Can you guys recommend me some good wax for my truck. I have been using turtle wax and it seems that when I wax it I will spend the next 4 weeks getting all of the dried wax out of the seems of my truck. Also I hate it when I get just a little on any plastic, I wonder if it will ever come off of there sometimes.

What are you guys using??


I have looked at Mother's and some other high dollar ones @ the auto parts store, but it seems like every time I go to get something new there are just so many different choices.

 

i would suggest you using either Meguiars NXT Wax or Meguiars #26 wax

 

Are those the liquid or white gel type?????

 

Zaino or Adams Butterwax. Both awesome and EASY to get off!

 

you could also try S100 or PoorBoys (Natty's Paste wax)

Megs #26 is pretty darn good too.

I just got my hands on the Natty's RED paste. Yeah...that's how I roll!!

 

First of all, what color is your car? Do you want an actual wax, or a sealant. And would you prefer paste or liquid?

 

03gtmustang:

Mine is white. Do I want or need a sealant or wax - how do I determine? I read this forum and as soon as I think I am getting up on the learning curve I get confused by all the information here on what/when/how to use polish, sealer, wax and what wax can go over what other wax., etc I guess knowing the answers that is why there is a business in detailing - but then there are dunces like me who just want to do a little better for my ride. Any advice for us who want to keep it simple?

 

No a problem. The basic process is wash, clay, wash, polish, seal, wax. The seal and wax steps can be modified though. Basically a sealant is a synthetic wax with increased durability. Ive seen some that advertise 6 months- 1 year for protection. However, you lose some shine with sealants. Waxes dont last as long, but give a better shine.

Youve also got glazes which clean the paint and have fillers in them which HIDE imperfections. The polish is what actually gets rid of them.

If you're doing this by hand then this is what I would do.

Wash
Clay
Wash
Apply glaze (ClearKote vanilla moose wax hand glaze)
Apply sealant (Optimum Opti- Seal, can be used over Carnauba)
Let sealant cure for 24 hours, then apply wax (Pinnacle Liquid Souveran)

 

Ferggy
What? Only 6 replies? Generally a question like yours will bring up the same number of replies that there are auto waxes on the market.

I have waxed for many years. I used to use a professional liquid wax that was only available through auto body paint repair shops. Then by accident I tried Mothers Carnuba Cleaner wax. It was when I tried to wash the Mothers out of my applying sponge did I notice how difficult it was to wash the wax out of the sponge as compared to the liquid wax. I now use Mothers Carnuba.

I do use Turtle Wax, but only for those difficult rub marks. TW has a grit to it that takes paint with it. Mothers does not.

To keep wax off the trim and plastic I use metal pieces of thin sheet metal with the edge that will touch the paint dulled with duct tape. Metal pieces can measure approx 8X12 inches. I place the duct taped edge into the slot or crease between the paint and trim, then apply an approx 3 inch strip of wax by hand, moving the metal shield as I move my waxing area. i.e. No wax touches the trim. The metal can be purchased at hardware stores from the house flashing section, or sheet metal shops that service house Air Conditioners.

If a slight amount of wax touches the trim an easy removal process is to use plain water with a toothbrush to scrub off the dried wax.

For those vacant cracks, like where the hood meets the fenders, I wax other portions with the heavier wax, then as I cross the open crack I have a thinner coat of wax upon my applicator, plus I place less pressure upon my wax applicator. This allows only a fraction of the wax to get into the cracks. To clean this small amount of wax out when dried I use an oblong piece of thin metal, much like a very dull knife or dull paint scraper, with a piece of cloth, much like a T-Shirt, draped over the dull end of the scraper. Then I place the T-shirt end of the scraper in the open cracks and it takes out the dried wax.

The process I use is quick. Much quicker than it takes to read this homemade how-to guide.

 

My truck is the Cark Teador Red.(AKA Maroon). I have always used a paste, so I do not have any experience with the liquide.

Req- Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it.

Also I have some small but long scratches, from little brances, on the side of my turck. When you rub your hand across them you really cant feel them, but they are white in color so to me they stick out like a sore thumb. I have tried some scratch remover but nothing seems to want to remove it. Any tips/tricks you can think of????

 

How much time are really wanting to spend on it? Anyone can smack a coat of something on -- and I should add that this type of person is A-O-K... some aren't over the top like some of us here (me included -- I'm a card carrying member of the paint OCD club).

If you're looking for something simple, we can recommend that. If you're looking for a bit more work to help eliminate some of the problem spots on your paint (swirls/scratches), we can help there too. If you're looking for a 'mid way' point, we can recommend that too.

A 'true' detail that deals with a lot of paint problems can be VERIY time consuming and that may or may not be something that you want to tackle. Odds are that, if this is the case, there are likely several automotive detailers in and around your area that can do the job for a few hundred or less. This may be the route that you elect and it's perfectly okay to do it that way.

Let us know... we can go from there.

-RP-

 

Its like this, I have always been the type of guy that slaps a coat of wax on my truck every couple of months. I have never been OCD or anything but it seems like the older I get the more I want my truck to look PERFECT. I think that I am ready to step it up and put some serious time into it. I just dont know where to start. Any help that you OCD guys can give me would be very appreciative. My truck has some scratches, swirls, and the factory paint looks kinda like an orange peel. I have alot of money invested in this truck and I plan on keeping it for a long time, so I want to take as good of care of it as I can......

 

Where are you located in KY?

 

You could spend 5k and get the best wax out there and it might not make the car look that much better then a $15 wax. The key is prep and removing imperfections first.

 

Lots of good products out there and I have tried many of them. Right now I like this combo on my Oxford White Truck. Optimum Polish for swirl removal with a rotary, Duragloss 101 Paint Cleaner/Polish topped with P21s Carnuba. Duragloss can be found locally at NAPA and CarQuest Auto Parts. The others have to be purchased online. DG 101 and P21s are very easy on and off.