Are expensive waxes worth the money ?

E

Enochs

New member
I am working on an 85 cadillac. maroon in color. I have bought rubbing compound (TurtleWax paste and liquid). When I use a soft rag and apply compound by hand, it turns out great. ( I started with a very small area and applied it several times). But, when I apply compound with high speed buffer or orbital buffer, I get a cloudy effect that I cant seem to buff out even with a rag. HELP
 
Rubbing compound is very, very harsh stuff. May be appropriate for your badly oxidized paint. My bet is your hand application created it too, but your motion was more linear and it doesn't show as much in the light you're using? It removes a good deal of material - but it is almost as harsh as sand paper. Cloudiness is expected. You must polish out the scratches it leaves with sucessively finer materials. The next step is called "polishing compound", not to be confused with "polish" which sometimes doesn't have abrasives at all.



3M Finesse-it II White is also good next step - it is designed to remove 1500 grit sanding marks. You must buy this stuff at a commercial automotive paint store. Then use a very, very mild abrasive such as a swirl mark remover or paint cleaner. Then (if you really want it to look great) use a "glaze", and then finally wax.
 
carguy is correct. just wash the car befor waxing , that will remove the oil from the glaze and make the wax or sealand bond beter to the paint. Laters
 
Thanks for your advice. the only thing I am concerned about is that the cloudiness seems to be under the paint. after i buffed with high speed buffer, I could not remove cloudiness. even after I applied compound by hand. I will try the polish compound next. hopefully that will do the trick. thanks again.

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated
 
Unless its a polymer, you shouldnt wash a car before waxing it after aplying a glaze. The reason you apply a glaze is to superficially fill in any marks on the paint, and waxing over them kinda locks the oils in, still temporary but lasts longer. If you wash right after glazing you will defeat the purpose of a glaze. With polymers, use ony polymer glazes like Zaino Z-5 and klasse SG.
 
Some glazes have fillers some don't. Waxing over a glaze that has fillers hides swirls but does not fix them. Zaino and Klasse are not glazes they're protectants. The oil in glazes like IHG will prevent Protectants like Zaino and Klasse from bonding correctly.
 
I say no . The most I'll pay for a wax is under 100.00
what makes a good wax? Looks and longevity . The best lasting wax is either colinite or rejex. The best looking wax or sealant is subjective so it can't be measured . Someone might like the look of turtle wax better than crystal rock . I think the act of buying 300.00 dollar wax or more makes you believe that it looks better . It better look better , I just spent 400.00 dollars on this stuff . So when asked if it looks better , you bet it does.
For me the best looking wax or sealant has been black fire wet diamond . I compared it to supernatural which is 200.00
 
Also everyone says that most of your gloss / shine comes from polishing , so why spend 300 plus on something that doesn't make that much difference on the look of your car ?
 
I think sometimes value is perceived. If you find a product that works for you and you are happy with the results then it is worth it no matter what the price is. For me part of the equation is cost, so I don't see myself being happy with a really high dollar wax. I love BF in the 60 dollar range. The shine is good and I think the longevity is about what any wax would be. So for me, spending more would not be worth it. But if money were not an issue I may spend the dough for a high dollar wax because my curiousity wold get the best of me.




:White Horse:
 
In my opinion, the beauty of the paint comes with the correction and preparation prior to the sealant and/or wax.

An expensive wax put on a crappy paint surface still won't look good.

But a CHEAP wax applied over a well-corrected paint will look good.
 
I have never paid more than $35 for any wax or paint sealant in my entire life. I say $35 only because I purchase my wax or paint sealant through the gallon or 64oz jugs.
 
Everything is relevant​

A Swatch keeps great time... so does a Rolex

A Lexus drives great... so does a Rolls Royce


There is no right answer to your question, only opinions. Im sure you will be happy with any quality wax under $100, and there are many. And you surely cant go wrong with any synthetic sealant priced under $40.
 
Street Dreams said:
Everything is relevant​

A Swatch keeps great time... so does a Rolex

A Lexus drives great... so does a Rolls Royce
QUOTE]

you surely can't compare those things can you? LOL A swatch will tell great time sure, but in a month you will have to set the time again. If you get it wet the face will have condensation under it, and they are made of cheap products...trust me I had a p.o.s. watch for work and now I spend a bit more.
I won't start with the Lexus/Rolls one.
Sorry OP I got a little side tracked.
Click to expand...
 
zoraduntov said:
do you Think the 1,000 dollar wax will provide results worth 1,000 dollars
Click to expand...

Isn't this a repeat of the original question?

Opinions vary, and value is very subjective. It's only worth it if you think it is. I think most will say no, but some disagree or it wouldn't sell. Try it and let us know. :D:D:





:White Horse:
 
Our Vintage is certainly worth it, especially when we charge extra for applying it to a car. We're on our 3rd refill now so its paid for itself several times over - I also happen to think it's an incredibly hard wax to beat (Better than collinite etc) in durability and looks, direct sun light really brings out the best in it IMO.
 
How much do you typically pay for a jar of car wax, 50 or $100? How does $30,000 sound? No, that's not a typo, but it is what automotive wax producer Zymol is charging for its Solaris Glaze car wax.

It comes in a pyramid-shaped solar-activated container, I?m not entirely sure if its purpose, although it looks good and maybe that?s it. Only 25 containers of Solaris Glaze will be produced and each includes a gold mixing spoon and is refillable for life. Even at this price it very quickly sold out, which speaks volumes for the marketing of a product

With organic waxes you reach a certain price point, usually over $200, when you are not just paying for the basic ingredients anymore. Value, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.

The set price point of a high dollar wax has to recuperate:
- R&D costs, the so called speciality waxes or a glaze usually sells in small numbers
- Product packaging, usually eye catching and expensive
- Marketing cost are high as the product needs to appeal to an exclusive market segment
- Vendor mark-up, due to low volume sales this is usually much higher than for other products
- A higher than average price tends to add to the elitist or exclusivity factor
- Carnauba % content is a very inaccurate method to assess overall performance or value

Then there is the luxury effect and products uniqueness. Mr Royce said this about the price charged for RR automobiles [The price charged is whatever the market will stand]

In the final analysis; a wax or sealant can only reflect what is underneath it, so a clean, level well-prepared surface is the most important consideration (85% of a surfaces reflectivity is its preparation) along with applied product clarity
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top