Recommend a wax for 3 GT (black Mica)

[oni]

Finally the snow and rain has stopped. Just curious what the people here use for their cars in terms of waxing the car to make it shine. Any special procedures I should do before waxing it? I.e., wash by sand, then wax etc?

Also are the Maguires NXT paste wax the best ones for the type of car that I have?

thanks,

[mit-gee-mui]

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=17634&highlight=black+wax


:)

[kaval]

Finally the snow and rain has stopped. Just curious what the people here use for their cars in terms of waxing the car to make it shine. Any special procedures I should do before waxing it? I.e., wash by sand, then wax etc?

Also are the Maguires NXT paste wax the best ones for the type of car that I have?

thanks,

What do you mean by "wash by sand...I hope you mean hand! haha

Anyways, I have a few questions for you before I give you a product recommendation

- How much are you looking to spend?
- Are you looking for something that lasts a long time? (There is usually a trade-off with looks and durability)
- Waxes tend to attract lots of dust, whereas synthetic sealants do not. Would this be something of concern to you?
- Are you looking to buy locally, or would you be willing to buy from an online vendor (one of the sponsors here)?

Right off the top of my head, I can think of a few products without knowing the answers to thse questions
- Meguiar's Hi-Tech Yellow Wax (one of my favourites, and it's inexpensive too)
- Pinnacle Souveran Paste Wax
- Meguiar's NXT 2.0 (the new version) - this wax is so far available only in the US, and very very few places in Canada (nothing in Ontario yet, I had to get mine shipped from the US)
- Optimum Poli-Seal + Opti-Seal
- Klasse All-In-One + Sealant Glaze
- Victoria Wax (on sale at eShine right now too)
- Collinite #845
- Meguiar's #21 Synthetic Sealant
- P21S

Hope that helps!


Also, I would strongly recommend that you perform a clay bar treatment on your car before you apply any wax to remove contaminants that are bonded to the clearcoat (if it hasn't been done before, or in a while)

Kaval

[x_o_k_x]

I use blue turtle wax! Makes my car wayyy to clean and shiny:P

[oni]

Thanks, mit, kaval, and X_O for the tips.

@ Kaval
I meant to type hand..hehehe, didn't notice it was sand.

In terms of spending money, I really don't plan on spending too much, cuz I spent so much already that what I planned, i.e., rust proof, tint on the way.

In terms of price / longevity, I don't plan on waxing my car too much. What's the typical rate for waxing cars, like once a month?

Do I need to buy an extra equipment like buffers etc. Don't they have those "sponge" thingies that you use to wax the car?

Finally, I do plan on doing the pre-wash w/ car soap + clay bar + wax treatment on my car.

[x_o_k_x]

you need buffer, you may find a package deal that comes with 3 different presets to wax your car. Also it is reccomended to wax atleast once or even twice a year spring and fall. Make sure your car is washed before you wax. Try to read more on how to wax to get best results. Turtle wax seems popular. Try to get the same color as your car, if not then multicolor one.

[Flagrum_3]

Thanks, mit, kaval, and X_O for the tips.

@ Kaval
I meant to type hand..hehehe, didn't notice it was sand.

In terms of spending money, I really don't plan on spending too much, cuz I spent so much already that what I planned, i.e., rust proof, tint on the way.

In terms of price / longevity, I don't plan on waxing my car too much. What's the typical rate for waxing cars, like once a month?

Do I need to buy an extra equipment like buffers etc. Don't they have those "sponge" thingies that you use to wax the car?

Finally, I do plan on doing the pre-wash w/ car soap + clay bar + wax treatment on my car.

If you don't want to spend alot of money and you don't want a hassle waxing (don't forget the trim problem) and you'd like to only wax say twice a year; I recommend Turtle Wax Ice Paste Wax...its simple yet effective and comes with its own application sponge.You can also get the spray to do quick intermediate touch-ups...Best part is you can wax the whole vehicle, trim and all with no worries, takes a very short time to apply and last for months...guaranteed!...from my own experience.


_3



.

[oni]

thx flagrum, i'll give that a shot.

[kaval]

Thanks, mit, kaval, and X_O for the tips.

@ Kaval
I meant to type hand..hehehe, didn't notice it was sand.

In terms of spending money, I really don't plan on spending too much, cuz I spent so much already that what I planned, i.e., rust proof, tint on the way.

In terms of price / longevity, I don't plan on waxing my car too much. What's the typical rate for waxing cars, like once a month?

Do I need to buy an extra equipment like buffers etc. Don't they have those "sponge" thingies that you use to wax the car?

Finally, I do plan on doing the pre-wash w/ car soap + clay bar + wax treatment on my car.

I would recommend Meguiar's #26 Hi Tech Yellow Wax in that case. It's under $20 dollars and it looks amazing, lasts a pretty long time as well. I put one coat on my dad's civic which is always parked outside, and it lasted about 4 months before I started noticing significant changes in its beading characteristics.

You don't HAVE to buy a buffer. Really it just saves time. What I normally do is, depending on the wax of course, apply wax by machine to the large panels of the car, and in the intricate areas like bumpers, trunks, around door handles, etc. Once that's done, the wax should haze, so just buff it off with a high quality microfiber towel so it does not scratch the finish of your now beautiful paint surface.

Here's some pics of how #26 looks on black

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j31/kvilkhu/Detailing/Exterior/1998%20Acura%20EL%20-%20Chan/P8200330.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j31/kvilkhu/Detailing/Exterior/1998%20Acura%20EL%20-%20Chan/P8200331.jpg

And it really amps up the reflection...this is a shot off the hood
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j31/kvilkhu/Detailing/Exterior/1998%20Acura%20EL%20-%20Chan/P8200332.jpg

[oni]

great tips Kaval.

[Cardinal Fang]

- Meguiar's #21 Synthetic Sealant


Do you have any information on this product Kaval in terms of performance?

[ZeroChalk]

I guess I frequent autopia.org too much. I use multiple layers of Klass SG, followed by ClearKote RMG, then P21S topped off with Collinite.

I think this summer I'm gunna try Victoria wax since the P21S is running out.

[Skarbro]

Zaino

[oni]

Is this the correct order of things:

rinse - soap - rinse - dry - clay - rinse - wax?

wash mitts: Simoniz microfibre wash mitts (http://tinyurl.com/4d8pxe)

1) Any recommendations for the soap, can I use this one:
Meguiar's® 1.89L Deep Crystal Car Wash (http://tinyurl.com/3rnxhq)

2) Clay: Mother's Clay Kit (http://tinyurl.com/54j56p)

3) wax: Meguiar's® Gold Class Paste Wax (http://tinyurl.com/3ncpgh)

Would this 3 be a sufficient combo?

[kaval]

Here is the PM I sent to oni, in case anyone else is inquiring about the above products.
_________________________

Looks like an excellent process so far. Here are some things I would change or make note of. Make sure you use two buckets when washing!!!

Wash mitt
Buy a sheepskin wool mitt. The reason for this is that when wool is soaking wet, its fibers expand, thus releasing dirt into the dirty water bucket so it doesn't get dragged across your finish. The fibers in microfiber wash mitts do not expand so the dirt you pick up while washing your car has a higher chance of being rubbed across your finish.
eShine, a sponsor here, has a sale on some wash mitts, along with other stuff to get a great start.

Soap
I myself use Meguiar's Gold Class soap. Reason being is that it's readily available at Canadian Tire whenever I need it. It has excellent lubricity, does not strip wax, and is gentle on the skin. Oh, it also smells pretty nice.

If you're going to buy from eShine, I'd use any of the car wash soaps they have there. Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine is an interesting product as well. You do not need to rinse the car while using this product so you save water. It also allows you to make a clay bar lube, and quick detailer by diluting the solution at different ratios. I use ONR in the winter, or for details where I do not have access to a hose. It's not the greatest for muddy or very dirty cars though.

Clay Kit
I would recommend the Meguiar's Clay Kit instead of the Mother's Clay Kit because you get a free sample of their cleaner wax, which is an awesome product!
Using the Meguiar's Cleaner Wax will also enable you to use their Hi-Tech Yellow Wax as well, and I will explain that reason below.

Wax
Meguiar's Gold Class is an excellent product, no doubt. However, if you are already spending so much time detailing the car, I would recommend to use a two step waxing process.

Step 1) Use a cleaner wax (such as the Meguiar's Cleaner Wax that I mentioned above). The cleaner wax is a wax in itself, but it cleans the paint at the same time.
Step 2) Since the paintwork is now cleaned (by using the cleaner wax) you can now do a final coat (or even multiple coats if you want) of a PURE wax, like Meguiar's Hi-Tech Yellow Wax (#26). #26 is a pure carnauba liquid wax (also comes in paste) that can be purchased at Canadian Tire. It's very inexpensive as well, and produces jaw dropping results.

Now back to Meguiar's Gold Class wax. This wax has cleaners built in, so you are not getting a pure wax. There is nothing wrong with the wax itself, but better results can be achieved.

If you do not wish to opt for the cleaner wax + pure wax combo, Meguiar's Gold Class is an excellent choice.

I hope this answers your questions.

Here is an AMAZING video on how to safely wash your car using the Least Invasive Method.
I hope you find it useful
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...arch&plindex=1

[oni]

I'm curious, where do you guys normally get your meguiar products like the clay kit and the nxts? Do you just import them from the US or do some stores carry it? I've checked napa, but it looks like they don't have it (or out of stock). Any other stores in the GTA?

[theurgy]

I use the Klasse All-In-One and Klasse Sealant Glaze, followed by a Poorboy's Natty's Paste Wax. I'll only seal and glaze twice a year after doing a full hand wash, clay, swirl removal, polish...but keep up the wash and waxing throughout the summer.

[theurgy]

I'm curious, where do you guys normally get your meguiar products like the clay kit and the nxts? Do you just import them from the US or do some stores carry it? I've checked napa, but it looks like they don't have it (or out of stock). Any other stores in the GTA?

Check out http://www.eshine.ca
They carry all the good boutique detailing stuff.

[kaval]

Some of the Meguiar's stuff can be had at Canadian Tire and Part Source.
Canadian Tire would be my first choice.

[theurgy]

Canadian Tire caries the "off the shelf" type of Meguiar's products... Megs carries a much wider range of products that are for detailers. Also the claybar they sell at CT (the Megs and Mothers brand) is junk.
Once you use the professional Megs, or Wolfgang or Riccardo claybar you'll see the difference immediately.
I only really use the cheap stuff to keep in my glove compartment for emergency bird poop removal.

[kaval]

What makes the clay bars at CT junk? They are an excellent fine-grade clay. I can see why one would feel the way you do if their paint is highly contaminated, but clay bars need to be matched to the job.

[kaval]

Do you have any information on this product Kaval in terms of performance?

I haven't used M21 yet, but I've heard excellent things about it. From the comments I read, it seems like an underrated product. I have a friend who just bought some so I will be trying it out on half of my Mom's Odyssey, while the other half receives Optimum Opti-Seal.

Here's a link to a mini-review
http://autopia.org/forum/detailing-product-discussion/77050-meguiars-21-mini-review.html?highlight=M21+review
There's 8 pages of comments in that thread so feel free to read about!

And here's another one with a really nice Vette
http://autopia.org/forum/detailing-product-discussion/53372-m21-review-magnetic-red-c5.html?highlight=M21+review

[andytam]

for quick (very quick) wax thats decent, i use the armor all gel wax...
you can apply it when the car is still wet.
i know its not the best, but i used it during the winter after washes and it works great IMO!

http://www.motabitz.net/prodimages/car_care/cwg590.jpg

[ZeroChalk]

What makes the clay bars at CT junk? They are an excellent fine-grade clay. I can see why one would feel the way you do if their paint is highly contaminated, but clay bars need to be matched to the job.

I found, personally, the claybars at CT (Mothers - the yellow one I think) a bit small for the price. It was also not as soft and took multiple passes to pick up things.

[zedtech]

Zaino
x2 :)

[oni]

Thanks for all the advices.

I went shopping last night at ct and got my supplies,

meguiars gold car wash, some microfibre towels, meguiar clay bar kit, and the turtle wax ice paste. I'll give it a go over the weekend if the rain holds and i'll post some results.

[theurgy]

What makes the clay bars at CT junk? They are an excellent fine-grade clay. I can see why one would feel the way you do if their paint is highly contaminated, but clay bars need to be matched to the job.

Off the shelf clay is very mediocre and somewhat light on the abrasiveness (obviously for use from the average user), but an ultrafine grade clay like Sonus to a medium grade Riccardo is a big difference as far as quality to properly remove contaminates and things like overspray.
It's all about density, and abrasive qualities.
Meg's CT clay kit should only really be used like once maybe twice a year during the annual/semi-annual seal/polish/wax...

For regular use you want to go much finer or risk doing eventual damage to the clearcoat.

[Hives]

Ear wax... ha ha

[oni]

Well, I finally did it. My first car wax. Man my back is killing me.

I followed all the necessary steps and watched some vids. Everything went well except for the last part, the waxing! >.<

I used the turtle wax ice paste. First thing I noticed is that is it suppose to be that hard? The paste wax is a like frozen butter. I had to scrub on it w/ the sponge to get some of the wax and then applied it to my car. I was expecting it be like soft like the consistency of butter at room temp.

Anyways, I just used it anyway. Now, since night came quickly last night, I couldn't assess the results completely till this morning. My gripe is that the wax left some residue. According to the container, there shouldn't be that much. Now I probably used a damp microfibre cloth to wipe it down last night that's why it didn't pick up the residue.

My question is, should I wash the car again (just rinse w/ water) and buff it out using a mf cloth or do I need to use those buffer machines?

Any help would be appreciated thanks.

[Flagrum_3]

Well, I finally did it. My first car wax. Man my back is killing me.

I followed all the necessary steps and watched some vids. Everything went well except for the last part, the waxing! >.<

I used the turtle wax ice paste. First thing I noticed is that is it suppose to be that hard? The paste wax is a like frozen butter. I had to scrub on it w/ the sponge to get some of the wax and then applied it to my car. I was expecting it be like soft like the consistency of butter at room temp.

Anyways, I just used it anyway. Now, since night came quickly last night, I couldn't assess the results completely till this morning. My gripe is that the wax left some residue. According to the container, there shouldn't be that much. Now I probably used a damp microfibre cloth to wipe it down last night that's why it didn't pick up the residue.

My question is, should I wash the car again (just rinse w/ water) and buff it out using a mf cloth or do I need to use those buffer machines?

Any help would be appreciated thanks.

You probably picked-up a bad container!!, although I've never heard of wax going bad, unless its left in the cold?? ...It should be semi-soft and spread quite easily...Residue from this wax was probably caused by water, most likely on your polishing cloth.You should not have water on either polishing/buffing clothes, (I soak the application pad with water but squeeze it out so its just very slightly damp before using it)...What I suggest you try is wash and dry the vehicle again and then buff the car lightly again by hand only, using a couple of mf cloths, remember to flip and fold often!.If the wax still smears and leaves residue you might want to redo the whole process; strip the wax, clean and wax again...Also return the wax to where you bought it for a refund or get a new one, also.

Good luck.


_3


.

[Unoriginalusername]

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=17634&highlight=black+wax


:)

you need a mod to edit your caption under your username to search campion or something lol

[oni]

You probably picked-up a bad container!!, although I've never heard of wax going bad, unless its left in the cold?? ...It should be semi-soft and spread quite easily...Residue from this wax was probably caused by water, most likely on your polishing cloth.You should not have water on either polishing/buffing clothes, (I soak the application pad with water but squeeze it out so its just very slightly damp before using it)...What I suggest you try is wash and dry the vehicle again and then buff the car lightly again by hand only, using a couple of mf cloths, remember to flip and fold often!.If the wax still smears and leaves residue you might want to redo the whole process; strip the wax, clean and wax again...Also return the wax to where you bought it for a refund or get a new one, also.

Good luck.


_3


.

Yup, I had some help from xokx as well. Essentially, I had to buff it out w/ more MF towels. That residue did came off. I also used a little bit of the details pray from the meguiars clay kit.

I did return the wax back to where I bought it. I was curious to see if it was the same for the other types, so I took a peak at the mother's carnauba wax, and it was actually solid as well. I mean, they are candle-wax hard. How the hell do you get it to the sponge.

Lesson learned, i'm going w/ the liquid next time! :chuckle

[Flagrum_3]

Well good to hear you got her all fixed up, what about some pics??

The liguid turtle wax ice works very well also, I use it most of the year but I like the paste wax on there before winter...it lasts longer!


_3


.

[kaval]

IIRC I remember hearing of streaking issues with the Ice Polish...

LIke other's suggested, quick detailer is your best bet. Perhaps you applied it too thick?

[eman124]

just a quick question,

so I use the clay bar after washing and drying
do I have to rinse again after the clay bar?
or just straight to waxing.?

and can I apply a layer of sealant before carnauba waxing?
to get that reflective, wet & shine look
according to e-shine

[theurgy]

It depends what you used as a clay lubricant... but most lubricants are clean and so you don't need to wash after.
As for Sealant..you can most definitely add a layer of wax on top of it... That's what I do.

[Videcak]

Klasse All-In-One ftw!

These pics are after washing a couple times AFTER applying...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v211/chrisvidecak/Other/Cars/Mazda3/April%2020%202008%20Photoshoot/IMG_0929.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v211/chrisvidecak/Other/Cars/Mazda3/April%2020%202008%20Photoshoot/IMG_0931.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v211/chrisvidecak/Other/Cars/Mazda3/April%2020%202008%20Photoshoot/IMG_0932.jpg

[oni]

wow, slick pics!

[kaval]

looking good.

Did you follow up with Klasse Sealant Glaze?

btw, I love the stance of your car!

[b]

Diggin the black hatch with the bronze work rims. Lovely car!!!

[austinl]

Hey Guys,

I am about to give my new car (5 days old) its first detail and am a little confused as there are so many differing opinions as to the best way to wax our rides.

I have read and search this and mazda3forums quite extensively and here is what I have come up with so far but I think I am missing something or not quite understanding some of the steps.


Heres is what I have so far and the steps I was going to do it

Meguiars Gold Class Wash
Meguiars Quick Clay w/ Quick Detailer
Meguiars Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner (came with the clay kit)
Meguiars NXT Wax 2.0
Meguiars Hot Shine Tire Spray
Stoners Invisible Glass


Step 1
Wash with the Gold Class Wash / Dry with microfiber towel

Step 2
Clay the Car

Step 3
Wax with NXT

Step 4
Apply Hot Shine Tire Spray

Step 5
Clean all windows


Now this is where I am a little confused should I add in the Meguiars Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner after Using the Clay Kit as I have seen it as part of a 3 step process in doing this will I have to add a sealer/polish or should this be done regardless so the process looks like this


Step 1
Wash with the Gold Class Wash / Dry with microfiber towel

Step 2
Clay the Car

Step 3
Meguiars Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner

Step 4
Meguiars Deep Crystal Polish

Step 5
Wax with NXT

Step 6
Apply Hot Shine Tire Spray

Step 7
Clean all windows

Or does using the NXT eliminate the 3 step process.

Look forward to hearing your thoughts.

[Videcak]

looking good.

Did you follow up with Klasse Sealant Glaze?

btw, I love the stance of your car!

Thanks. Nope, don't feel the need for the glaze. Its like glass as it is.

[oni]

Finally, a pic after using the Liquid Ice Paste.

http://img182.imagevenue.com/loc14/th_53265_DSC00916_122_14lo.JPG (http://img182.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=53265_DSC00916_122_14lo.JPG)

I'm quite surprised w/ the results. I like the reflection on the hood.

[JiNuWiNe]

for quick (very quick) wax thats decent, i use the armor all gel wax...
you can apply it when the car is still wet.
i know its not the best, but i used it during the winter after washes and it works great IMO!

http://www.motabitz.net/prodimages/car_care/cwg590.jpg

NOOB question. What do you apply it with this gel wax?

As for other wax, what do you apply it with?

[kaval]

I would opt to use a microfiber or foam applicator for that (Armour All Car Wax Gel) or any other wax.

Some waxes require you to apply them with your bare hands (heat) to activate the enzymes that bond to the paint.

[x_o_k_x]

When I was getting my new car they told me that it is NOT recommended to wax my car for a year...or did I misunderstood something?

[kaval]

When I was getting my new car they told me that it is NOT recommended to wax my car for a year...or did I misunderstood something?

It's important to keep your paint protected at all times. The only reason I could see them saying something like that is if your car was repainted. But even with the new paints we have, curing time is about 1-2 weeks (speculative).

I recommend everyone when getting a new car to have it detailed within the first week of ownership. One of many reasons beside keeping the paint protected and starting your new car ownership off on the right foot is that a lot of times your car will come from the factory with paint defects that you normally wouldn't find. For example, I detailed a brand new car in February and found over 30 fish eyes on the car. Not quite sure how that got passed quality control.

Anyhow, I went off on a bit of tangent there. You will do no harm to the paint by waxing it, assuming proper techniques and good quality (and appropriate) products are being used.

[BLKOUT]

I used Meguiars NXT Wax 2.0 yesterday for the first time, I have to say it works WELL on my black 3! The car looks soooooo smooth and wet after 1 coat, I am curious to see how well it is gonna look after clay, polish/sealant then a couple coats of wax.

I need to find a product that will remove bugs from the front bumper, I noticed I have quite a few of them attached....lol

[Xenon]

If your car is brand new (less than 60 days old): Don't wax yet

If your car is older than 60 days, and has minimal to no swirls: Meguiars NXT 2.0 Wax (bright colours) or Meguiars Gold Class (Dark Colours)

If your car is older than 60 days, has swirls : Eagle One Nano Wax

Here's reasoning of my recommendations:
Meguiars in general is known for it's shine. But shine only looks good if you have no swirls. Nano Wax is awesome for taking out swirls. So... If you have swirls, wax once a month, and continue to do so until you use an entire bottle of Nano Wax. Then when you need to buy wax again, switch to NXT/Gold Class.

If you car is new, or you don't have many swirls, than just go ahead and use Meguiars right from the start.

If your car is in really bad shape, and has a lot of swirls (usually cars older than 5-6 years and/or have gone through a lot of soft cloth washes), than I would highly recommend doing a 3-step (http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=13509) first, using Nano wax for step 3.

[Trinidad]

I have the same dilemma, so the consensus is not to wax your car if it is new say 1 week old. I would like to wash the car since it's gotten a bit dirty (lots of contruction in my area.) I would like to wash with meguires Gold Class and then wax with meguires NXT. I just figured the sooner the better to get the paint protected.

[theurgy]

Nano way is a filler wax, it doesn't fix the swirling problems.. it only attempts to hide it.
To fix it you need a proper machine polisher and some swirl remover. Then do a full seal and wax after.

[ZeroChalk]

http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/1259/rearmazda3shinyaq4.jpg
infamous wet shine

http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/9932/beadinguz0.jpg
Beading

[b]

^ That looks amazing... Great wax job!

[Iturralde]

Videcak, excellent pics and your rims look great!

Kaval, my memory fails me, when you did my Mazda3 did you use the Klasse All-In-One or did you use Meguiars brand?

I ask because I am going to Buffallo soon and will pick some car detailing stuff up at the local Target, which for some reason is ridiculously cheaper than the same stuff sold here in the Great White North!

X

[Iturralde]

ZeroChalk, although I am not a huge fan of White, you car has a sick shine to it, talk about beading!

Nice Licence Plate by the way, I want one like that! lol

X

[austinl]

http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/1259/rearmazda3shinyaq4.jpg
infamous wet shine

http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/9932/beadinguz0.jpg
Beading



Hey Zero mind sharing what you used to get that shine?

[ZeroChalk]

Clay, Klasse AIO, 3 x layer SG (allowed to properly cure), RMG, 2x Vic Concours. I'm quite satisfied with this combo but i'm always searching for the most wet shine possible.