actually 2nd time washing her but 1st time waxing her ,sounds kinky lol.
compared to my f-150 my CTS is so easy to wash and wax ,I can reach everywhere and it done in have the time ,,gotta love it

actually 2nd time washing her but 1st time waxing her ,sounds kinky lol.
compared to my f-150 my CTS is so easy to wash and wax ,I can reach everywhere and it done in have the time ,,gotta love it

Thing I like is you can wash the roof without a ladder.

:p :peeking:
ya baby thats right

I love detailing my car! I just wish it wasn't raining here for the past two weeks so I could give er' a nice clay bar, polish, glaze and wax for the winter. But I do live in Seattle, so a nice weather request is hard to come by, oh crap it is nice out I better go..... oh it's raining again :(

My 1991 Chevrolet S-10 BAJA (http://mysite.verizon.net/res0ftj3/id6.html)
My 2004 Cadillac CTS (http://mysite.verizon.net/res0ftj3/id5.html)

I was under the impression that you were supposed to wait so long before you waxed a brand new car, because it will damage the clear coat. is this true or was i just fed a line?

I was under the impression that you were supposed to wait so long before you waxed a brand new car, because it will damage the clear coat. is this true or was i just fed a line?

That is a line. In the olden days when cars were sprayed with oil based enamels, then a fresh paint job could be harmed somewhat by a wax job until the paint was fully hardened.

Modern paint finisheds are hard enough right after application. However, unless you buy a car that was manufactured within a few weeks or something, the paint job is probably several weeks in not months old already, if it even it mattered which I don't think it does.

Nice, my buddy just got his ordered charger and I had told him this info. I gues i will have to get a hold of him and let him know i was full of crap. I bet he'll be all excited to know that he can spend some time waxin it before winter hits. thanks jt

Its really that good to wax before winter?? I've never bothered simply because I feel like the car turns into a pig-pen anyways for that season. I wait till all the elements causing chipping scratching etc... are gone and give it a good wax in the spring.

If it makes the rock chips stop from happening, I will wax it today!!

I ahve pretty much always waxed just before winter for two different reasons. one is that there are a lot more elements that can cause slight damage to the paint in the winter and the wax just gives a layer of protection. two, i have no place that is warm to put on and let the wax dry properly before i remove it. just how ive done it ever since i had my first ride.

Modern paint finisheds are hard enough right after application. However, unless you buy a car that was manufactured within a few weeks or something, the paint job is probably several weeks in not months old already, if it even it mattered which I don't think it does.

Right after application is a no-no. 1 week is overkill tho. When we paint our cars, 24 hours is enough time to cure the paint. The paint from the factory is ready to wax before it ever leaves the factory.

For the winter, I'd suggest a synthetic wax. It doesn't look as good, deep'n'wet, but it should last you at least 3 months even in the winter. Longer is routinely use a soft wash to clean the dirt and winter grime off.
Meguairs Gold Class is the best affordable synthetic wax, imho. As far as I know, the Zaino is a Carnauba, DON'T use this for the winter.

I'd suggest a synthetic wax

thxs I didn't know that ,very good info :ok stupid ? its not like oil so in the summer do I need to strip it before using a normal wax ?

As far as I know, the Zaino is a Carnauba, DON'T use this for the winter.

Zaino is synthetic and has served me well in winters.

Right after application is a no-no. 1 week is overkill tho. When we paint our cars, 24 hours is enough time to cure the paint. The paint from the factory is ready to wax before it ever leaves the factory.

For the winter, I'd suggest a synthetic wax. It doesn't look as good, deep'n'wet, but it should last you at least 3 months even in the winter. Longer is routinely use a soft wash to clean the dirt and winter grime off.
Meguairs Gold Class is the best affordable synthetic wax, imho. As far as I know, the Zaino is a Carnauba, DON'T use this for the winter.

I knew an oldtimer who told me that if you could put your nose to a car's finish and smell the paint/solvents, then its too early to wax it, and just wait till you couldn't smell the paint anymore, which sounds logical. Should be hard at that point.

No car on a car lot smells of paint unless its been through the paint booth!!!

My Mercedes REAKED of baked paint when I bought it. I mean this car freaking stunk like hell!! I couldn't even park the poor thing in the garage for about a week after I took delivery of it. My cadillac stunk a little too but not quite as bad...

So it sounds like synthetic is the way to go for the winters... Thanks for the info, I had no idea about what wax to use and what time of year to use it!

Zaino is synthetic and has served me well in winters.
I didn't realize this! If Zaino is synthetic, I'd suggest it INSTEAD of Meguairs Gold Class. You'll just pay a couple dollars more. Very little more tho.

I knew an oldtimer who told me that if you could put your nose to a car's finish and smell the paint/solvents, then its too early to wax it, and just wait till you couldn't smell the paint anymore, which sounds logical. Should be hard at that point.
No car on a car lot smells of paint unless its been through the paint booth!!!
Yeah, I was told the same thing, though I think it's more with the older paints. Yeah, with todays paint, depending on amount of coats, which companies paint you go with etc...waiting until you can't smell it anymore can be overkill.
BUT, its a good rule of thumb. No problem with waiting too long! Too early would be the big problem.

thxs I didn't know that ,very good info :ok stupid ? its not like oil so in the summer do I need to strip it before using a normal wax ?
Short Answer? Yes.
Long answer.
Well, regardless of the type of wax you use, you should strip/clean before waxing again in the summer. Airborne contaminants, salt residue, bird shit, and acid rain will etch and stain the clearcoat. Which means that snow will as well, tho not as fast because the surface is colder. So, gives to reason that you'll have to clean the clear coat before polishing/waxing it again in the summer.
Synthetics last longer as they don't dissolve as easily from everyday use, whereas Carnauba will break down on it's own, even without driving.

By the way, you should also give the car a good cleaning before you wax if you're car isn't brand new. Even a couple weeks of driving will leave contaminants in your paints, especially if you drive in the city. Whatever you do, DO NOT USE DAWN LIQUID DISHSOAP, or anything similar. It will actually remove clearcoat, little bit by little bit.
Meguairs, Mothers, AND Zaino all make a good 3 step process.

Check out this site. Great info! Also, a store with good prices!

www.autopia.net

So it sounds like synthetic is the way to go for the winters... Thanks for the info, I had no idea about what wax to use and what time of year to use it!

You live in Alberta, right? Salt used on the roads, etc?

If you use Carnauba, you'll have to redo it in a months time, or even less.
Synthetic, you'll probably get by the whole winter with. Just make sure to apply well. Have a look at the link I posted above. There are some geniuses with this stuff, on that site.

Yeah they use LOTS of salt on the roads here, especially in the last couple years... I don't get what I'm going to benefit by putting wax on my car really. I've never waxed the Mercedes, and never planned on it to tell ya the truth, the caddy I thought about getting detailed in the spring, just cuz its black and I hate swirls from washing and drying. I park both in a heated garage so its not like they sit exposed to the elements...

I guess it can't harm though, I'll buy some stuff this weekend and protect it

The link (or name) is for sale? No info from what I can see.

++Fixx++

My Mercedes REAKED of baked paint when I bought it. I mean this car freaking stunk like hell!! I couldn't even park the poor thing in the garage for about a week after I took delivery of it. My Cadillac stunk a little too but not quite as bad...

OK I am going to BUTCHER THIS WORD , cosmoline its a protected they have on most cars its protects the paint during shipment ,also they put something on the engine that need to burn off ,that will also stink like a paint product