Are carnuaba waxes an obsoleted car-care product?? (Continuing on the great debate...)

Lonnie

Active member
OK, I know this subject has been discussed ad nausium ("at great lengths" for those who do not know Latin), but what better subject matter in the dead of winter for Autopians to debate/discuss/banter about.
Please, post on.

I am a Collinite aficionado by the way, so you know I am an old-school carnauba wax person. Still wish Megs made M16 (yes, the blue crayon-like wax)
 
Bite your tongue !!!!!!!!

Wax will never be obsolete. Nothing has quite the look............


Ya mean this stuff?

20150115_114346_zpsyetq2fa7.jpg
 
Waxes aren't dead. I love poorboys Nattys Red and Pinnacle Synergy. Also will pull out the M16 once in a while.

Coatings are great but a lot of customers don't want to pay for them.
 
I personally think wax it dead. Coating look great and don't need to be applied ever 3 weeks.

I have coatings on my vehicles but there are lots of threads in which people want to top coatings with a wax. I don't top my coatings but many others do or want to.
 
Are carnuaba waxes an obsoleted car-care product?? (Continuing on the great d...

For this debate, I'm just going to say a "wax" is any LSP that comes in a tin in paste form.

No way are they out of date. This would be like saying a floor jack is obsolete because someone invented the two post lift. Waxes offer something coatings do not: ease of use-ability and ease of renew-ability. Not to mention they are mostly less expensive, idiot proof, and one can protect like a million cars with one tin... Advantages coatings do not have.
 
IMHO toping a coating with a wax is a waste of time and mucks up the crystal reflection of the coating.

I think the whole topping thing was invented by people that sell detailing products to we would use more.

I swear the next thing you will hear is, 2 coats to ensure proper coverage and then dump the balance down the drain to ensure you properly coat the drain pipe.



I have coatings on my vehicles but there are lots of threads in which people want to top coatings with a wax. I don't top my coatings but many others do or want to.
 
The OP was talking specifically about Carnauba waxes but the thread has been turned into Coatings vs. Sealants AND Wax. There's no way that coatings have obsoleted wax, seeing as probably less than 1% of cars with LSP have coatings on them. Sealants are omnipresent, even as polymer additives to waxes. It's getting to the point where you have to be "in the know" to acquire a wax without polymers.
This isn't really a black and white debate IMO. But if you think about it, the answer is Yes, carnauba waxes have been obsoleted by waxes with polymers or straight sealants, but you'll always be able to enjoy pure carnauba if you know where to look. For us "in the know" that isn't difficult, but at the store, the lines are blurred.
 
Not for me. My carnaubas will always have a place in my detailing cabinet. It's all I use on my garage queens.
 
Let me clarify, If I was a pro and a customer wanted wax, I would wax his car. He would be back much sooner. :)

For me and my cars I'd am done with wax. Coatings just have too many advantages IMHO
 
Staying on topic, I think it depends. Carnauba wax has its place. For me it offers a different look, on some paints it has a warm glow. I think of carnauba as a show car wax, it's for the look not the longevity.
 
IMHO toping a coating with a wax is a waste of time and mucks up the crystal reflection of the coating.

I think the whole topping thing was invented by people that sell detailing products to we would use more.

I swear the next thing you will hear is, 2 coats to ensure proper coverage and then dump the balance down the drain to ensure you properly coat the drain pipe.

Maybe but I think it boils down to folks just either want to try something new or they are really "in to it." It's their money so they can do what they want. One of our three cars is an old beater. I have various products on it just to sort of see what happens. I received a small sample of Dodo Juices Hard candy wax and I really like it. I think companies put out what people want nothing more nothing less.


The OP was talking specifically about Carnauba waxes but the thread has been turned into Coatings vs. Sealants AND Wax. There's no way that coatings have obsoleted wax, seeing as probably less than 1% of cars with LSP have coatings on them. Sealants are omnipresent, even as polymer additives to waxes. It's getting to the point where you have to be "in the know" to acquire a wax without polymers.
This isn't really a black and white debate IMO. But if you think about it, the answer is Yes, carnauba waxes have been obsoleted by waxes with polymers or straight sealants, but you'll always be able to enjoy pure carnauba if you know where to look. For us "in the know" that isn't difficult, but at the store, the lines are blurred.

Why do we make it so complicated? Prolly cause we are human...LOL! Oh, and are fanatics with this addiction. Is it so much that carnuba is obsolete or are people looking for that cure all end all product that will last forever and save them $$$?
As far as the thread being turned into a debate, I only see one opinion that carnuba is obsolete so I'm not sure how it turned into something bigger. I only offered an observation that I made after a few years of reading various posts and forums. No opinion is wrong, it's just that an opinion. Can we just leave it at that without getting worked up? Use what you like and the market will dictate the rest.

Besides, what am I going to use on my snow thrower and lawn mower?
Have a Great day all!

Steve
 
Definitely not the only game like they used to be, but some will always prefer wax for a variety of reasons.

8 track is dead, cassette tapes are dead, CD's are just about dead, but vinyl is making a comeback. So eventhough I'm a digital / sealant man, carnuba still has a place.
 
Reasons why coatings and/or seal might not be the best approach:

-No concealing (not every finish can be corrected well enough for the coating, or a sealant, to look OK)
-Difficulties regarding spot-correction (including the need to relayer with multiple-coat-type sealants such as KSG)
-Subjective factors (appearance, beading vs. sheeting, scent, slickness, etc.)
-Time/effort/cost/requisite application skill

Note that I'm no coating-hater, I use one on certain wheels. I'm no sealant-hater, I use one (FK1000P) on most of my vehicles. But I can't do any more correction on the '85 Jag (not *bad* for single stage of its age) or the '93 Audi (simply awful condition due to original owner and its dark blue that shows every flaw) so those need concealing, and most sealants don't look right *in my eyes* on those cars anyhow.

Hey, give me a sealant that conceals and gives depth/jetting on dark colors and I'll use it on that Audi. Give me one that conceals and looks right on older single stage and I'll use it on the Jag. Give me an Accumulator-proof coating that's as easy to use as my current stuff, conceals marring, looks "right for the vehicle" in my eyes, and allows for easy spot-correction and I'd probably use it on everything ifit offered advantages over FK1000P. But I don't see any of my current LSPs as being deficient in any way for their applicatons, so why would I change? What am I missing by not using a coating instead of FK1000P? What am I missing by using a wax instead of a sealant on the vehicles that get that? Hey, those are serious Qs, give me some reasons! I might not change, but I'd enjoy discussing it.
 
Reasons why coatings and/or seal might not be the best approach:

-No concealing (not every finish can be corrected well enough for the coating, or a sealant, to look OK)
-Difficulties regarding spot-correction (including the need to relayer with multiple-coat-type sealants such as KSG)
-Subjective factors (appearance, beading vs. sheeting, scent, slickness, etc.)
-Time/effort/cost/requisite application skill

Note that I'm no coating-hater, I use one on certain wheels. I'm no sealant-hater, I use one (FK1000P) on most of my vehicles. But I can't do any more correction on the '85 Jag (not *bad* for single stage of its age) or the '93 Audi (simply awful condition due to original owner and its dark blue that shows every flaw) so those need concealing, and most sealants don't look right *in my eyes* on those cars anyhow.

Hey, give me a sealant that conceals and gives depth/jetting on dark colors and I'll use it on that Audi. Give me one that conceals and looks right on older single stage and I'll use it on the Jag. Give me an Accumulator-proof coating that's as easy to use as my current stuff, conceals marring, looks "right for the vehicle" in my eyes, and allows for easy spot-correction and I'd probably use it on everything ifit offered advantages over FK1000P. But I don't see any of my current LSPs as being deficient in any way for their applicatons, so why would I change? What am I missing by not using a coating instead of FK1000P? What am I missing by using a wax instead of a sealant on the vehicles that get that? Hey, those are serious Qs, give me some reasons! I might not change, but I'd enjoy discussing it.

Every time Accumulator mentions Finish-Kare's FK1000P I feel like I'm missing out not having THAT wax/sealant in my collection. ("Why do you need another wax? Use what you have.", says the household accountant.)

Oh, yes, since I am the original poster (OP), it's more than welcomed here to debate the coatings versus sealants versus wax and the benefits of each one. What is confusing is when a wax is really a sealant and vise-versa. I'm not into the semantics/definition of what is a wax and what is sealant. I suppose technically a sealant is NOT a wax when it contains no carnauba wax (or other natural wax), yet Meg's calls their enhanced consumer-line "sealant" the Ultimate Liquid Wax. Just saying....
 
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