Car wash product question

Griot's Garage products are great and easy to use, they've helped my daily driven college car get quite a few trophies at shows lol. Some of there stuff can get a little pricey, but their Best Of Show wax and polishes when used with their random orbital are unbeatable.

mothers, chemical guys, poor boys, meguiars

Meguiars is usually my first choice of stuff you can get in stores. If I recall correctly, Zaino used to be the car wax of choice, at least many years ago. IDK if that's changed. But honestly, I love Meguiars stuff and don't see a need to order anything fancy.

Everything you ever wanted to know... and more.

http://www.autopia.org/forum/forum.php

Be careful... it can become an addiction. :-o

There was a consumer reports study out - comparing most.... if not all waxes - wax is wax - there's no difference .....I like zybol because I always have a black car and applications are easy with the carnuba - and it layers 'up' well at least for me - but turtle / Nu finish mothers etc ....find something you like to use and smell - same thing w/car wash - find the biggest container for the lowest cost ....I like zip car wash and it's usually cheap .....

chgovfk said:

There was a consumer reports study out - comparing most.... if not all waxes - wax is wax - there's no difference .....I like zybol because I always have a black car and applications are easy with the carnuba - and it layers 'up' well at least for me - but turtle / Nu finish mothers etc ....find something you like to use and smell - same thing w/car wash - find the biggest container for the lowest cost ....I like zip car wash and it's usually cheap .....

Click to expand...

completely untrue. stop talking.

yeah .....what ever
u want you waste your $ - up to you - the 'mean' score was from 58 to 71 -

Quality shine for less
In our test of car waxes, we found that pricier ones favored by enthusiasts do not necessarily work better than some less-expensive brands. The two top performers cost just $7, while a product selling for $32 ranked no better than the middle of the pack.

We also found that any wax good enough to provide some protection still requires a dose of good old-fashioned hard work. Easy-to-use spray-on, wipe-off products may save time and work, but they fared worst in our durability tests and were least effective at cleaning. Liquid and paste waxes did better as a group, but they required more effort to apply and remove.

With the advent of the clear coat, the transparent protective top layer of paint that has been used on new cars for the past few decades, you aren’t likely to improve the shine on any new vehicle. But over time, sunlight, acid rain, road debris, and other environmental factors take their toll on a vehicle’s finish. Regular washing is the most important aspect of paint care, but the added protection of wax can also help.

Many newer waxes and polishes are made of synthetic ingredients, but some are still formulated with natural waxes such as Carnauba, as they have been for *generations. The synthetic waxes in this test, however, are most likely quite different from the ones in our May 2000 test. Since then, manufacturers have reformulated their products, reducing levels of volatile organic compounds to meet California Air Resources Board regulations.

Trade-offs with waxes

When we tested 28 products, including 16 liquid waxes, 5 pastes, and 7 of the spray-on, wipe-off variety, we found that liquid waxes provide the best cleaning and protection. But contrary to conventional wisdom, in our tests they required more effort than paste waxes to apply and remove. As a group, liquids were the hardest to apply evenly, and they took the most work to buff out. In addition, some left a powdery residue that had to be wiped off. Even the top-rated Black Magic Wet Shine Liquid Wax required an extra bit of buffing to eliminate any streaking. And our other best all-around choice, Turtle Wax Carnauba Car Wax T-6, can cause slight scratching or hazing on newer dark-colored finishes.

Paste waxes were once the most common type of wax; now they are the least. They also were once the hardest to apply, but new formulations are easier to spread. Pastes often come with a reusable applicator to spread the wax, a convenience that makes it easier to apply the wax neatly and keep it off glass or plastic surfaces. But some of those applicators must be moistened before use.

Spray-on, wipe-off products are the newest development in car wax. Convenience and time savings are their strong suits. Some can even be applied to a car still wet from washing. But convenience comes at a cost, since this group fared worst in our durability tests.

How to choose

All waxes require elbow grease, patience, and time. Depending on how fast you work, how thorough you are, the size of your vehicle, and the product you choose, expect to spend at least an hour to do a decent job. Match the car wax to your car-care needs to see which type of product best suits your needs.




We tested using sample panels uniformly finished with white or black automotive paint, both with and without clear coat. Some were left to weather for 12 months on our testing facility’s roof and others were put into a device that simulates extreme weather conditions. The panels were brought into a lab weekly, where technicians washed and dried them, and applied drops of water to measure beading effect. How well a wax beads, or repels water, is one way to determine whether wax still provides protection from acid rain and contaminants. To test for ease of use and how well products worked to clean and improve gloss on fading paint, we used real vehicles, some of which had rarely or never been waxed. The overall score is based primarily on gloss; durability; ease of use; cleaning; resistance to scratching, swirls, and hazing; and plastic compatibility. We applied a quarter-teaspoon of wax and used an equal number of buffing strokes with each sample on each panel. To assess gloss, we did side-by-side visual comparisons. ¬Gloss-measuring devices exist, but their measurements don’t necessarily translate into what the human eye sees. For our durability tests, we tracked how water beaded to show how quickly the wax wore away. Our cleaning and scratching/hazing tests also relied on side-by-side visual comparisons of test panels. For the ease-of-use tests, we used cars owned by staffers. Price is the estimated average for the size tested, based on a national survey

• BRAND NEW bucket with a 'grit guard' in the bottom (google it). Don't use a 'hand-me-down' bucket from your garage- buy one and dedicate it to washing cars.
• Sheepskin wash mitt - no micro fiber or 'faux' sheepskin - get the real deal.
• I usually use a pressure washer with the most delicate nozzle - helps remove dirt/debris that might come off with the mitt and scratch the car; also good for wheel wells.
• ANY car soap will do - I usually go with Eagle One or Meguiars - whatever Costco has, to be honest.
• Wash the main surfaces first - roof, hood, fenders, trunklid, doors, and bumper tops. Then rinse. Then go back and wash the rocker panels, bumper bottoms, rims, etc. - all the 'crap' areas where there will be lots of debris that will soil your wash mitt.
• Rinse again.
• Use compressed air or a leaf blower (I'm on my third) to get all of the cracks and crevices. In particular, on Mustangs - the MIRRORS - they hold TONS of water; the body lines; rockers; rims/tires; etc.
• Use a moist 'Absorber' first - then a microfiber/waffle weave cloth for the final pass - DO NOT use any sort of microfiber from Wal Mart or Costco - get them online from a specialty retailer. NEVER use terry cloth towels.
• Dry the jambs.
• Use your leaf blower/compressed air again - there will be a lot more water that comes out of the mirrors - I promise.
• Clean the glass with a fresh cloth and Stoner glass cleaner.
• Rims.
• Then use a towel (old cruddy one is okay) to wipe the 'edges' - underneath bumper edges and under the rockers, etc.

That should be it.

Here is how the Shelby looks after this method; 3.5 years old, 26k miles.
View attachment 202318

View attachment 202319

View attachment 202320

View attachment 202321

View attachment 202322

I do the same routine for all my cars:

Every 6 months strip everything off with dawn, then clay it, apply zaino (Z2 or Z5) then Menzerna with my porter cable. I use simple green and F21 tire foam to clean out the engine bay (cover belts / electronics). After I do this routine, I only use car wash specific soap and a leaf blower / waffle weave & micro fiber to dry for six more months.


Here is my 7 year old 03 Cobra right before I sold it this summer, still plenty reflective.

1965coupe said:

• BRAND NEW bucket with a 'grit guard' in the bottom (google it). Don't use a 'hand-me-down' bucket from your garage- buy one and dedicate it to washing cars.
• Sheepskin wash mitt - no micro fiber or 'faux' sheepskin - get the real deal.
• I usually use a pressure washer with the most delicate nozzle - helps remove dirt/debris that might come off with the mitt and scratch the car; also good for wheel wells.
• ANY car soap will do - I usually go with Eagle One or Meguiars - whatever Costco has, to be honest.
• Wash the main surfaces first - roof, hood, fenders, trunklid, doors, and bumper tops. Then rinse. Then go back and wash the rocker panels, bumper bottoms, rims, etc. - all the 'crap' areas where there will be lots of debris that will soil your wash mitt.
• Rinse again.
• Use compressed air or a leaf blower (I'm on my third) to get all of the cracks and crevices. In particular, on Mustangs - the MIRRORS - they hold TONS of water; the body lines; rockers; rims/tires; etc.
• Use a moist 'Absorber' first - then a microfiber/waffle weave cloth for the final pass - DO NOT use any sort of microfiber from Wal Mart or Costco - get them online from a specialty retailer. NEVER use terry cloth towels.
• Dry the jambs.
• Use your leaf blower/compressed air again - there will be a lot more water that comes out of the mirrors - I promise.
• Clean the glass with a fresh cloth and Stoner glass cleaner.
• Rims.
• Then use a towel (old cruddy one is okay) to wipe the 'edges' - underneath bumper edges and under the rockers, etc.

That should be it.

Click to expand...

I bet that hood scoop holds a lot of water, too.

Nice looking car

I honestly agree there's not much difference in the products. Nothing I really ever notice, anyway.

chgovfk said:

There was a consumer reports study out - comparing most.... if not all waxes - wax is wax - there's no difference .....I like zybol because I always have a black car and applications are easy with the carnuba - and it layers 'up' well at least for me - but turtle / Nu finish mothers etc ....find something you like to use and smell - same thing w/car wash - find the biggest container for the lowest cost ....I like zip car wash and it's usually cheap .....

Click to expand...

There is a huge difference when you need products with abrasive cut in them to improve the finish on older (especially black cars). Like anything else, you get what you pay for and some are much easier to apply / remove in different temperatures etc.