Car wax?

[contrevi]

I recently purchased a 1983 Pininfarina with original paint which is in good shape, but probably needs a good waxing. Does anyone recommend any particular kind of wax?

[Italchic]

Check out my Show-car shine post on the cosmetics section.

[leeputmanjr]

For paint that old, you'll need to clean it very, very well before trying to polish it, or the ground-in dirt will actually make things worse. Treated properly, you'll be able to preserve it wonderfully.

I like the Griot's Garage products. They make a few things that are remakably good - start with the paint cleaning clay:
http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/pai ... y=ourPicks
This is an excellent starter kit!

The 'best of show wax' is very nice stuff, too:
http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/bes ... y=ourPicks

You can also get pretty good stuff locally at parts stores, just make sure it doesn't have silicone in it. I like these Griot's products as they ship quickly, the quality is wonderful, and they are GREAT with support & advice.

If you get a power-polisher, make sure it's a random orbital, and that the product is formulated to be used that way.

[dmg36054]

Here's how I get my Porsche all shiny. (Sadly, the spider 's paint is too far gone):

Wash it, using a two bucket method.
Clay bar. Probably the most important step in the process.
Wash it again.
Get a Porter Cable 7424 dual action polisher. The best $110 you'll ever spend. Easy to use.
Get three or four diffent polishing pads of various cutting ability. I like the Edge 2000 pads.
Get a bad of microfiber towels at Sam's.
Meguiar's mirror glaze 105. Sort of a light compounding polish.
Meguiar's mirror glaze 205. A finer polish.
Meguiar's 26 yellow wax. Smells like bananas. Produces a great shine.
P21S 100% carnuba wax.

All this takes a while, but the outcome makes it worth it. The upkeep is easier.

[torino06]

you definitely need to clay especially if you will be compounding or polishing. it is amazing what the clay bar will pick up. i recommend doing the rocker panels last as they always have the most crap. if you have heavy swirls the 105/205 combo will do wonders. also meguiars d300 with the microfiber cutting disc is a good option and if there are bad spots use the 105. be sure to do a test spot and see how it turns out and to see if it is ok with the paint.
as far as wax goes, i would determine how much you use the car, how it is stored, and how often you are willing to apply wax. you can also use a sealant.

[DUCeditor]

I have used and used all the above methods and could not agree more about the effectiveness of Griot's clay and Best of Show wax, but at the risk of being chucked off the forum for spreading a dangerous heresy I also suggest this much easier approach:





Yes it is and does exactly what they claim.

-don

[RRoller123]

I used to use a similar thing on my old X1/9s back in the ay, it was called "Blue Poly" and man did it last and shine!

[Chihua33]

http://www.adamspolishes.com/

I've used their products on my vehicles before and have been very pleased with the outcome.

[Pinin85]

Adam's is the best stuff that I have ever used. And like most of you, I have used most everything. Began using the full line of products about 7 years ago and have never looked back. Adam's customer service is second to none and his website instructional videos are very helpful. Anytime I have a question about how to do something I call them and they are more than pleased to educate me. The products are easier to use, faster and better than anything I have found. Pricing is reasonable for such high quality products.

http://www.adamspolishes.com/

[RRoller123]

Can someone explain the microfiber towel thing to me? I am old school (and just plain old) and have been using discarded facecloths etc. for most of my life. I just bought a pack of these microfiber towels on the advice of my son, but am not sure quite what to do with them.

[4uall]

this might help

http://www.wikihow.com/Wash-a-Vehicle-w ... ber-Cloths

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-polish-a-car

[grittracing]

From 1988-1989 I owend a auto detail shop, spent $1000s on waxes. still trting new ones when they come out and I have found for your money.and the longest lasting wax . there are a lot of great waxes out these days and some work better than others on the new car paint jobs. but if you are still running the 1960s-80s- paint from fiat there is nothing like the original green Turtle paste wax. but use a good pre-wax cleaner 1st and good old elbow grease

[torino06]

or get her looking all pretty and throw on some swissvax!

[Raze]

clean with Meguire's deep crystal, then claybar, then get an orbital hand held buffer, use Meguires Ultimate Compound to buff it out, it's gentle (read easy for a newbie)unlike 105/205 which require some practice. After cutting the paint and getting out all the swirls, scratches, etc, I recommend Meguire's Nxt Generation Tech Wax 2.0, it's synthetic, easy to apply, easy to wipe off. I have used it for the last 12 years on my daily drivers and it lasts much longer with better shine than anything else I've ever tried, and I've tried alot...