Car Wax

[JimB]

Not sure if this should be here or Tech Tips so I aplogize if I'm in the wrong area. I have a dark blue LS1 and recently did some research through CR on car wax. I was wondering if anybody had any recommendations for car wax on a dark colored saturn. Also, what do people use to wipe the wax off minimizing scratching, and do you re-use the rag-towel again or just toss it. It's been years since I waxed a car especially a dark colored one and I would be very upset if I did more damage than good. Thanks
Jim

[Saldana SC2 2K]

I use Meguires wax. But more important to wash and wax out of the sun or else you will scratch it.
I use The Absorber rag to wash the the car. It is like a chamio but it is washable. Walmart or Pep Boys sell it.

[Caviller]

On new finishes with few scratches or swirl marks, use the least abrasive wax you can find. Don't use polishes or "cleaner wax" unless you are trying to remove swirls, hazing or light scratches. Use only clearcoat safe products. Wash/wax in one direction and not in circular motions, and make sure it is ultra clean before you wax. Change your towels or applicators frequently.


I've had good results with 3M Show Car Paste Wax and Meguiars #26, but it's hard to find either one locally these days.

[traveler]

As I've said before here. "Never touch the stuff". I use only DriWash & Guard from Envirotech. It is a polymer cleaner-sealant and is used "without" any water. You can wash your car if it is dirty (not muddy) without any water and it does not scratch. I never reuse a cloth though. I prefer to stick with only flannel (cotton) types of cloths for their uncomparable soft character, never terry cloth as they leave swirls. Check out their web site if you never heard of the stuff. I swear by it (so does the winners of the Concours D' Elegance over the last 5 years). It bonds to the polymer panels like "white on rice". To use it is to love it. www.enviro-tech.com.

[drewsl2]

one word: MEGUIAR'S!

Meguiar's is the best! The #7 Glaze and Gold Class Wax has been a good combo for me....i would stay away from the "cleaner wax" unless you have a swirl problem.

btw...The #7 Glaze works great on dingy tail lamps and the Meguiars Natural Shine is great on the interior.

[ClapDaddy]

JimB,

I would wait for six months BEFORE I would consider waxing the car.

For many years (when SAturns were selloing quickly), Saturn recommended waiting at least 6 months before waxing. The paint being FRESH took some time to "cure". They said that some of the "spider look" to some Saturns was caused by waxing before the car cured.

This was because on the polymer panels they really breathe. That is why you hear about the gaps changing on the cars depending on temperatures.

I still follow the six month wait period and none of our Saturns have had the "spider look" from maintaining them.

Hope this helps!
Al

[Caviller]

Hey Al-

My dealers and service departments have always said waxing is OK from day 1. In fact, I was told they polish and wax some cars right off the truck. I was told that Saturn heat cures all the paint at the factory, similar to the process for most cars. On the other hand, after I had to replace a couple panels on my '91, the body shop at the Saturn dealer specifically said no wax for 6 months to give the paint time to cure.

I waxed both my '91 and '99 when I took delivery and the paint has never had a problem. Your mileage may vary....

[DVader]

I usually use Meguiars, but when that ran out I bought some car wax called Zymoil (I think I am spelling that right). I am very impressed. I thought it did just as good a job if not better than Meguiars. The shine is unreal. Another product I have heard a lot about, but never used, is Zaino. As I understand it, you can only get it through mail order. If you go to the www.autoforums.com website and click on the the Camaro or Firebird messageboards, there is a link to take you to Zaino's website.

[Kingstaki]

Having been a detailer for a few Years, I would whole heartedly recommend Meguires #26. It goes on increadibly smooth and comes off even easier. LIGHTLY dampen the applicator pad with water, it will allow the wax to be applied so thinly and smoothly it will aid in the ease of removal. As for the removal of the Wax the BEST product that can be used (no laughing) is CLOTH DIAPERS. You can pick them up at any K-MART for cheap. Be sure to wash the towels afterwards. I would never use the same towels for the interior as for the exterior.

[100KSW2]

My Saturn is the original Blue Green which is a dark color. I have used Meguires for the past couple of years, upgraded to the Gold Class products about 18 months ago. They cost about twice a much (around $9.95 vs. $5.95 a bottle) and are around 25% more work (harder wax?) but I think the difference is noticeable.

Always use a new clean applicator and don't use the same one for different products. Use up and down straight strokes, not circular ones, to avoid swirl marks. (If you are really a fanatic do two coats, one back and forth and the other up and down for additional depth. This is from an article I read somewhere.) I use bath towels to wipe off the wax, frequently changing to a clean part of the towel, and toss them afterwards (use a clean towel or half a towel ripped in half if they are super sized). Keeping applicators or towels soaked with wax or polish around is a fire hazard. I think my wife is on to me buying "her" new towels a couple of times a year <img src="http://www.saturnfans.com/cgi-bin/UltraBoard/Images/Wilk.gif" border="0" align="middle">

Consumer Reports recently (May 2000) evaluated a lot of the popular brands for scratching, durability, and which products worked best on dark colors.

Two different Saturn Service Departments in Pennsylvania have told me that they use Meguires products, too. This was a couple of years ago, don't know if it is still true. Ask your Service Department what they recommend.

Saturn used to sell a detailing kit - packaged with Saturn's name printed on it, but I don't know if they still do - or who actually made it up for them.

[lowrider SL1]

Use Meguiar's! I have a 2000 blackberry SL1 and it looks great, even after tons of washes, since I've kept it waxed regularly. Don't listen to that whole thing about waiting six months to wax your car! That's a myth! The paint on brand new cars is already fully cured and ready to wax! Only after market paint jobs need time to cure. That's because when a car is painted at the factory, it's painted before anything that might melt is put on it, so they are able to cook the paint (to dry it) at a much higher temperature...when you get an aftermarket paint job, they have to dry the paint at a much lower temperature so that rubber moldings, etc. don't melt, so the paint still requires some curing time afterwards. Personally, I have never tried that Dri Wash stuff from Envirotech that Traveler is talking about, so I don't know how it works, but from personal experience, I can say that Meguiar's works great. Check it out at www.Meguiars.com, that's probably the best place to get some good tips on paint care. Good luck!

[Dr. Bob]

The owner of the body shop I take my cars to said after a repair that I could wax right away - said the new paint formulations don't require the 6 month wait.

Your mileage vary vary.

[traveler]

All I can say is that if you ever have an opportunity to get a demo of the DriWash and Guard, you will be hooked big time. It is just too easy to get an awesome and protective shine. I don't sell the stuff but if you have a distributor in your area, they would be glad I'm sure to give you a demo. Perhaps it is possible to find out who in your area would do this by calling the phone number located at the manufacturers web site. www.enviro-tech.com. Good luck.

[Kingstaki]

For a DARK colored car , especially the black and non metalic paints as we all know are notoriously difficult to wax, use the Meguires #26. THere are a few other cheaper versions of the #26 like the Yellow Gold which are cheaper. THey work OK - not great , but OK. As for aking the wax off of the car, I would not recommend using a household towel product. The NAP of the towel can do damage to the car. As with anything else in this wporld, if used carefully, probably not. My recommendation is to use the CLOTH DIAPERS. THey are the softest thing you can put on your car that will not scratch it. If you have never tried it, invest 15.00 (or so it's been awhile since I bought them)for a dozen of them. You wont be disappointed.

My .02

[Caviller]

The one thing about Meguiar's #26 I don't like is it tends to stain black rubber trim. Make sure to clean any excess off right away.

[JimB]

Wow, thanks for all of the great responses. I did research Consumer Reports and it pretty much matched up with some of the posts here. For the record, zymol is claimed to be the best but hard to find as mentioned in this thread. Meguirs Gold Class Clear Coat Liquid is one of the best for not scratching or hazing as is Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell Liquid. Thanks for all of the great advice. I'm going to look into the waterless washing, it just seems odd.
Jim

[100KSW2]

If you get wax on black plastic or rubber parts, the best thing I have found to remove it and also get rid of age/sunlight/air pollution oxidation too (my mirrors and wipers look like new!) is called "Back to Black". It is also good for cleaning plastic interior parts (NOT cloth or carpet).

It really is the finishing touch after a nice wax job.

I also like the new Mequire's Endurance tire dressing (the original, not the new extra glossy one, which I have not tried). Again it tops off the wax job for an over all great appearance. I often get asked if I just got a new car - after 7 years of hard use and 94000+ miles.

Somebody parked a Blue Green 91 or 92 SL2 (original front end and Gear Tooth alloys?) next to me at lunchtime and their car looked really good - the wheels did not have a single mark on them, and their paint was even and smooth, with only a couple of small blemishes. I don't know what their milege was but Saturns stay looking great with just a little effort.

Keeping my car looking good: I consider it my stress reduction after another 12 hour day of fixing computer bugs.