK (by look I want the wet look) I have an 05 Antracite TL so the scratches are hidden pretty well and I can't really get it to look like a nice BLACK car can.

Ryan

thanks again for all the help

Hawhyen51

Refer to this site about waxing and it should answer your questions. This FAQ Thread will be very helpful. Another source of info is BCC.

As far as products are concerned, I can't tell you which would be the best. It comes down to a matter of personal preference. Some of the more popular products you'll hear a lot of: Klasse, Four Star, Poorboys, Zaino, Blackfire, Sonus and the list can go on and on. BTW, a number of folks like NXT and like the results. You can get a better selection of products online than you would at AutoZone, Kragens, or Pep Boys. It may be a bit more expensive but the results are worth it. Some online stores to check: Autopia, Exceldetail, Superior Car Care, Proper Auto Care, Better Car Care, Premium Auto Care and Pak Shak.

On a personal note, I've used the first three products mentioned with outstanding results. View more of the treads in the Wash and Wax Forum to get an idea what the members are using and and take it from that point. There are a lof of knowledgable folks like exceldetail, Anthony Orosco, and TOGWT.

tzakiel

Funny when I look closely I see two gorgeous asses.

slobeatz

I do 2 coats of NXT (24 hours apart) then a coat of #16. I'm probably going to try Natty's blue next, even though I have 3 cans of #16 hanging around.

Vicman17

Meg's Professional (Mirror Glaze) Cleaner Wax #6 gives a decent shine in one step but you might need to do it about every 2 weeks.

Nice to see your posts again RF!