Told to stay away from waxes w/ cars having no clear coat?

I

imported_faashee

New member
I have an '89 BMW and all the protective clear coat (if there ever was one) is gone. So I asked a curator of automobiles what to use and he said to stay away from all of the products I hear talked about on this forum. He says to use only the Mothers California Gold Carnauba cleaner wax. Something about the silicon in it working with the paint... I've done that but don't have the high shine that I'm looking for. Will I ever get that level of shine back? (Without a new paint job?)

Thank you,
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

So I asked a curator of automobiles what to use and he said to stay away from all of the products I hear talked about on this forum</blockquote>

Ehhh, wrong. While some products we talk about here won't work great on non-clear finishes there are many that will. You can use polishes, waxes or sealants on single stage paints. I would say 99% of the products we talk about here are safe to use on non-clear paints.

You can get the high level of shine back, it will likely require a good polishing to remove the "dead" paint and oxidation to bring back the wet gloss that you desire.
 
Preparation is extremely important. Follow the suggestions on this forum and follow up with any of the good carnaubas or sealants discussed on this site. The time you spend before the final coat will reap the rewards. Mothers Cleaner wax is decent but doesn't come up to the standards of employing specialized products for each step. A one step product is fine for quick work but won't produce the same results as a thorough cleaning, polishing and waxing.
 
thank you for your comments. When my husband and I were doing the cleaning & polishing (before we stopped based on what I was told) we were removing so much of the red paint from the car - our cloths were very deep red! So we were nervous to continue... should we have been?
 
Probably not but it's hard to tell without seeing paint condition and how much is coming off. One thing is definite and that is that Red is one of those colors that fade badly and oxidizes. Suggest you try a small area that is not too conspicuous to see if you can restore the color and get rid of the oxidation. The best advice is to not get overly aggressive at first and use the mildest product you can get results from (in other words don't go gung-ho with a coarse rubbing compound). I haven't had to restore any finishes so maybe some of the other members will add their suggestions as to what products you should try.

It can be a lot of work but the rewards can be there too.
 
Don't use very aggressive products if you don't have to, but the red you are seeing on your rags is almost unavoidable, and is dead and oxidized paint. This should be removed prior to waxing.



You can use a carnuba wax as a final protectant after prep. Zaino makes a product designed for non clearcoated cars called Z3. Check it out, it will will give you a higher level of UV protection than carnuba, and last longer.
 
I think it is a shame that a curator would give you incorrect advice. One would hope that they would know their stuff.



There are many experts here on the forum, that do recommend products like Klasse, Zaino etc and for a long time we had a guy who supplied OE products to the motor trade and he recommended these products.



A curator should know better. I use Autoglym, which is recommended by Rolls Royce, Jaguar, BMW etc etc. If you want to know how really to get the best deal from your paintwork, listen to what the people on this forum say, not forgetting some do concours shows.



Steven
 
Thank you again for your comments... So the fear I have of taking the paint down to the primer isn't valid? If you have any preferred products (the gentle ones) you use to get the paint to the stage where I'm ready to apply wax that you will share with me - it will be most appreciated. My own inclination is to use:

a cleaner, a polish, a wax. I see many more products in the detailing information... again I'm just not sure about their interaction on paints without clear coat...
 
For a non-clearcoated car polising is going to be the key. Use a mild abrasive like 3M Swirl Mark Remover (part 39009) to clean off the "dead" paint and oxidation. If the oxidation is pretty bad you will probably should use a machine for the polish, otherwise you may spend a whole day polishing by hand.
 
These guy's are steering you right. My Jag is a non-clearcoated single stage paint. After nearly 40 years of abuse I resurected the finish from a dark grey/brown color. It was awful. I did it almost entirely by hand with some buffer help. I used 3M Fine Cut Rubbing Compound followed by 3M Finnesse It.



I now have a basecoat of Klasse SG and a topcoat of Pinnacle Souveran on it.



I think you'll find more expert advice from Autopia than from most self proclaimed "experts"!



standard.jpg
 
The part # for Car Care Online is 10113. The part # I listed (39009) is the 3M part number, but yes they are the same product.:up
 
Hi Ali, I don't mean to one-up you, because CMA is definitely a great place to buy supplies, however if I were to buy a few 3M products, then I would go to the 3M Car Care Online Store. CMA's shipping prices tend to be a bit high. The 3M store does not charge any shipping at all.

3M Care Care Online Store
 
Ok, I will order from them. One other question is about the Klasse products you used after you got the paint resored. I know they are good, but is there another one I will be happy with. (I used the Klasse products on another car and I think it takes more work than I am able to do to make it turn out right since I wasn't so impressed with it.)
 
Zaino products may interest you. www.zainobros.com They make a special sealant for non-clearcoated cars called Z3. They are all very good products that are easy to use and have great durability.
 
Meguiars #20 sealant is also a durable sealant that is very easy to apply/remove (more so than Klasse) and is a great base for carnubas.
 
I'm getting a little confused about what is what.

What is the right order for all of this? When I read the info on each manufacturers site, it seems that each one has their own vocabulary... So it looks like I follow an order like this:

gentle compound

polish

sealant

wax

Is it ok to mix the manufacturers?

The products that I'm researching now, but want to use only the ones I need to

(These first 3 products look very good to me but what category are they?):

3M Finesse It

3M Hand Glaze

3M fine cut rubbing compound

Meguiars #20 sealant - Is this to be used before the Z3?

Zainobros Z3 - I think this is the final coat to apply



....and then Autoglym (which has a very impressive website, but it's in the U.K.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top