Wax or Sealant

[transmiter]

Which would you choose and apply to your vehicle any why?

[Loafer]

For the TC I would do sealant.    For a high quality paint job I would use wax.  Sealant protects better and longer and would likely help with paint chipping more than wax.    Besides, if you use a deep wax you'll be saying hello to your little friend.  

[zalienz]

I have been going around and around on this topic. A few friends have recommended a high end paint sealant to protect the finish, like Ceramic Pro or Opti Coat Pro Plus. Both tout their excellence in protecting paint finishes. The issue is price - both are in the $1000 - $2000 range for paint correction and application. Sorry, that's more $$$$ than I'm willing to spend. The also brag of their paint warranties, and word has it that trying to collect on paint damage due to outside influence - tree sap, bird droppings, environmental fallout, etc., is very difficult to get. No thanks.

There are recommended ways of protecting vehicle paint.

First, cleaning. A good wash with strong detergent removes most of the grunge on the paint, and any old wax. If there still is remaining stuff on the paint, a clay bar is recommended next to remove contaminates.

Second is polishing. A glaze or polish applied by hand or machine removes the small scratches and produces a deep shine. This is the paint correction phase, that gets your paint looking as good as possible without scratches. Most of the hard work is in this step.

Third, if you choose it, is to apply a sealant. The sealant does only sealing, so it's important that step 2 is done as perfectly as possible to seal in the deep shine.

Fourth, (or third if you don't do sealant) is to apply a coat of wax. Wax is the step that coats and protects all of the previous steps. Depending on the wax, you'll need to have it re-applied every 6 months, max.

I'm about ready to pull the trigger, my Connect needs a good detail, seal and wax.

I prefer the Chemical Guys, quality products for a reasonable price. Since my van is black, I will use the Blacklight glaze polish, Jet Seal, and Carnauba Wax.

http://www.chemicalguys.com/

They have many YouTube videos on their products and applications, check it out.

Choose what works best for you, your vehicle, and your budget.

 

[Beta Don]

On 7/27/2017 at 8:48 PM, transmiter said:

Which would you choose and apply to your vehicle any why?

Too many variables  -  What you use and why would depend on lots of things.  How you use the vehicle and what you expect from it.  Are you a 'car show' kinda guy who keeps his vehicle freshly washed and all shined up every week?  More importantly, where do you keep it when you're not driving it?

The best thing you can do with anything you want to last a long time is . . . . . keep it out of the weather, especially out of the sun.  If your TC is garage kept anytime it's not being used, the modern finish on it will likely last a long time without you doing or using much of anything.  It really amazes me how many vehicles which cost $30K or more live their entire lives out in the weather, 24/7.  Before I would even think about spending that much (or more) on something to drive, I would reassess where I lived and why it would need to sit outside.  If I couldn't garage it, I would reassess what I'll drive and how much I would pay for it, but that's just me.  I realize everyone has different priorities  -  Many people living in condos and rental apartments drive $50K (or more) vehicles which sit outside with the sun and the weather beating them up every single day.  Very different priorities

If your vehicle is garaged, a yearly coat of something like Turtle Wax Ice is probably all it needs  -  Cheap, easy to put on, even easier to remove and keeps it looking very nice *if* you don't have the sun and weather beating it up 24/7.  If you have a nice vehicle and no place to park it out of the weather, something more suitable and expensive probably needs to be used and probably more often than once per year

Don 

[transmiter]

Did anyone try both? Wax and sealant, I believe they call the process layering?

[transmiter]

So did a couple of research about the method and found this thread and hoping it would be helpful to all.

https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/12418-question-about-layering-wax.html

[JohnnyB]

I would use a polymer paint sealant, no wax needed, a polymer you can add layers, (wax does not adhere to wax), especially to the front end to help make it easy to wipe off, I use CarShow1 Paint sealant, 8 oz will last you a long time. 

https://www.amazon.com/CAR-SHOW-Polymer-Paint-Sealant-Made/dp/B010R2JCG8/ref=lp_13672569011_1_2?srs=13672569011&ie=UTF8&qid=1505425754&sr=8-2

[rodent 66]

This is my personal experience. Having owned a new motorhome (if you can imagine how long it would take to wax one), this is what the RV dealers use to keep these big monstrousties looking good. They use a wash /wax that has a lot of Carnuba wax in the solution. By washing with a soft 12” wide brush w/extension handle the new paint finish will get a coat of Carnuba wax on it. Although we had a motorhome garage to keep it in it still gets dust, dirt, bugs on the outside after driving. It kept it looking like new untill we sold it many yrs later. I also used this type wash/wax on my personal pick ups I owned that spent their lives out in the sun. One ( after 11 years in the sun) showed no signs of oxidation or break down of the clear coat ( vehicle was silver color). Generally I would do this about (4) times a yr on my pick ups. Using the wash/wax w/Carnuba in a bucket with a soft 12” wide brush and extension handle . I would double the amount of solution called for that mixed with water. Water would still bead up after (3) months. Just my 2 cents.

[Don Ridley]

Regardless of what brand or type of wax you use, you must buy a tool like this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002EQ96MG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_DJ41Fb9YWW12V?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

Harbor Freight has their version for about $80. You should buy a couple of the Chemical Guysa application pads:

https://www.chemicalguys.com/hex-logic-6.5-best-of-the-best-buffing-pads-everything-kit-8-items/BUF_HEXKITS_8.html?&gclid=CjwKCAiAt9z-BRBCEiwA_bWv-Nlw8cwmS61ytjwJ3s_aCXTKLz18rrAoka9LTfbXEFtLw-qppOiCchoCklIQAvD_BwE

 

This tool allows you to polish and wax effortlessly. So even reapplying wax every couple of months is not a problem. Never wax a van by hand again!

 

I use Meguiars polishing compound to clean dull spots and finish with Meguiars cleaner wax. Works well for my white van.

[Whoopz]

For most people, it's down to preference. Some don't mind applying wax more frequently, so a traditional carnauba wax is ideal. Others prefer a synthetic base sealant and carnauba spray wax as a topper. You have endless choices, depending on your climate and situation.

For starters, you might want to try a hybrid spray wax like Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic or Turtle Wax Seal and Shine, both are easy to use and should be available locally.