Carnauba wax Vs. new ceramic paint sealants

[PC]

What does the W stand for?

 

[John Turney]

What does the W stand for?

Winnebago.

 

[Healey Nut]

I got them to

 

[Bob_Spidell]

One more question (nope, I'm not gonna let this die ): How long should fresh paint be allowed to 'cure'--with or without clear coat--before applying any sort of polish, wax or coating?

 

[BigGreen]

The time you have to wait before waxing depends on the type of paint, the temperature and the type of wax
Solvent needs time to evaporate, higher temperature helps.
A coating or synthetic wax closes the pores of the paint stronger than natural wax does

If stored inside take a few weeks

 

[vette]

Hello Bob, It is true that different paints cure at different rates. Here is my take on this. I believe on average that it can take about a year for paints to actually get near their cured state. The OEMs speed this up by a variety of methods. One is that each step along the way gets force cured as it is applied. Heat is a main method of force curing. Also in some cases the chemical composition of the paint that they use is a little different than what is sold out on the aftermarket. So an OEM paint job is pretty close to its cured state when it is delivered to the dealer. You could wait a little while before you wax an OEM paint job but you probably won't gain much in waiting. Might as well wax it. For aftermarket or production shop paint jobs it really is near a year before the paint is cured. That is why you will sometimes see marks in the work about a year later. The paint has dried, cured and shrunk into the sanding and scratch marks that the bodyman is hoping won't show. Most "average production body shops do not have curing or heating bays. The paint will have to cure for a short time in a heated paint booth at best, then it is up to the ambient air to do the rest. Rubbing Compound or any type of polish does not seal and does allow the paint to keep breathing if no wax or sealer is put on it. A pure glaze i believe has some sealing effect and will inhibit a paints ability to breath but if not over done the paint will still breath and therefore will still cure "correctly". Production body shops will sometimes put a light or thin coat of a wax on the car almost immediately after finishing the paint work. This is because they want the car to look its best when you come to pick it up, not because it is a good idea. Remember most pure waxes have little durability so the wax will wear off quickly.
Knowing that my paint jobs only cure by ambient air and my paint jobs are only buffed with a polish, I do not usually use a glaze, I tell my customers to not wax the paint for at least 4 to 6 months. In the coarse of that time I tell them to wash the car only with cold water. They can hose it down if they want but I haven't put a hose on my cars for years. I just wipe them down with a bucket of cold water and a soft towel or sponge. Somewhere between 4 and 6 months they can wax the paint if they want to. I don't believe it will be completely cured yet at that time but I think the distinction is minimal and most people want to wax their collector car. Here's a couple of additional points that I practice. These are just my way of doing things everybody has their own ideas about such things. I do not apply a glaze product to my paint jobs. To me a glaze product is something akin to bling. It makes it look good.... for a time. It is a product that is applied or added to or you could say is layered on. It eventually will just wear away and its temporary finish will be gone. When you are buffing a car with a true polish or compound ( the distinction is just due to the difference in aggresiveness of the product) you are actually cutting into the paint. You are grinding it down to the smoothest surface you can make it. You are grinding it down to below the deepest sandpaper marks. This resultant smooth finish inherantly reflects alot of light hence it shines. This is what you want because it is a real light reflection off of a really hard smooth finish. This hard smooth finish has durability because it is so hard. It is not an artificial shine created from an applied product that temporarily leaves a smooth finish.
In reality waxes do a similar thing that glazes do. They just have even less durability. A pure wax such as
pure carnuba (you notice that most retail carnuba waxes have additives) only puts a thin layer on the surface. It's like pouring molasses on a slice of bread. As long as it can level out it will be smooth and shiny. Any way let the paint beathe for awhile before you wax it.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Thanks, vette. Very informative.
Bob

 

[BG 62AH]

Anyone using waterless car wash products. I have only put about 650 miles on my Healey over the last 2 years. I’ve been using a spray on/wipe off product from Maguires. Seems to work decent, but the car really doesn’t get all that dirty. I have had reservations about washing the car this way if it was reasonably dirty.

thanks for the info on the sealant products.

 

[BigGreen]

For the normal dust and light dirt; Poorboys Spray&Wipe

 

[vette]

Bill, I have reservations about washing the car that way as well if it is real dirty. My method of bucket washing with just water and a soft cloth or sponge saturates the cloth and the area to be wiped much more so than you would ever get with the waterless car wash products. The ability to wash the dirt off without scratching the paint is directly proportional to the amount of water you have saturating the surface. I do use wipe & shine products on my cars when they have a clean surface. I like the Eagle 1 wipe & shine. My daily driver SUVs might get wiped down with the wipe & shine when a little dirty but my collector cars get a bucket washing with just cold water then dried well then the wipe and shine.

 

[LarryK]

I use Griot's waterless wash on everything. Watched their video on doing a Ferrari that had been driven from Montana to their Office in winter thru a snow storm. I had been using it for 15 years on all my Jags, Land Rovers and MINIs and the Wife's 64 Valiant. If you have a good coat of wax on the car, it does not affect wax or paint. If worried about caked dirt, spray it like it is someone else's bottle, soak and rewipe with more solution. You will use more rags (theirs are the best ) and the car will look excellent with no scratches if rags are rotated (per instructions). I know of a few museums that use the products. My next move is their orbitals and waxs and sealants. I have tried Jay Leno's products, they are good too!

 

[BG 62AH]

Thanks! I will look into them!

Great holiday to all!

 

[Dandare]

The waterless washes seem to work well but I am suspicious that they contain silicone...which may not be a good thing?

Danny

 

[Bob_Spidell]

The waterless washes seem to work well but I am suspicious that they contain silicone...which may not be a good thing? Danny

Generally speaking, silicones on paint is not a good idea--at least if you ever consider repainting--because it can cause 'fisheye' in the paint. Have heard the best (only?) way to remove it is a good scrubbing with a strong dish detergent, like Dawn, before sanding (sanding can smear it around).

 

[Dandare]

I wonder what the accumulated build-up of silicone may be like with regular use of waterless products?

Danny

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Follow-up: I just ordered Tech Shine and Show Polish from Amazon (if you buy them together there's $9 shipping charge; if you buy them separately it's free shipping--go figure). According to their website the Tech Shine, at least, does not have any silicones. My BFF uses it on his Road King and his wife's Cayman S; he likes it.