adrenalin

so my question is this....I detail my car the old way...use glaze and then some sort of paste wax...which normally I use NXT. When I try to use a synthetic wax, from what I have read, they do not suggest using a glaze underneath. However, when I don't use a glaze (after stripping the old wax off) there are the normal fine scratches (spider web effect). If I apply a synthetic wax, the scratches get enchanced and make it look aweful (this happened when I tried Zaino's). So, for those that are using synthetic waxes, how are you getting rid (or hiding) any swirl marks (spiderweb effects) on the car? I just took my car out of storage and stripped the old wax. I can see tons of swirls. The old way I would tackle the job is a fine polish by 3M, glaze and then wax.

hk2006

I was chatting at properautocare.com and they recommended this:
http://www.properautocare.com/menzernafmj.html

anybody has any experience with this one?

davisinla

I'd certainly be willing to give it a try, but that "review" sounds WAY to much like every other ad/press release for every other high-end wax:

"FMJ protects your car's finish like a jacket of transparent armor"

"Like an Armani jacket, FMJ makes any vehicle in any color look its best!"

"Look out domestic waxes, there's a new kid on the block!"
-----

I've never been disappointed with Meguiars products, usually following the wash-clay-clean-polish-wax routine.

You know what...after years of trying many different car care products, I'm convinced that the technique you use is more important than products you use.

YMMV - but if you just wash and wax your car once in a while, it will NOT look optimal not matter WHAT wax/paint sealer you choose.

hk2006

I am trying to find a wax that works best on light colors. I have a yellow car, and no matter what I use, I don't see too much difference between waxed car and not a waxed one. I guess a light color and a shiny car are mutually exclusive, unless there is a wax out there that can prove me otherwise.

davisinla

If your car looks clean and shiney, what difference would you want to see?

While some waxes do tend to darken some colors, the purpose of a wax is really to protect the shine, not alter the color.

Think of wax as a "sacrificial layer" on top of your clearcoat. You clean and polish the clearcoat to make it as clear as possible so that the paint below looks its best. The wax helps protect that clean clearcoat.

A light car will never reflect like a dark one - then again, a light one will not show every nick and ding. It's certainly a trade-off.

My daily drivers are white - not very rewarding to detail, but they look great even after 100,000+ miles!

hk2006

agree, but I put a couple of hours on waxing it and then I don't see a difference, I understand that I protect the paint but I am just curious, is there a wax out there that makes a difference in terms of shine on light colors?

mikes rx

I agree with black showing every nick and ding. It looks great when cleaned up, but that only lasts about 5 minutes. If you look at it wrong, it gets dirty.

But, with regard to white cars: I have seen many NICE white cars. They can be very rewarding to detail.

Now, tan on the other hand, never looks GREAT, yet never looks BAD. That is the color of choice as a daily driver.

davisinla

Sure, when I clean up our daily drivers, I think they look great - but if you're looking for lots of "shine" (as the OP appears to be) after an afternoon spent in a complete detail, white will not scream "I've just been polished" like black does! There is NOTHING like a freshly detail dark-color car. (Although, at the end of the week, white will not scream "I really need a bath" as much either. )

My Tunsten is the first dark colored commuter I've had. If I clean it on Sunday, when I pull into the garage on Monday night I see the layer of dirt, dust, pollen, whatever. I never noticed that with my white cars.

nonsensez9

I think it's just the box. They put out the NXT in the fancy shmancy packaging to draw in the young crowd. I assume they achieved the goal and have got a generation hooked on NXT. Now I guess they're trying to get some old-timers to buy it, too. It's pretty good stuff. I did my trunk half NXT and half Zaino, and to be honest, could see or feel a difference. Then again that was when the car was almost new. And I still know very little about waxing properly

06GT

I also have the NXT Paste. It goes on easy, doesn't require a thick coat, and protects well. I applied Zaino Z2 Polish on top of the NXT and I've had water beading for over 2 months, even with weekly washing

The paint finish is like a mirror now, also.

flashfearless

I made the switch from Mothers to Meguirs a year ago.. I love NXT but this time I tried their yellow wax. I didn't notice any difference really. I will probably stick to NTX from now on.

I had been using Mothers for like 10 years. One thing that I will caution you on though. With mother's I stood a fighting chance removing the wax with a diaper cloth. Not true for Meguirs. They formulate that stuff such that it ain't coming off very easily without a microfiber.

stangster

I have a white Ranger stepside, and a windviel blue GT. The NXT does a great job on both. The Ranger is 10 years old, and so has some fine scratches, which the NXT does a good job of hiding. I've used Meguirs for a long time. Occassionally I try something different, but always come back.

Regarding paste vs. liquid. Both are easy to use and both give great results, but the liquid seems a bit easier to to apply an even light coat.

areaseven

I've used NXT on my V6 for over a year, and I love it. Before then, I was using Simply Z-Best Car Wax, which is a great product, but lacks the eye-popping shine NXT gives.

Just last week, I switched to NXT liquid after using up the paste. Compared to the paste, the liquid is easier to apply and dries faster. So until then, it's NXT or nothing.

DoctorQ

btw... NXT Tech (liquid or spray) works great on the 3M clear bras....

kevinb120

I use the NXT liquid, great stuff. Its a little fussy getting off if the surface is too warm(you just have to periodically go over with the mf towel while doing the rest of the car), but thats about the same with any wax.

Jim D.

I was playing around the other day on my mom's car and decided to try the NXT liquid since everyone's talking about it. I found NXT to be thicker and much harder to apply than I would prefer.

So after doing part of the car, I switched to the Mothers FX SynWax I usually use. FX SynWax is a breeze to apply though I've been able to see little difference in appearance and longevity.

Anyone else used both products?

davisinla

I think you may have used WAY too much. You only need a very, very thin coat - it will be hardly visible when applied correctly.

It should go on and, after waiting about 30 minutes, comes off very easily.

davam1

Just about to have clear bra installed. Is there much difference in shine between the waxed 3M bra and the unprotected paint? Always wondered about this. Also have NXT.

flashfearless

You need to apply it thin, and let it dry completely, and also remove with a microfiber. It is hard to remove with a diaper cloth. It is ready to remove when you can swipe it off with your finger.

hags1

Hey adrenalin,

I bought the Meguiar's DA Polisher Pro Car Kit w/ instructional DVD... I watched the DVD and sure did learn a lot about the proper way to clean and polish a car's finish....They explain the steps to do it all by hand and give a great demonstartion of how to use ScratchX.....Once I followed their suggestions, I was amazed at the hiding ability of ScratchX when it came to light swirl marks and fine scratches....I own a black convertible and if you look at it wrong it'll show scratches....Mequiar's cleaner polishes are awesome at hiding all the fine imperfections. Their Paint Cleaners / Compounds are really good for fixing marks that are beyond 'fine'...It's a lot easier with the DA Polisher then doing it by hand, but it can be done with a good amount of elbow grease, if you don't want to invest in the polisher...I'd be happy to borrow you the DVD if you'd like to see how they go about it.....it sure answered a lot of questions for me...
Here's a picture of my front end from this past weekend right after it's spring cleaning....also note the reflection in my avatar....if done right, the results are awesome.



hags1