What Finishing Wax for Classics & Exotics

I

imported_Bullitt

New member
I own a Detail Co. in Houston and am now throught hard work and referrals getting some exotics and classics. I have a Lambo and a 67 GT500(Eleanor) this week. I've been detailing High End cars for quite some time now, and have always had good results from the Meguiars Professional product line. This question is for the final step, after ive buffed out all the swirls and I'm ready to protect and give it the best shine possible. **What is the best wax or sealant to go with on cars like these to make these types of clients happy???? Any tips would be nice. I'm currently using Meguiars Brazilian Carnauba and Racers Edge Aviation.



Thanks

Mike:work:
 
hard to say what you mean. of course searching around you'll get tons of different ideas, but overall it sounds like these people are looking for the best possible shine and aren't worried about durability....or are they?



i've yet to do any exotics or high end classics, but i would think that owners like these would like to feel their rare cars are protected by rare / high end products. some of the higher cost brands and products are zymol, swissvax, dodojuice, souveran, p21s 100%, the list goes on. from what i've read about zymol/SV - they make outstanding waxes, but some of their cheaper ones can leave something to be desired.



many folks offer an upgraded wax service with details so while many of meg's products to include the famous 21, or collinite might do the job just fine, some people want to feel "special"
 
Well, there are quite a few options really. There are waxes like Souveran, Dodo Supernatural and some of the Swissvax waxes that do quite nice. Or you can get very pricey and try some of the Zymol estate glazes, like Vintage. Honestly, plenty of these types of clients would love hearing and telling that their car has a coat of $2,000 wax.

Just a few thoughts.
 
It all really depends, like people have said. You might want to try searching the forums for cars/paint/colors like the ones you are about to do and compare products with what people on here have been using. Waxes look better than others on different finishes; however, with what toyotaguy suggested, you can't go wrong.
 
I would think answering the question would result in a minimum of two waxes, and that is only if you actually believe in the idea of actually seeing a discernible difference from one wax to the next.



Most classics are single stage paint, and the popular choice for single stage paint is to go with a Carnauba based wax. M26 would be agreat choice as a final step for those if you want to stick with a Meguiar's system (like they preach). It's easy to work with and looks great.



For "exotics" most will have a clear coat, so many prefer sealants to carnaubas for their generally longer lasting qualities. You can stick with Meguiar's M21 2.0 (aka NXT 2.0 for pros), or even the M26 if you want.



Asking what wax to use is like asking who makes the best car- every person will have their own answer based on their own opinions. The best way to go about it is to test some out yourself and see what you prefer. The Meguiar's stuff is cheap and you obviously know where to obtain it- why not start there and then if you aren't happy start looking at the more expensive stuff and see if the extra coin is actually worth it.
 
The wax/sealant you use will look the same regardless of the type of car it is on. If it looks good on a minivan it will look good on a truck, a Lambo, a Rolls, etc...
 
Lumadar said:
I would think answering the question would result in a minimum of two waxes, and that is only if you actually believe in the idea of actually seeing a discernible difference from one wax to the next.



Most classics are single stage paint, and the popular choice for single stage paint is to go with a Carnauba based wax. M26 would be agreat choice as a final step for those if you want to stick with a Meguiar's system (like they preach). It's easy to work with and looks great.



For "exotics" most will have a clear coat, so many prefer sealants to carnaubas for their generally longer lasting qualities. You can stick with Meguiar's M21 2.0 (aka NXT 2.0 for pros), or even the M26 if you want.



Asking what wax to use is like asking who makes the best car- every person will have their own answer based on their own opinions. The best way to go about it is to test some out yourself and see what you prefer. The Meguiar's stuff is cheap and you obviously know where to obtain it- why not start there and then if you aren't happy start looking at the more expensive stuff and see if the extra coin is actually worth it.
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I find the opposite with owners of exotics. They tell me they want "whatever will look the best", and aren't concerned with durability since the majority of exotics are garaged, not driven in horrendous weather, and very few miles are put on them per year.



In terms of a sealant, I don't think you can beat Zaino. The Meguiar's stuff just doesn't have the durability. When I first started detailing, I was using pretty much all Meguiar's products. I thought Zaino was nothing but hype. I finally decided to buy the Zaino line, figuring I could sell it here if I didn't like it. After doing my first Zaino treatment a while back to a car, seeing the results, feeling the slickness, and monitoring the durability, you just can't beat it. It's the only sealant I use now.



Regarding waxes, M26 is a nice looking, affordable wax. Durability isn't stellar, but decent for a wax. I think Souveran looks better, durability is similar to M26, but of course, costs a lot more. Collinite is the best way to go for a wax if durability is a concern, and leaves a nice glow.
 
TH0001 said:
The wax/sealant you use will look the same regardless of the type of car it is on. If it looks good on a minivan it will look good on a truck, a Lambo, a Rolls, etc...
Click to expand...





agreed because its all in the prep. I just mentioned the two I did because well, personal use and I like them both!
 
showroom21 said:
I own a Detail Co. in Houston and am now throught hard work and referrals getting some exotics and classics. I have a Lambo and a 67 GT500(Eleanor) this week. I've been detailing High End cars for quite some time now, and have always had good results from the Meguiars Professional product line. This question is for the final step, after ive buffed out all the swirls and I'm ready to protect and give it the best shine possible. **What is the best wax or sealant to go with on cars like these to make these types of clients happy???? Any tips would be nice. I'm currently using Meguiars Brazilian Carnauba and Racers Edge Aviation.



Thanks

Mike:work:
Click to expand...



your going to get a million awnsers, everyone likes something diffrent, all work well. Lot of peopl swearby duragloss, zaino, chemical guys, swissvax, zymol, visctoria wax, dodo, ect. its about finding what works for you.

if you have been getting good rsults from megs then stick with it. If not they try something new. the worst that will happen is you will be out the cost of the tub (although you can sell it to recoop some loss)



now that I have given my use naything rant I will tell you what I love. I love the zymol range. I thnk the look of the higher end estate glazes is second to know. I love Vintage and atlantique (i did a red and grey 1930 rolls royce and the atalntique looks fantastic on it) however the zymol estate range is not for everyone. if you want to get into the higher end waxes without a 1k+ plus price tag i would suggest checking out Victoria wax. I would early compare this to some of the ZEG such as Concours and best of all its way cheaper



just my 2 cents ofcourse
 
craigdt said:
Well, there are quite a few options really. There are waxes like Souveran, Dodo Supernatural and some of the Swissvax waxes that do quite nice. Or you can get very pricey and try some of the Zymol estate glazes, like Vintage. Honestly, plenty of these types of clients would love hearing and telling that their car has a coat of $2,000 wax.

Just a few thoughts.
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they sure do. I had a sample my business partner picked up for the co (my tub of vintage stays far away from work) and we put it on a few vettes for a car show. While doing it the owner called his friends to come over and see what 2k wax looks like. We quickly used it up and no longer offer it (unless we can find another sample pot on ebay) but it was an awesome merketing tool.. an god bad or ugly the customer was happy, felt like he got his monies worth (hell i litterly met a dozen of his friends) and in a capitalist market thats what was impotant. it was a two thank you transaction
 
I agree with all said before this post for the 'exotics'. However, the 'classic' sleds are a different story. You have to find out what the client wants. There are some cases where you may get the car shinier than the customer wants.

I lost points on a show car (Jaguar XK120) because there was "too much shine" for the time the car existed. Some clients want the car to be the best it could have been for the period it was made. Some classics from the 50's and 60's never could get the gloss and finish we can get now.

When dealing with any 'classic' - find out what the client wants, if the sled's been recently painted, what parts, etc, etc. These are all very important to how you need to do the job for their expectations.

The same applies to the chrome, polished aluminum, and other 'shiny parts'. This is another area where 'too much shine' may not be what they're looking for. SIDE NOTE: on some older chrome, it's possible to rub right through the chrome, so be very careful. Cars from the 70's and 80's have chrome plated plastic that could also be 'polished right off' if you're not careful.

As for my personal choice of wax ... it's P21s, applied in 3 to 4 layers 3 to 6 days between applications while the car is stored in a dry, dust free area. It's not that I discount any of the other waxes, it's just my personal preference.

Hope this helps.
 
I have Swissvax Mystery on my POS black 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee.



Looks nice, but so does Zaino, Souveran, Natty's, and Concorso.



The paint has more peel than an orange.......





My 08 Infiniti has a granite coating on it that they call paint. Everything looks good on it.





Give me a flat, deep, beautifully applied finish that will never be abused, I'd still use Zaino.



If you have called me for a detail, my first words are, "I seal it with Zaino. If you want wax after that, I'll do it".
 
When I do an exotic, such as a Ferrari 430 recently, my main strategy is to find out,

what's the owner's main intention/motivation?

To make the car look better? protection? or to show off....??

This will steer you towards which brands to use.



What you want to use, is not as important as what your customer actually wants from the detailing job. The master chef might think black truffles are good enough, but his customer might be thinking about rare white truffles from a specific region in France.



My exotic customers are mostly into err...showing off (pls pardon the word) to their friends about the brand and price of the treatment. The more unusual, the more excited they get. So, I hv my own strategy.



For example:



MEGA-PRICE: GOOD!

A megabuck pure Carnauba from Swissvax or Zymol.

If its multiple layers, they'll get even more excited! It's all in the price and brand image. I use lots of both brands for brand-conscious customers. They will not believe in anything cheaper.



NOVELTY: EVEN BETTER!

My exotic customers get all orgasmic when they see ZFX being dripped into the mixing bottle!!!! They don't know anything...but it's certainly intriguing to them!

They'll leave cars for 5days, and want layers and layers of the stuff. These are the ones looking for reflectiveness/gloss + a bit of novelty.



DISTINCTIVENESS: WOW!

Mention Meguiars, and you'll see the lack of excitement on their faces.

Mention DODO Juice, or some brands with unique names, and their ears are parked up!



UNIQUE STORY/CLAIMS: I MUST HV IT!

PPS, and other expensive coatings often have unique stories such as teflon, waterlotus

effect, crazy beading, increasing surface hardness, increased scratch resistance, substantition from various institutes etc etc. Many exotic owners are genuinely hot for these claims. For these, I use MMC and other glass-based coatings from Japan.



Regardless of the LSPs used, it's always the prep that matters most.





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Reading this thread was sorta as expected; no real surprises ;) Well, all the Collinite plugs sorta surprised me. Thought I was the only guy who'd put that stuff on something special.



Note that different people see/like/value different things. I can't believe that there's one correct answer. It depends on the customer, and you might not get it right the first time...so *talk* to them about this stuff and give 'em what they want.



Saintlysins said:
.. However, the 'classic' sleds are a different story. You have to find out what the client wants. There are some cases where you may get the car shinier than the customer wants.

I lost points on a show car (Jaguar XK120) because there was "too much shine" for the time the car existed. Some clients want the car to be the best it could have been for the period it was made. Some classics from the 50's and 60's never could get the gloss and finish we can get now..
Click to expand...



Yeah, one of the *very* few vehicles I do for others is a pal's '60 Jag MKII. The modern repaint simply looks concours correct with NXT v2.0 on it. I *never* woulda used that product (which actually isn't bad) had the owner, who *knows* how that car oughta look, not insisted. Left to my own devices I probably woulda cost him points :o I never saw how it looked with the original paint.
 
Accumulator there is a LOT of Ferrari's running around Florida with a coat (or several) of #915.



In the end you should be more concered about selling yourself vs. selling the image of a wax.
 
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