wax/polish which brands seem good

[yipekiya]

I was going to wax my car and have some questions. Is mothers any good, and should I do this by hand or buy myself a polisher.

Or should I just take it to a pro?

Rob

[javier]

what color is your car. Is it black or some other dark color.

[ruechaos]

I used Meguiar's Gold Class on my 944 right after I bought it. Turned out awesome. I also hear good things about karnuba based waxes and washes. I would say do it by hand, I would never trust an electic polisher near my car.

My 2 cents.

-Tony

My car after the wax:

[yipekiya]

The car is dark grey.

[Sergio]

If you are using a power buffer, get an orbital one, and not a rotary one, the rotary can burn right through the paint very quickly. The orbital one doesnt really spin as much as it vibrates. I use an orbital one.. The Gold Class is excellent wax. Im always looking for some spray stuff to use between waxes, I used to use McQuires Quick Wax, cause its kind of a cleaner wax. If you are shining the car up for the weekend and there is something on the paint I use this stuff, it cleans it off and shines it up nice, takes care of little scuff marks etc. I just bought some stuff made by Eagle 1 WET called wipe and shine, and although it doesnt really have much cleaning power, (ie. zero abrasives)the operative word is SHINE. and does it ever..If your paint is nice and glossy after youve waxed.. This stuff makes it like a mirror..I was bored and put like 5 coats on my hood and now I can see the filaments in the light bulbs on the ceiling of my garage in it. Justa wipe it ona and a wipe it offa!!!

Sergio

[javier]

I use the "Eagle 1 WET" stuff on my black car. It's great and really makes the paint shine. I dont recommend using a power buffer, especially if yout paint is thin at the edges. By hand is the best way unless you have extra $$$'s to have a pro go at it.

Do a "Clay Bar" treatment to clean the paint surface before you do the wax.

[porsche1987_944s]

You should only use a power buffer if you know what your doing, in the right hands its a priceless tool, but it should only be used if your paint is in really bad condition, otherwise a hand wax or orbital buffer should be enough. Carnuba based wax should be used as a last step, after a polish.

[stray15]

I don't wax my car, I don't need to. I don't even use water to wash my car. If your interested in what I do let me know.

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Porsche, through and through
Tim
'83 944

My Photo Page
My Home Page

[ae1969]

ok stray.... you got me curious.... how do you wash your car without water?

[ae1969]

I use maguire's and polish by hand....the paint is still fresh....almost 2 years old.... and it looks great.

Question..How do you get little specs of tar of your paint? They had oiled the road...and I drove about 5 miles/hour and still!! got specks of tar/oil...wont come off....and don't want to scratch to hard?

[TheStig]

I use Meguiars too but not the Gold Class. I tried Gold once and I got the same effects as the regular....maybe because the paint is still in real good condition. I wax it like every month and use meguiars quickwax after everywash religiously...than a lil wiff of the arm pit and then i need the wash



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Porsche. Es gibt keinen Ersatz.

[K Wayne]

Originally posted by ae1969:
I use maguire's and polish by hand....the paint is still fresh....almost 2 years old.... and it looks great.

Question..How do you get little specs of tar of your paint? They had oiled the road...and I drove about 5 miles/hour and still!! got specks of tar/oil...wont come off....and don't want to scratch to hard?

Get some bug and tar remover,or you can use WD-40 or polishing compound. I've even used mineral spirits....all of these petroleum based products should work,,,,,a "cleaner wax" will also be effective but requires alot of buffing.

[stray15]

Originally posted by ae1969:
ok stray.... you got me curious.... how do you wash your car without water?

I use this stuff thats called Dri-Wash and Guard. Or something to that nature. Its a spray that you spray on the car and wipe the car then u let it become a haze and then you use a clean towel to wipe it off, kinda like a wax. What this stuff does is removes all the dirt and removes the old wax and puts on a new layer. It leaves you with an incredible shiny and smmmooooooooooooth paint. I just wish my paint was in better shape so I can take full advantage of it.

My boss uses it on his Jimmy and it looks great, I use it on my buddies Jeep and it looks great. The stuff removes bird crap like a dream.

---

Porsche, through and through
Tim
'83 944

My Photo Page
My Home Page

[stray15]

I have also used Eagle One Wet and liked it as well, but now I don't use that stuff kuz it takes too long, I get a better shine with my other stuff.

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Porsche, through and through
Tim
'83 944

My Photo Page
My Home Page

[newoldguy]

With waxes as good as they are today I don't think you need a powered buffer or polisher. And you really don't need to take it to somebody either again because the products are so good today you can do as good a job in your garage and save some money for some other good stuff for your car. I used Zaino on my Guard's Red 87 944 and WOW it looks great. This product does include the clay bar treatment as Javier suggested to you. It goes on easy and polishes off with no swirl marks. Before this I also used 3M Imperial Hand Glaze because I had read that the Porsche paint liked it and I liked the results a lot. But given what I'm reading I think I may give Eagle One Wet a try on my other car and see how it goes.
Curtis '87 944 na

[Lawrence Coppari]

I've been happy with Maguires. A number of years ago I bought a Porter Cable orbital sander with the attachments for doing wax jobs on cars. You place a foam fat wafer on the buffer and go at it. Slow speed is used to apply wax, then a higher speed for buffing. I had my wife, who likes to sew, make a terrycloth shower cap-like cover for the foam wafer for the buffing part. But be careful and don't burn the paint and be especially careful where there are edges because there is little surface area and you can go through clear coat/paint easily. I have a stiff pad for using swirl remover and the softer pad for applying wax. I can do a sedan in about 45 minutes.

[Obin Robinson]

another Meguiars user here. we have used it on every car we've owned and the results are spec-freaking-tacular.

obin

[Goku]

Just so you know...if your car is stock, your 'dark grey' is probably "stone grey mettalic" LIKE MINE =)

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ßrªÐL£µ
88' 951
2k VW Golf 1.8L TURBO
Reluctantly crouched at the starting line...

[jwolk1]

Go to carcareonline.com, they have several documents that speak specifically to taking care of the exterior and interior of a Porsche. I have ordered from them and they are very reliable. In a nutshell they suggest the use of One grand Blitz wax on a daily driver - the stuff looks great and has endured the New York City acid rain very well. I highly recommend visiting the site, I learned a lot -

Jeremy
1983 Guards Red

[944Driver]

Mother's California Gold here. It's 100% Carnuba, and is a three step system: pre-wax cleaner, sealer and glaze, and final wax.