shiniest wax

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Jan 4, 2011
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Columbus Nebraska
I have this 65 WHITE mustang that I take to judged car shows. I was wondering if there is a wax that would make it really pop. I am not really interested in high dollar coatings, just something that I can buy at
Wally World, or AAP, or O'Rileys. I also don't car about longevity, as It spends most of the time in the garage, and very seldom ever sees any water on it unless it happens to rain while at a show. I have had it 10+ years, and have never washed it with water. So to recap, I just wonder what wax would make the best SHINE.
Or is there really no noticeable difference ?
 
Yeah, I agree that the paint quality will do moder for shine than a wax alone. And I do believe that old1's. '65 Stanton is cherry.

But, the shiniest wax I have ever used for a car show was a Butter Wax(any brand). Really leaves the paint [MORE] wet looking and hides many imperfections. Almost like smearing on, well, BUTTER!

It's easy to apply & remove but that extra shine/gloss enhancement is completely gone after the next washing.
 
Griots has a great product that's available at AutoZone and O'Reillys.

download (7).jpg
 
Have you tried one of the usual suspects' carnauba wax formulations (before each show), over a longer lasting typical polymer sealant?
 
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The shine mostly comes from preparation, not the wax itself. How well the clearcoat has been prepped determined the quality of the job.

Wax like butter wax or show wax is generally not very durable. They are made for shine but won't last long compared to regular wax.
 
Originally Posted by Lolvoguy
Originally Posted by PimTac
The shine mostly comes from preparation, not the wax itself.

+1


+1 more.


An old school method with Meguiars #7 show car glaze (~$9 at Amazon) and rub it into a well cleaned and claybarred paint job. This is not wax but like a lotion you rub in and wipe off. it has oils that will fill the voids and give the car a wet look. You wipe on a section them wipe it off before it dries.

Then cover it with a non-cleaner wax. S100 motorcycle wax is a cheaper version of P21S which is a pure carnauba wax with no cleaners. also sold at amazon.
Apply and buff to a high wet shine.

This combo will not last long as a protectant maybe a couple weeks in the sun before it starts stops beading well but it will shine really well when new.
 
I may need to try some butter wax... but, like Malo83 posted, the Griot's Best of Show spray wax has been doing my show car a good job...
 
A lot is in the prep, yes, but waxes do add gloss (even though sealants and particularly coatings are all the rage and catching up in this department). Unquestionably, the wax that has garnered the most compliments on gloss for me over the years is P21S Councours Look wax. Normally they say gloss is a subjective thing but of all the products I've tried more people have come up to me and commented on the gloss not knowing what was on the car when it was waxed with this product. Only problem is it doesn't last very long.

[Linked Image from p21s.com]


Commentary from Forensic Detailing:
https://youtu.be/Lb7bHfaaBjo?t=578
 
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A car show hack is pledge furniture polish as it's mostly just oils that makes the car look wet.

Besides that all the shine comes from polishing and not wax.
 
New Detail shop opened up this past summer and they have all the usual products, but they have this new lineup and they recommended this Aero Finale wipe down. Really surprised at the shine it left behind. ;)
 
I've done zero prep and by far the best shine I've seen is this......
1639234586276.png


I don't prep because with Jeeps that go off-road, it would be futile. This stuff always amazes me, even after washing days of sand and mud off the Jeep. I've used it on white, bright red, and dark blue. It pops on all 3, but especially the red and white.

The best part is that it is only about $26 on Amazon and one jar lasts a long time. I've done 4 vehicles and hardly used any. It lasts a long time, too. I put the first coat on a Jeep in March and it still looked great and beaded exceptionally well when I did it a second time last week.
 
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