Does wax shine?

[imported_Indy YZF]

Has anyone else ever heard socalled `experts` exclaim that Waxing your car doesnt cause it to shine; Polishing does. Waxing simply adds protection.... ?



Seems to me that most of us would disagree with this evaluation. Yet, I recall seeing this stated in a number of different places, although I cant recall where.

[Jngrbrdman]

There was a thread on that not too long ago. I can`t remember where it was though. The right words in the search box should find it though. Try looking under "wax doesn`t shine" or something like that.

[rstype]

Wax itself is dull and brittle. It`s the oils mixed with the wax that makes a product shine.

[imported_Intermezzo]

Originally posted by paul e

Has anyone else ever heard socalled `experts` exclaim that Waxing your car doesnt cause it to shine; Polishing does. Waxing simply adds protection.... ?



Paul, I`m not really an expert, but in my humble opinion, your statement is true to a certain extent. Remember, 90% (give or take a few) of the quality of your shine comes from the quality of your prep and not the final protectant. This is true especially with cars that have been neglected.



As an example, P21S GEPC leaves a terrific shine when applied to my cars...and I do not see substantial improvement when `sealing` that shine in with P21S Carnauaba.

[Deanski]

No, wax does not shine on it`s own. It`s the oils/silicones used as a binder and suspension that give carnuba gloss. Carnuba protects well, but it IS the level of polishes and glaze that make the finish look like a mirror.



If I gave you 100% pure carnuba (not stuff you can buy) but raw carnuba, no it does not shine.



However, if you burnish it into a finish, wood or metal painted, it will start to gloss up as the burnishing is in effect polishing it as the carnuba passes back and forth along with the pressure required to accomplish that.



Wax covers up whatever you have under it. If it`s not in good shape, it will bring up some gloss, but not much more.



Bottom line, polish/glaze then wax.



Regards,

Deanski

[endus]

Does the car look the color of the wax you applied after it`s waxed? No, of course not. When you look at the car you`re seeing light reflected from the paint. Wax helps the surface look smoother and shinier, but it does not shine in and of itself. If you wax a severly swirled car, it doesn`t look much better than it did without wax on it. Polishing the car removes scratches and smoothes the clearcoat, allowing the paint to reflect light better.

[Cleanmaxx Brian]

here is the thread...

http://www.autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=26013



I found it to be quite interesing myself!