Nissan 370Z Forum - View Single Post

Alexus · 12-29-2008, 03:50 PM

Introduction
Waxing your car regularly is important. It keeps it protected from moisture and makes it much easier to clean. Best of all, it gives the car a noticeable shine and helps keep it that way for decades. I've thus decided to make my first contribution to this forum one about the different types of waxes available on the market. There are five common types of waxes available to the everyman, and each will be explained in much greater detail a bit further below. Like anything in life, each wax has its pros and its cons and it's important to understand each and every one of them in order to choose the wax that best suits you and your needs. I will divide the waxes into carnauba-based, synthetic polymers and acrylics, and Teflon and silicone classes.

Carnauba-based Wax
This is an all-natural wax extracted from the carnauba palm, typically found in its native northeastern Brazil and other South American countries. The wax is harvested from the coating on the leaves of the trees and is used to make, of all things, car wax! The best-quality carnauba waxes are from Brazil, and it is typically written on the bottle where the wax was harvested from.
Carnauba wax has best results on dark colors such as black and midnight blue, but also has a lasting, brilliant effect on vibrant reds. The wax brings about a shine that has a lot of depth and warmth; a complexity you want when you have a dark-colored car. However, carnauba-based waxes have more cons than they have pros.

Pros
- Depth and warmth in dark colors.
- Inexpensive.

Cons
- Application is difficult, especially with the paste variety. Novices will have a hard time.
- The wax leaves behind residues that are difficult to polish efficiently.
- Requires a lot of effort and time to apply and remove.
- Low resistance to washes, even with least invasive techniques.
- Less durability (2-3 months without any QuickWax maintenance).
- Must remove last waxing before applying a fresh coat (time-consuming).
- Protection level is low.
- Low resistance to high and low temperatures; it is a natural wax and will melt in high temperatures and yellow your paintjob.

Carnauba-based waxes are thus for experienced car owners who have a little too much time on their hands, and who are looking for a show-car shine that is inexpensive yet also one of the best-looking the industry has to offer. You will need to wash your car, clay-bar it, wash it again and then apply the coat of wax.

Top 5 (in no particular order)
- Meguiars' Mirror Glaze #16
- Meguiars' Gold Class
- Zymol Concours
- 3M Perfect-It Show Car
- Pinnacle Souveran (for deep pockets only)

Synthetic Polymers & Acrylic-based
These types of waxes are the easiest to apply and they are also relatively new to the industry. How they are made, I am not exactly sure, but they are the best types of waxes for a novice car-owner. Unlike carnauba waxes they do not leave unwanted residues and last a long, long time. This wax is best for colored cars, seeing as it lacks depth and warmth in darker colored cars. I've always used a synthetic polymer wax on my black Mazda 3, though, and I've found it to be an exceptional shine even for dark cars. Unlike carnauba-based waxes the pros far outweigh the cons.

Pros
- Easy application.
- No need to remove old waxing.
- High resistance to washes, even harsh car washes.
- Very durable (8 months, can be stretched to a year if places with no winter).
- Robust protection, high resistance to hot and cold temperatures (does not melt or yellow).

Cons
- Can be expensive.
- Cannot be mixed with carnauba-based waxes; i.e.: you must remove your carnauba waxing if you want to put on a polymer coat.

The choice is limited when it comes to synthetic polymer and acrylic waxes. As far as I know, there are only three polymer and two acrylics which are outstanding. (SP = synthetic polymer, A = acrylic). Some experienced detailers will often put a coat of acrylic wax and then finish it off with two coats of carnauba wax for added depth and warmth.

Top 5 (in no particular order)
- Meguiars' NXT TechWax (paste or liquid) (SP)
- BlackFire All Finish Paint Protection (SP)
- Klasse AIO (A)
- Mothers FX (SP)
- Klasse Mastic (A)

Waxes with Teflon and Silicone
Some waxes have some interesting additives. The most common one we see are Teflon and silicone. Now, both of these ingredients were designed to be applied as non-stick chemicals. They are great products and will keep your car looking great for months, maybe even years, but, at what price?

As I've mentioned before Telfon and silicone are non-stick, which means that they keep dust and dirt off your car and keep it looking at its greatest. Both of these products, though, do not remain on the surface of your paint like other types of waxes. They penetrate deep into the paint, down to the primer, and can make repainting the car practically impossible without sanding down to the sheet metal. A Teflon-coated car is a car painter's worst nightmare. It can also make even minor touch-ups difficult, especially if you plan on using a blob eliminator product afterwards.

I thus recommend to never, EVER having your car treated with Teflon or silicone, no matter how much both these products are revered for keeping your car clean and good looking.

Conclusion
I sincerely hope this little article will help you choose the wax that is right for you. Every wax has its pros and its cons, and no choice is a bad one. Make sure you apply your wax regularly, and keep it refreshed with a coat of QuickWax every two to three washes.

I will answer any questions and add any pertinent points raised to this article.

Happy waxing!

12-29-2008, 03:50 PM	#1 (permalink)
Alexus Base Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Montreal, QC Posts: 178 Drives: The Beast Rep Power: 16	Waxes 101: Types of Waxes & Their Uses Introduction Waxing your car regularly is important. It keeps it protected from moisture and makes it much easier to clean. Best of all, it gives the car a noticeable shine and helps keep it that way for decades. I've thus decided to make my first contribution to this forum one about the different types of waxes available on the market. There are five common types of waxes available to the everyman, and each will be explained in much greater detail a bit further below. Like anything in life, each wax has its pros and its cons and it's important to understand each and every one of them in order to choose the wax that best suits you and your needs. I will divide the waxes into carnauba-based, synthetic polymers and acrylics, and Teflon and silicone classes. Carnauba-based Wax This is an all-natural wax extracted from the carnauba palm, typically found in its native northeastern Brazil and other South American countries. The wax is harvested from the coating on the leaves of the trees and is used to make, of all things, car wax! The best-quality carnauba waxes are from Brazil, and it is typically written on the bottle where the wax was harvested from. Carnauba wax has best results on dark colors such as black and midnight blue, but also has a lasting, brilliant effect on vibrant reds. The wax brings about a shine that has a lot of depth and warmth; a complexity you want when you have a dark-colored car. However, carnauba-based waxes have more cons than they have pros. Pros - Depth and warmth in dark colors. - Inexpensive. Cons - Application is difficult, especially with the paste variety. Novices will have a hard time. - The wax leaves behind residues that are difficult to polish efficiently. - Requires a lot of effort and time to apply and remove. - Low resistance to washes, even with least invasive techniques. - Less durability (2-3 months without any QuickWax maintenance). - Must remove last waxing before applying a fresh coat (time-consuming). - Protection level is low. - Low resistance to high and low temperatures; it is a natural wax and will melt in high temperatures and yellow your paintjob. Carnauba-based waxes are thus for experienced car owners who have a little too much time on their hands, and who are looking for a show-car shine that is inexpensive yet also one of the best-looking the industry has to offer. You will need to wash your car, clay-bar it, wash it again and then apply the coat of wax. Top 5 (in no particular order) - Meguiars' Mirror Glaze #16 - Meguiars' Gold Class - Zymol Concours - 3M Perfect-It Show Car - Pinnacle Souveran (for deep pockets only) Synthetic Polymers & Acrylic-based These types of waxes are the easiest to apply and they are also relatively new to the industry. How they are made, I am not exactly sure, but they are the best types of waxes for a novice car-owner. Unlike carnauba waxes they do not leave unwanted residues and last a long, long time. This wax is best for colored cars, seeing as it lacks depth and warmth in darker colored cars. I've always used a synthetic polymer wax on my black Mazda 3, though, and I've found it to be an exceptional shine even for dark cars. Unlike carnauba-based waxes the pros far outweigh the cons. Pros - Easy application. - No need to remove old waxing. - High resistance to washes, even harsh car washes. - Very durable (8 months, can be stretched to a year if places with no winter). - Robust protection, high resistance to hot and cold temperatures (does not melt or yellow). Cons - Can be expensive. - Cannot be mixed with carnauba-based waxes; i.e.: you must remove your carnauba waxing if you want to put on a polymer coat. The choice is limited when it comes to synthetic polymer and acrylic waxes. As far as I know, there are only three polymer and two acrylics which are outstanding. (SP = synthetic polymer, A = acrylic). Some experienced detailers will often put a coat of acrylic wax and then finish it off with two coats of carnauba wax for added depth and warmth. Top 5 (in no particular order) - Meguiars' NXT TechWax (paste or liquid) (SP) - BlackFire All Finish Paint Protection (SP) - Klasse AIO (A) - Mothers FX (SP) - Klasse Mastic (A) Waxes with Teflon and Silicone Some waxes have some interesting additives. The most common one we see are Teflon and silicone. Now, both of these ingredients were designed to be applied as non-stick chemicals. They are great products and will keep your car looking great for months, maybe even years, but, at what price? As I've mentioned before Telfon and silicone are non-stick, which means that they keep dust and dirt off your car and keep it looking at its greatest. Both of these products, though, do not remain on the surface of your paint like other types of waxes. They penetrate deep into the paint, down to the primer, and can make repainting the car practically impossible without sanding down to the sheet metal. A Teflon-coated car is a car painter's worst nightmare. It can also make even minor touch-ups difficult, especially if you plan on using a blob eliminator product afterwards. I thus recommend to never, EVER having your car treated with Teflon or silicone, no matter how much both these products are revered for keeping your car clean and good looking. Conclusion I sincerely hope this little article will help you choose the wax that is right for you. Every wax has its pros and its cons, and no choice is a bad one. Make sure you apply your wax regularly, and keep it refreshed with a coat of QuickWax every two to three washes. I will answer any questions and add any pertinent points raised to this article. Happy waxing!