What is a good practicle wax to apply to new car. New being less than one week out of the dealers lot.
I have see alot of waxes in the store that says they are cleaners and can remove dirt and swirl marks. I don’t see that as an issue on a new car. I just want a wax that is fairly easy to apply and will perform well. At Wal-Mart I saw expensive products like Zymol and inexpensive products like Turtle wax. In the middle was Maquires, Nu finish and many more. Not to over think or complicated something that should be simple. With so many choices, it can do just that. What is the best choice for a new car?
Give the car 6 months before you start waxing the car. The paint is still curing on a new car.
As for wax, on a newer car you just want a pure wax without cleaners such as a pure carnuba or similar synthetic waxes. Any autoparts store will have a 1/2 dozen to choose from. Differences between shine is very minor, but how well they go on and off is very different. I suggest a liquid wax with no cleaners. I’ve had good look with common brands such as Meguiars or Mothers.
Not any more. Paint jobs now a days are cured at high temperatures. This happens before the car is even fully assembled. By the time the car makes it to the dealership the paint job has long since cured. Most of the waxes are pretty good. I like Turtle Wax and Meguiar’s personally, but am not particularly loyal to either and buy whichever one is on sale.
Now if you had your car repainted it would be a different matter, as the car is already fully assembled and can’t be put into the “ovens” that are used at the factory.
Your car was probably waxed at the dealership. (Didn’t you pay some $500 in dealer prep?) Give it a few weeks and then wash and wax with the product of your choice. You can’t really go wrong here. Avoid the polishes and cleaner waxes.
There are many products, many brands. Everyone has his favorite for different reasons they all do basically the same thing. I’ve been well satisfied with Turtle Wax for my colored cars and Meguiar’s cleaner wax for my white car. Flip a coin.
for 20 years ive used turtle wax original,its cheap,easy to apply and remove,and gives good protection.then last month i tried meguires nxt,and wow! what a deep glossy shine it gives!and you can wax a new car with no problems.the trouble is,meguires costs 3 times as much as turtle wax,here in the uk,so im not sure its worth the extra,only time will tell!!
Whoops, you’re completely right about finishes on new factory cars. That’s why I shouldn’t answer questions late at night haha. I’ve hung around too many body shops when I was younger and it’s drilled the “leave new paint alone” motto through my head. Although, I could have sworm that it wasn’t too long ago that there were a couple of new car manufacturers who asked for a little time to pass on their paint before waxing. Then again, a 2000 model car sounds pretty new to me haha.
Since you ask for a wax that is easy to apply, I suggest you get a liquid wax, not a paste. If you hadn’t asked for something that is easy to apply, I would recommend that you buy a paste wax since they last a little longer than liquid wax. Buy yourself a buffing machine, some terry buffing pads, and some microfiber rags from the auto parts store. Turtle wax is fine for most cars, but if your car is black or red, you might want a more expensive was like Carnuba. In fact, if you have a red or black car, don’t wait to wax it. Wash and wax it now and repeat frequently, especially if you live in the South.
When you apply the wax, follow the instructions and do it in sections letting one section dry at a time. Use the microfiber rags to wipe away the extra wax. Then follow-up with the buffer for extra shine. If the buffer doesn’t come with a pad, you might buy a foam pad or two to go under the terry pads to make sure the car’s surface is protected from the buffer.
I’ve been using Nufinish for many years and been very happy with the results. Most folks have one they’ve found that they like.
OK I got a lot of insight here. Thank you. I am curious about your comments on Black and Red cars. What is the reasoning behind that?
And to answer an earlier post. No, I did not purchase the Super duper dealer wax job for an extra $300. It was even guaranteed to last the life of the car. The dealer prep at this dealer is just taking the plastic off of the car, check the fluids and air pressure and giving it a simple washing. They have a new automatic car wash… if they spend more than 1/2 hour on the prep, I would be shocked.
Black and red paint jobs fade from sunlight faster than other colors. A white or grey car, for example, will reflect more light and absorb less. You can get away with waxing a white or grey car every six months, or even once a year with some waxes. With red and black, especially in the South, the paint job will need waxed more often to keep the paint from fading.
I always thought you weren’t supposed to wax a new car for at least several years. I certainly wouldn’t use paste wax on a new car, use a liquid wax, they don’t last long but would be easier on the new paint. With that said, I’ve tried many waxes and always go back to regular paste Turtle Wax. Everyone seems to like NuFinish though, I tried it and couldn’t get the stuff to buff off, just a goopy mess, ended up throwing the can against the wall.
The thought behind that was the clear-coat finishes. They look good for years without waxing…HOWEVER…without wax…sun will damage a paints finish…even a clear coat finish.
I see no problem using a paste. I’ve been using paste waxes for years. I also don’t see them as being easier to apply. Takes me just as long with a paste wax or a liquid wax.
Personally I like a Carnuba wax. Lasts a very long time and looks very nice when done right.
My concern is that most paste waxes contain mild abrasives as a cleaning agent which might end up doing more harm than good to the clear coat.
Just my thought as a non-expert in car finishes.
The pure carnuba paste waxes made by companies like Mothers does NOT have any abrasives.
And you can get a liquid that has abrasives in it too…Don’t assume that because it’s a liquid there are NO abrasives.
Waxes are a set of trade-offs. Some protect better or clean better, or may be easy to apply, but tend to scratch and haze. Scratching and hazing is not a big problem with white cars and other light colors, obviously.
I looked at some independent tests, done by an outfit that is very often mentioned around here, that are almost 2 years old. For liquids, I would say go with Black Magic Wet Shine Liquid Wax BM48016. It is durable, very glossy, compatible with plastic, has little haze and inexpensive to boot. The only down side is that it is merely average for the ease of application.
Turtle Wax Carnauba Car Wax T-6 is good except for a little hazing (not the worst by far) so stay away for black paint. It is a little easier to apply than the BM.
Both were better than the much more expensive stuff.
The pastes tested did not do as well as liquids. In the old days this would not have been true. I guess it is a case of better living through chemistry.
Sprays and wipes basically suck, run, run, run, run, run awwwwaaaaay.