Best wax for the car ???
 

So I keep my boxster in the garage and love to clean it. What is the best wax out there ?? Thanks for your help.

The only wax you should use is this Swissvax USA: Crystal Rock - Paul Dalton's state-of-the-art Carnauba-Glaze, 200ml, only $1500, but why not the best for your car?

But you might want to try this MeguiarsDirect.com:NXT Generation® Tech Wax® 2.0 NXT Generation® Tech Wax® 2.0.

My bigger issue is how to get swirls out first, swirls on black paint bothers me so much. Haven't found a solution, been able to eliminate a bit after a few rounds, but I want them gone.

Progressive abrasives. Do you know how to use a rotary polisher? If so, it is wonderful, but if you don't, you can burn through paint in an instant. If you know what you are doing, start with a mild rubbing compound, like 3M, then go to a medium polish and then a fine polish.

Good recommendation San . I purchased a few jars of Swiss Wax this Spring, and I love it . I even use it on some appliances around the house . Also, I just picked up a jar of this stuff. Just in case, I'm thinking about trying it out on a friend's vehicle first - before using it on mine .

'World's Rarest and Most Expensive' car wax

Well, I am humbled, your one upmanship is truly epic. I wonder, is the Definitive Wax Marble a good wax for Bikini lines?

I will definitely try the meguiars wax.

I use this for swirls...
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1339300064.jpg

I like this wax... lasts a long time.... and is good on ribs and ....:chicken:
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1339300184.jpg

The only way to get rid of swirls is not to put them on the paint in the first place. Don't polish, wax, wash, or touch the paint at any time in a circular motion. That's why you have swirls. Always do it in a straight line from front to rear. I read a post on here at one time that said it the best, "Follow the direction of the wind". The more precise and anal you are about keeping your waxing, polishing, and washing in a straight line, the better your car will look. I learned how to do this a long time ago, and every car I have had since then has always gotten comments on how shiny they looked. I have a 20 year old van that some people say still looks new. People have asked me if I wax the Boxster every month and can't believe it when I tell them I only do it twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. BTW, it is parked outside year around under a car cover. It is Midnight Blue, just as bad as black for showing swirls. It is not so important as to what kind of wax you use, as it is how you use it.
It takes a lot of patience and time to do this correctly, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature. When you step back and look at the car sparkling back at you, that's the payoff for all the hard work and diligence. I've seen people stop their cars in the middle of the street to stare at the Boxster, even though it is 12 years old.
You will need to use a mild polishing compound to get rid of the swirls the first time you do this. This is the hard part, getting rid of the swirls without making any new ones. Then as long as you are anal about always washing, waxing, and polishing in a straight line, the car will always look good. Only an occasional touchup with the polishing compound to take care of those stray scratches will keep the paint looking swirl free. I will never ever use any kind of rotary polishing equipment on my paint, guaranteed to leave swirl marks. If you go around and around by hand, you are doing the same thing.
If you have a plastic rear window this also applies, even more so, except I polish it from side to side, in a straight line. Here's a pic showing the rear window. Not bad for the original 12 year old piece of plastic. (Taken last year, so it was only 11 years old.)
I'm not saying this is going to be easy to do, it will take all of your patience and discipline, but if you are able to do it, your car will stand out from the rest.
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1339315138.jpg

Deleted double post

You use that same wax on the plastic rear window ?

I use the Porsche plastic polish, and Plexus on the rear window.
Using Meguiars Clear Coat Body Scrub to remove paint scratches, with Meguiars Deep Crystal Wax to finish. I've had these for a long time and I don't think they are sold anymore. They have new products that are similar.
When I am lazy (often), I hit it with a coat of Meguiars Ultimate Quick Detailer in between the paste wax sessions.
A lot of the new polymer based waxes will hide the swirls and will give the car a beautiful gloss until they wear down. Then the swirls re-appear and you have to do the whole car again. A properly polished car will look good even with no wax on it.
But like I said before, it's not the brand of wax, but how you do it.

I bought one of these buffers from walmart, and used a swirl remover compound and got no where. It's such a pain to wash the car, and spend 8 hours on it. It looks nice and shiny in the garage, or in shade, but as soon as the sun comes out, all the little swirls and circles show on the paint, and it's as if you just didn't do any cleaning on the car. I might have to get mine professionally detailed, and get the swirls out. :(

http://i.walmartimages.com/i/mp/00/8...46_500X500.jpg

The professionals will use a power buffer on your car also. The paint will look good for awhile until whatever wax they used wears down and the swirls begin to show again.
I want you to try something since you already have some swirl remover compound. Take a small section of your car (the rear trunk is the easiest) and lay a string or some masking tape in a straight line from front to rear to use as a reference line right down the middle. Take a terry cloth rag (I use an old cotton sock) with some of your swirl compound and rub it in by hand following the reference line you put down. Keep working the compound until it works down to a fine polish. Follow the reference line exactly and use a push/pull type of motion. Don't stand to the side and try to do this. Your arm has a natural tendency to swing in an arc that will negate what you are trying to do. It takes a lot of time and training to make your arm go in a staight line from side to side. Do just one half of the trunk and be careful to follow the reference line exactly. When you are finished with the half you are doing, clean off the residue very carefully in a straight line and apply your wax in a straight line also. Polish the wax to a shine following the reference line and then stand back and compare it to the other half. Tell me what you think.

Hmmm, I'll try that.

Great info, thanks. I am going to try it this weekend. My Box is also Midnight Blue and swirl marks show easily.

I saw this at Walmart.. dark paint owners might give it a try..:cheers:http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1340164170.jpg

So, I bought a nice orbital polisher for nothing?!
Sheesh...no wonder my swirls didn't go away. :(

I doubt I'll be doing the straight line thing. I'd like to see the swirls gone, but that sounds like some seriously painful and tedious work. My arm hurts just thinking about it. :(

You should design and patent a "belt polisher", like a belt sander...maybe something like that already exists?
If not, I may have to do some modding. ;)

What gives, aren't you OCD enough to put up with a little pain?
Seriously though, it's not that bad if you pace yourself. Just do a small section at a time over the course of a couple of weeks. Eventually it gets done and you will be amazed how good the car looks without swirls looking back at you. I use a fairly aggressive buffing compound to start out on a car with bad swirls. Saves the arm. Then I progress to a fine polishing compound to bring out the shine. Don't try to do too much all at once, just do one panel like a fender or a door each time you feel like working on it. If you try to do too much all at once, thats when the pain factor takes over. If you are careful about how you wash the car (straight line only), you will only have to do the hard part once. I did my Box 4½ years ago when I got it and haven't had to do it again since then. A lot of people still think the car is new. (They wouldn't know a 987 if they saw one.) It is totally an illusion. From a short distance it looks great, but up close it has a ga-jillion rock chips and more than its share of road rash from 110K miles. I think one of the previous owners liked to follow gravel trucks. Had to replace the windshield because of all the rock hits. If I could afford it, the car would be a good candidate for a front end repaint, but it is shiny enough to fool most of the people that see it.

I've always had the mentality of not doing to much all at once. Do what you can, or want to. Lay a coat of wax on what you've completed and be done. Go for a drive. Enjoy your work. Next time it needs washed, wash it and do another section.

I do completely agree with Spinnaker. Straight lines do not create swirls of course. And the line equivilant of swirls are nearly unnoticeable on a well waxed car even in the blazing sun.

If you don't know where to start, just do the convertible top cover section. It's small and easy. Clay, rubbing compound, polish, glaze, and wax all in about 20-30 minutes. It'll look amazing and probably entice you to do the entire trunk.

HOWEVER! I don't agree on the bit about how it doesn't matter what products you use, its how you use them. Yes, its true. But thats like saying, it doesn't matter what car you drive, its how you drive it. No matter how well I drive my boxter at a track day, it will never keep up with the 500+ hp Ferraris....

So what products? I like turtle wax for all my polishes. They're great and have been around forever. But polishes don't make as big a difference as the wax does. Since wax is on top, its what everyone sees. It makes a huge difference. Best bang for the buck? Ziemol. Spend the extra money. Drop $60-100 on a can of color correcting wax. Bavarian Auto carries Ziemol if you dont know where else to look. There stuff is impressive and if you've never used an expensive wax, you'll be blown away.

Happy Boxstering.
~Brad

EDIT: Joel, the Black Box, is by far the best, cheap wax out there if you have a black car. It hides all those little rock chips in the hood, smells good, and is a rather decent wax. But it does require you to lay a full two coats of wax on your car. I would also recommend claying it before hand. But it does work great!!

Neekk1, while some of these comments are good some are just not good advise. I would recomend that you go to some of the manufactors sites and view their videos on how to wax and polish your car. Car Waxing - Griot's Garage . I find these very helpful.

you could try this

Best Car Wax & Best Car Polish | Cleanser Polish, Clean Vehicle Paintwork

I had one of those buffers too, if you really want to remove marks you are going to need a porter cable or equivalent.

To get swirls out you need a good polish with a random orbital buffer and the correct pads. Here is one of the best out there for getting rid of swirls: Menzerna Super Intensive Polish SI1500 PO83Q (32 oz) Menzerna Super Finish Nano Polish PO106FA (16oz) Heres a good machine: Porter Cable 7424XP Car Buffer / Polisher

Look at autogeek website for good detailing information as well as the best products to use. There are many on-line retailers who can provide you with the equipment needed to get that shine and keep it. I have a Porter Cable with 4 different pads I use to get it right. After that it's just a matter of maintaining the shine. On my Beepster I took it to a pro shop to get it right and now I maintain it. I do a few cars at my friends Indy shop to get them looking better and it takes time with the right equipment.

Griot's sells a modestly priced orbital polisher that produces just enough torque to get out swirls, unlike all the other buffers sold at Autozone and Wal-Mart.
The Porter Cable is what I have but its not my favorite...too heavy and shakes like hell when you have to set up the higher speeds for de-swirling. And with that much weight you have be careful and hold it firmly with both hands or you'll be at the body shop for some dent repair. You also have to buy the adapter plate so you can use auto detaling pads...point is the PC was not designed for auto detailing like the Flex polisher.

As far as waxes, I guess I'm defaulting to Griot's now that its coveniently found over the counter at Advanced Auto -- no need to spend on shipping or wait for shipping.
I'm no fanboy of particular wax brands, they all have the same basic ingredients you just get a little less bite and concentration with all the other over the counter brands like Turtle Wax. I could prep a car using Meguiars and one using Zaino (or similar boutique brand) and only a realy sharp eye with lots of experience could tell the difference. NAPA carries Duragloss which is just as good as the higher end Meguiars stuff. Honestly if you're going to spend money on anything put the budget towards high quality towels. Most auto stores and Wal-Mart sell the cheap microfiber towels intended for cleaning floors and kitchens. Those over-priced low quality towels will wreck your paint in no time. Try Poorboysworld.com and chemichalguys.com have some pretty good deals on towels.

p.s.
get into the habit of doing rinseless car washes and cleanings with products like Optimum No Rinse. Griots and Meguairs sell no rinse spray washes as well but No Rinse seems to be the most cost effective. Professional detailers use this approach on expensive cars just the same as econo boxes, safe for both. And unless you drive your car through the outback every day a bucket, car wash soap and hose wash is overkill just to remove the typical light coat of dust and dirt. Plenty of YouTube videos on rinseless washing. It's much easier on the paint in the long run.

So I have been lied to by every single bottle of wax, carwash, polish, and cleaner I have ever used. Dam those swirls and the circular motion instructions.
on another note is it better to use paste or liquid. Liquid is much quicker and that is what I usually use but I might want to try some paste.

I rarely see high carnauba content waxes in liquid form. Those carnauba pastes give you the wettest shine but don't last long unless your car is garaged. Dark/deep colors seem to look better with carnauba paste waxes. Mettalics like silver do equally well with a synthetic which come either liquid wax like Meguairs NXT or a synthetic paste. I favor the liquids like you for this reason. My car is parked outdoors these days so I need the durability of the synthetic. I top with a polymer spray like Finish Kare #425 which keeps the paint surface super slick like teflon for dust to roll off. The towel will glid right acrross the hood if you throw it.

I have been driving a lot lately and I am still down in the Tennessee mountain area and wanted to give my car a fast cleaning. I always have my kit of towels, cleaners and waxes with me. I went to get out my trusty bottle of Zymol detailer and it was empty. Hit three Auto-Zone, Advanced Auto etc. stores and not one bottle to be had. So I remember reading on this forum of someone raving about Turtle Wax ICE spray wax and Spray Detailer. So I purchased a bottle of each. I clean my car often and was looking to just use detailer but it was a mild day in the 80's and I figured I would give the wax a go since it stated "apply in sun or shade" and "perfect for all exterior surfaces including plastics, black trim and even glass". So I gave it a go and I have to say it was a joy to apply and my ride looked and felt so good after I was just amazed. I could not resist gliding my hand over the surface and looking at the depth of the metal-flake in the Ocean Blue paint. Awesome stuff and thanks to who ever it was on this forum that suggested it. I have been a Zymol fan for years and apply it regularly but since it is based on naturally derived waxes, I do need to do it often. This Turtle Wax product is made with synthetic polymers and expected to last longer. I have not used the detailer yet but I will try that in a few days. BTW, My clear plastic rear window has never looked better and my power windows glide like a brand new car. The wax went on so nice and easy I am wondering if I even needed the detailer. I will update this post when I do.

I've always gotten great results with Zaino products.

I don't have problems with swirls on my car...but I have used Zaino Z-5 Pro on friends's cars to remove swirls - by hand. As others have said you need to be patient and do one section at a time - over time.

Z-5 PRO Show Car Polish for Swirl Marks and Fine Scratches: Zaino Store

It's best to follow the Zaino instructions, and use their ZFX Flash Cure Additive. A little Z-5 goes a long way!

Because of this thread I bought the turtle wax ice today. Waxed my car Thursday with mcguires gold and as everyone knows paste wax is a labor of love. I thought i would try a test spot with the ice and before I knew it...15 minutes later had waxed the whole car. Very easy and seems to be a very good wax.

When I bought my Boxster 6 months ago, the PO included the One Grand Blitz Carnauba Wax he used. The car is in mint condition and looks great being 13 years old. And the reviews are pretty solid....

One Grand Blitz Carnauba Wax, 12 oz Jar : Amazon.com : Automotive

+1 on Zaino. The stuff is a pain to put on but looks great and lasts forever - seriously.

I have been using Grand Blitz Carnauba Wax for twelve years on all of my cars. Great stuff.

Insulator Wax » Collinite

That's what my detailer use. May not provide the best shine but super durable. People call this winter wax.

+1 for Collinite.

If you really want your car to look like glass, find a paint guy you can trust and have him wet sand your car and polish it. Not cheap, but the result is incredible.

Also +1 on rinseless washing.

......................

get a griot's 6" random orbital polisher. then purchase his all in one sealant/protector and an orange polishing pad. read the directions, and go to it. it will look wicked _issa.
Dan