How to choose the right protection for your vehicle....


There are a lot of choices when it comes to the ultimate shine for your vehicle. Car wax, paint sealants and paint protectants there are so many choices and options to choose from. When it comes to deciding, you will want to make sure your protection choice includes durability, looks, depth and don’t forget, slickness. With these key attributes in mind let’s move ahead and take an in-depth look at the make up of these types of products.

• Traditional Paste Wax – Paste waxes are usually old school technology and are a hard wax substance that contains silicone and petroleum distillates to create a temporary shine. They are often difficult to put on as well as remove. In fact, the pressure it takes to remove the wax residue will also wear away part of the wax protection that would ideally be left on the surface for protection.
• Carnauba Based Wax – A true Carnauba based wax is soft and commonly easy to use product that is usually a little pricey and known for looks, not longevity. These waxes are commonly called toppers. They are commonly used to top acrylic paint sealants that need a little shine. These carnauba's works well on all colors but will show more on darker or deeper colors. The downfall of the protection is that pure carnauba breaks down and melts at about 160 to 170 degrees so the look fades fast and the protection doesn’t hold up on hot sunny days, especially on dark colors, which tend to draw the heat. Basically, put it on when you want your paint to look good but don’t expect it to last.
• Cleaner Wax – A cleaner wax is a one step does all product that has some polishing ability as well as a very light protectant. This type of product works best for those who have a surface that is free of defects and plan on using further protection such a s a sealant. The cleaner wax is generally about the same aggressiveness as a pre-wax cleaner. The downside of a cleaner wax is that because of the cleaners you are not able to leave as much protection on the paint surface so you will want to follow up with more serious protection for longer lasting protection.
• Synthetic Paint Sealants – Finally science has perfected the Wax! Modern chemistry and newer technology reveals synthetic paint sealants that offer serious, long lasting protection. Unlike traditional waxes, this new breed of synthetic paint sealants can withstand temperatures over 1000 degrees which make them much more durable. When choosing a synthetic paint sealant you need to know the difference between the two basic types of synthetic paint sealants. While they both offer good protection, they will vary in overall shine, depth and slickness. A quality synthetic polymer based paint sealant will generally offer you the best protection, shine and slickness, while the acrylic based sealant will provide good protection but is not as slick and may need a little help from a pure carnauba coat for the ultimate shine.

Hopefully most of you that have read this, have an idea of what the difference is between these different types of paint protection options. With so many choices available for the enthusiasts, traditional waxes to synthetic sealants, you can now choose the best product that will work best for your vehicles needs. There is no right or wrong product choice, just always be sure to keep your vehicle's paint protected properly...

 

Thanks for the info dave, quick question. What do you think of the meguiars nxt 2.0 wax? This is what I use occasionally topped with the meguiars carnauba wax.

 

Nice info ,thanks for that .

 

So I read Dave's post on paint protectant and went out and bought a bottle of "Turtle Wax Ice". This is advertised as a synthetic polymer wax with carnauba added. There were other similar products on the shelf but this one had the most descriptive label.

My car has a 4 week coat of liquid carnauba that looks okay but not spectacular. Dave is right, it's hard to keep a waxed surface in Florida heat. I did 1/2 of the trunk with the Ice. It was too hot to really get into it and I just wanted to do a test anyway. Results were a somewhat improved luster and a very slick surface.

Today I was out driving in the wet. When I came home I inspected the trunk. The water was nicely beaded on the old surface as I expected. On the 1/2 side that I had treated with Ice there was a little beaded water but not much. It had blown off leaving a nice gleaming surface.
Count me as sold!

 

Did a complete re wax with Synthetic Polymer product.ie Turtle Wax Ice. Very pleasing results. I kind of blundered onto what it is about the stuff that makes your finish such a head turner.
Look at your image reflection on the chromed surface of 1 outside rear view mirror- waxed with your favorite product. Go to the other rear view mirror and apply the Polymer product and compare the quality of image. The stuff made a mirror out of the chrome and produced a sharp focused image on mine. Now I know what it is about the car's finish that is so much improved. This is what they refer to as "deap shine".
If this Polymer holds up to the heat as advertised we have a winner. Another plus is that it's about 50% less labor to use.

 

I used my first synthetic sealer last weekend, Zaino. Very cool product...wipe on very sparingly and let dry. No removing product or buffing. I was skeptical, but worked as promised.

 

Does the color of the car play into what type of product you should use?

 

I have a 2002 S type with Anthracite Met (metallic black) and found that Meguiars NXT worked very well. When along came my XK8 I continued to use it but found the product left my paint looking "streaky". I changed to carnauba on this color and really like the results. I have since switched to Turtle Wax Black Box and am very pleased. I still think on my S the Meguiars NXT still looks better. In my experience even slight differences in color can make a difference. If you find a wax you like the appearance of stick with it,after all your ultimately the only one you have to please.

 

I guess I have to back track a bit on my testamonial for "Turtle Wax Ice" and maybe synthetic polymer wax in general.

The stuff did a great job and, as advertised, it was easy to apply and buff out. But, it did not last worth a dam. In 6 weeks it was nearly 100% gone leaving my paint rough and exposed. Maybe I was expecting too much. I like to think of a wax job as lasting twice that, say around 12 weeks. Am I being unrealistic?