Mercedes>BMW

Just waxed our 2010 TSX with 50k, it has a few rock chips and little chips here and there but its nothing bad. Chicagoland/Chicago winters are bad so waxing is a must, just waxed it and it took about an and hour and 30 minutes this time and I'm sure when I start doing it more it'll be less. Used Turtle wax hard shell compound and I'm wondering what you guys use and how long it lasts. I might switch over to Klasse sealant and glaze soon as many people say it'll last 4-6 months and it looks better. http://www.autogeek.net/klassekit.html

Lex

Collinite #845.

If you let it warm up in a cup of hot water and apply it lightly, it removes easily and seems to last pretty long with 2 applications.

I dry the car with a leaf blower and 1 microfiber cloth now. The water sheets off nicely.

BobbyC

I feel like I'm constantly trying out new sealants/waxes.
So far..

Mcguires California gold = typical off the shelf wax. Decent shine. Nothing special.

Poorboys ex-p sealant = pretty nice gloss. Decent level of slickness. Overall, I liked a lot. 2 coats makes your car very shiny!

Blackfire jet seal = wipe on n walk away sealant. Really easy to use. Gives a decent shine. Protection is ok at best. I usually do a coat of this before adding other sealants/waxes

Dodo juice purple haze = just tried this stuff and absolutely LOVE it. It's a paste wax so it's a shell on top of your paint but man... It's got a really deep gloss. Makes the car look wet. 2 coats is plenty.

Prima epic = tried this yesterday on my mothers Lexus. Pretty nice sealant. Easy to buff out. Had a good shine to it for a sealant.

Everyone who's ever detailed a car knows its all in the prep work.
If you buff the finish nice, you get a much better shine so def do all your prep!

BobbyC

You should considering switching to opticoat for the winters.
If I lived in a snowy area, that's def the route I'd go. Costs a bit more but you can't beat the level of protection.

Thinking about putting that on my wife's car so I don't have to keep waxing it. Lol

ttk5

Ive heard some bad things about turtle wax. Dont know what truth there is to what Ive heard but i know there are better waxes out there than turtle wax

Mercedes>BMW

Opticoat, any links? I googled it and didn't really find anything.

Mercedes>BMW

Yeah I didn't know that two years ago, I've just started using it and I'm going to upgrade soon but right now it seems good for me, I need to know how to cut down time because its taking me a while just to coat it once with wax, also you guys use buffers?

EhkoXC

I've actually been using Turtle Wax myself, a buffer seems to almost be a must using it. On my old TL I got a nice shine using Turtle Wax and a buffer, but Turtle Wax seems to require a ton of work to get it looking nice. If you don't buff out the wax properly it's very easy to get visible swirls.

tobwac

i have used opticoat 2.0 on few cars and the results are just amazing i post quick video of the results in my thread
if you gonna use OC you should do paint correction and then use OC as finish product
here is a link where you can buy

http://www.detailersdomain.com/Optim...t-2_p_326.html

and some random video from yt

Cukies132

https://detailersdomain.com/Nano-Coating_c_196.html

Domm

+1 to collinite, but I use the paste version of 845.

It's a wax that provides long lasting protection and a great shine since it has carnauba wax. It'll outlast any carnauba based wax and some sealants as well. Most use it for winter protection, but I use it year round because it does such a great job adding depth and protection.

BobbyC

I'm dying to try opticoat but I really enjoy detailing my car so that's out. Lol
I might grab some and do the wife's car and my wheels

Mercedes>BMW

Exactly it takes forever to buff out!

ConKy

Masks

TSXKid2010

No, ConKy, if you use the wrong wax your car might get too shiny and when you get pulled over for having a shiny ass car distracting drivers, the cop won't believe the wax is from the factory! You should skip on waxing.

EhkoXC

Not to mention how sore you'll be the next day if you buff it out by hand.

ceb

Everybody has their own favorite wax. I've been using Menzerna for years but will probably do Opticoat this year before it really snows.

Any good quality wax will work. After a while you'll be able to tell if it gives you the shine you like and lasts long enough for you.

Turtle Wax and most other cheap stuff sold in auto parts stores doesn't last long and is a real pain to put on.

TW is as hard to apply as Opticoat.

As others have said, prep is the key to getting a good finish. Pouring the best wax on a badly prepped surface will yield far worse results that the cheapest wax on a well prepared surface.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

I've tried Griot's, Meg Gold Class, Zaino Z2, Chemical Guys...
then I got a sample of Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0. NOTHING has looked glossier or been easier to put on and take off. I'm in love.

J.

Here's a picture after stripping old, polishing the topmost panels with a rotary and white pad. And sealing with the Wolfgang:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockstar143/8172798591/http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockstar143/8172798591/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/rockstar143/, on Flickr

iSeeYouTwo

^Looks squeaky clean. Somehow I knew you'd end up in here, lol.

How long did all that take you?

Acura_Dude

Quick question(s): So if you opti-coat (i've read a lot about it), so if you wanted to add a wax/sealant on top of it, would you be wasting your time pretty much? Also isn't there upkeep on opti-coat. I know it'll last for years, but shouldn't there be upkeep?

Acura_Dude

I agree. Very nice TL.

BobbyC

You don't have to but you can if you want a deeper shine.
It's supposed to be permanent but I don't buy it. I give it a couple of months of awesome protection. Maybe a year of not having to wax and it'll wear down like everything else.

It's worth it if you don't like polishing and waxing.

Mercedes>BMW

That is a nice TL and I love those tail-lights!

Craig-D

I use Nu-Finish because Consumer Reports ranked it the best and longest-lasting in their testing. I use a Ryobi cordless orbital buffer for buffing, so I do the whole car pretty quick as opposed to hand buffing.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

LOL, thank you fellas. I appreciate it, trust me.
Took me about an hour and a half to do the quick polish and full coat of the Wolfgang. Gotta be honest though, I'm not sure how long it lasts, but it goes on/off so easily and looks so deep and glossy that I'm looking forward to doing it again.

Most polymer waxes are ok to "stack"...so you can add another layer when you want. With Carnauba's...it gets messy/streaky as I found out recently.

BobbyC

I hope you never have to polish anything with that. You're gonna be really disappointed. I wanted a cordless for a while since I live in a townhouse. I went and got one from wal mart or whatever. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst. Worst idea ever I'm glad I had time to return it.

Just skip all the bs and get a pc. The min you put it on a car, you'll see why it's worth it.

As for waxes, we got a bit of rain today and the purple haze is no joke. The water just ran off my car all day. It stopped raining and after a 5min drive, my car was dry and spotless again still had the deep wet gloss.
I can't say enough good things about this wax!
If you have a dark colored car, it's a must!

I used prima epic on my wife's car and I gotta say, that's some good sealant as well. Awesome beading and still has a nice gloss to it.

I'm impressed with both products I think next time ill do epic and then 2 layers of purple haze on top.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

^^^good advice.
PC was awesome, I wish I had understood it and the proper technique when I first got it. I've moved on to a rotary now but honestly, sometimes it's overkill and it's ALWAYS scary. I know what that thing can do and fk up very quickly.


J.

...if you ever have an order from autogeek, ask Nick about that Wolfgang stuff...I haven't tried purple haze yet...but having tried so many I can promise you, it's GOOD stuff.

Acura_Dude

That's what I was thinking. Thanks!

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

I used to be so opposed to adding a layer of wax on previous cars. I'm not sure why...now, the extra 20 minutes and months of protection and gloss are a no brainer. Especially on a black car, the more glossy/protected you keep it, the less obvious the dirt/dust sitting on the paint really is.

Mercedes>BMW

New question for you guys... Best wax at WalMart? Don't have time to get anything shipped, I need to get it this Friday and I did the TSX and Mazda3 with turtle wax, no claybar nor polish. I have a way of getting the scratches out so it's fine, anyone got any ideas? Turtlewax is a bitch and I don't want to spend so much time waxing anymore especially in the cold.

Or should I just go somewhere else? Be specific please and should I just keep the coat (yes one coat..., it was taking too long) on and wait till it fades off?

BobbyC

If you would have ordered from autogeek yesterday, you could have had it by Friday... Tisk tisk.

From Walmart.. Probably zaino.
It should be easy to put on and take off.
You'll have to strip your turtle wax though.
Clay and do a good wipe down with 50/50 alcohol.

Check pep boys. The one by me has a pretty good selection of detailing products and you get a free bucket if you spend $20 bucks.

Also check Craigslist. I met a guy on it recently who gets a lot of products cheaper than I can and I've been buying a lot of stuff off him. A lot of detailers will sell you stuff they have too much of or something.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

Zaino can only be bought from zainobrothers .com.

I think you meant Zymol from Walmart? I've heard the name, but never tried it myself.
For over the counter protection, honestly...Meguiar's Gold Class is cheap, readily available and when I first used it, I thought it was the best thing ever.

BobbyC

ah yea.. youre right. i always get those 2 confused.

i would just wait. place a order on autogeek for something good.
get a good sealant and a good wax.
theyre pretty quick about shipping and i believe theyre running free shipping right now.

if it were me, id buy prima epic and dodojuice purple haze

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

I agree...plus, Nick from autogeek is a forum vendor and a really nice guy. I'd order the Wolfgang but that's just from my own experience.

Zymol will probably be good stuff too, but I agree...I'd rather just do it right the first time.

BobbyC

or you could just go hardcore and get optiseal.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

...hardcore!

I think at a certain point, they're probably all good.

BaoZZeR

I really want to try wolfgang now

BobbyC

ive always heard good things about wolfgang.
the next wax i wanna try is chemical guys petes 53 paste wax.
its a bit pricey but ive heard great things

Colorado Guy AF Ret.

Just my 2 cents worth...but, based on my experience with...Nano wax. I have had one detail guy wax my cars for the last 6 years. He is in his early 50's. Been doing this a long time. He has pretty much tried everything. He uses only ONE wax now. Liquid Nano wax. He buffs the paint with this and the very little residue is hand wiped with a micro fiber towel. You can see yourself in the paint, it's slick as wet ice. And the key thing is this. The car cleans up so easily. I do this twice a year and my cars always look incredible. People comment on it.

True, if he were doing a car with poor quality paint he would have to do more to prepare for the final buffing. My cars are new when he starts with them, and then keeps them up with just another buffing of the Nano wax.

I don't know the exact Nano wax....since they make a host of car paint products. If anyone wants more specifics I will get them. I do know it's rather expensive to buy. He buys it by the gallon from his distributor....and has given me some to use whenever. I don't have a buffer now...but, I will. Have a quality one on order. He taught me how easy it is and that you can't really screw it up. He will lose my business...since I will be doing my cars myself after Dec. Buffer is back ordered! He will supply me with the wax.

I have taken engines apart and put them back together....and they ran!!.....but, I was always timid about using a buffer. With the machines they have now, and the pads they use....it is pretty easy to do a great job without any worries. Now...if your paint is older...dull, swirls, etc, etc, then the task is much more involved and takes some learning to bring the paint back. But, starting with a new car like I do, and keep it Nano waxed twice a year, I've learned that it doesn't get much better.

My '12 Accord Cpe...which is just over 1 yr old, that I will relinquish next Wed, will be put on my Honda dealer's showroom floor with a Certified Honda banner on it. Don't see that too often. That car's paint is like a mirror. Nano waxed twice....not a swirl mark, fine scratches...nothing. The paint looks better than a brand new car in the showroom.

kwalk

Been using Turtle Wax ICE wax for my wife's car (white SUV) and just coated my new silver '12 tech today. It applies well and buffs off easy with I think a deep long lasting shine. Prior to ICE, I was using Meguiars NXT and that was fine too but I wanted to try the ICE and I think it's easier to work with. They say you can coat everything on the car with ICE except rubber and glass but I'm only using it on paint - tempted to use on headlight lenses and wheels.