Great deal on #16 on ebay...

Just bought some.



#16 used to be excellent wax in terms of durability. It was pretty easy to apply and remove as long as you kept it thin.



Before collinite, it was the gold standard for long lasting caranubas :).
 
Just to add to the conversation, M16 was introduced in 1951, it was Meguiar's first automotive wax on the market.



It's referred to as a heavy wax and should only be applied using very thin coats. If you apply it too thick it will break your arm off trying to remove it and you'll likely instill scratches into the paint a the same time.



I used this for 10 years as my LSP of choice when I detailed full time.



For Newbies using M16, do yourself a favor and when you go to apply it for th first time only apply it to about a one foot squared section on your hood or trunk lid. Let it completely dry before removing it. Then carefully remove it using your best microfiber and using the Pac Man method of removing wax.



Then see how you like it before applying it to the entire car. I'm serious in that if you apply a thick coat and then let the coating completely dry and harden, it will be a bear to remove.





Here's a few things I've written on it from MOL



How To Break-in a New Can of M16



Often times the wax in a brand new can of M16 will have an irregular surface. Because you're not supposed to scoop this wax out of the can but instead spin your wax applicator against the surface of the wax in the can you need a flat surface. So the first thing you do when you open a brand new can of M16 is to "Break-in the can of wax".



To do this, take your clean wax applicator pad and basically push/smoosh any high points down and then use the applicator pad to smooth out the top surface of the wax by agitating/spinning your applicator against it until it's flat.



BreakingInACanofM16Wax01.jpg






Note the uplifted and irregular surface of the wax which is normal.

BreakingInACanofM16Wax02.jpg








Smash down any high points and then smooth out the surface till it's as flat as you can get it.

BreakingInACanofM16Wax03.jpg






Now your can of wax is ready to use!

BreakingInACanofM16Wax04.jpg






When you go to remove wax from the can, spin your applicator on the top surface focusing on the outer edges while at the same time spinning or rotating the can with your other hand.



Spinning your applicator against the hard wax will liquefy it enough to allow some wax to seep into your applicator pad.



Spinning or rotating the can at the same time with your other hand will enable you to take the wax down evenly across the surface instead of removing more wax out of the center producing a cone-shape in the center. The better you can keep the surface flat the easier it will be to remove the wax out of the can over time until you get towards the bottom of the can.





And this one,





The Secret Slot - How to open a can of M16



The lid for Meguiar's M1611 Professional Paste wax, as well as all the lids for all Meguiar's' paste waxes in our paste wax tin cans, has a slot built into it to help you remove the lid.



Most old timers know of the Quarter Trick but just as many people use Flathead Screwdriver. Often times you'll find you have a Quarter in your pocket but you don't always have a Flathead Screwdriver in your pocket.



Below are some pictures that show the slot in the lid and how to use a Quarter to open a can of M16 by sticking the Quarter into the slot and then twisting the Quarter like you twist a set of car keys when you start a car.



HowToOpenACanofM1611a.jpg




HowToOpenACanofM1611b.jpg




HowToOpenACanofM1611c.jpg




HowToOpenACanofM1611d.jpg






Again, this works with all Meguiar's paste wax cans that look like this can of M1611







Last time I used it I topped this car with M16 as I wanted to wax the antique paint with a wax that would be considered period correct for this vintage of a car. I used about $30.00 of OTC products and a lot of perspiration and passion behind the pad and it paid off very handsomely for one days work.



This is the most I've ever made for hand-rubbing out a finish.





It looks good in this picture but when pulled out into the sun you could see the entire finish was filled with swirls and had a lifeless hazy look to it.



48Rolls001.jpg






Major swirls throughout the entire finish

48Rolls002.jpg




48Rolls003.jpg






Before and After

48Rolls004.jpg




48Rolls005.jpg






After shots - Lots of real-estate but it was a fun project!

48Rolls006.jpg




48Rolls007.jpg




48Rolls008.jpg




48Rolls009.jpg






You can expect to see some pigment transfer off onto your applicator pads. I used terry cloth applicator pads until I got to the waxing steps then I switched over to foam.



48Rolls010.jpg






$700.00 for the work and a $100.00 tip, not bad for a Saturday



48Rolls011.jpg






I'm currently looking for classic cars in the South Florida area for an extreme makeover project, they don't have to be this old but they do have to have single stage paint. Call or e-mail if you have a candidate. There won't be a charge if your car is selected as it will be used for training purposes.





p.s.



I have pictures of the car completely covered with a thin coat of M16 drying, had this been a thick coat of wax it would have killed me to wipe it off after previously rugging the paint out with 3 other products and with the paint cleaner really putting some passion behind the pad.





:)
 
I've been using #16 for years and find that if you apply #16 too thickly and let it dry, reapplying another coat will redissolve the wax and make it easier to remove.



Few LSP's bead as tight and high as #16.



I apply #16 over my sealant when entering the winter season. The sealant and #16 combo easily handles 5 months of winter's bad weather on my daily driver.



I like this stuff and was sad to see it dropped. Fortunately, I stocked up enough to last me a lifetime.
 
Thanks Mike, that should clear up any confusion as to why M16 is what it is. To me, I like it, there may be better stuff out there, but its just cool knowing this formula is over 50yrs old.
 
This question came up on MOL once in a while and here's something more specific I wrote about a year and a half ago...







Difference between #16 and #26?

As for the difference between M16 and M26, they are completely different animals, M16 came out in 1951, and is what is referred to as a "Heavy Wax", or a high molecular weight wax or a hard wax, just ask anyone that has applied too thick of a coating of this product and then attempted to wipe it off and what they discovered?



If you apply too thick of a coat of M16 and let it fully dry it will come off like concrete, it will dang near break your arm trying to remove it. There is no wiping, but instead it's more like forcing the wax off. Most people that have made this mistake, usually thinking is more is better will actually put scratches into the paint in their efforts.



So be forewarned, if you ever apply M16 to your car's paint, be sure to only apply a thin coat and just to be on the safe side, if it's your first time using the wax then only apply it to one panel, let it dry and then wipe it off and see how you do with just one panel. If you can apply a thin coat to one panel and remove it without struggling, then wax the entire car.





M26 is a blended wax, not a wax based solely off Carnauba as some think. Actually M16 is also a blended wax in that it is made from a blend of ingredients, it is not based off of just Carnauba.





If you trust the chemists, then you have to assume that anytime they include any specific ingredients in a formula it's either for the benefit of the process or for the benefit of the end-user and in most cases both.



When I found out M16 was going to be discointiued I bought all the remaining stock in the warehouse plus I already had stock from when I was a distributor for Meguir's in Oregon.



I actually found at least another case in a box and a couple single cans since this picture was taken. I'll never use this wax in my lifetime so I'll leave it in my will and it will likely end-up on eBay someday.





MyM16Collection1.jpg




MyM16Collection2.jpg






Some older cans, most of these still have usable product in them.



M16Collection01.jpg




M16Collection04.jpg




M16Collection06.jpg




M16LippedCan02.jpg




M16LippedCan03.jpg




M16LippedCan04.jpg








This can is from the 1960's and it's never been used. By the way, how it looks is 100% normal as you see it here, you just use the technique outlined above to "break-in" the wax.



OldM16.jpg












:)
 
02whitetundra said:
Is M16 considered more of a wax than a sealant?



M16 would be considered a wax, definitely a wax in every sense of the word.



Come to think of it, I can't name a wax that came out in the 1950's that's actually still around today in it's same form. I'm confident M16 was improved over the years but not changed as the wax in my oldest cans still resembles and smells like the current product.



It is a pure wax in that it has no cleaning agents in it and should only be applied to a finish in excellent condition.



It won't even feel good going on a neglected finish, try it sometime, it's like dragging your fingernails down a chalkboard.





:)
 
I ended up buying 4. My offer was accepted at $5.50/ea (with free shipping of course).



Somewhat off topic - how do you store this stuff, Mike? Refrigerated? Just in the basement/garage at room temperature?
 
Anyone gotten any kind of shipping info on theirs? I haven't gotten any tracking or anything...
 
I have gotten tracking on one of my pots, I bought another one a day or so later and no info on that one, but I did say that I bought one the other day and you could include it with that one so she could of done that. But with the amount of orders she probably has it may take a day or two to send them out as she prob had a massive amount of orders over the weekend.





Also, you can keep the wax in the fridge but dont think it is needed just in a dry, stable temp area would be fine like any other wax.
 
She's baaaaaaacckkkk.



New item number though. Current auction item number is 350246921586.



Got mine at $5 per.
 
agpatel said:
Also, you can keep the wax in the fridge but dont think it is needed just in a dry, stable temp area would be fine like any other wax.



Sure no harm in erring on the side of caution, but the tins I just leave in the shop stay good for at least a decade, even in my old shop where the temps ranged from near-freezing to *well* over 100f. The one I'm using now has been treated that way since I bought it in '90s and it's just fine. That said, my spare case is kept with our wines just to be on the safe side.



I too have enough to last many lifetimes...this stuff simply doesn't go bad as long as you keep the lid on tight.
 
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