I just finished all the buffing and polishing of my new DIY paint job, it came out really really nice! I am happy with it. But, now I want to protect it. What kind of wax base do i want to get for a 'fresh' (40 day old) paint job? Also, how long should I wait on new paint before applying wax? I don't need a polish just a protectant wax. I used some cheap *** turtle wax **** I had laying around on one little spot (one of those sponge in the container waxes) what a mistake.. on the black paint it just put little scratches all over, I had to re polish that whole area.


Any advice is appreciated,

-Robert

 

Glad it turned out ok. I have used Mother's on all my cars since day one. The '89TII still looks as new. My 2 Jeep Grand Cherokee's, likewise. Tried some others, but always came back to Mother's, either paste wax only, or cleaner/wax combo. Great products.

 

Is it okay to apply wax already? I read somewhere when I was preparing for this that you should wait a certain amount of time on a new coat of paint .. but I don't recall the time period, or where I read it.

 

Check out:
http://earlscheib.com/warranties.asp
They recommend waiting 60 days before applying wax

Cheers

 

www.autopia-carcare.com

I use Blackfire, Zaino and Klasse are also excellant products

 

If your wax job put scratches in the surface, it was likely the applicator or towel you buffed it off with, not the actual wax... gotta use clean, 100% cotton.

 

I used the sponge that came in the wax container. ?? no biggy I'm going to get higher quality wax.

 

Polish your plastic and lenses with "Awesome Gloss" www.automagic.com You may want to check out their paint sealant while your at it.

Find a sealing wax with high carnuba content to put a shell on your new paint job.

 

i know he just got a new paint job, but what you guys think of clay, for us pep's with still the stock 13 year old paint... also where could you find some and what type should be used.. another question is this guy used some spray at a car wash and just wiped away all types of like rubbed in paint like if it was dust.... you guys know anything about this?????????

 

Use Zaino. They will also sell the clay bar. Really slicked up my car. I used the Zaino car wash as a lubricant when I claybar'd my car. Go to the Zaino site. Lots of info there on new and old paint, and how to protect.

 

i jsut used zaino wash and their wax yesterday with my buddies and their TT supra and LT4 Vette...wow what a difference with that. i had zymbol wax on there, and the zaino shined 10 times more...really looks like glass, no swerl marks, no wax build up on cracks. the best stuff i think you can buy. its a little pricey but well worth the money for a new paint job.

brandon

 

Whats the deal with that zaino stuff? Theres like 500 different products on their site... accelerators, enhancers and ****. I'm willing to do the 3-stage (clay bar, polish, carnauba wax) but thats it, i'm not going over the car 10 times so its a little shinier.

I can't figure their products out (their site sucks), how many do i need?

 

Consumer's reports rates Nu Finish as the top wax out there. I was given some as a gift. I doubted I notice any difference. It's great stuff. Lasts a long time too The car looks much better than with conventional wax and it is super easy to apply.

 

Zaino, because you can ;-).
1. Wash car with dish detergent. Dry car.
2. Run your hand over the finish. If you feel or see tiny bumps, use the claybar - spray on a bit of Zaino car wash soap (mixing instructions for claybar use on their site) and gently pass the claybar over the surface. Don't press, just move it back and forth. I am told by others to go front back on horizontal surfaces and up down on vertical surfaces so any scratches left will be least visible (you scratch the surface any time you touch the car, just usually can't see them as they are too fine). Once done rinse car off and dry.
3. Apply Z1. Do not remove.
4. If you have swerl marks, apply Z5, if not apply Z2. Do the whole car (I like to work indoors to minimize dust).
5. Once it dries, remove it with a cotton bath towel (see above direction of motion).
6. Apply Z6 a small area at a time. Do not let it dry, wipe off immediatly. We -think- it's actually a cleaner, taking off excess Z2, and perhaps works like spit polishing too. It does make a difference.
7. If you're happy, stop here. You can now apply a second coat of Z2, or a first coat of Z2 over the Z5. If you do, continue as from #4. Most people do 2-3 coats as they continue to improve "depth" of shine.

As Zaino guys will tell you, all the products are compatible with each other, so you can apply one over the other. The accellerators etc. are for car shows, where you don't have the luxury of waiting for it to dry.

 

Just a note. Clay bars can remove some of the clear coat. It's not something you want to use every day, or every month for that matter. Limit it to once every 6 months, or a year depending how much you drive your car. But when you do use it, wow man. Talk about a detailing job. So shiny!