Scion tC Forums banner

What's the best wax to use...

8201 Views 62 Replies 21 Participants Last post by  mrbrace
i've read that the zaino detailing products are really worth the money. but it's kinda expensive for me right now. is there anything else that, at lease, comes close to it in terms of results and degradation tendencies, which does not go over 50 bucks. if there is none, then i guess i should just buy it then. or if there is, would you be willing to share a secret to a get-it-right-the-first-time guy like me.

thanks and advance happy birthday.
1 - 20 of 63 Posts
Hmm... my brother uses the 3M show car liquid wax... and imperial finishing glaze stuff. His car looks really good... I don't really know what he does but I raided his auto cabinet to see what he has... lol
See less See more
i personally like meguair's products.. the Gold class is amazing.. just tried the nxt wax (aka high tech wax).. and it adds a depth to the paint.. and get's rid of those annoying "spider web scratches" that develop in clearcoat.. It's a polymer based wax.. supposed to last a year.. I have noticed the gold class lasts about 6 months.. then slowly goes away.. a year would be nice.. especially in michigan where i usually wax in november before the slush and snow hit.. to protect the paint.. so a year would be good..

so yeah you could try meguair's gold class wax ($10 a bottle) first.. just see for yourself what I'm talking about.. the more you buff that the more it shines!!

then the high tech wax from meguairs was easier to buff out and quicker to apply (took more product to apply than gold class).. and once it was buffed there was shine..

that's my .02
I use Meguiar's. It was recommended to me and it work really well for me. It's only about 10 bucks so... check it out.
I bought a bottle of zymol cleaner wax for $13 bucks... haven't used it yet and don't really know if it works...

Gals/Guys any comments on this stuff?
guys, thanks for sharing... i was just at walmart before and i almost bought the meguair's gold class. i backed out decided that maybe i should ask the forum people first. i was worried that it might have some "side effects" that are not good for the car. does it?
About car care... someone gave me the link to this guide... supposed to be good... I don't really know cause I haven't looked at it yet...
http://autopia-carcare.com/freeguide.html
8
I have always used meguiar's products on all my cars and have always had great luck. This car has the best paint i have ever owned from a dealer, i think just because i got it right off the boat and it wasn't sitting on a lot for months getting beat. First thing i did was use the detailers clay which is the best detailing product ever it makes the paint feel like silk you will be amazed!! then i used the NXT generation wax which really deepens the paint looks awesome on that flint mica which is such a dementional paint!!! the NXT protectant works very well too:) I live in Florida so with this sun i do not have the option of waxing once a year... no matter how much you spend on wax this sun will kill it. The meguiars has stood up for a little over a month know but is not beading like it used to needs another coat this weekend!!!!
See less See more
I normally use meguiar's wax also, but I bought a new wax by Dupont the other day, and I love it. It buffs really easy. Its a Teflon car wax, and since 90% of car paint is made my Dupont, I figured I'd give it a try. So far, I love it!
Originally posted by JackerCrack@Aug 13 2004, 12:29 AM
guys, thanks for sharing... i was just at walmart before and i almost bought the meguair's gold class. i backed out decided that maybe i should ask the forum people first. i was worried that it might have some "side effects" that are not good for the car. does it?
been using meguiars gold class since it came out around 1995.. works fine. there are no side effects.. only requires a little more buffing than the nxt (high tech wax) from meguairs.. they're a different kind of shine.. the nxt is deep.. but I found gold glass to be more reflective.. you won't go wrong with the gold class..
Yeah, I was in Wal-Mart looking for a Meguires interior protectant and couldn't find anything......so I wound up buying the Teflon interior protector and the tire shine, too.

I nearly bought the Gold Class wax, as well, but I didn't because:

1) It's been about 4 years since I've waxed a car and I have no idea what I'm doing and
2) I was thinking along the same lines of tCrazy and wanted to ask you all before I bought it. Hehe.

SO for a newb car-waxer is the Gold Class easier to use, or the NXT?

(OH yeah, and I made the mistake of using the brush at a self-wash car wash and now I have TINY swirls in some spots...so it'd be nice if I could sorta' fix that....TOUCHLESS CARWASH for me from now on!!!)
Originally posted by LoopyLady_1@Aug 13 2004, 07:01 AM
(OH yeah, and I made the mistake of using the brush at a self-wash car wash and now I have TINY swirls in some spots...so it'd be nice if I could sorta' fix that....TOUCHLESS CARWASH for me from now on!!!)
Never go for the brush... I like the touchless carwash too... some of them are really good... some are really bad. The only thing I wished they did was make the dry period longer...
See less See more
The NXT wax does wipe off easier just be sure to use a little wax just enough to coat the paint dont pile it on it will just mean you need more elbow grease to get it off and more rags because the rags will keep caking up. also an awesome tool that is almost fool proof is a detailing clay system by mothers or meguiars (both equally good) just follow the direction and you will be amazed. It is almost like wet sanding you paint with 1,000,000 grit paper, just makes the paint so smooth.
This from consumer reports is a bit outdated, 2 years old, but here is the bottom line of their testing (they actually did scientific studies like to see how the shape of the water beads changed over time, as well as opinion surveys of how shiny the car looked afterwards). One of the big conclusions they made was that the 3-step products (like mothers) aren't any better and do not warrant the extra work involved. They actually said something like "waxing once is not fun, why would we want to do it 3 times in a row?"

None of these polishes will be all things to all people. Even the highest-rated products fell down somewhat in one or two areas of performance, so choose according to your priorities. If water still beads on your car's finish, you may not need to wax at all. Simply wash the car regularly.

For a moderately weathered finish, 3M One Step Cleaner Wax 39006 liquid is the clear choice for its cleaning ability--that is, if you don't mind waxing more often. Its durability was only fair. It costs about $6.45 for a 16-ounce bottle. For a badly oxidized finish, you may need to start off with a polishing compound, available at auto-parts, discount, and department stores.

If a shiny finish is your paramount concern, first consider Zymöl Cleaner Wax liquid and Nu Finish Car Polish paste. But be prepared to make some compromises. The cleaning ability of both products was so-so, and Zymöl's durability was just middling. Also, the Nu Finish tended to scratch or haze somewhat, a problem especially with dark-colored cars. The Zymöl is also quite expensive, at $16 a pint. The Nu Finish costs about $6.20 for a 14-ounce can.

Among the high-rated polishes, the Prestone Bullet Wax, about $7.25, and Armor All Car Wax, about $5.55, lasted the longest. But neither one quite matched the gloss that the Zymöl and Nu Finish paste produced. The Armor All scratched or hazed more than most.

A convenient applicator made Prestone Bullet Wax easier to apply than any of the other liquids and pastes we tested. Although spray polishes win hands down for ease of use, they aren't effective on cars with a very dirty or oxidized finish. And be prepared to do the job often; the durability of the sprays we tested was no better than fair. Of the three sprays, Turtle Wax Express Shine Spray Car Wax performed the best overall.



I tried looking for the prestone bullet wax since it had a "handy applicator" and was one of the top-ranked waxes in durability and gloss, but couldn't find it anywhere. Maybe it's discontinued.
See less See more
Thanks topworm... the info you've provided is very helpful. Now I know I got the right stuff... cause I want my BSP to shine ...

BTW... I paid only $13 for my bottle of Zymol at Walmart!
Originally posted by LoopyLady_1@Aug 13 2004, 06:01 AM
2) I was thinking along the same lines of tCrazy and wanted to ask you all before I bought it. Hehe.
are you saying you want my advice, or that I was asking for advice? Haha, either way...... I would like to point out that there is some great information in this thread. The only product out of the ones talked about here that I can reccomend in good conscience (besides my beloved Zaino) is the NXT. It will shine like the zaino, but lacks some of the great features that I love Zaino for which includes durabitliy and optical clarity. Jacker Crack, you mentioned that zaino is expensive but you only need Z-1 and Z-2 to do the job.........so maybe that changes your mind? If not, get the NXT.......its good stuff
- T
See less See more
Originally posted by JackerCrack@Aug 13 2004, 12:29 AM
guys, thanks for sharing... i was just at walmart before and i almost bought the meguair's gold class. i backed out decided that maybe i should ask the forum people first. i was worried that it might have some "side effects" that are not good for the car. does it?
Sorry, I had a brain fart. I meant to quote JackerCrack....

Man, am I glad it's Friday....

See less See more
3
Hmm... now that my fiance has left for his business trip..
I have time this weekend to wax my tC for the first time. I will try the Zymol stuff I have... and take a few pictures of it after to let you guys see what it ends up looking like...

It will be an interesting experience for me... I haven't waxed a car for about 10+ years...
You know what people say about love... it makes you do the strangest things... I have to agree with them... my love for my tC has driven me out of my senses...

Anyways... I hope I don't leave lots of wax behind...
See less See more
Originally posted by imasaf@Aug 13 2004, 09:17 PM
Hmm... now that my fiance has left for his business trip..
I have time this weekend to wax my tC for the first time. I will try the Zymol stuff I have... and take a few pictures of it after to let you guys see what it ends up looking like...

It will be an interesting experience for me... I haven't waxed a car for about 10+ years...
You know what people say about love... it makes you do the strangest things... I have to agree with them... my love for my tC has driven me out of my senses...

Anyways... I hope I don't leave lots of wax behind...
remember.....100% cotton towels made ONLY in the USA........thats very important. DO NOT USE CIRCLES WHEN APPLYING/REMOVING wax!!!!! up and down or side to side motions only. Best of luck! - T
Thanks TCrazy for the info... Now I gotta check out which one of my bath towels are 100 percent cotton...
See less See more
1 - 20 of 63 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top