So, does anyone actually WAX their cars anymore?
 

Not trolling, just curious, but just on the front page alone there are 14 threads dedicated to Opticoat or similar coatings. Is wax just not getting the job done anymore? Is Subaru paint really that soft? Or do the majority of you guys just not want to be bothered keeping up with the hassles of regular detailing?

I have to admit, never having a garage, detailing could oftentimes be a major pain in the ass, but there was always that pride of a job well done afterward. I dunno, maybe I'm just an old fart that can't embrace new tech, but there has to be some drawback to these kinds of coatings and clear bras, right? Are they similar to say an anti-glare smart phone screen protector? In otherwords you don't have to look at rotten fingerprints anymore, but the resolution is sacrificed? Do these coating serioulsy look as deep and wet as couple coats of carnuba? I mean is it really that easy? Just pay a couple hundred bucks and never have to worry about a swirl mark of stray pebble again?

As far as this "soft Subaru paint" bussiness. I'm coming off a GM car made of plastic and and done by a retarded robot with half-empty shake cans. The factory paint on my IRL was terrible, is Subaru even worse?! Like can I drive the damn car home on Saturday or should I encase it in a bubble and have it shipped directly to a professional. You guys got me all paranoid now! :lol:

My being an older fart than you I think the big difference is generational. I remember when the only products available for detailing your car were Simonize, Blue Coral and Turtle wax. We used scrouring powder on our white walls. There was no such thing as "tire dressing". A while back I mentioned I used an old, worn bath towel to dry my car when I went to a do-it-yourself car wash and one guy almost went ballistic because of the damage I was doing to the paint on my car.
:burnrubber:

This is the first forum I have been on where loads of people are using the Opticoat type products. I think it has to do with it being a brand new car And as stated the paint on these cars is not that great. People have had it measured and shown to be thin in critical areas. To add to that the car is an economy car so you can't expect top of the line paint jobs. Also, i think alot of it has to do with marketing hype. Once someone gets something done and shows a few pics others will want the same thing. This forum is pretty bad for the bandwagon thing. A lot of first time modifiers and first time new car owners so they are following the crowd. Nothing wrong with that in this case as all it's doing is causing people to take preventative action to protect their paint.

Another point I'd like to mention - clear bra's are great at preventing stone chips but have a serious draw back if you are like me. They are easily noticeable in photographs. Maybe not so much with a phone camera but I own a DSLR and have professional shoots done of my cars and can't handle the matte finish the clear bra creates. I'd prefer to have my front end resprayed if it got bad enough.

In the end I think I'm old school as well. I will always prefer to lay my own wax/sealants as the sense of accomplishment is great. I'd want nothing to do with a car that stayed mint looking all the time - half the fun of these things is maintaining and showing off your hardwork.

I would say the correct term today is polish rather than wax. I am big fan of Zaino. Opticoat is interesting. I use Zaino 2x per year on all my cars and I love the results. What you don't see much anymore is carnuba based wax fans.

Orthow hit it right in the head!

The best way i find to protect your car is by applying layers of synthetic wax, though not every synthetic wax can be layered.

But of course the best shine is to apply Carnauba wax, i rarely put it since its only really lasts about 2 days if its all natural which is what you want. Nothing can beat the look of Carnauba wax, its king and has been for years. :bow:

The Subaru paint is very thin, its not half assed but very thin and full of orange peel.

I've waxed mine once since I got it. Need to do it again soon.

What is this "wax" thing you speak of?

;)

I agree with you. I use a synthetic sealant and then put a layer of carnauba on top. After every wash I use either a spray wax or carnauba. Always looks great. But I also live in California and have a garage.

I wax mine regularly. No clear bra on mine, though I do have quite a few dings and chips now after 12,000 miles. My long-term plan was to get it repainted anyway, and i just hate the l look of the clear bra. When i first got it i waxed once or twice a month. Now it's every 4-6 weeks or whenever the weather is decent enough.

I do it often, it's quick and easy. I only use the regular Meguiars stuff, works really well and really shines once it's done...so easy to use you can't do it wrong unless you use dirty applications / wipes.

Ah, good, so there are still some purists out there! :)

Okay, so maybe carnuba "wax" is a bit too oldschool and impractical these days. I agree, it doesn't really last long enough and even I don't want to be out in the dway every weekend for 4-6 hours, either.

I'm not opposed to sythetic, just don't know much about it. I was always a Mother's 3-stage guy. I never explored anything else.

So, you think maybe there's a good middle ground here? Would it be unreasonable to take it to a pro detailer to do a "new car prep" and paint correction, but rather than have it Opticoated afterward, just have them apply the first layer of synthetic and then take over afterwards?

I had mine Opticoated the day after I picked up the car. At this point, I just use the two bucket wash method and finish with a detail spray. Shines bright and beads water great, so until those results diminish there will be no more waxing for this guy.

You should try a few synthetic waxes, they won't put that much of a hole in your pocket.

The problem is people want a product that lasts for years, protects the cars paint for weather and rock debris, but also gives them a shine. A product like that will never really exist, there is no end all product when it comes to detailing.

I think this is a great solution. Majority of people don't have a clue how to correct paint and unless you've been shown by a pro or practised on an old car (method I used) I would not suggest the average person to attempt it. Making the initial investment into polishers and compounds can get costly but will always result in the best results. My suggestion. Do as you said and take the new car to a pro to have it corrected. Even have the detailer throw on a sealant and wax. If you are around I'm sure he will give you tips and tricks to help with your own waxing endeavours. After that you just maintain it. I have a good friend who refuses to correct paint so he gets his car professionally detailed at the beginning or every season. The money he spends versus me allows me to pay for all my shows/tracking throughout the season so I am glad I tought myself how to take care of my paintjobs.

Even the cheapest "off the shelf" waxes I have used will bead water amazingly. This is not an adequate frame of reference when looking into waxing solutions. It's all about the DEPTH of the paint. That being said, I gather from your post you don't much care about being the cleanest car on the block. Which is fine but not an ideal shared buy the purists so to speak.