happened to be in an auto parts store today, and after seeing all the different brands on the shelf, wondered what you all used, and with what results.

 

 

jared

Make sure you get a real one...heh. I tried the 'spray as you dry' stuff and it does not work well at all. I use normal ole' Turtle Wax in the little tub. It is decent and cheap. I want to try some of the Meguiars wax...it seems like it'd work well, but its double the cost of Turtle Wax.

I've used the colored wax that comes with the scratch cover stick with a good deal of success. But the key is to buy a cheap buffer ($25) and any wax will look great. Buff it baby!

Still looking for a good wax/polish, tried Nu Finish, and something 3000 came in a green bottle, would not recommend either. both left white residue that I kept finding in areas I could not buff well months after application.

 

Good luck

zymol japon. It's about 30 bucks. You can get it at www.emmonscoachworks.com

 

It's not the easiest to put on, and once or twice a year, you should apply zymol's HD Cleanse on the surface.

 

This is not the same zymol you can get at a parts store, and like I mentioned....it's not exactly the easiest or shortest wax job you'll do. The results however are pretty amazing.

 

Here's a few pics of my car after waxing

 

http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8080/subaru/images/zymol

http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8080/subaru/images/legacyzymol

i use dawn:brow: and the spray as u wet car wax and it works great for me,and mine is the original 85 paint.

i use dawn:brow: and the spray as u wet car wax and it works great for me,and mine is the original 85 paint.

Dawn ? Dish stuff ?

 

~Howard

:-\

yep and it works great:grin:

Autoglym! Have been using their products for the last fifteen years and I still haven't seen anything that combines the ease of application to the perfectly controlled results. I even use the "Car Glass Polish" on my apartment windows and mirrors, too. No other product cleans glass so well, with so little effort and no streaks or smears.

Paintwork polished in "Super Resin Polish" and sealed with "Extra Gloss Protection" has a surface like Rain-X treated glass.

 

http://www.autoglym.co.uk/index2.html

 

 

Rain-X has glass treatment cornered, by the way.

I use Meguiars Gold Classic, goes on easy and comes off easy. A good coat of this and some times I use just a bucket of water and sponge to clean vehicle the next time. Use Blue Coral car soap and no more than it takes to clean vehicle. Two coats of wax on front leading edges help in high speed impact bug removal.

Turtle Wax. The cheapest stuff. It nice because it has more grit than most wax and can take road tarnish off better. But I wouldn't wax a car with it every month since it's harsher on the paint for the same reason.

Consumer Reports actually did a test of car waxes in 2000. They tested for gloss, ease of application, cleaning, durabilitity, and scratching/hazing:

 

"For a moderately weathered finish, 3M One Step Cleaner Wax 39006 liquid is the clear choice for its cleaning ability--that is, if you don't mind waxing more often. Its durability was only fair. It costs about $6.45 for a 16-ounce bottle. For a badly oxidized finish, you may need to start off with a polishing compound, available at auto-parts, discount, and department stores.

 

If a shiny finish is your paramount concern, first consider Zymöl Cleaner Wax liquid and Nu Finish Car Polish paste. But be prepared to make some compromises. The cleaning ability of both products was so-so, and Zymöl's durability was just middling. Also, the Nu Finish tended to scratch or haze somewhat, a problem especially with dark-colored cars. The Zymöl is also quite expensive, at $16 a pint. The Nu Finish costs about $6.20 for a 14-ounce can.

 

Among the high-rated polishes, the Prestone Bullet Wax, about $7.25, and Armor All Car Wax, about $5.55, lasted the longest. But neither one quite matched the gloss that the Zymöl and Nu Finish paste produced. The Armor All scratched or hazed more than most.

 

A convenient applicator made Prestone Bullet Wax easier to apply than any of the other liquids and pastes we tested. Although spray polishes win hands down for ease of use, they aren't effective on cars with a very dirty or oxidized finish. And be prepared to do the job often; the durability of the sprays we tested was no better than fair. Of the three sprays, Turtle Wax Express Shine Spray Car Wax performed the best overall. "

 

I use Nu Finish, which cleans OK, is quite durable, and is extremely easy to use, being a liquid.

 

The wash & wax products don't seem to work at all, including the car wash versions. No polish lasts more than about a month, they say.

Should I use a buffer on my new 2005 RS???? Tim said NO cause it will ruin the paint???? I say hes wrong cause I beleive thats what the guys use at the dealership when detailing.... Does anyone use a buffer on your new Subarus??? Vicky

A buffer would be fine. Don't use like steel wool on it..heh. But make sure it has a nice and soft buffing thing on the buffer (like flannal or the soft baby diper kind)

 

That shouldn't harm your paint.

All I want is ease of application and removal, and the ability to help keep road gunk and bugs from permanently imbedding into the paint. On our older car I've been very happy with Mother's Cleaner Wax Liquid. On our newer one, I've been using Rain-X liquid wax and then I use their Fast-Wax after each wash. These seem to work great. I really like the Rain-X stuff, it seems to keep the car cleaner longer.

 

Some of my friends who have collector cars, love the pricey Zymol stuff like Legacy777 recommended.

I've been reading about,(but never tried), the clay bar method. Several wax companies sell Clay Bars which you use to rub down the paint. They're completely non-abrasive when used properly,(with lubricant), and according to most of the reviews I've read, do an amazing job. You follow the clay bar rub-down with a regular wax job.

I've used clay bars, and honestly, don't care for them. They make more of a mess then they help, and I've got some polishing compounds that leave the surface much smoother.

 

Clay bars are however pretty decent in removing overspray though.

zymol is good stuff. smells good too:)

 

I used to use Ibiz but its a order only deal and I never plan that far ahead. I only get the urge to wax my car(s) every once in a while and its real easy to go get the zymol from the parts store.

 

Ibiz was really good on black cars. I dont know why but it worked. no swirlys.

I apply mud liberaly and then coat it with dust from the road as I leave the trail. Repeat untill you cant tell what color the car is

Armor-All Car Wash Concentrate in that Mr. Clean dealie. It's about $5 for a half gallon bottle whereas the Mr. Clean soap is about $6 for a pint and a half. It works just the same (has the anti-streak formulation and everything), and I like the convenience of the device.

 

I have had nice results from the Eagle One Wax-As-You-Dry, but it's not quite as simple and quick as they claim it to be. I think if you follow their directions, you can get a somewhat dull finish. If you put some elbow grease into the "as-you-dry" part, it does a fine job.

Sooooooo Matt, are you willing to stake the price of an Obsidian pearl Black paint job on this???? There is no way I would use a powered buffer on this thing. First problem is it will leave "swirls", secondly, you run the chance of burning the paint if your not very careful. I'll spend the time and hand buff with a soft flannel towel. Later, Tim

 

A buffer would be fine. Don't use like steel wool on it..heh. But make sure it has a nice and soft buffing thing on the buffer (like flannal or the soft baby diper kind)

 

That shouldn't harm your paint.

Weeellll...

 

When I used the buffer thing with the soft shameoi cloth on the Legacy it seemed to not leave swirl marks. I prefer using soft flannel/baby diapers when I wax the OBW...it seems to go a lot faster than the buffer...but the buffer seemed to leave a nicer shine.

 

I might be wrong and the buffer might mess up paint...but my experience has been on cars with some scratchs and dings and I just wanted to get the wax job done, but did not notice any more scratches when I was done.

Yep, Diapers that have been washed a few times make great car and shoe polishing rags.

Yeah...my mom dug them out for when I started waxing my cars...she's used them before and washes them after she is done....so they are soft and lint free

Sooooooo Matt, are you willing to stake the price of an Obsidian pearl Black paint job on this???? There is no way I would use a powered buffer on this thing. First problem is it will leave "swirls", secondly, you run the chance of burning the paint if your not very careful. I'll spend the time and hand buff with a soft flannel towel. Later, Tim

There is a good chance that you will leave swirl marks and/or burn the paint if you are not carefull using a buffer. But as far as I know, the swirl marks come when dirt or "particles" are trapped in the "cloth," so make sure your car is clean and use a clean soft cloth. The burning comes when you press down on the buffer, don't keep the buffer moving, or a buffer which spins too fast. But I've also seen swirl marks on cars that have been hand applied- so pick your poison.

 

Is you dont want to risk your obsidian pearl paint (and who could blame you), do what I did, practice on your wife's car.