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wax

3K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  tjcin 
#1 ·
So how may here hand wax their rig? What do you use? I've always used meguires. I've use it on everything, hot rods, bikes, work trucks, etc.........
Thing is it just doesn't appear to be holding up as well anymore. I put 2 good coats on right before winter, I've run the truck through the presure washer 3 times this winter and now it doesn't bead up anymore. Didn't use to be a problem. The only time I do the presure washer is in the winter, so with all that said, anyone got any thoughts, recomendations?
Thanks
 
#2 ·
I use the Meguiar's NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0

It's not cheap though.

I haven't had any problems with it, and have always had good results. Granted I do use automatic car washes, and I don't do the pressure wash thing... it's just not needed around here as they wouldn't know how to salt or sand the roads (even if they had the equipment, which they don't).

Here's an older pic, just after I brought my '10 home and got it cleaned up.



Exco
 
#3 ·
Wax? What's that? They still make that stuff??? :LOL: You must be one of the few that still wax your rig, though it is a very good practice, especially before winter sets in. I have a hard enough time finding time to clean my rig never mind wax it, but good for you that you do it! When I use to wax my vehicles MeGuire's was my choice wax as well and never had an issue with the quality, which makes me wonder if maybe their quality has gone downhill now that you can buy Meguire's at WalMart for cripes sake! You use to only be able to find that stuff at auto retailers, now it seems like everyone carries it. I've had good success with Mother's in the past as well. Maybe give that a shot?
 
#4 · (Edited)
If you go to the detail and maintance section on this site you will find lots of information about waxing your truck and what people like to use. Generally people have one favorite and they believe it is the best out there. If you want to do a little research about waxes, sealants and polishes go to autopia.org and look at that site. It is an international detailers site with a wealth of information and it's free. If your wax is not lasting long enough you may want to look at a sealant instead of a wax. Sealants last a lot longer. If you want extra "pop" then you can always put a name brand wax(Collinite 915) over the sealant. Generally waxes only last a couple of months, depending on weather conditions and if you park in a garage. One of the "experts" on this site is leadfootluke, you might want to PM him with your questions.
Jay
 
#8 ·
i wax mine quite a bit during the summer and my wax of choice is the turtle wax ice!!!! i love it it really makes my truck shine like glass and thats how i want it lol
 
#9 ·
I always keep mine waxed. You will add years of life to your paint by properly maintaining it, and protecting it from the elements is vital in that process.

Meguiars really is not really the pinnacle of protection. I love their professional line polishes, cleaners, dressing, etc, but not their protection. For the sake of simplicity, I use collinite waxes, which are from a small business that has been around for almost 100 years. Their waxes are industrial strength and are favored for the protection of boats [protection from salt and corrosion] as well as protection on industrial machinery and tools. I find it to last longer than any other wax if it is maintained properly, as is true with most all waxes.

If you go to the detail and maintance section on this site you will find lots of information about waxing your truck and what people like to use. Generally people have one favorite and they believe it is the best out there. If you want to do a little research about waxes, sealants and polishes go to autopia.org and look at that site. It is an international detailers site with a wealth of information and it's free. If your wax is not lasting long enough you may want to look at a sealant instead of a wax. Sealants last a lot longer. If you want extra "pop" then you can always put a name brand wax(Collinite 915) over the sealant. Generally waxes only last a couple of months, depending on weather conditions and if you park in a garage. One of the "experts" on this site is leadfootluke, you might want to PM him with your questions.
Jay
Thank you very much Jay! There are numerous threads about this topic, but I still love to address repeat questions as I am constantly learning of new products and techniques as well.

I use collinite 845 due to the ease of use, and collinite 476 for the durability. If you want looks and durability and ease of use, then spend the extra money for the 915. What you have are 3 different looks and constancies. 845 is a liquid and applies super thin. It makes the paint shine and works especially well on light colors. 476 paste is much harder to work with, but it is the longest lasting. It leaves more of a glossy shine, versus a warm glow that a wax might offer. 915 is a paste wax, that looks more like a wax than a sealant which is what 476 looks more like (In my experience). For overall ease and quality, look into Collinite 845. It spread so thin you will get dozens of applications out of one 16oz bottle.

the harder it is to wipe off the longer it will last,so you have to ask yourself if you wanta spend longer wiping or wipe more often,i perfer to wipe more often
If this is true, I am doing everything wrong :thk:

The only time this applies is in terms of spray waxes and paste/liquid waxes and sealants. If you use a spray wax, you are getting 2-3 weeks of durability at best, whereas your paste/liquid waxes and sealants can reach up to 6 months of durability. A lot of sealants can be left on overnight, and then buffed off. They have no waxes and therefor there are polymeric bonds and crosslinking, which gives a different experience than that of a carnauba wax. Those sealants can be buffed off in just minutes [blackfire wet diamond, wolfgang deep gloss paint sealant, menzerna powerlock, etc]. Some waxes, like 476 only need to haze, which can be in as little as 2 minutes in the right conditions and then buffed off with ease. So you could spray on and wipe off, apply and buff off in minutes, or apply and buff off a day later. If you do it right, removal will be easy.

I do, however, use spray waxes. After my truck is waxed, and I wash it the next time, while my truck is still wet, I mist a quick wax on the paint. Doing this helps me dry the paint like normal, except add a little protection and a little additional slickness/gloss. I find Meguairs Ultimate Quik Wax or quik detailer to do the trick as a drying aid.

I normally use a buffer on mine . That hand waxing gets pretty tough after a while . If your afraid of getting wax on the black plastic , use some painters tape to protect it before starting .
Painters tape is a good idea. I use Collinite 845 which does not stain trim if you use it correctly. If you do use a wax that stains trim, be very careful.

i wax mine quite a bit during the summer and my wax of choice is the turtle wax ice!!!! i love it it really makes my truck shine like glass and thats how i want it lol
I'm glad you like it! Although it is one of the worst waxes in terms of protection and durability, it is easy to apply. If you want to wax less often, try another wax on the market and maybe use ICE as a quick wax over a basecoat of another wax.
 
#10 ·
if your looking for a wax that is easy on easy off, last for a long time and give your truck a shine like never before, check out chemical guys.

there products will blow you away, waxes are not cheap, but compared to turtle wax, meguires, mothers, whatever you use, chemical guys will blow your mind

i used to use every wax mentioned above, switched to chemical guys and holy sh**
what a difference

if you order some, darker colors i would suggest petes 53 or triple x

always always put down 2 layers of jet seal first, then 2 coats of whatever you choose
that combo will last up to 6 months with regular washings

you wont regret it and doubt you will ever go back to turtle wax or meguires ever again
 
#12 ·
Dodger--Do you have any pictures of your truck after you have used their products? At the prices they advertise I assume they also send someone to do the waxing for you. LOL
Jay
 
#13 ·
From what I understand Chemicals Guys have great soaps, but their products are created for them by a chemical company that creates many other company's products. I'm curious to know about their polishes and cleaners and even waxes, as I know they are not the first choice of professionals and enthusiasts alike. Although, everyones personal experiences are different than others opinions and maybe Chemical Guys is worth it. I would love to try CGWG, and CGVRT but have not been in need of either product.
 
#14 ·
I've never heard of them or even read anything about their products on autopia, autogeek or any other publication or site---pictures look good but of course their the ones that published them ---LOL
Jay
 
#15 ·
To be honest, seeing a really shiny good looking car has almost nothing to do with the wax or sealant you use. It is all in the preparation including the cleaning, claying, polishing, and refining prior to the protection.

CG has has very popular washes called Citrus Wash and Gloss, or Citrus Wash and Clear. Other than that, there are better polishes and cleaners on the market and subjectively better waxes or sealants.
 
#16 ·
yea guys i got a few pics of my truck after a good cleaning....

i know they are expensive, but dont think they are like autozone stuff where you got to put it on every other month to keep it looking nice, i used 2 coats of jet seal and 2 coats of petes 53 on my black truck, still beads water like i did it yesterday, i did the wax about last june, so its been on for a while

if you want to see pics i can send them to your email, i can seem to post them on here for some reason......

fyi- this is only my opinion, if you like what you use, stay with it, but if your getting serious about keeping a nice looking vehicle, try chemical guys out, you can get just about every product they have in a bulk size for a decent price

(if you order, make sure you get the air freshener "smell of success" you will love it)

send me a email if you want to see pics of my truck

scotts2887@gmail.com
 
#17 ·
I agree about Chemical Guys. I use Pete's 53. Goes on easy, it's very soft for a paste wax, and comes off easy. You can apply it to the entire truck and then go around and take it off. I also have the XXX wax they sell. It's less expensive , but dry harder than Pete's and you can only do 1/2 the truck before taking it off. One question to ask regarding wax is, what percent of the tub is actually carnuba. They probably all use pure carnuba, but it is cut with oils and things to allow it to be spread. The actual % of wax is a good indicator of quality. Pete's 53 is just that 53% and hard core XXX is around 47%. Do a search, I'll bet Maguiars isn't near that high. I used to use Meg's, but this Pete's blows it out of the water.
 
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