Originally Posted By: qwertydude
It's not too bad. I find wipe on and cure sealants like Blackfire a total pain to use when you have to worry about coating thickness and high spots.
If you're having trouble with Collinite it's almost always attributable to putting it on too thick. It should pretty much look like a smeared fingerprint when properly applied. You should use a microfiber covered applicator, soak it in water and squeeze out the excess. Foam ones generally apply too much and it becomes a pain to remove and can cause streaking. The water soaked microfiber applicator definitely helps applying it.
If it's still being difficult another trick is to use a wipe on wipe off method, this method works especially well if on the off chance you are applying it in the sun. Have an applicator followed immediately with a microfiber wiping it off, but don't buff it, just wipe it off with a pass or two. It may seem like you're not doing anything but that microscopic amount left behind after the wipe off is actually all you really need. After the wipeoff stage then you let it cure onto the paint and follow with a buff with a clean microfiber to polish the waxed surface. And to really set the wax you can spray some water on the panel and buff it with a microfiber.
You can also machine apply it. This lets you really work in the wax and apply a thin coat properly. To do one section like an entire hood literally you should be using about 2 pea sized chunks on the pad. Remember to properly prime the pad with a spritz or three of water.
I have waxed literally hundreds of cars, light, dark, old, new, even single stage paints using the above methods and have never experienced any difficulty with Collinite save for one or two whose paints were riddled with micropores from a poor aftermarket paint job.
If you're willing to learn how to use an old school method like rotary. You might as well learn how to properly use an old school wax like Collinite. Because it's not hard, but if it's as difficult to remove as most people complain about, well it follows that it's gonna be durable.
And when you master it, you'll really feel the benefit as one inexpensive can will last a very long time. And the look it leaves behind is second to none. People will really appreciate the sharpness of the gloss that really only an old school wax provides. The synthetic sealants to me always look like a plasticky coating or worse like someone just smeared vegetable oil on the car.
If you'd like to send me a sample, I'd be more than glad to give it a try. I have plenty of Reload, Polymer Net Shield, Power Lock and Blackfire Wet Diamond to last me years. And you're more than welcome to have a sample of anything from my stash.
To be honest, if I need more than 4 months durability, I think that particular car should be getting a paint coating and not a traditional sealant/wax.
Originally Posted By: nepadriver
Waxes , and some sealants, cause beading on paint, and are no where near as hydrophobic as a good sealant or better yet, a coating. Water beading causes all of the dirt and pollutants on your hood and in rain water to dry and stay on your paint, further dulling the finish. And more swirls when you wash it, since that crud its sitting (now dried) on your hood. Additionally, a good sealant (better yet a coating) makes washing and drying your vehicles much much easier than if a wax was covering it. More sheeting. Less swirls, less dirt staying on the paint.
These are some of the reasons a sealant or coating are far superior to wax for my applications , and a good many other people. Possibly depending on your local weather and type of car (daily driver for me, stored outside 24/7 in northern winters etc) you would make a different choice.
Now, if your ONLY desire is the look of wax, for a garage queen in SoCal, then you should be buying some top end waxes for that "primo carnuba" look. However, the constant application causes you to touch your paint more often, causing more swirls. This is a non starter for many people and should be understood.
As for ease of application, with claims of lasting up to 2 years, try DP Paint Coating.Spray on, wipe with foam, buff with MF towel. Takes seconds per panel.
Sheeting of DP Coating:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUx0dqDaQdg
I just put DP Window coating on my windshield, before this northeast rain "event". Its amazing, great run off, wipers (below 35 mph) glide with no sound, above 35 pretty much not needed, crystal clear. I'm moving from the sealant, right into the coating camp.
To be honest, I've had fairly mixed experiences with the DP line. I do have a bottle of DP Paint Coating that I may use on my dad's van, but my experience with it is that it flashes way too quickly during application.
Originally Posted By: Zeus33
Have you ever tried the wipe on/walk away sealants? It doesn't get any easier than that. Ultima Paint Guard Plus or Optimum Opti-Seal. I was skeptical at first, but now, I very rarely bother with a product that needs to be wiped off. Why do an extra step and waste more time?
I've tried Blackfire Crystal Seal. I thought it was a decent product, but the application time was not much less than a typical sealant. You needed to use the correct lighting to identify and level any high spots.
Otherwise, I've never considered the other WOWA type products due to the price vs durability factor. Reload is compelling since the application is quick, the technology is modern, plus the durability is very promising.