What's your favorite wax and/or resin glaze?

[Mudgen]

What do you guys like for maintaining exterior finish? I've tended to use TR3 Resin Glaze a couple times a year, and Mother's Carnauba every month or so over a long succession of sport and luxury cars, but the classic Mother's carnauba in a tin is pretty hard to find any more.

What do you use, and where do you buy it? I was thinking this might be troll bait until I saw the sincere responses to the refrigerator thread. You're a great bunch of folks.

[audtatious]

For regular wax I use Mequiar's Gold Class. For glaze I use Klasse (all-in-one cleaner and the High Gloss Sealant Glaze).

[SVTCOBRA]

I used to use Mequiar's Gold Class, but now mostly only use Zaino products.
I use Scratch X on stubborn stuff.

[bentrod]

I use nothing but Finish Kare FK1000P Hi-Temp wax. It's unbelievably durable and the shine looks like you put on an extra coat of clear. I've been around the collision repair business for 35 years and never saw another product like this. Plus it's not expensive ($16.00) and a can will do at least 15 to 20 applications. Every person I've had try it won't use anything but this wax. I'm really impressed how it holds up to the snow, ice, salt and yes the evil car wash.

[mike.strong]

The best is Meguiar's/11 oz. 2.0 NTX generation tech paste wax.

I use it on my Porsche and M45.

The best that I have used

[Mudgen]

I use nothing but Finish Kare FK1000P Hi-Temp wax. It's unbelievably durable and the shine looks like you put on an extra coat of clear. I've been around the collision repair business for 35 years and never saw another product like this. Plus it's not expensive ($16.00) and a can will do at least 15 to 20 applications. Every person I've had try it won't use anything but this wax. I'm really impressed how it holds up to the snow, ice, salt and yes the evil car wash.

That sounds great, I have a problem with gum trees in the driveway dumping stuff that eats wax. Where do you get it? I'm seeing mostly UK and AU sources.

[audtatious]

FK1000P seems to get some good reviews. You need to be careful with it on trim it seems. Much harder to work with than KSG, but if you only want to do one coat then it seems to do well. KSG will need a couple of coats minimum.

Some of these can be funny on certain paint. I know one coat of KSG with a coat of Mequiar's Gold Class on my 2k2 Maxima would only last a month or two before the majority of the car would not bead. On my G it seems to last much longer (no glaze yet, just wax). Any idea how Infiniti paint holds up to the different brands?

[bentrod]

That sounds great, I have a problem with gum trees in the driveway dumping stuff that eats wax. Where do you get it? I'm seeing mostly UK and AU sources.[/quote]

I order it on the Web.

http://www.autogeek.net/finish-kare-1000p-wax.html

[Mudgen]

Thanks for the source, Bentrod. It's weird that you guys and absolutely everyone who sells it call it 1000p or FK1000p, but FinishKare calls it BWM-1000. And you can't find it on the FinishKare site with the navigation links from the home page--I stumbled across the link with a Google search.

Well. Today I clay-barred the new G and then used TR3 Resin Glaze on it. First time I've clayed, but I've used TR3 as an initial sealant for many years, from my prized and much missed '85 RX7 GSL-SE to my '95 Q45 to my '99 A4 (POS, dumped fairly quickly). Tried it on my first of 3 Subies, and it didn't get along with their paint, was hard to get off.

Now feels like glass with the plastic bag test. That should hold her until the 1000p comes in.

[Mudgen]

And for anyone who doesn't know about TR3, here's the commercial that sold me back in the day. Warning: it cannot be un-seen. But SFW.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePedjzubJWc

[cjs37xs]

Have you heard about Zaino? I love their products, and I love the way it protects, and I love how it makes my car look.

I love it...

I put it on once in about September, and it will last all through the winter...water always beads up on the horizontal surfaces. I will throw another layer of the stuff on in the spring. Neighbors always say, "you know it's gonna rain in a couple days?". I know, I don't care. I can't wait for it to rain right after a wax job (WHAT!?!).
My wife is a little embarrassed about how much I stare at my car when it is raining or has just rained. Check them out. Look up Zaino on google, and go to their site...and learn something about what goes on to your painted surfaces.

This was after an afternoon rain last fall, just a couple days after being sealed with Zaino. It still looks like that now when it gets wet.

[Mudgen]

Thanks cjs37xs. Did the reading and it looks like a great product line. Will consider for future use. Durability in weather and environmental fallout (mostly tree offal for me) are big issues for me, and Zaino claims to solve them.

Will report back on how the FK1000p holds up for me.

Right now I'm resisting driving to Myrtle Beach and back just to get the break in over with, want to be able to floor this thing. Oh, you need some orange juice, honey? I think there's a sale in Fredericksburg. I'll be back in a couple of hours....

[Mudgen]

The FK1000p was on the porch when I got home this afternoon, and the temp was mid-fifties, so I put it on. Judging from how much it took to do the car, a can is going to last a very long time if it holds up for a few months per application. Will probably do another coat this weekend, but it looks really great right now.

I ordered it through Amazon from Palm Beach Motoring Accessories because their shipping was $2 lower than Autogeek, same price for the wax itself. Lo and behold, when the package arrived, it was from Autogeek. With a flyer inside bearing a discount code good for 10% off orders NOT made through Amazon. Which wouldn't have been enough to offset the higher shipping on my order. Code is "AMAZON10", help yourselves if you need anything from them.

[joe603]

Zaino gets my vote! I've been using it for over a decade and have had excellent results.

[Mudgen]

Zaino gets my vote! I've been using it for over a decade and have had excellent results.

Yeah, after doing some reading about Zaino, I'd probably go with it for ease of use and durability. But now I have what may be a lifetime supply of FK1000p (I'm pretty old), so I'll have to see how it holds up to weather and sap. It applies very easily for a wax. Looks and goes on a lot like Mother's California Gold Classic, but buffs a LOT easier.

I've been out of touch with detailing products after three Subarus in a row, because in spite of their technical excellence, they use thin, crappy paint and no matter what you do to it it's only going to look so good.

[IN.G37]

Optimum great products. Optimum Car wash soap and not to mention their Instant Detailer which I use as a deying aid leaves plenty of gloss and slickness.

I use Optimum Poli Seal: A wipe on walk away paint sealnt.
For maintenance I use Optimum spray wax takes 15 minutes to wax the car.

[ekimzirk]

Zaino.

AWESOME PRODUCT! I have used it for 7 years, my Audi, Nissan, Honda, Acura, Infiniti are pristine, with Z-6 every couple of months, spray finisher, all done after the initial wash with Dawn, clay bar.

My car is titts! Looks wet all of the time!

Wish posting Pic's on this site were not such a PITA!

[Mudgen]

Wish posting Pic's on this site were not such a PITA!

Yeah, it took me three tries to get it. And I've been a systems engineer for 27 years, was running the CERN httpd reference model web server software at the dawn of the web.

[Mudgen]

The FK1000P (2 coats + another after a month) held up pretty well through the tail end of winter and the early spring, but the first week of "tree offal" season ate it. I have mature pines that throw a lot of pollen, and two trees along the drive that shed flowery stuff for about a month in the spring. When that stuff is on the car and it rains on it, it tears up every wax and sealant I've tried in 18 years of owning the house.

Collinite 845 on the way. Got a promo deal. We'll see.

[bentrod]

I would cut down the damn pine trees, IMHO

[biggie]

After 2 years of owning it, I'm going to try for my first coat of wax on the G next weekend. Probably just go with the Meguiar's Carnuba Gold.

Already used it on my 2 CF hoods after using Meguiar's Ultimate Compound to clear up the clearcoats on both of them. Have pics of before and after if anyone is interested (or they are in my 'build' threads in KA-T and 240 Vert sections).

[SVTCOBRA]

I like the glaze on a dozen hot Krispy Kremes!!!!

[Mudgen]

I like the glaze on a dozen hot Krispy Kremes!!!!

I didn't even realize you were a policeman....

[370Z/28]

Oh crap....SVT is a cop!! I better quit posting where I hide my radar detector. and quit talking about chirping my tires.

Seriously, I strayed from Zaino and I never will again. Skyler was one car that really needed it. Nothing compares with the ease of use and the nice glossy shine. I can Zaino my car in no time at all.

[Mudgen]

Yeah, Zaino will probably be the next step after Collinite if the Hanover County pines eat that too. I think I've been resistant to the idea of something I have to mix together and then use up whatever I mixed then and there. That would probably have to wait for next pine pollen season.

[Mudgen]

My Collinite 845 came in yesterday, and I did a second coat today, in about 20min. This morning I had hosed off the pine pollen, and by the time I got to 60mph, there was no water left on the hood. With the FK1000P there were a few drops left when I got to town, 5 miles away.

The Collinite does have the advantage of being over 3 coats of FK1000P. Will report back on how it holds up to the rest of pollen season, but I love the ease of use and initial results.

[Mudgen]

Used to own 1967 Datsun 2000 (W/Solexes)

Just noticed this! I had a 1970 (stolen, still have the title). Apparently someone had put a high ratio rear end in it, because it would do 110 in 3rd, and the valves rattled if you shifted into 5th at anything under 70.

[Mudgen]

My Collinite 845 came in yesterday, and I did a second coat today, in about 20min. This morning I had hosed off the pine pollen, and by the time I got to 60mph, there was no water left on the hood. With the FK1000P there were a few drops left when I got to town, 5 miles away.

The Collinite does have the advantage of being over 3 coats of FK1000P. Will report back on how it holds up to the rest of pollen season, but I love the ease of use and initial results.

Well, alrighty! Collinite 845 has now held up through 3 rains on top of the almighty tree pollen. It films up and loses its bead, but a foamy wash restores the beading. First product I've used that made it through more than two rains in pollen season here in pine heaven. I know this is a Zaino crowd, but there's just something about having to use an activator and throw out any I don't use that trips me up.

[audtatious]

I just did a coat of Sonus SFX-3 on my G to see how it does. The only place I had to do anything "additional" was the trunk in which I used some clear coat cleaner, Sonus SFX-2 and finished with SFX-3.

[Mudgen]

Aud, SFX-3 is a polish. Do you use anything over it, wax or sealant?