I have an OBP STi and looking to buy some new wax. I've been using Meguiars but want to try something different. Anyone know of some really good wax that's meant specifically for black cars?
from my experience, wax is wax. dont waste your money on anything fancy. just buy a decent carnuba. if your car is in the sun a lot your just melting more $$$ off your paint with anything that has a higher price tag
+1 tech wax is amazing as a final step wax. great shine. its an easy on wax, so is therefore easy off as well. if you combine the tech wax with a layer of turtle wax hard shell, and Carnuba wax, you will get a long lasting amazing shine. goes for all colors.
I've been enjoying the p21s wax (blue lid, not silver lid). I use it after my Menzerna polish(es). Once I run out of the p21s, I'll try something else I'm sure. Unfortunately, I disagree with you there Mr. Brooks. I do not find that all wax is wax. If you use waxes from various brands at various pricing levels you'll find this out sooner than later. I cant imagine what would be different about a wax to have it made specifically for a black car. What I can imagine is that cars with black paint show imperfections and other light damage with much more clarity than the other colors. As a result, more frequent paint correction is required.
I've jumped onto the synthetic band wagon and loving it. For full on detailing/swirl/scuff removal: 1.clay 2. Menzerna polishes-various pads on a porter cable 3. p21s cleaner wax 4. finish off with Menzerna FMJ (full molecular jacket) sadly not sold anymore. -That fmj so far seems to bead water for several months washing around 2-3times a month. Also it practically changed the gloss of my CGM car, and sorta makes it look a little 'deeper' at some angles. There's some blackfire stuff supposedly intended for black paint that I'm trying to get my friend with a black bugeye to try, but its a little costly.. http://www.blackfireusa.com/360-Blackfire-Midnight-Sun-Carnauba-Paste-Wax.aspx
I have used Liquid Glass for the last 20 years without any problems. I think they sell it at Pep Boys and Advance Auto Parts. From my experience, there is a huge difference between different waxws and different brands. I use to compete in car shows in my teens and have tried about everything under the sun. If you are starting off with crap on your paint, a polish can only do so much. Make sure you remove all of the imperfections from the paint before you do a final polish. If you keep up with polishing your car, you wont have to remove the imperfections as much.
carnuba wax is key, however it will need to be applied more frequently the polish and claybar steps are key. use a machine do this - you can't do it properly by hand
speaking of a nice carnauba wax, by nature they're a 'paste' or so the high dollar '100%' ones seem to be. Any nice way to apply that with a machine? as in a proper pad recommendation and method to get the paste onto the pad nicely? I kinda want to finish my process with a nice quality wax but I'm also kinda lazy to hand apply a paste wax these days.
usually the high dollar ones are a solid block of wax. I usually take a microfiber cloth (they make these that wrap around a foam pad) and get a good amount on the pad. spread around in small segments and work with the machine. you're looking for heat and pressure to liquify the wax. this will cause the wax to flow into uneven surfaces and cause a uniform surface once dry the deep, rich shine you want is caused by a smooth, even surface. any kind of marring or unevenness in the finish causes light to refract and gives a dull finish. leveling the clearcoat with polishers and a nice quality wax to protect it is the only way to accomplish this
The best I've used is the Souveran. It's pricey but many people think you are supposed to glob it on there....negative. A thin thin layer that will virtually disappear into the paint is what you need. I've done my WRX ~ 4 times, my buddies WRX, another WRX, my BMW 3 times and the wifes car twice with one thing of Souveran. A good machine (Porter Cable or Flex) and good pads (Lake Country) is key. Patience and letting the machine do the work and not you pressing down on it is key. You must strip all the old stuff off first, wash car well, clay the car with quality clay, machine polish, and then apply wax. Sealant is up to you but with the high acidity of the rains here I don't see the point as it won't last and you need new wax in ~ 3 months.
I would think that it is now more apparent than ever for the new guys just how many wax options exist out there and just how different people feel towards brands.
I would break down my car's finish once a year (usually in mid spring) and start from the ground up. ideally, you would wash once a week, and wax as needed - usually every 2-3 weeks. the wax is the kicker here. if you lose the wax coat you'll have to start over process goes something like this (I think I've posted this before): 1. wash with dish soap (breaks down all sealants and waxes) 2. if using tap water, dry the vehicle to prevent calcium/magnesium/CaCO3 salts from drying on the car due to hard water. you don't want to claybar and grind minerals into the finish 3. claybar. water works fine for this 4. wash (car wash is fine. megiur's gold class is good for this) 5. dry (same stipulations above) 6. level finish. use appropriate pads and cutting compounds as necessary. use a random orbit - avoid orbital unless you know what you're doing 7. wash to remove any residue from polishing compounds 8. dry (same stipulations) 9. sealant 10. wax it's a lot of work to do it "right", but it will look really, really damn good.
I agree with Nicad.....step by step. Once a year do this. Once a month do a quick good wax on it. Car will look like a mirror for a long time. However as usual life usually gets in the way to do wax that often.
you forgot stay away from sharp edges with the buffer. I've seen to many burned edges especially at uneven panel gaps say where the hood is just a little higher than the fender or at door seams.
That's essentially what I do twice a year, though I'm out of wax so exploring options as I'm starting my clean tonight. Last few times I'm doing two passes on my FMJ sealant (car sits a day inbetween), excessive and unnecessary, but the stuff supposedly can layer and it does seem to get some depth on an essentially 'flat' bright silver. Overall, I get bored and wheel off car cleaning takes some work stress away.
good point, 3m painters tape definitely saves the day when ur in the polishing stage if you are running some heavy cutting pads/polishing compounds
yeah I did. halfway through typing that I completely forgot about it. although it does get hard to burn with a random orbit, it IS possible. the tape is always good for trim pieces, headlights, plastic, etc
You can layer. I've toyed with sealant layering and could tell the difference. Oh if you decide to don't bother with Dodo Juice Supernatural. I bought a sample and while it looked AMAZING, the finish kept hazing when dew got on the car. Buffing back off took the haze away for about a week. I didn't like the maintenance it required. But when buffed and polished out man the M3 looked like you could go swimming in the paint.
I do the hard waxes once a month and the Tech-wax/Quick wax once a week after each wash. After a few times of this, dirt will be afraid of your car, and it will stay clean longer.
as a reminder courtesey, there's STILL an outdoor watering ban in Georgia. 9_9 http://www.gaepd.org/Documents/outdoorwater.html
I've always loved Zaino Bros sealants..... rain used to rinse all dirt off my black Audi when I did the full treatment. Amazing stuff