Help before using Nufinish or NXT

[JHZR2]

Hello,

The paint on my 91 BMW 318i is admittedly not the best. Its OK, but there are fine scratches in it that look like the PO didnt wash it properly or something. Its due a quality repaint, but I have to save up fro that.

Ive used nufinish in the past, but I put some of my good products to the car to spruce it up a bit, and dont want to do anything stupid.

My applications so far (with PC RO Polisher):
-Menzerna Intensive Polish
-P21S Paintwork Cleanser
-Menzerna Final Polish
-Menzerna Finishing Touch Glaze
-Blackfire All Finish Paint Protector

I want to put some wax on the car, and I have the collonite line, nufinish and meguiars NXT wax, as well as some more expensive carnuba that I use for our new cars that have nice paint.

Given the anality of my regimen ths far, I dont want to use a wax that will act like a "cleaner" and remove the polish/glaze that Ive put on. This is why Im worried about Nufinish and Meguiars NXT.

I dont mind buying another product, if necessary, and OTC available, so Im not paying shipping for one item. I was thinking of looking for some meguiars #26 yellow wax perhaps.

Or maybe the collonite is my best bet??? Put two coats and be done?

Is NXT wax a cleaner? Will it strip my glaze and polish? The car is looking good now, nice and shiny for a 17yo paint coat... I want to put the wax on this afternoon to protect it ASAP.

Any suggestions????

THanks!!

JMH

 

[ATS-V]

Use the Collinite. The NuFinish has cleaner properties and is not worth putting over your regimen. That being said, I like to use NuFinish before winter since it's a one step product and lasts a good 6 months.

 

[bretfraz]

Well, you've done about 95% of the hard work so far. Makes total sense that you don't want to undo it using the wrong wax.

I'd stay away from NuFinish. It's got both abrasive and chemical paint cleaning properties. It would have been fine to use prior to all that polishing but it's not the product to use now.

NXT has slight abrasives but nothing like NuFinish. NXT fills fine swirls more than it removes them. I think it would be fine to use at this point.

Collinite would be the best choice. No paint cleaning or polishing properties in it. Lasts a long time for a wax, longer than NXT. It'll work fine as a topper to the Blackfire sealant.

There is no point in buying Megs #26 as it is very similar to Collinite you have now. At this point the only reason to use a wax is to alter the appearance of the paint in relation to the Blackfire on the car now. You might want to use one of your other waxes to provide the look you want, if that's your motivation.

 

[JHZR2]

Thanks!!

97GTP, my understanding (and the reason I recently bought the collinite) is that it is a true 6 month wax, a very long lasting product. Do you think that Nufinish is longer lasting than collinite?

bretfaz, thanks for the info - always appreciated. The car looks quite good now, my thinking was that a wax would add another sacrificial layer of paint and UV protection on top of what I have on there... is that accurate, or am I off? For a light silver car, there isnt much of a look that can be gained that I can tell - maybe Im just not knowledgable enough yet. Out of curiosity, in your experience, since you say that #26 and collinite are similar - is one better than the other?

Thanks again!

JMH

 

[bretfraz]

No, you're right, the wax will act as an additional layer of protection. The thing is the wax isn't a durable as the sealant, so if protection is the main goal, skip the wax. Most people top a sealant with a wax to alter the looks. IMO, that's the only real benefit.

In my experience, most $20 car waxes look and perform about the same. I don't think you'll notice a big diff between Collinite and #26 but it's worth a try if you're curious. Now, step up to Pinnacle Souveran or one of the spendy Zymol waxes and you might notice the diff, but even that is pretty minor unless the car has a show quality paint job or something.

 

[JHZR2]

When I get my as new 81 MB 240D, I might have to consult again on those spendy waxes... that will be my fun car, and Ill want to keep it looking new (imagine a 62hp, AT-equipped 4-cyl diesel as a "fun" car

).

Anyway, one more dumb question - waxes seem to bead up the water in smaller, more distinct drops than sealants do, and then tend to make it easier to shed whater upon moving the vehicle. That is pretty basic and well understood from a chemistry perspective. That said, is there a benefit to that specific beading action, compared to how water sits on paint with just a sealant? My concern first and foremost tends to be paint protection from the elements, UV, dust, dirt, etc., with the shineand gloss a secondary benefit resulting from good prep. So, besides the "sacrificial layer" is there any other benefit to be had?

Thanks again,

JMH

 

[bretfraz]

I think water beading gets a bit misunderstood and misinterpreted sometimes. First, beading is a sign of surface tension. A car fresh from the paint booth will bead water like crazy, eventhough there isn't a drop of wax on it. Polish your paint to perfection and it will bead water nicely, too.

Most waxes and sealants bead water due to a chemical reaction with the water. The ingredients are creating the surface tension which causes the beading. There is one huge unknown in all this - does water beading determine the amount or quality of protection on a painted surface? In other words, does water beading prove wax is still present on your paint? IMO, the answer is "maybe".

Some waxes and sealants are designed at the outset to bead water as a sign of protection. Zaino is formulated this way. You know how well your paint is protected by the water beading. Is that true for all waxes and sealants? No. I believe that most waxes bead water not by engineered design but as a byproduct of their chemical composition.

So to answer your question, "is there a benefit to that specific beading action, compared to how water sits on paint with just a sealant?, there could be depending on the product you're using.

In the end, car wax can only do a couple things for us. It can protect the paint from environmental damage (up to a point), but mostly wax is there to enhance the looks of the paint. Most are better at one than the other, and it's rare to find a product that does both well. As long as folks realize the majority of car waxes are made to make our cars look great first, and protect our car's paint second, then it's easier to decide what to use and why.

I hope this helps. It's an interesting topic to discuss.

 

[jarvk22]

bretfraz,I like you're opinion Zaino vs. Nxt.

 

[RTexasF]

Collinite would be my choice of those you mentioned.

 

[ATS-V]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Thanks!!

97GTP, my understanding (and the reason I recently bought the collinite) is that it is a true 6 month wax, a very long lasting product. Do you think that Nufinish is longer lasting than collinite?


I think they're about the same in durability.

 

[1sttruck]

Compare a car that's been waxed (polished, Nufinished, etc) over the years vs one that hasn't, and it seems that wax (polish, etc) is a good thing. We used Nufinish on my son's 92 F150 to kind of bind the paint and keep it from rubbing off on you when you brushed up against it :^)

 

[Cheesehead]

NuFinish definitely has its place. One thing I can say about the product is that the water does bead up longer than a lot of stuff on the market. Man, i think NuFinish has been around since i was a kid.