The ultimate car wax, autopians input

2

21.04

New member
A chance meeting at a car club in the UK brought 3 people together with different experiences with using car waxes. One owns a wax factory, one details high end cars part time and one a former national concours winner. Over a beer three, the idea that what the market needs is the ultimate car wax at a realistic retail price.

So last week a meeting was arranged at the wax factory so we could talk directly to the chemist to bounce ideas off of each other and compare various "high" end waxes.

So here is where you guys can help......Given your various circumstances what do you look for in a quality wax in order,

ie: ease of use, shine, endurance, solvent based, water based, etc.

As we are in very early stages of chemical make-up we are looking for any input from you.

This is an exciting opportunity with car enthusiasts, not marketing

men, involved in this product with one aim, to make the ultimate car wax.

Best reagrds,

Mark

:xyxthumbs
 
Mark,



For me, the order is:



1. Depth of shine

2. Ease of use

3. Will it stain trim?

4. Endurance



Endurance ranks low, because I'm willing to wax as often as needed to get that 'look'.



hth,



DavidM
 
Well, it's a very subjective question and can have quite a bit of personal opinions.



You may want to look at Scottwax pics. He has very good results with the Clearkote products, Vanilla Moose and Carnuba Moose. Others lean toward S100/P21S or Souveran.



Sealants are a different beast all together and do not qualify as a "wax" per say. Some use a sealant and then top it with a wax, myself included as of yesterday. Just topped my SC430 that had multi-layers of Zaino with Souveran paste.



Bottom line: Paint prep is paramount as the wax lays on top. The better the results from polishing, the better effect you will get from a wax. Then it comes to life of the wax. Then qd.



Regards,

Deanski
 
Dean, we are talking a carnauba based wax. No polymers. This is going to be a product that you would use as the last step in your prep. Thanks for the advice but we are "autopians" and thats what our market will be aimed at, for people that know about detailing not your joe average. Between us we have vast experience of products, prep to concours standards and a huge wax factory with dedicated staffed laboratory! We are after a product made by autopians, for autopians. Best regards, Mark
 
Mark, I got your PM. I think a big thing is that, while we can all make lists, the relative importance is still lost. Like I may like depth over durability, but to what point? Is an incredibly marginal gain in depth worth the durability falling from say 6 weeks to 2 weeks?



Also, while there is certainly some profit to be had, I suspect some of the high price of better products comes from the use of better or more consistent ingredients, and also probably from more consistent manufacturing techniques (I kind of hope so anyway...).



All that said, though, if I were going to use an actual wax, I would favor:



- Depth and gloss, that real wet look

- Slick, slick, slick

- Don't stain trim (I'm starting to develop an intolerance for trim-staining products, I think. Even as I now take time to protect trim.)

- Durability should be a month or more on a cared-for car.

- Ease of use (I'm starting to become much better at applying products well, and am much more willing to use products that require very precise application to use easily)



If the product works well and is quality made, then price isn't really such a concern. Though, if it's over $50, that'll be a bit of a turn-off. I'm also not personally looking for a natural wax anymore. I really love my Souveran, but hardly ever use it (I got it as part of a deal, so it was less than $50). I'm really into sealants now as they give me more piece of mind. Plus, I really like the look of sealants on metallic paint, and a lot of the depth/gloss can be had by good prep, and also apparently by using Final Detail as a QD. Good luck, sounds fun! :wavey
 
This is a really good discussion.



My picks would be:



1. Depth

2. Slickness

3. Doesn't stain trim

4. Ease of use

5. Low dust attraction

6. Durability
 
For a carnauba-based wax, I'd look for (in order of importance):



1) no staining of trim

2) depth and wetness

3) slickness

4) filling

5) low dust attraction

6) durability



I recognize that some of these might be mutually exclusive.
 
Hmmm interesting proposition.



The ultimate wax for me would have:

1.) Depth and Wetness

2.) Slickness

3.) Ease of use (time is always a factor... :()
 
Im going with Accum.......



1) no staining of trim

2) depth and wetness

3) slickness

4) filling

5) low dust attraction

6) durability
 
I'm a big einszett Glanz Wax fan so this is very close to something I'd be interested in. Carnauba shine + durability.



1. Ease of use - Time is of the essence, gotta show that baby off.

2. Price - I won't spend anymore than $20 on a wax.

2. Depth of shine - Got to have it.

3. Durability - Don't have the time anymore to wax every month.

4. Slickness - I love that feel when I'm done with all that work.

5. Low dust attraction - not so much a factor but nice.

6. Non-staining - I tape so this isn't as much of a factor.



I can have it all, right? ;)
 
keep em coming guys.....some interesting lists here. All the information will be taken to the next meeting with the chemist (he even wears a white coat i kid you not!) so he can have some idea of what you guys want in the best carnauba wax bar none.

Best regards, mark
 
Mr. Accumulator has it correct though I'd add ease of use, i.e. easy to apply and remove towards to top 1-3 in his list...
 
I think the "perfect" was is a blending of all the above issues. Given that, I realize that it's probably impossible to get a perfect match of all factors.



For a natural wax, I'd rank importance as follows:



1. The Look. (depth, richness)

2. Durability. Want that beauty to last a good lone time.

3. Ease of use! Nobody likes killing themself waxing, must be easy to use.

4. Low Dust attraction

5. Price. I rank this last. For myself, I really don't care about cost. If I like the product, I buy it.



Good luck with the wax, make sure to keep us updated!!
 
1. Depth

2. Slickness

3. Durability

4. Non staining

5. Ease of use

6. Price



I guess the only thing I would also consider is who is the wax aimed at. There does seem to be a lot of good wax for sale, and 15 GB pounds for P21S must be a good benchmark for a new entrant. I dont mean any of this to be negative, hell, I will buy some just because Mark is involved but commercial enterprises exist in a harsh world.
 
I also meant to add, I wish all those involved the best of luck and if I can help, just let me know. I have the greatest respect for anyone starting a new company or bringing a new product to the market
 
1- depth and wetness

2- reflectiveness (not the same thing)

3- slickness

4- smell (I have to like using it)

5- durability

6- ease of use





Tom
 
markbigears said:
A chance meeting at a car club in the UK brought 3 people together with different experiences with using car waxes. One owns a wax factory, one details high end cars part time and one a former national concours winner. Over a beer three, the idea that what the market needs is the ultimate car wax at a realistic retail price...
Click to expand...



After this part, I really thought you were setting up a joke!:lol



As for actual input, mine wouldn't vary much from the lists above, although I am still waiting for a wax that can give superior depth, as opposed to reflectivity, on white.
 
Man ummm I think that it matters what car I am waxing.... Show cars I want just looks and feel. Every day cars I need protection and easy to apply... Man this could be never ending :)
 
It can depend on the type of paint. I like to use something more reflective on metallics, so a more optically clear wax like S100 or Pinnacle Paste Glaz works well and gives the metallic more 'pop'. On flat colors (non metallics), I prefer something that looks absolutely wet and a warmer look that will make the color look deeper. Carnauba Moose, Megiuars #26 and Pinnacle Souveran tend to have a warm, wet look.



How would I rank my idea of a good wax?



1. The look. How deep, how wet and how reflective it is.

2. Ease of use. When you wax cars all the time, you don't want something that is a PITA to use.

3. Trim friendly. Again, when you wax a lot of cars, having to go behind and remove wax from trim and between body panels is a pain.

4. Durability. Most of my customers have their cars waxed every 1-3 months, so I need a wax that will bead and retain a good percentage of it's look for up to 3 months. The Dallas area is pretty wax friendly though.

5. Price. Since except maybe on black, S100 has an equal or better look (especially on metallics) than Pinnacle Souveran (yes, I've used both), price is definitely a deciding factor between those two products.



I don't really care about the smell of the product...as long as it doesn't stink like a rotting corpse or anything similar.
 
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