Anybody have experience with Meguiars Black Wax on a black Fit?

I need a new wax and the Meguiars cleaner wax I have now isn't the greatest.

 

The Black Wax has more polishing oils than the white, whereas the White Wax has a bit more cut to it. While I am a big advocate on the majority of Meguiar's product, some of their consumer products aren't worth the money, the cleaner wax and waterspot remover being some of them.

I have heard good results as far as "pop" goes for dark cars using Black Wax. It's a bunch of trial and error and decision-making on how much you want to spend to make you car look the way you want it to.

 

Because it has more polishing oils in it, should I not use a polishing compound first? Just wash, dry, then apply the black wax? With so many products out there and steps, I'm never sure if I'm doing the right thing, lol.

 

Wash, rinse, clay, compound, wax.

 

It depends on how much you upkeep your car. If you've already detailed your car, and it just has very minor scratches/flaws, then after you've clayed, Black Wax would suffice as your polish step to sealing step. "Compounds" have more cut, less gloss; and "polishes" have more gloss factor, less cut. Also depends on what material you use to apply the product.

The simplest of steps are as follows: wash (and rinse), clay, compound, seal. It can get a bit more complicated, but it's all up to you how much love you feel your car needs.

 

Thanks for the help so far, bear with me, as I have a couple more questions.

Because you said black wax has polishing oils in it, is it a compound/wax all in one product?

Would I be overdoing it by using black wax everytime I wash? Or is it better to use a purely based wax/protectant only? I just want to make sure I'm not stripping clear coat by using a polish too much.

 

Always best to ask than act like you know what you're doing is my motto.

It is considered an AIO (all-in-one). Similar products would be Klasse AIO, Optimum Poli-seal, etc. LOTS of AIOs out there.

Anyhow, without getting too complicated, the AIOs eliminate two-steps and becomes one-step. As you suspect, any type of abrasive (compound, polish, AIO) will strip some, if not all, of your previous coat of protection if you did not strip wash and clay already.

If you feel that you'll be able to use the product often, then after you get a full clay session in, then you can use an AIO as often as you feel it is needed because you'll apply the AIO for the first time, and re-strip/apply with every following application. These reapplications don't need to be done after every wash, but probably every month or two, depending on your environmental situation.

 

I understand perfectly. Thanks again for all of your advice!

 

I don't have a ton of experience with detailing, but my new Fit looks really good and I want to keep it that way.

I've been doing alot of reading, and I like the sound of using a paint sealant, and then wax on top. That way if I can't wax as often as I would like the paint will still have some protection on it.

I found this kit online and was wondering if it is a good deal for these products. In the past all I've ever used was Turtle Wax and a little Armor All.

Thanks in advance!

Klasse All-In-One, Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze, Pinnacle Souveran, Pinnacle Crystal Mist Spray Wax come together to create a forum favorite kit.

 

Also, I was originally thinking of using a clear bra film on some areas, but now I'm wondering what order I should apply everything in (I'm guessing bra needs to go down before sealant and wax?).

But I'm also wondering if the bra will be really obvious after a wax job? (I'd think the bra won't allow the wax to give the paint that shine, so you'd be left with areas that look dull next to the new wax job.

Thanks again! You'll probably be seeing me alot around here. Getting my Fit this AM, I couldn't sleep last night!

 

Don't forget clay before polishing and waxing. I'd look into some nice waffle weave drying towels too. That is a lovely kit. Autogeek does have great sales for every holiday that's usually like 15% off and free shipping. They also have great videos and excellent customer service. Call them when they are open and they'll answer any detailing question you may have.

If I recall the klasse sealant has some timing "restrictions." I think it's a 12 hour wait after the wipe off before another layer and not outside during the dew point.

 

Firstly, regarding the kit:

For me personally, I use Klasse HGSG. I feel it lasts extremely well through washes/heat and keeps its slickness There's still a debate as to how long you leave it on. In my personal testing, I leave a first coat for 8 hours minimum before wiping it off. People don't like to do this because they have issues wiping off any of the leftover residue. A simple spritz of distilled water, or your favorite WW/QD spray will wipe it right off without a problem.

The thing with Klasse AIO is that it doesn't have any cutting capabilities. It's a filler first and foremost with a bit of seal mixed in.

I absolutely LOVE the smell of Pinnacle's Crystal Mist but due to being in Hawaii, it costs an arm and a leg to buy the gallon version (the most "cost effective" size when reconstituting) and cannot find myself buying in bulk. However, I also highly suggest Ultima UWW+ concentrate as an equal, if not superior, replacement.

Secondly:
The Sealant/Wax - Sealant/Sealant - Wax/Wax essentially follows the rule of thumb that you only really benefit from two layers of protection. Anything past that isn't necessary/doesn't do much.
Sealant/Sealant provides the best durability but least shine.
Sealant/Wax is the best of both worlds - durability with that shine that a true carnauba-based wax will provide.
Wax/Wax is what I usually do for shows - ULTIMATE blinding shine.

Thirdly:
Regarding clear bras - you are right, you apply them on a clean surface (free of sealant/wax). As mentioned by cab0053, you'll want to make sure it is compounded/polished to perfection because once you apply that clear bra, you cannot polish over it. There are some bras that claim to be polish-friendly, but I just steer away from working over them to begin with. And depending on the brand, I've had some clear bras not like being messed with. I personally don't like them. More trouble than they're worth for someone that details/upkeep their car religiously. BUT, there are detailers out there that don't mind them. It'll boil down to your preference.

 

Wow. I think I've only waited an hour max.
Does the sealant itself seem a little thin to you? I'm used to megauirs products, and it's viscosity is very different.

 

The more I read about them, the more I'm getting the same feeling (as far as more trouble than they are worth, esp. if you keep up with regular detailing (which for me I suppose remains to be seen, but it's a goal at least).

What do you mean by cutting capabilities? Like to cut through grime on the surface of the paint?

Thanks to both of you for the tips. I can see I have alot of reading to do on all the various products out there. I've never used a clay bar before either, though I am vaguely familiar with it. So do you guys typically clay bar the entire car, or just spots?

 

Technically, all protection on the market are sealants/hybrids. Anything man-made is a sealant. Carnauba is rock hard and must always be mixed with something to make it usable. That being said, general rule of thumb is paste = wax, anything else is sealant. Then you get into hybrids/aios/cleaners and that just gets a bit more confusing haha.

There is a difference between a 20 minute, 1 hour, and 8 hour interval. I even went up to 12 hours but felt there wasn't any real justifiable difference and have since kept it at 8 hours. Klasse HGSG is a lot more "runny" than the sealants Meguiar's releases. I absolutely love Meguiar's and wouldn't object to running strictly their products. But, my personal bias is towards Klasse HGSG when it comes to sealant as that has been the longest lasting/durable sealant I've used to date. But this is a WHOLE other discussion in terms of what I've tried :P

It really does boil down to technique. You should be applying a very thin layer. The leftover residue that people have a hard time wiping off shows that there was too much product used (not bad, just using up $$). But it's like painting, you don't take a lot of product to cover everything in one go in order to avoid dripping. You layer it instead. Excuse my extremely long-winded reply. As you can tell, I love detailing and never pass an opportunity to share my experience

 

So when you compound/polish a car, you are "cutting" through your clear coat. Single stage paint means you're cutting through both your clear/paint (as single stage are the two mixed together). Essentially, you're sanding your clear coat. But compounds and polishes are like the equivalent to 8000+ grit if it were possible. On top of it, compounds/polishes contain polymers and oils that aid in producing that gloss. Compounds have more cut but less shine, where as polishing has less cut, but more shine. Each company has their own way of differentiating between their products. Some, like Meguiar's, explicitly label their product "compound" or "polish." Other companies, like Menzerna, use a numbering system (800 [compound] vs 4500 [polish]).

Ideally, you NEVER want to compound/polish your car if you haven't clayed it. The purpose of claying your car is to remove bonded contaminates that a simple wash does not remove. Even on a brand new car, especially ones that have been sitting on the lot for a while, will ALWAYS benefit from a claying. Notice the slickness when you do it from a panel that you haven't clayed, compared to one you have.

Just remember, claying will remove your LSP (last step product) which is your sealant/wax. It will always remove waxes, and majority of filler products. It will remove some sealants. Some won't be removed by a claying (e.g. Wolf's Hard Body Sealant/Opti-Seal). The most thorough way of prepping your car for a compound/polish/seal is to wash your car with dawn soap, mixed with some APC to chemically strip your LSPs. You then clay the car. Then you begin the correction/protection process.

So to answer your question, it depends on what I want to correct on the car. Most of the time, you'll clay the whole car. Not ideal to "spot" clay as you can't really determine if one spot has more contaminants than another. But, I personally clay/polish/seal my front bumper, hood, and roof more than the rest of my car. Essentially I do the whole car, then part, then whole, then part, then whole, etc. etc. This is because majority of dirt/water spray/sunshine hits those three areas the most and I admit that at times, I do not have time to do my entire car (hence why I address the areas that I feel need it the most).

Hopes this answers your questions and feel free to ask! Always better to ask.

 

Thanks


10 char

 

Does this process damage the clear coat? I'm guessing not really if it's kind of like what 8000+ grit sandpaper would do (nice analogy, makes it easier to understand).

So when you say "correction" - what exactly do you mean? Do you mean if you have little scratches or chips in the paint this is time you correct them (between the clay and the sealant / wax step)? My car is used and it does have a few minor chips and scratches that I'd like to try to repair at some point, and one area on the front passenger side where the underside of the bumper has some deep scratches in it that are probably going to need sanded... do you have experience with fixing scratches and things like that too? (so I can pepper you with more questions).

I really like that idea of alternating between the whole car and the bumper/hood/roof.

Is it true that keeping up with waxing / polishing will help to protect the paint from little chips and stones and things the way the clear bras are supposed to do? I used to think of wax as something you do only to make the car look better, I never thought of it as something that adds protection.

So this is going to sound like a silly question, but I'm guessing I'm going to need to devote almost a whole day (or even possibly 2, with an overnight in between, if I'm leaving something like HGSG on for 8 hours) whenever I do the first wash/clay/polish/wax? I only get so many days off and don't want to have to stop before I'm finished, so I need to kind of plan in advance.

Another stupid question - how do you keep up with all this in the winter if you don't have a garage? Do you not, and just hope that last polish/wax you did before winter lasts the season? Or do I just need to suffer in the cold?

Thanks! I'm sure I'll be back with more questions...

 

In essence, you're damaging your clear coat because you're removing your clear coat. You have a finite amount of CC. Adding certain types of sealants actually adds on microns of protection. However, it does not have the hard-like durability of a clear coat, but is easily applied.


So correction in this sense refers to removing minor scratches, swirls, and other marks such as waterspots. Rock chips/deep cuts can only be repaired via touch-up paint or full repainting. Referring to scratches, some are too deep, meaning they already expose the metal (goes through the CC, paint, and primer). Once a scratch/damages reach this stage, as mentioned above, can only be repaired with a full repainting. Touch-up paint does well to hide it, and with proper technique, you can sand the excess off to blend with the normal paint. In my personal experience, you will never have an exactly matching blend with touch-up paint. Dr. Chip's touch-up paint does an exceptional job to aide in smooth color transitions.[/quote]


There are some sealants (e.g. Wolf's Hard Body) that are chip resistant, more so than other sealants. I've personally have had positive experiences with it with only the hardest of rock chips making a dent through 2 layers. However, a clear bra will almost always protect better than a sealant. The issue then becomes, again, the lack of versatility when detailing. Also, waxes mostly just aid in keeping dust/fingerprints easy to clean off. Sealants are for durability.

For me, I like to dedicate a day or two. I can easily do it within a day but... I am lazy and like to sleep between steps :P Just remember, always wash you car during dawn or dusk to prevent the sun's heat from drying your water and creating waterspots (this is of course unless you run a filter on your water hose.)

Unfortunately.... I cannot help you with this one! Haha. I live in Hawaii and we don't get snow during our winters. Sorry!

 

Ha, no worries! And lucky you! I've been doing some reading on waterless washing and I think I may go that route during the cold winter months.

And thanks again for all the help, I think I've got a decent plan now and good product recommendations...now just need to find the time to actually do it!