De-waxing?

GerryDerpy

Hi all,

I am looking for advice regarding removal of old wax and re-doing it.

I picked up my new (to me) car last week. The paint work is in great condition, no swirls. Feels rough in some places, which I plan to clay.

But the dealer has put some type of wax on the car (for the showroom). I would like to start from scratch (bad choice of word). I am not complaining about the current wax, but would like the peace of mind of doing it myself.

So, controversial topic - is it right to use dish soapy water to strip everything back?? Because I am aware that proper car soaps (I have Autoglym myself at home) do not strip waxes.

Also, for the re-waxing, I would appreciate advice on what wax/sealant to use. Budget of €50. Car is gun metal grey colour.

Many thanks.

Curran

The only true way to remove 100% of old layers of product, be it wax, sealant, glaze or whatever is to polish it. Yes dish soap will remove some, but not all. And considering the current layer is quite fresh it won't come off with just that.

The roughness is probably down to fallout; bonded iron particlea from your brakes (mostly, though other sources are possible); so I would recommend that a fallout remover be used before claying. Claying will again help remove some, but not all, of previous layers. Consider a de-tar too. The combination of dish soap, along with a de-tar and claying will remove a lot of it.

In terms of what to apply on it; is durability a big factor or are you happy to reapply a layer in say 2 months. Another option that is easy to apply and give good results on grey are spray sealants. Spray on, buff off, job done.

GerryDerpy

Thanks a mill, Curran, that is very helpful info!

Can I cheekily asked to be spoon-fed with recommendations of exact products for; fallout remover, de-tar and spray sealant?

I struggle to pick from all the options available - everything markets itself as the best there is!

Curran

GerryDerpy wrote: »

...everything markets itself as the best there is!

Yeah, it can get a bit confusing, and everyone rates the best there is, in different ways...take Tar remover for example; the best there is can be perceived by the best remover (but may not be the safest), it could be the best at removing tar while being the safest (but may not be the cheapest)...and so on!

My 'go to' choices are....
Fallout Removers - CarPro IronX or Bilt Hamber Korrosol
Tar Remover - CarPro TarX
Spray Sealant - there are quite a lot of choices here...

- Im a huge fan of HydrO2 for the pure simplicity of use, but only durable for about 2-3 months...but given how easy it is to apply, its literally 5 mins to apply and power wash off, and then dry the car.
- CarPro Reload is a spray on, buff with a microfiber until clear
- KKD SiCoat is similar to Reload
- KKD PurityX is similar to HydrO2

There are similar products in other ranges, but wouldnt be familiar with the names of the exact product, but Gtechniq make some nice ones too.

Hit up YouTube and see them in action for yourself, and see what best suits your needs based on application and price, etc.

If you wanted to stick to traditional waxes but want a bit of durability, Bilt Hamber Finis Wax would looks great on the grey!

vectra

I have used Reload and SiCoat.
On a properly prepped car I got more comments like "Some shine on that"
After I used SiCoat on it, than I ever got when I used Reload.

GerryDerpy

Curran wrote: »

Yeah, it can get a bit confusing, and everyone rates the best there is, in different ways...take Tar remover for example; the best there is can be perceived by the best remover (but may not be the safest), it could be the best at removing tar while being the safest (but may not be the cheapest)...and so on!

My 'go to' choices are....
Fallout Removers - CarPro IronX or Bilt Hamber Korrosol
Tar Remover - CarPro TarX
Spray Sealant - there are quite a lot of choices here...

- Im a huge fan of HydrO2 for the pure simplicity of use, but only durable for about 2-3 months...but given how easy it is to apply, its literally 5 mins to apply and power wash off, and then dry the car.
- CarPro Reload is a spray on, buff with a microfiber until clear
- KKD SiCoat is similar to Reload
- KKD PurityX is similar to HydrO2

There are similar products in other ranges, but wouldnt be familiar with the names of the exact product, but Gtechniq make some nice ones too.

Hit up YouTube and see them in action for yourself, and see what best suits your needs based on application and price, etc.

If you wanted to stick to traditional waxes but want a bit of durability, Bilt Hamber Finis Wax would looks great on the grey!

Great stuff, thanks again, Curran. Plenty more videos to watch on the tube!

SBPhoto

Second that Sicoat product, great shine even on white, Have you got it back in stock yet Curran?

Curran

Not yet! Waiting on Customs to come back with the bad news (VAT & Duty) on a large CarPro order; once that's cleared, will know what I have to play with when re-ordering! First time having any of the KKD range so wasnt sure how well SiCoat would be received; had only ordered a few of each; proving very popular!!

vectra

Curran wrote: »

Not yet! Waiting on Customs to come back with the bad news (VAT & Duty) on a large CarPro order; once that's cleared, will know what I have to play with when re-ordering! First time having any of the KKD range so wasnt sure how well SiCoat would be received; had only ordered a few of each; proving very popular!!

Anything interesting in the carpro order for me ??

Curran

Isnt everything they make, in some way interesting!

- Cquartz Classic - a bit more glossy but a bit more difficult to work with in our climate
- Essence Plus - non-abrasive gloss agent & coating jeweler; essentially a repair / top up for ceramic coatings; typically the only option when a coating was nearing end of life was to polish the remnants and re-apply - not anymore!
- EchO2 - Quick Detailer / Clay Lubricant / Waterless Wash / Rinse-less Wash depending on dilution