Wax that lasts 3 months?

[SpatiallyAware]

I have a car which I rarely drive in the rain, and keeping up with waxing it is turning into a chore.

I generally use NXT, except it wears off (evaporates?) after a month at very best.


Any suggestions? I would prefer something that I can find locally that is simple wax on, wait a few min, wax off. I don't want to deal with zaino or other oddball application steps.

 

[DeviousTrap]

If long lasting durability is your primary goal, you should be looking at a sealant, not a wax.

That's exactly what Zaino is. Some sealants take less steps to apply than others, but honestly Zaino is one of the best and it's really not that much of a chore to put on. You just have to make an effort to put on really thin coats. Zaino was a bigger pain before they added their ZFX product that makes it cure in 15-30 minutes, so you can do 3 coats in one day pretty easily.

 

[NutBucket]

I wouldn't suggest applying sealant by hand. Definitely look into a dual-action (random orbit) buffer like the Porter Cable PC7424/7336/etc.

 

[unokitty]

There is a lot of emotion around these types of products.

If it were me. And I wanted to optimize how long it would last, I would use NuFinish paste wax.

If I wanted to optimize for other attributes, I would use other products.

Best of luck,
Uno

 

[Zivic]

I have a car which I rarely drive in the rain, and keeping up with waxing it is turning into a chore.

I generally use NXT, except it wears off (evaporates?) after a month at very best.


Any suggestions? I would prefer something that I can find locally that is simple wax on, wait a few min, wax off. I don't want to deal with zaino or other oddball application steps.

collinite 845

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Uno I definitely agree, while the car industry is rampant with fanboyism, car care product people are among the worst in that regard.

My main issue with zaino is, (according to the guy that mega details my car once a year) you really shouldn't apply zaino, then reapply nxt multiple times per year. It's ok to cover zaino with a few coats of nxt for deep gloss, but after 4-5 applications it can haze which requires stripping everything down to clear coat. Essentially I would be using zaino, then NXT every month, then I would have to strip ALL the wax and re-zaino every 6 months. I would rather be out driving my car than dealing with all that.


I'm fine with nufinish, I have also read somewhere that the green can of 'old school' turtle wax last a REALLY long time although it doesn't have as deep of a shine.

I care about my car a lot, but I'm certainly willing to sacrifice 10% of shine or depth or wtfever in return for not having to rewax my car every month or so.. Especially considering it never sees rain or harsh conditions, it just seems excessive.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

I wouldn't suggest applying sealant by hand. Definitely look into a dual-action (random orbit) buffer like the Porter Cable PC7424/7336/etc.

I would like to stay away from orbitals. My car has essentially no flat surfaces at all. Even the hood has creases designed into it.. Plus it's a small 2 door, it just seems like a bit of overkill.

 

[uclabachelor]

I have a car which I rarely drive in the rain, and keeping up with waxing it is turning into a chore.

I generally use NXT, except it wears off (evaporates?) after a month at very best.


Any suggestions? I would prefer something that I can find locally that is simple wax on, wait a few min, wax off. I don't want to deal with zaino or other oddball application steps.

Use a polymer sealant.

One application will last only a couple of months, but it takes less than 10 minutes to apply. You just wipe on your car after a wash/dry with a applicator and it can go over your wax.

 

[DeviousTrap]

My main issue with zaino is, (according to the guy that mega details my car once a year) you really shouldn't apply zaino, then reapply nxt multiple times per year. It's ok to cover zaino with a few coats of nxt for deep gloss, but after 4-5 applications it can haze which requires stripping everything down to clear coat. Essentially I would be using zaino, then NXT every month, then I would have to strip ALL the wax and re-zaino every 6 months. I would rather be out driving my car than dealing with all that.

While he's right, why are you applying wax on top of the Zaino in the first place? You said yourself that you don't want to apply a new wax each month, but now you're saying that even if you do Zaino, you'll still be waxing monthly?

Zaino by itself will definitely give the car a "waxed" look, but sealant does look a little different than a carnuba wax. It's just a different shine characteristic, but it will definitely protect the paint and look like a coating is applied, so why put anything on top of it?

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Meguiars Gold Class paste wax

http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotive/products/g7014j-gold-class™-carnauba-plus-paste-wax/


We tend to wax our daily drivers twice a year - this stuff works well but is not the easiest to apply and remove.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Meguiars Gold Class paste wax

http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotive/products/g7014j-gold-class™-carnauba-plus-paste-wax/


We tend to wax our daily drivers twice a year - this stuff works well but is not the easiest to apply and remove.

Wow this stuff looks perfect. I'm going to try it out..

 

[SpatiallyAware]

While he's right, why are you applying wax on top of the Zaino in the first place? You said yourself that you don't want to apply a new wax each month, but now you're saying that even if you do Zaino, you'll still be waxing monthly?

Zaino by itself will definitely give the car a "waxed" look, but sealant does look a little different than a carnuba wax. It's just a different shine characteristic, but it will definitely protect the paint and look like a coating is applied, so why put anything on top of it?

I guess you're right, It would be best to leave it on by itself. I dunno, I guess I've just heard too many horror stories about zaino and having to remove it. I don't want that to even be a possibility... I like waxes (and always using the same wax) so I don't have to worry about layers or wiping with alcohol or any of it.. Just wash, and occasionally wax.

My detailer made it out (possibly through miscommunication) that zaino requires a good bit of upkeep.

 

[NutBucket]

I would like to stay away from orbitals. My car has essentially no flat surfaces at all. Even the hood has creases designed into it.. Plus it's a small 2 door, it just seems like a bit of overkill.

Random orbit is a completely different animal than orbital. The only things they have in common are round pads and motors. It is basically impossible to burn your paint with a random orbit polisher.

EDIT: There's no way a carnauba wax will last 6 months, period. Maybe if you left it in the garage 90% of the time but otherwise it isn't going to happen. Even the best synthetic waxes may last 2-3 months at best.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Random orbit is a completely different animal than orbital. The only things they have in common are round pads and motors. It is basically impossible to burn your paint with a random orbit polisher.

Ah gotcha. I really don't know much about polishers, waxes, etc. I was under the impression that the creases should be avoided with any machine type polisher.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Random orbit is a completely different animal than orbital. The only things they have in common are round pads and motors. It is basically impossible to burn your paint with a random orbit polisher.

EDIT: There's no way a carnauba wax will last 6 months, period. Maybe if you left it in the garage 90% of the time but otherwise it isn't going to happen. Even the best synthetic waxes may last 2-3 months at best.

It is in the garage most of the time, it's not really a daily driver.

 

[RGUN]

+1 for the Collinite suggestion. Always seems to be the winner in terms of longevity. You could also go a different route with the new synthetic sealants. The newest products are wipe on - walk away. I've been experimenting with Blackfire Crystal Seal, it is a spray. You spray it on, wipe it onto the surface and just leave it. 10 sprays for the whole car. It takes me about 6 minutes to do my car. So far I am very happy with the result, no longevity test yet.

 

[Howard]

I'm about to recommend something completely different from what anyone else has mentioned.

Ready?

http://optimumcarcare.com/ocoat1.php?li=4

This is basically a clear coat that goes on top of your clear coat.

 

[soccerballtux]

Wow this stuff looks perfect. I'm going to try it out..

this definitely is not what you're looking for. I've done this, lasts a month max.
you want menzerna power lock.
Wax has a deeper shine to it, but quickly loses its luster after a rain. I prefer the look of that Meguires but continue to use the power gloss for lengevity because I only feel like cleaning car a few times per year.

 

[soccerballtux]

I'm about to recommend something completely different from what anyone else has mentioned.

Ready?

http://optimumcarcare.com/ocoat1.php?li=4

This is basically a clear coat that goes on top of your clear coat.

wow that's really interesting. Then you could power gloss on top of that and be good forever.

 

[xaeniac]

Wow this stuff looks perfect. I'm going to try it out..

Just a warning; There is now way a carnuba lasts 3 months. If anything you need to apply more often than not.

 

[mwmorph]

I'm about to recommend something completely different from what anyone else has mentioned.

Ready?

http://optimumcarcare.com/ocoat1.php?li=4

This is basically a clear coat that goes on top of your clear coat.

I've been looking for anyone that does that, have any idea if anyone does it professionally in Fairbanks, Alaska?

I would do it myself, but I don't even have access to a water hose normally so the process can be quite difficult.

 

[disappoint]

collinite 845

+1

Cheap and effective. Lasts a very long time. Not the greatest shine though and it's not a polymer sealant, just a very durable wax.

If you want better shine maybe try Collinite 915 (for darker colors) or Blackfire Wet Diamond Paint Sealant.

If you want even longer lasting protection, then OptiCoat 2.0 will last much much longer. It's not a wax nor a sealant and won't come off without abrasion. It's a coating, almost like a 2nd clearcoat. Application is trickier but you only have to do it once.

 

[thescreensavers]

Blackfire wet diamond sealant, it was still beading 4 months in, until I redid waxed my car for a trip, but I hear it lasts 6+ months

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Blackfire wet diamond sealant, it was still beading 4 months in, until I redid waxed my car for a trip, but I hear it lasts 6+ months

It's interesting that you mention this, as I actually bought some blackfire wet diamond sealant along with their car wash soap. I loved the soap, but the sealant was such a huge paint to deal with that I ended up ISO removing all of it before doing even 1/2 of my hood. I'm sure it was my lack of application skills, but still, NXT is so friggin easy that I'm thinking about just sticking with it :-/

 

[leper84]

What NXT are you using that evaporates in a month? Is it the old stuff or the new 2.0? I use the newer 2.0 and parking uncovered, outside, swear it lasts me 6 months minimum...