Wax longevity?

irv

Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
2,219
Location
Oshawa, Ont. Canada
I know some waxes/polishes last longer than others but after recently waxing my friends 30's-40's Hot Rod with Collinite 845, he stated his car likely wouldn't need another coat of wax for 2-3 years based on it only being a summer vehicle and that it is normally stored in an underground parking garage with a cover on it after most weekends.

This got me thinking, does he have a valid point or do waxes/polishes eventually wear/gas off regardless of the amount of sun/washes it sees? I know in the fall when I get a coat of wax on our family's wheels prior to storage in my shed, the wheels are smooth and slippery like they should be but when the spring arrives, the slipperiness/smoothness has deteriorated somewhat on them.
I assume wax will eventually wear/deteriorate regardless of the amount of sun/weather/washes it sees but I am curious what others have to say about it. :)
 
Yes. Carnauba in raw form is like hard chips and it is mixed with a solvent to make it paste like. Those solvents in a wax finish on a car will also evaporate over time and what remains will probably not bond well. We just don't ever see it happen because the degradation is slow and the wax layer is already so thin.

This is a big reason to make the switch to synthetics (just like motor oil). :)
 
in that situation collonite should last longer than a year, I have a wax coat on a motorcyle that was treated 3 years ago, driven 500 miles since then and stored in my garage. still beads perfectly fine! Paint isn's as smooth to the touch as it was when the wax was fresh.

On my Volkswagen Phaeton wich is 99% of the time parked in a garage and only driven for joy, max 200 miles a year I have a CQuartz UK coating. Going strong for the 4th oder 5th year now. With my driving habits I'm sure that car will still be coated for the next decade.
 
I put the Turtle Wax on my truck back in April and it is still holding up nicely same with my moms car it has lasted and we have our cars stored outside and it has been fine since then.
 
Depends on where you are and the use. My vehicles see heavy use in Florida and require frequent maintenance including the application of protectants. I use a spray wax after every wash.
 
I've used NuFinish many times and it lasts very long. It does not last a year with a normal number of washings. Carnuba waxes I've tried only last a few weeks.

What ever happened to a wax called 'Rain Dance'? That stuff worked real well.
 
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I’m of the opinion that it doesn’t matter much anymore.

I’ve had excellent results applying Collinite paste wax, 476, with a DA polisher.

But you know what? I can spritz on one of the newer durable spray waxes, buff it off and get at least 3-4 months protection in no time.

Does the 476 look better? Definitely—-for a day or two.
 
I just waxed my '16 Versa using Mother's wax for the first time since last fall. It was still beading water after a year or very close to it. It sits outside 24/7/365. Normally I wax in spring/fall and sometimes use the spray on between, this year I missed the spring waxing and hadn't done a spray wax. When I was a teenager back in the 70's I hand washed my cars about every week and waxed them about once a month during the summer, now I can't even get around to doing it twice a year. Recon this could be a sign I'm getting old or am I just getting lazy?
 
Waxed the car today with Collinite 845. Doggone you don’t much of it to do a van. Been averaging 4-5 months durability with it.
I bought some Turtle wax spray wax.....curious to see how it lasts.
Tried the Mother’s AIO wax last year and was disappointed in the durability. It smelled good though.....
Plan to try Finish Kare next time......
 
Finding articles it went from DuPont, to Borden (who filed a trademark on it https://uspto.report/TM/73731076), to McKesson Corp.`s Armor All Products subsidiary. Looks like the name died in '95, resurrected in 2018.

There's a few cans left for sale on EBay.
I remember it was a good seller back in the '80s. Cheap as Turtle Wax but much better. I used lots of it on my BMW 2002.
 
in that situation collonite should last longer than a year, I have a wax coat on a motorcyle that was treated 3 years ago, driven 500 miles since then and stored in my garage. still beads perfectly fine! Paint isn's as smooth to the touch as it was when the wax was fresh.

On my Volkswagen Phaeton wich is 99% of the time parked in a garage and only driven for joy, max 200 miles a year I have a CQuartz UK coating. Going strong for the 4th oder 5th year now. With my driving habits I'm sure that car will still be coated for the next decade.
Can I just say, fantastic taste. Phaeton is definitely in the fantasy garage for me.
 
Thankfully in Europe the Phaeton is available with the bread and butter 3.0 TDI engine which makes servicing and general costs of ownership mich more affordable than the W12 and V8. Unfortunately the P. was limited in North Amerika for a very limited time only
 
I polish our 3 vehicles once a year with Finish Kare BWM100 High Temp (1000K) and spray Meguiars Xpress or 303 Spray once a month when I wash them.
 
I polish our 3 vehicles once a year with Finish Kare BWM100 High Temp (1000K) and spray Meguiars Xpress or 303 Spray once a month when I wash them.
I’m thinking I will try the Finish Kare when I run out of Collinite.....sometime next year....
 
Waxed the car today with Collinite 845. Doggone you don’t much of it to do a van. Been averaging 4-5 months durability with it.
I bought some Turtle wax spray wax.....curious to see how it lasts.
Tried the Mother’s AIO wax last year and was disappointed in the durability. It smelled good though.....
Plan to try Finish Kare next time......
Update: ice spray wax applied 10-7 ( my car - not the van]. Car washed 10-25 and still beaded. Car wash today and very little beading. Car is my daily driver and stays outside 24/7. Looks like the spray wax is good for about a month. I’ll reapply and keep tracking it.
 
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