[eyedoc2]

Probably a stupid question...but here goes anyways. Had a frame off, ground up finished on my 69 vert about a year ago. BC/CC Glacier Blue,
looks nice. Paint man says since the car stays garaged under a cover (until the weekend or a show) and it shouldn't see rain again (I hope)
he says I don't need to wax it. Says the spray detailer I use is enough.
Any knowledgeable ideas/opinions would be appreciated, along with what
you consider the best wax to use on it. Thanks!

[DOUG G]

I wax mine and use the detailer between.

[DjD]

If you take your car out on weekends and you show it outdoors there is benefit from waxing the paint. The more it's out in the elements the more it needs protection from the elements. A good carnuba past wax will give the best protection from the sun and airborne fallout, be it bird poop, pollen and stuff from trees or caustic particles from industrial polution etc.

Your year old paint is ready for a fine polishing and a good paste waxing... Detail spray is a great thing but if you are using it to keep your paint clean and looking nice you are most likely contributing to cobwebbing (very fine scratches). A good coat of paste wax will go a long way in protecting the paint from cleaning/detailing scratches.

[Skeeter55]

Originally Posted by DjD

If you take your car out on weekends and you show it outdoors there is benefit from waxing the paint. The more it's out in the elements the more it needs protection from the elements. A good carnuba past wax will give the best protection from the sun and airborne fallout, be it bird poop, pollen and stuff from trees or caustic particles from industrial polution etc.

Your year old paint is ready for a fine polishing and a good paste waxing... Detail spray is a great thing but if you are using it to keep your paint clean and looking nice you are most likely contributing to cobwebbing (very fine scratches). A good coat of paste wax will go a long way in protecting the paint from cleaning/detailing scratches.

X2 but i use Jimmy's G once a year.... http://jimmygs.myshopify.com/

[DOUG G]

There are oils in wax that helps the paint live a long life. Paint as it cures and over time loses these oils and need to be replenished. Look at some of those chalky,dull,oxidized paint jobs out there....reds seem to be the worse (I guess due to the organic pigments used ?)

[ace's68]

After it was painted, did the painter cut, color sand, and buff the paint?

[tyrob]

Wax is a good idea. The only time you do not want to use a wax is on a freshly painted surface. Fresh paint needs 60 to 90 days to let the solvents escape. If you put wax on it will seal and trap the solvents.After 90 days it is recommended .When you wet sand and buff a fresh finish you are using compounds which do not seal the surface.

[kenseth17]

I agree with your painter. Modern urethanes really don't need to be waxed often (Not like old lacquers and enamels did anysays), to hold up well against normal everyday elements, but really doesn't hurt to keep the paint protected with a wax with things like overspray from people working in the area or industrial fallout (friggers were blacktopping a parking lot not long after I painted one of my car, and had tar all over her) and birds dropping there acid sheet that can etch in the finish if left sitting.

Look at all the new cars, how long the paint normally stays looking nice and glossy (and how many owners do you think actually regularily wax there cars. You never really see color fading and oxidizing anymore, Uv protectors in the clear protect the color against this.
I'd personally just keep it clean, And although it sounds like yours will lead a pampered life, On a daily driver and car driven in winter, would regularily spray underneath to keep any packed up mud clear and road salt off which breeds rust.
What is probably most harmfull to the finish is washing a hot car thats been sitting in the sun, hitting it with cold water. Also dry after you wash (think of all those little water beads baking in the sun as tiny magnifying glasses) After washing, I'd probably just use a glaze (many which are paint safe and will still allow the paint to breath and solvents to escape, so can be used on fresh paint job), even if it won't last through as many washes. Heck of a lot easier to apply and remove. Maybe wax once a year. But thats just me and my opinions.

[jeff2425]

I think if you used a good wax you would see a better shine. I like mequires next generation 2. you probably only need one wax a year for your situation.

[eyedoc2]

Thanks for the good feedback. I've always been one to wax but definitely
wanted to avoid any of those fine swirl marks you can see in some cars if
you catch 'em just right. Definitely didn't want to make a mistake on this one. Next weekend by the time she's on the road there should be a fresh coat of wax on top!

[eyedoc2]

Originally Posted by ace's68

After it was painted, did the painter cut, color sand, and buff the paint?

I know he did after the base coat, but not sure after the clear. It looks great with no
lines or swirls, but I'm no painter so I would just be guessing about the clear. Thanks.

[kiwicamaro]

Both Meguiars and Mothers sell a three stage polish which give the ultimate shine and protection to your paint work.

Stage 1 is a paint cleaner that will remove contamination and the light swirls that that appear on clear-coats especially on the darker colours

Stage 2 is a Polish that will give your vehicle the deep shine "Wet Look" to your paint

Stage 3 is a Wax this essentially gives a protective coating to the polish from step 2 to lock in the shine. The best wax is one that is made of pure carnauba wax and is simply a wax and contains no cleaners or polishes. So wax does not shine your vehicle but protects the polish that you applied. Cheaper products combine a polish and wax as one much like a shampoo and conditioner.

Essentially you only need to to do step 1 and 2 or simply if your vehicle has perfect paint ie no swirls and smooth as glass you only need to do stage 2 especially if it is never exposed to the elements.

Dont skimp and penny pinch on polish and wax for your vehicle, people spend many many thousands on painting their vehicle so it makes sense to spend a couple of hundred to maintain that expensive paint job with the best products.

[Steiner]

Originally Posted by eyedoc2

I've always been one to wax but definitely
wanted to avoid any of those fine swirl marks you can see in some cars if
you catch 'em just right.

The best way to avoid the swirlies (other than not being a nerd caught alone in the bathroom) is to
1. Keep your washing materials separate and clean, and
2. Wash and wax/buff in straight lines instead of circular.

It would take a lot of work on someone's part to get me to use anything other than Zaino.

http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

[kiwicamaro]

Originally Posted by Steiner

The best way to avoid the swirlies (other than not being a nerd caught alone in the bathroom) is to
1. Keep your washing materials separate and clean, and
2. Wash and wax/buff in straight lines instead of circular.

It would take a lot of work on someone's part to get me to use anything other than Zaino.

This web site gives a detailed test that shows that Zaino is no better than most of the top end polishes and is also very descriptive about removing the swirl marks on your vehicle, very interesting reading with loads of pictures so you can see the difference.

http://pages.sbcglobal.net/gheumann/zaino_test/

[Steiner]

Originally Posted by kiwicamaro

This web site gives a detailed test that shows that Zaino is no better than most of the top end polishes and is also very descriptive about removing the swirl marks on your vehicle, very interesting reading with loads of pictures so you can see the difference.

http://pages.sbcglobal.net/gheumann/zaino_test/

Before I get off track, let me say that the original poster is asking about wax or polish for a freshly painted car, not one that needs marks hidden at this point. However....

I read that entire page eight year old page. Maybe it's just me, but it seems to be written from the standpoint of a skeptic who set out to prove that it wasn't any better than the current product that he is partial to and uses. That would be like one of us writing an article about how we own a Camaro, love our Camaro, but decided to write an article about how we decided to drive a Mustang for a day and how gasp! our Camaro is better. He says he doesn't have an axe to grind yet he states he's used over 300 polishes or waxes many of which probably make their own statements. However, he's only made the one page and it's about Zaino. Additionally, there is not a description on actually removing swirl marks, only hiding them.

Like most people, I like what I like what I like. For polishes, that's Zaino and it took me awhile to come around. I don't remember stating that it was the best thing out there.

I could have personally gotten all the marks out of that guy's car but he might not have used the best procedure. Just a short story on what turned me on to Zaino....mind you I used other things that worked acceptably for years and blew Zaino off like a lot of people who have heard about it. I bought a black '01 Z/28 a few years ago out of Omaha. The previous owner had apparently washed it with a coin wash brush that had not been rinsed out and left it with hazy scratches from head to toe. I mean it looked like someone had gone over it with steel wool. I tried several products to clean it up or hide it but nothing worked. I even took it to a pro who said he would use a pre cut and get it all out. Well, he didn't after keeping the car for a weekend. I finally gave in and ordered the Zaino PC-Fusion and got everything out....by hand. And it wasn't that difficult. Then I followed up with one coat of the Z5 filler and one coat of the Z2 with the ZFX additive that allows immediate reapplication unlike the six hours the author quoted but maybe it wasn't available at the time (his article is eight years old). The car came out looking like glass. Yeah, it hurt doing a Dawn wash on a week old $150 polish job. I drove it for six months and then my wife needed another vehicle so I traded it in and got more on trade in than I had paid for it.

Now, everyone has their favorites and everyone is welcome to find their own. A person could spend about ten minutes on google and let someone tell him or her what he or she will like or figure it out on their own. The choice is ultimately up to the person as I've done and will continue to do both. Sometimes you're disappointed, sometimes not.

See? Not that hard to find something. Just type in "[product name] best" and a website will pop up.
http://www.ffcobra.com/magazine/waxtest.html