1968 Waxing

[mbsf1970]

Throwing it open for suggestions on getting car really shined up. Although not mechanically inclined, I love to clean and detail cars so.......
1) what's your favourite waxing product and why?
2) what tools (buffer etc) should I be looking at.....or is it old school by hand?
3) pitfalls to avoid when waxing

.....and......go!

Stephen

 

[dalorzo_f]

Have used Meguiar's NXT for the past few years. Easy to apply, wipes off clean without the excessive rubbing some take, and was recommended by the shop that does my body/paint.

If it works for the cars they take to Pebble Beach/Newport, its good enough for me...:wink:

I do the wax by hand.

Even with regular waxing and little washing due to protected storage (garage and car cover) the Brisbane air has lots of fine dust and a light buff is required every 2-3 years as a super-fine grit inevitably takes hold. Use 3M Perfect-It Machine Polish for that effort.... this is done with a slow speed buffer and fine lambswool pad.

 

[green56]

I use Meguiar's it is a clay bar you use it with the spray cleaner and it gets all the roughness to the paint then I use the pure wax I think it was 26 or I would use the N X T to do the rest would not use any power tools on paint just your hand good luck Tom WI

 

[Don]

A lot depends on what type of paint you have. For the most part I use Zaino as an underlayment/protectant on most everything. After the Zaino I use a Carnauba wash/wax for regular maintenance.

 

[stangfan]

The PO used a buffer on my GT/CS and left micro-swirls everywhere. I do have a random action polisher, but I prefer to wax by hand. I use Meguiar's products almost exclusively.

As noted earlier, the current paint condition will dictate what you need to do. You may need to clay after a good wash if the surface feels rough. My current wax of choice is Meguiar's Gold Class Carnauba Plus paste wax. It really makes the Candy Apple paint pop!

 

[mbsf1970]

That's what I love about this place--all the sharing of experience!!
Meguiars it is then! I'll do it by hand and my paint job is quite smoothe to begin with.

Do you wax around the stripes on sides or right over them as well?

Stephen

 

[Cool Manchu]

Thanks for starting this thread. I was advised by a guy from CJPony to use Meguiars pretty much exclusively. I see by the other posts that he lead me down the right path even though they don't sell the products themselves, it was based on his own personal experiences.

I have to rehab my entire interior in addition to the paint and I look forward to seeing what it will look like before and after. I picked up several vinyl cleaners, in addition to some exterior cleaners. Since it will potentially be a while before I get it painted, I want to do all that I can for the sad, sad exterior.

 

[stangfan]

Do you wax around the stripes on sides or right over them as well?

Wax will protect the stripes. The big thing is to avoid building it up around the edges of the stripes. What I do is go almost up to the stripe edge but not into it when I apply the wax. When you buff, you will take it to the stripe. Apply just a minimum of wax to the actual stripe. It will help to keep them from drying out.

 

[stangfan]

Hey Cool...after you clean the vinyl surfaces of the interior, I highly recommend 303 Aerospace Protectant. It is the very best vinyl/rubber protectant I have found. Really good insurance on your dash pad as well. :grin:

 

[Cool Manchu]

Thanks Stangfan. I know that my dash pad looks great visually, but it's really gummy to the touch. I am hoping to save it...but I don't have high hopes...

I will check out the 303 protectant. I am going up to see the car this weekend, so it will give me a good idea of how bad everything really is and what I can save.

 

[franklinair]

For the gummy dashpad: soak a soft cloth (I used an old wash cloth) with alcohol and wipe it down. It may take 2 or 3 applications. Worked for me.

Neil