Maintaining 55 yr old orig. lacquer

My mom prefers P21S to Souveran on her black Benz but I wouldn’t think of using anything but Souveran on my black Audi.
 
Heh heh...you`re sure doing the Good Son thing there. Just using a short-lived wax like that is borderline martyrdom IMO!
 
Yes. Eating Chinese food every Mother’s Day is also an act of that too but I’ve come to enjoy both over the years
 
I`m showing my ignorance here, but I suppose that is how I learn. Funny how my friends all think I`m such a detailing geek and then I come on here (and I`ve done a bit of lurking over the years) and realize I don`t know jack. I don`t necessarily prefer P21S, bit it was part of the recipe for Klasse AOI show car shine for 2 stage paint that I had used and liked, and I figured that since I already had it, it would be comparable to the Souveran (expensive carnauba), which I have never used. But I gather from the comments here that is not the case. But its not too late; I am rubbing off the M07 today, so I can get some Souveran and try it. I do know the previous owner liked it, and won things with it. As for the spray detailer, more ignorance here, but I did not realize that it strips wax! Except when using it as clay lube, I certainly don`t want to do that.
 
I think you will really like Souveran. One spray that compliments it well is Crystal Mist. Its gotta be my favorite spray. I only use it when I apply Souveran.
 
Any non-cleaner paste wax is fine on old lacquer or alkaloid enamels.
Liquids will work but due to the chemistry and compaction of age of either, paste is the best to use.
 
Ron Ketcham- That`s a good point about pastes being preferable (unless you *know* that the liquid will be OK).

Bill D- I ended up just reapplying Souveran instead of using the Crystal Mist...seemed necessary after every wash anyhow (or so it seemed to my then-more-Autopian self).

And yeah....we Autopians are supposed to like doing (at least some aspect) of this Detailing stuff, and I`ll admit that waxing is probably the least onerous part of it.

Sevillian- Noting that it`s all eye-of-the-beholder stuff, I found P21s and Souveran about as different as such products could be. Utterly *HATED* how P21s looked on my (ss lacquer) Jag, way too "bright/reflective" without any of the benefits that other such waxes (845, M16) bring to the party. But that doesn`t mean that somebody else (maybe you!) might not find it *better* looking!

Whether a QD/etc. spray will mess with your LSP can be hard to predict and very situational. I had M34 kill off nearly-dead Souveran so badly that I had to stop and rewax the car, but others will do the opposite, helping it hang on longer. But with Rinseless Washes being so good these days, I`d use one of those instead. My biggest concern would be marring the paint, I don`t for the life of me understand how anybody can wipe down a car without marring the paint but using a Rinseless Wash oughta minimize the danger and I`d be all about not damaging that car`s lacquer.

When it comes time to strip/clean the paint, I`d consider something kinda old-school like Zymol`s HD Cleanse or Pinnacle`s Paintwork Cleansing Lotion (my fave, much more user-friendly IME). Both of those have been used since forever on every kind/vintage of paint imaginable.
 
Billy Jack said:
Here`s the most comprehensive article you`ll see on antique single-stage paints: The Secret to Removing Oxidation and Restoring a Show Car Finish to Antique Single Stage Paints

I used Mike`s tutorial years ago to take my El Camino from a oxidized, fading embarrassment to a trophy winner. Applying the the #7 and letting it soak in, overnight at least, makes the paint much more receptive to any subsequent compounding or polishing steps. I`ve tried a number of products, both waxes and sealants, with good results. My primary criteria for choosing a last step product is streaking, or lack thereof. These old, permeable paints get very finicky in that regard. I`ll often use Collinite 915 for its durability, then top with a "beauty wax" such as Souveran, Fusion, Dodo Juice or even Meguiar`s M26 for the additional glow.

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Bill
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Bill, I saw your El Camino on a rock auto magnet today. I thought that was pretty cool. I was able to say the person who owns that is a autopia forum member.
 
An update here. After rubbing off the M07, there are some spots that appeared streaky or splotchy, so I did another round of M07 according to the instructions (apply and then wipe off before drying) instead of soaking overnight. Hopefully I can then go straight to wax. As for P21S v. Souveran, I don`t prefer the former; I just have not had personal experience with Souveran, although that is about to change as it is supposed to arrive today. I must admit that when I used the P21 on my champagne metallic (2 stage) `60 Eldorado it did look artificially glittery in bright sunlight, but I didn`t notice this on my black `61.
 
Sevillian- I hope you don`t get the dreaded M07 user-unfriendliness experience! I`ll readily admit that I hate using the stuff and almost always used one of the other Pure Polishes back when I went that route (my fave was always M05 New Car Glaze). IF it won`t cooperate, maybe try putting the wax on top of the M07 *before* buffing the latter off and try wiping both off together...no guarantees but sometimes that works.

The diffs between P21s and Souveran might be very subtle for some people, just never know about that. Souveran is very use-friendly, you can either let it set up to a dry haze or buff it off right away, depending on which is more convenient for you and/or which works best with your paint and the underlying M07.

I`m ASSuming the M07 and Souveran will be compatible; I`ve never tried that combo. Heh heh, have only used M07 once in the last...oh...?35? years, on a trashed ss Jag I was getting rid of.
 
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