withinavoid

I've been reading up on polish vs wax and see many different opinions. I would like to know what is best for a new car. I have a 2006 Mustang GT windveil blue. I don't want to slave over the paint (my truck is black) and want to know if I should just apply a polish after washing or just a wax? Does a polish protect the paint or just shine it up? It seems best results are to polish then wax but that's too much work for me. I also see lots of 'wax as you dry' products. Are those any good? Do they protect, and if so, for how long?

Then there is the old school nufinish product that claims you only have to apply it once a year. Does anyone recommend that stuff?

Thanks!

Paris MkVI

A polish is usually a substance you use to remove flaws in the surface. It is used most commonly to reduce/remove swirl marks, which are generally fine lines in the clearcoat. As such, polishes are very fine abrasives, and should be used only when you absolutely need them.

Waxes are protective coatings that remain on the paint/clearcoat surface, hopefully through several washings, keeping dust/dirt from directly contacting and marring the finish.

Circumstances (and your car color) will determine what you need. My pony is black, so I have to pay the price of owning black. That means VERY frequent washings, and being VERY careful to avoid/minimize swirl marks. I will probably have to use a polish once a year or so to keep the "swirlies" under control. I try to wax every couple of months.

There's a zillion opinions on what is best in this subject. Keep drilling through the pages and reading in this section. Find a method that works with your situation/environment.

But a safe suggestion is not to use a polish until your car's surface says it REALLY needs it. Washing carefully and waxing will keep the need for polish away for a good while, especially on WV blue. A good color choice for hiding surface flaws, WV blue looks good almost all the time. A good match for some of the classic Mustang blues of the 60's

How's your tint doing? Any scratching problems?

withinavoid

Thanks for the help Jon. I chose WB because my truck is black and I wanted a color that would show less imperfections since as you know black is a serious pain. I didn't want silver or grey and liked the retro'ness (new word?) of WB and legend lime as well.

I'm going to buy some polish for my truck because the swirls have taken over. But for my stang, it sounds like I should just wash and wax. So does a polish provide any protection for the paint? I know a wax does. And do you recommend cleaner wax's at all?

My tint is holding up great. I installed the felt myself about a month ago to avoid the scratches, of course we lost the posts I did on the subject. It's started to get hot here and the felt adhesive is holding up nicely.

Here's an up to date pic of her. Still no wax yet.

Paris MkVI

She's gorgeous, Stephen.

Generally the polishes do not provide any protection. Their sole purpose is to bring back a smooth surface. Any polish really is a very fine abrasive.

So, generally no protection from the polish. The wax is where you get the protection. Dust and dirt gets on the wax coat instead of the clearcoat. But the wax wears off over time and with repeated washings, so it has to be re-applied periodically.

Avoid using dish detergents (like Dawn) to wash your car because they will generally strip the wax right off. If you are going to use a polish on your truck however, USE Dawn to strip the wax so your polish can get to the clearcoat.

But plan on the labor of waxing after you polish, because your paint will be unprotected.

Yes, it's a pain, I know. I had to be CRAZY to buy another black car. But when they're right, they're just so. . . [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/04.gif[/img]

Oh yeah, and DO NOT do the wash or polish/wax work in the direct sun. Get in the shade. Whatever you have to do, never do it in direct sunlight. (Who would want to anyway?)

And go easy with the polish at first in a less noticeable area on your truck, so you can figure how much polish and how much pressure to use. Go easy, and only do enough to remove the swirls.

TacoBill

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(withinavoid @ April 26, 2006, 1:31 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Here's an up to date pic of her. Still no wax yet.
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Nice ride, Stephen.

I'll throw in my $.02 here for what it's worth.

I've been a long time Meguire's wax guy, but switched to Zaino polish when I got my 06.

I have to admit, the Zaino Z-2 Pro polish gives outstanding results and has a UV-40 paint protection rating.
There is some labor involved, but after seeing the result, it's worth it.

If I went back to using a wax, it would no doubt be the Meguiar's NXT Generation Tech Wax. I've heard it's an outstanding wax, but doesn't last long.

btw- You should've waxed/polished your car from the get go. As smooth as you may think it is, it's not. You'll need to clay bay the entire car before laying down any protection. (Clay bar also available through Zaino and Meguiar's.)

withinavoid

Thanks a lot guys, I plan to do the following...

06 Mustang WB: clay bar, and wax only.
03 Explorer BK: dawn, clay bar, abrasive polish to get the swirls out, and wax.

I had seen lots of info on Zaino, and know everyone swears by it, but I'd rather not spend too much time on it. I don't want show car shine, just some good protection for the paint. Thanks again!

Paris MkVI

Good luck with it, brother. Remember, test out the polish somewhere not real noticeable, so you can get an idea how much to use, how much pressure, etc. Go easy at first.

Swirls only show up well in the sun, but don't do the polishing and waxing in full sun. Really, shouldn't wash in full sun either.

Get some before/after photos so we can all celebrate with you!