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6K views 24 replies 19 participants last post by  KJTROT 
#1 ·
Hi,

I want to apply a coating of wax to my CTS. Anyone have any suggestion on the best wax to use. Thanks and have a great weekend.

Irwin
 
#2 ·
I just bought the Meguires Gold Class Max...its comes in a paste and a liquid wax..i grabbed the liquid because i find it easier to work with....i used it twice already and it works great..it comes off easy without all the dust going everywhere...i have a diamond white cts and it really made it shine...my friend also tried it on his black Lincoln LS and it worked great on the black as well
 
#3 ·
I go between Zymol and Meguiar's.
Zymol and Eagle One detailer is also excellent, but if I had to choose one or the other it would be Eagle. You put it on the car wet and then dry it off. MUCH easier than a hand job. :p
 
#5 ·
I myself am a fan of Klasse and P21S. Hopefully they will not screw up the link but go here and do some reading, you will learn alot and more. When it comes to detailing this site is the absolute best authority. As far as what people say is best, you will get a different answer from every person depending on preference. Want to learn alot and then make a decision for yourself go to http://www.autopia.org
 
#6 ·
I am not a rep, but ZAINO is the best stuff for me. I used this on my black impala and it was great... then on my new silver cts-v and the car shines and looks great. Here are all the products I use:

First wax (and every 8-10 months I think I will do this method)
Follow the Zaino method (initially)
-Dawn to clean the car the FIRST time (to strip wax)
-Claybar to remove dirt from the paint
-Z1 (use zaino proceedure)
-Z2 (use zaino proceedure)

Normal Wash
-zaino soap with a 100% cotton wash mit
-Dry with california water blade (dont beat me up on this one) after I make sure the car and the blade are clean... I then clean up the rest with 100% cotton towels
-Eagle one all wheel cleaner
Do this ONLY on cold wheels otherwise this is not good for the finish
-Stoner Glass Cleaner on the windows
Use this while the windows are slightly warm (leave the car in the sun for a while) to prevent sreaking
-Microfiber towels on the interior (costco/ pep boys) with AUTOGLYM (hard to find).
-Autoglym is a cleaner only unlike armorall and will not leave a shine but will clean very well. Wont cause cracking in the long run
-I also use my compressor to dry the car by shooting air in the cracks and joints (gas cap, lights, grill, etc) so when i start driving the water does not shoot out and stain the car
-I Sometimes use the z-7 spray to polish the paint.
-Still somewhat unsure of the leather/suede (I currently use water and a microfiber towel)- No chemicals.

My car looks great and I clean it about once a week on the weekends (about 30-45 mins). The fallout is really bad here in LA so the car gets dirty very easily (Well, I basically park on a runway which cant help), but cleans very easily with the zaino wax undercoat. Cant say enough about zaino..

This is not for everyone, just my method and opinion.

Reed
CTSVETT
 
#7 ·
You asked for the best, McGuires IS NOT IT, (I do use it on my Festiva, no kidding!). I use anything with No 1 Carnuba on my Deville. No cleaner wax and I use a buffer to put it on my Cady and hand buff it off, using about 8 soft clean towels. Lot's of work, but lots of shine. I'm using ZYMOL, which seems to last longer than McGuires. I use the CREAME for light colored cars, on my SHALE Deville. I get it cheaper than this at Costco. Use Carbon for darker Cady's. Cheers!

http://aristarchus.com/images/

http://www.zymol.com/carfeed.htm

Item #100 CREAME™

Item #101 CARBON™
Item #103 JAPON™
Item #104 SAAB™

Item #105
VOLVO™

· 8 ounces:Regular Price $50.00

· 8 ounces:Regular Price $50.00
· 8 ounces:Regular Price $50.00
· 8 ounces:Regular Price $50.00
· 8 ounces:Regular Price $50.00
 
#8 ·
For those of us who are anal about their cars, this is a real hot button. Here are my thoughts:

Zaino: I use it and like it. It is very easy to use and lasts a long time. I Zainoed my black vette last fall and it still looks like a black mirror with just a quick wash and dry. I use a leaf blower to dry the car and can easily tell when it's time to re-Zaino because the water won't jump off the car. I clayed and Zainoed my Cashmere CTS last weekend and it looks awesome. Unless you're in New Jersey, you need to order it online at www.zainostore.com or www.thelapd.com.

NXT: This is the new hot product from Meguiars that some folks really like. It sounds similar to Zaino, but should be available at your local auto parts store. I may try it on my son's truck.

Pinnacle Souveran: Known as one of the best all-carnuba waxes. Some owners of dark vettes prefer this over Zaino, claiming a deeper shine. As with all waxes, it won't have the life of a product like Zaino. Available in stores and at www.autogeek.net/pinnacleprod.html .

Wolfgang: Made by the same folks that own Pinnacle and offers a hi-tech paint sealant to use under Souveran. Available at www.autogeek.net/wococarca.html .

If your goal is the ultimate in car-show finish, have a dark colored car, and aren't concerned about re-applying every 3-6 weeks, I'd probably try the Wolfgang - Souveran. If your goal is a great looking daily driver that's easy to clean up with a finish that lasts a long time, I'd go with Zaino and maybe consider NXT.
 
#9 ·
No question, hands down, Zaino IS the best. Won all the awards, can't be beat for shine and long lasting protection, ease of application. Use it on all three of my cars, all of which are black. Feel like a funeral director...black CTS, black Viper, black Mercedes. Getting tired of washing......
 
#11 ·
I think I've tried just about every car wax out there. The Zaino Brothers products are excellent, as our Meguiars. I've had great results with Zymol too, but found that quite a bit more work to use.

I just used the new Meguiars NXT Generation Tech Wax on my 2004 blue chip CTS, and the deep shine that it leaves is the best I've ever seen. The bonus is that this wax is very easy to apply and buff off. It's only been a couple weeks since I put the first coat on, so I can't tell how long it lasts yet though.
 
#14 ·
Silver Baron said:
What are everyone's thoughts about the dealer applied "paint protectors/sealants" ? :hmm:
They are merely profit enhancers for dealers. I've learned, unfortunately, that if a dealer puts those additional stickers on the window that list fabric protection, paint protection, etc., on their vehicles, it will not be a pleasant purchase experience. Now when I see those stickers, I leave.
 
#15 ·
mrbadss said:
... I also use my compressor to dry the car by shooting air in the cracks and joints (gas cap, lights, grill, etc) so when i start driving the water does not shoot out and stain the car...
I would advise against using a compressor as they may spray oil, moisture, and/or rust in the air stream. I use a Toro electric leaf blower and found that it virtually eliminates the dreaded rear bezel dribble.
 
#16 ·
I used Mother's Carnuba for over 10 years, but after a couple of months, the paint felt rough again. Then someone told me about Synthetic wax, and now I am a believer!

Because of our long winters with much salt, I applied Prestone's 100% synthetic wax in September. It is advertized as providing a deep-long-lasting shine, and it did! It also allowed water to bead even after winter and until I just waxed again a couple of weeks ago! I'm very impressed, and will not even bother with carnuba anymore.
 
#17 ·
I use my compressor and also my craftsman shopvac as a blower. I have a oil trap on the compressor so no oil problems here... My one problem with the Shopvac blower is that the cone tip has in the past (on previous cars) shot off the blower and hit the paint.. this was no good.. So when I do use the shopvac, I hold the tip.

BTW I am not talking about a shop vac in reverse, this shopvac has a detachable motor that acts as a blower.. This is a really cool and works really well

Reed
CTSVETT
 
#18 ·
i been using liquid glass on my escalade and the results are pretty good, i like it a lot better than meguiars. i beeen using the #7 show car glaze for almost 10 years but i like the liquid glass a lot better. im also gonna try zaino heard a lot of good stuff about that product from this board and other various boards.
 
#19 ·
I recommend Blitz One Grand Carnuba wax. Goes on easy comes off easy and lasts a long time. Make sure you use a quality auto shampoo also. I used to own a S4 and was on the audiworld.com board alot. They have a very very good automotive detailing section that talks about all kinds of products.
 
#24 · (Edited)
SOUVERNE BY PINNACLE IS THE BEST. AT 57 YEARS OF AGE, BEING ANAL ABOUT MY CARS SINCE 1963, IT'S 40 YEARS LATER AND AFTER HAVING SPEND PROBABLY THE EQUAL OF ONE YEARS COLLEGE TUITION ON CAR WAX STUFF, I HAVE FINALLY FOUND THE BEST. I WILL POST A PIC OF MY AWARD WINNING ASC/McLAREN WITH 14 YEAR OLD PAINT. IT'S A 1990.

The "pink thing" on the hood is a wash cloth hanging on a line 30 feet in the air.

http://images2.fotki.com/v10/photos/4/43979/169659/blue_mclaren-vi.jpg
 
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