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Polishing and Waxing

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Lin

Lin

Jedi Knight
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Hello fellow polishers and shine lovers,

I have used just about every kind and brand of wax or polish on my cars over the years. I will be the first to say that I am not a chemist and do not even desire to better understand what makes a polish shine or a wax adhere. I have used a number of products with which I was quite satisfied (the usual list you all know), but I am always experimenting.

I came home from Encounter last week and decided to give the car a good clean-up. I was in one of my local automotive stores and the manager mentioned to me that he had been using a fairly new product on his car and motorcycle and suggested that I try it.

Well, I think the stuff is great. It is called "Ice" synthetic paste polish by Turtle Wax. My wife calls me a cynic - I same that I am just a skeptic and I admit that as I used "Ice" I was dubious of the manager's claims, but the stuff is fantastic. It has absolutely NO residue - none. No dust, high shine, no streaking, easy on and easy off. You can get it on rubber, vinyl or glass with no remaining visual evidence of your over zealous applicator pad. You use a special micro fibre cloth to remove. It is no exaggeration to say best polishing product I have ever used.

I know nothing about how long it will last, nor whether it is "healthy" for the paint. The container proclamation claims "more durable than the leading paste."

I am sure that there will be those on the list who know more about the "science" of car finishes. I am simply suggesting that you might want to try this product and see what you think.

Turtle wax web site:
https://www.turtlewax.com/

Lin
1960 BT7 "The Bloody Beast"
1959 AN5 Bugeye
 
I bought a show quality 1921 Model-T from a guy a couple of years back who SWORE BY the ICE brand car polish/wax.

He used to take a 2 gallons of VERY HOT water & mix in a bottle of ICE. He'd allow it to cool, and then he'd apply it with a spray bottle to every surface. (& I do mean EVERY surface! The underside of that car shines better than the tops of most cars!!) :cooler:

That car won MANY awards at various shows! :winner1: GORGEOUS!

That said, there is one school of thought that says some paints need to "breathe" and should only have Carnauba wax applied.
(I remember this being an issue back in the 70's when the "Polyglycoatings" came out. "Never wax your car again!" was the claim. Apparently ruined some expensive paint jobs....) :wall:
Other paints seem fine with using synthetic polishes as they seem to be happy w/o "breathing".

IS there a general rule?? Anyone w extensive paint protection experience out there?? :confuse:

I tend to try whatever is out there until I find one that protects well (long duration), is easy to use (easy application, usable in full sun, easy to remove, etc.), and doesn't leave residue everywhere.

"Cheers!" :cheers:
-Bear-
 
Perfect timing for ths thread - I need to give Ruby a good clean and haven't the foggiest idea where to begin - i've never washed a car before that didn't involve a bucket and sponge, some washing up liquid and a chammy.

So - where to begin - so many products out there I have no idea what does what.

Any suggestions would be awesome but I don't want to hijack the ICE thread here so please PM me if you can help me!


Cheers

Bob
 
This doesn't really help, but you might want to read "House of Wax" in the Members' Articles section. For the empathy. :smirk:
 
I've always used Mothers Three step system. It's a long process by hand (5-6 hours); however, it's only once a year and the smoothness cannot be beat. I haven't tried the clay bar yet, that's next on my agenda.

Speaking of which, I just bought a Porter Cable 7424 Random Orbital Buffer to remove the "spider webs" from our black 350Z. The free floating head makes "burning" the paint very difficult. Once I get proficient enough with that car, I'll then move over to the Healey.
 
We'll probably get various input on this subject since there are so many (expensive) wax/shine products out in the marketplace.

I tend to keep it simple with waxing. I've used a good quality caranauba wax for many years on my cars and it does the job quite well.

A good test subject is my '05 Mini Cooper S, my "everyday driver" car that has to go in rain, sun, snow, etc., all four seasons. The factory finish is solid black and one of the nicest paint jobs I've ever seen in a production car. From the first day off the showroom floor I've used caranauba wax, and the finish looks as good today as when it was new.

I think the most important element in maintaining a deep shine is a clay bar. I use a clay bar about every six months, or sooner. First, wash the car twice with kitchen liquid soap (never use this unless you want to REMOVE wax) which removes all the wax on the car, then the clay bar, which removes foreign material from the paint surface. Then two two coats of caranauba, sometimes three on the bonnet and air dam.

The paint still looks like new with a deep, mirror-like shine.

Others swear by synthetics like "Zymol" (very pricey), etc., but I cannot tell the difference. Synthetics may last longer, but it's not worth the extra cost IMHO.

YMMV.
 
Looks real easy to use, but I have always stayed away from waxes with silicone in them. They don't seem to have the "filling" properties I'm looking for to conceal fine scratches or swirl marks. I've found Eagle One Nanowax very easy to use and gives the best shine, bringing out a tremendous depth of color while hiding a lot of fine scratches. https://www.eagleone.com/pages/products/product.asp?itemid=1103
 
OK so I went to Supercheap Auto and got hold of some of the ICE Liquid Clay Bar and also the Liquid Polish.

I gave the car a really good clean and dry and then applied the clay bar - to great effect - I'm really happy with the result. Then once that was rinsed and dried I applied the polish.....and the finish that the polish gives is fantastic....showroom quality. If not, better.

Very happy.
 
I used the clay bar on my 1990 Suburban (painted in 2002) and it took the clear coat right off the fender! UH! OH! Thank God I only tried it in that one area! Be careful.....be VERY careful!
 
Sherman, sorry to hear your clear coat came off. That is an issue you should take up with your painter.

Clay will not remove one stage paint or the second stage clear coat, on a factory finish or quality after market paint job.

Clay is an amazing product and so easy to use.
Run your hand across your cars surface after you wash it. If you feel any roughness, from fall out, imbedded dirt particles or tiny tree sap drops, then you should clay the car. You can clay the entire car in half an hour.

Again, sorry to hear about your paint loss Sherman. Just wanted to point out that claying will not remove paint.
 
I sold the vehicle to a young man going to Texas Tech...Go Red Raiders!... he could care less about the paint, and is very happy with the vehicle's mechanicals!
 
I have talked to a customer of mine over time about different products he uses after painting cars.
After wet sanding, I've seen him use mainly 3M polishing compounds. But I've also seen him working the paint by hand with Comet cleanser a paper towel and a lot of water. He uses 3M Hand Glaze after his final machine buffing. He's of no help with waxes, as these are all trailer queens.
The cars he works on are street rods and lately a lot of Yenko and COPO Camaros. He's been published in Hot Rod, some Chevy magazines, etc. His work is absolutely phenominal.
I still shake my head about the Comet...and don't recommend it.
 
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