Best Protection & Easiest for Black?

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lukejo

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Sep 21, 2011
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Location
IL
2009 GM vehicle in black.
Will see all four seasons, from sizzling sun to salt-laden roads, rarely garaged, minimal washing.
Assuming I properly prep (clay bar), which wax or sealant will give me the longest protection with smallest effort...while I don't care about the depth of shine on this black, I also don't want to have to fight getting the wax to buff off and leave no smears/cloudy on the black.
I want protection and longevity without sore arms.
I'll be applying/removing by hand....no machine.
Not the absolute prettiest on black, but longest protection??
 
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Can't go wrong with Meguiar's Ultimate Liquid Wax. Goes on smooth and comes off easy.
This^^^^
 
I agree also, Ultimate is best, esp for black vehicles, will give u the clarity deep shine(even tho its not priority) but also last a super long time.
 
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Can't go wrong with Meguiar's Ultimate Liquid Wax. Goes on smooth and comes off easy.


^^^^^^ I was about to say the same thing.

Don't bother with special "black" waxes. They are just for looks and can give a deeper wet look but generally don't last long (like 1 month)

If you're looking for a wax that will last all year with one application..... don't know of one.

I would say get the MEGUIARS ultimate liquid/paste wax and do it twice a year and get the ultimate spray wax for in between. Spray wax is easy and will extend the protection of an already applied layer of wax. It is not a replacement for liquid or paste wax though.
 
The issue with black is the potential for marring and swirls from any touching it.

So first, set up a good bucket system. At least one 5 gal bucket with a grit guard, if not a two bucket system. Also a foaming gun is not a bad idea to make sure the surface is well lubricated.

I like the idea of minimizing the touches on a black car. Therefore I use CQuartz once, and then use HydrO2 on it as a maintenance, which minimizes the number of buffing and application sessions, while adding extra protection.
 
Is the MULW one that is enhanced (protection) with more than one application? Or do synthetic protectants not work that way?
 
If longevity is the concern you should NOT be going for a wax, rather a paint sealant like Menzerna/Jescar Power Lock (ideally a ceramic coating but that's a whole other ball of wax). Particularly on black cars, wax does not stand up well to the heat of the sun on the finish; even if it looks good for a while on nice days you're not going to make through a season's worth of bad weather, let alone a year.

For reference, I have two black cars that I agonize over (labor of love I guess). I use wax on the BMW for shine but it only lasts about 2 months at a high level of gloss and water beading. I use Power Lock on the MDX every six months. It lasts long enough that I went to a 12 month interval this year.
 
Originally Posted By: lukejo
Is the MULW one that is enhanced (protection) with more than one application? Or do synthetic protectants not work that way?

I do one coat in the evening, then another in the morning ~12hrs later without wiping off the first.

This ensures an even application more than enhanced protection.
 
What about Wolfgang 3.0 Sealant? Sounds easy application and lasting results? Superior to Meguires Ultimate?
 
You know, I got real big into the high-end car care stuff there for a while and honestly, I've come full circle. You don't need to look farther than Meguiar's for a good balance of price and protection.

I'm still a big fan of Griots Garage as well. All of their products do what it says on the tin at a reasonable price.

You can of course do better, but in my opinion you quickly reach the realm of diminishing returns on your dollar.
 
I'm of a somewhat similar mind. I still tend to go after higher end polishes and LSPs (and support the OP going for Wolfgang) but for the basics I have come to find it was a complete waste of money going after expensive car wash soap, for example, when Meguiar's D111 does identically well for half the cost.
 
Originally Posted By: gofast182
I'm of a somewhat similar mind. I still tend to go after higher end polishes and LSPs (and support the OP going for Wolfgang) but for the basics I have come to find it was a complete waste of money going after expensive car wash soap, for example, when Meguiar's D111 does identically well for half the cost.

BLACKFIRE is my "high-end" choice, specifically Wet Diamond. I still love Pinnacle Souveran as well, but I won't be replacing that when it runs out.
 
When responding to the OP I looked up the Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0 so I could give better answer. I was intrigued by so many glowing reviews and since I like experimenting with LSPs and this formula seems to be more current than my Power Lock, decided to pull the trigger. I just put a coat on the BMW this morning.

Ease of application:
Average*. I did it by hand for some reason and it tended to go on unevenly so I had to make sure I spread out thick spots and covered thin spots. Not as good as Power Lock.

Ease of removal:
Average. Areas where it was a little thicker and dried that way had to be worked more (obviously). Overall there was some extremely fine streaky-ness where, even after you wipe off the haze, some product remains until the car is washed next. Maybe equal to or not quite as good as Power Lock.

Shine:
Excellent. I recently put a coat of Lusso Oro on the car (which I removed before applying this) and I might go so far as saying this produced a better shine. It also has a better shine than Power Lock.

Protection:
No idea yet, but Power Lock sets the bar high in the world of sealants. Anecdotally, based on the reviews, I'm thinking Power Lock will still protect longer but we shall see.

So my overall first impression is good because, at least for this car, I have not been using sealant as I preferred to apply a wax more often to keep a better shine. I think that changes now. I will do a second coat in the next few days just to ensure coverage and curing.

*Application might be better had I done it by machine, which I will do next time.

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Last edited:
Originally Posted By: gofast182
*Application might be better had I done it by machine, which I will do next time.


That's why I like the cheap one from Walmart. Not only for applying a thin, uniform layer but for removing it as well. After each panel I do fluff up the bonnet with a brush. No way I would go back to doing it by hand. Otherwise I would stick to spray waxes.
 
Yeah I'm not sure why I did that considering I just got some new pads for the PC. Maybe because I was operating in quiet mode; I also didn't dry the car with the leaf blower because I started at ~6:45A and didn't want to wake anyone.
 
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