Hi everyone. I will be getting my car painted soon and I want to do my best and making it shine for many years. And I mean shine. I see some cars that are so shiny they look wet. Mine was decent, but not on that level.

What are some of the best products out there? Either scientifically proven or just your guys' opinions from personal experience.

Thanks.

 

I tried dozens of products for 30 years. The best to me in shine durability and protection is Zaino.

But the best way to find what YOU like best is to try different products out.

 

Welcome to the world of wax! You have entered into a pandora's box in terms of depth of shine. My advice to you if you really want to get the best resolution and best shine quality is to compare several very good quality carnaubas, such as Pinnacle, P21S, Mother's and Meguiars. You could also look at the ultra high content carnaubas such as Zymol, but beware, because they also carry VERY high prices!

It will be very difficult, based on my experience, to beat a high content carnauba in terms of overall resolution and depth of shine; However, there are several very good products out there that will give you excellent results without spending a fortune. It will boil down to how well each will compare to the other, and which wax best meets your expectations.

I also recommend that you visit www.autopia.org, as well as doing your own comparisons in finding the best wax for your needs. Good luck.

 

right after your car gets painted you will not want to WAX it for a good 3 months I'd say to let the paint fully heal and let all the fumes dry out of the paint/clear. On that note, you can use finishing polishes or oil based hand glazes. 3M Hand Glaze works really well on freshly painted vehicles...It does wash away if it rains or if you wash the car, but thats what you have to do if your paint is fresh. You cannot apply a wax or anything until after around 3 months because you do not want to close off the paint and "seal" the paint/clear when it is still technically in its drying phase.

After 3 months...I have found that after a good polishing cleaner, Natty's or Pinnacle's Paste Waxes work really good!
www.autogeek.net

Cory

 

This could lead to another 'GREAT WAX DEBATE'

IMO Zaino is the BEST

 

Zaino = Plastic MatchBox Car Look ( it does work ok on the windows however )

 

Don't worry about all the cheerleaders, because you know the old saying about opinions...

Sealants last longer and have a brighter shine. (Zaino, Klasse, etc.)

Carnaubas don't last as long and have a deeper shine. (Pinnacle, S100, etc.)

Prep work and process make much more difference than any product. Prep work is where your true depth, color, and wetness come from.

 

Carnauba will last if its put on properly. My carnauba finishes have lasted through typical eastern seaboard winters when they were accumulated properly during a warm season (including rain and snow...uncovered!). If you ask the more experienced detailers, many will prefer a carnauba's resolution over a typical synthetic because the better carnaubas can develop a sharper resolution and greater depth of shine (There are even some on Autopia.org. that have stated a desire to top Zaino finishes with good carnaubas....although I wouldn't recommend that). I have seen this myself, being that I've tried Zaino, as well as seen several very good Zaino finishes.

However, when I compared those finishes to very good (not talking about exotic yet) carnauba finishes, the carnaubas were not only sharper, but the reflections were clearer and deeper. The high end carnaubas such as P21s, Pinnacle, and Zymol, in my opinion, will outperform most waxes and synthetics, given with similar finishes.

But that's my opinion. The real acid test will come when you compare products to see whether they live up to their claims.

 

It's pretty widely accepted that carnaubas don't last as long as the high end sealants.

Carnauba also mutes clarity due to the oils, waxes, etc. they contain. You may confuse clarity with wetness.

I rarely ever read anything on Zymol on Autopia.

 

thats why it is the best when you use a cleaner polish first....then a sealer like Wolfgang Paint Sealer...and then after that is allowed to dry, top it with a good carnuba wax....natty's, pinnacle, s100...something. I agree with you that sealer's last longer and also are more enduring with heat. I use sealer on my chrome wheels to protect the chrome, because wheels can get really hot driving down the road...carnuba would not last. On paint....cleaner polish, sealant, carnuba wax...best combination.

Cory

 

Where is it stated that Carnauba waxes mute clarity "due to the oils, waxes, etc."? Have there been tests or studies that have observed this? I did forget to mention, that levels of clarity and resolution seen in carnauba finishes will depend on the refinement of carnauba, such as content %, and grade such as yellow, #1 yellow, and #1 white (derived from pale yellow carnauba leaves). Typically, the more refined waxes will also cost more. Preparation is important, as well as using very good products.

Based on the waxes I've used, they have lasted several months after being applied. Some synthetics have been observed to last longer than some typical carnaubas.

As far as clarity and resolution, you will have to be the judge on that. Many detail enthusiasts (particularly voiced on Autopia.org:http://autopia.org/kb/index.php?page..._v2&id=26&c=16 ) have preferred a carnauba over a synthetic in terms of resolution and depth of shine.

 

Have there been tests or studies that say carnauba improves resolution or do you just read Autopia and take it all as law?

What do you have under your carnaubas that last several months?

I am an active member of Autopia. You don't have to keep quoting stuff from there. Is that your only source of information?

 

Tests that say carnauba wax improves resolution? All waxes will improve a resolution over a surface with no wax on it. There have been countless tests to ascertain this. Now, in terms of whether there's a test that says a carnauba will outperform a synthetic. That is more of a subjective term, as there are a lot of opinions that say synthetic is better, as well as others that say carnauba is better.

In terms of my own opinion. I observed (like I said earlier) how a synthetic responds to my paint surface and compared it with a carnauba wax of the same paint surface. I also observed (by taking digital photos) similar paint surfaces that have been treated with synthetics and carnauba waxes. All of the carnauba results I've noticed were visually sharper in their resolution to the Zaino finishes. The reference from Autopia I used because it reinforced my observation that I had discovered in comparing other waxes and synthetics. Many debates can be found for and against carnauba or synthetics. That is why I say instead that you should observe yourself the benefits of each wax or finish product.

Now, in terms of my wax lasting several months. Carnauba by itself doesn't wear or wash away by rain or water. Carnauba contains by products which will promote beading and gloss qualities in the wax resolution, that will in time wear away. The actual wax residue sinks beneath the outer layers of the paint and coats the surface, which in time with oxidation, will become dirty in appearance and will need to be removed with a cleaner.

I will usually start in the spring by a deep cleaning with a paint cleaner, followed by a polish, and then topping it off with one coat of wax. From april until november, I will build my resolution very slowly by applying one coat of wax per waxing session (a lot of people make the mistake of putting three or more coats on at one time, which tends to lose its beading quality much faster), and allowing the wax to dry. I've found by doing this, the wax surface hardens and maintains its shine longer. The hardened wax will also accept additional coats better. By November I have found that the paint surface has built up adequate amounts of wax, which has usually lasted through winter until April when I remove it and start new.

 

I'm not trying to argue whether anything is better.

I'm unclear on how covering your finish with a wax product will increase its resolution (assuming the paint is properly polished). Please provide a link or reference to the "resolution" tests.

I think your theory is wrong, but that's just my opinion.

 

I don't think that your question is a valid point of debate (since it challenges the fundamentals of waxing and finishing). I can give you a link to start with (http://www.porschepark.org/garage/ta00007.html). You should also check out a recent wax test by Guru Publications "The Wax Test, 2003." Guru did an in depth test where they measured the depth of resolution, longevity and beading sizes of waxes and sealants.

If you aren't convinced by those links, then you should do some investigating on your own by first doing a physical test between an untreated surface and a waxed surface. If you've been on Autopia for awhile, then I know you've seen countless arguments and testimonials to the benefits of wax. Your own test and observation, like I've found, will be the one you will believe the most. That, perhaps may be the best answer to your question.