Which wax is best? GuruReport.

[hfelknor]

Hope this helps.

Homer

This is an unabashed plug for a web site and a report for those who like to detail
their Murano.
I have absolutely NO affiliation with the web site or ANY companies mentioned in this
letter or on the website. None. No connection whatsoever.

It has been noted that this forum, like many others I have belonged to thru the years,
for the various Cars I have owned, Mustang, Corvette, Miata, etc, always have some folks
who want to detail their beloved car, and are willing and eager to do the work,
but don’t know which products to use.
Some remember their Dad using Simonize on the old Ford station wagon
and wonder if it is still the best.

This site, www.gurureports.org , is the only place I have found that has actually run
an unbiased test of MOST of the wax and polish products out there on the market.

What I like about them is, they do not preach. They do not accept advertising.
They do the best job they can. They call a spade a spade. They buy all the products
on the open market, and they make a few bucks by selling their reports.

There are currently only a couple of reports out.
Waxing and Glass Cleaning products I believe are available (I sent for and have received
the wax report).

I will give you an overview of the product findings, but will not,
in deference to the young men who did this labor of love, give you all the details.
You SHOULD buy the report if you are really interested in these kinds of products.
It is very professionally done in a slick magazine format and has 52 pages of information
along with charts that show how each product did, on each test.
The test ran for 8 weeks on each product. And products were tested head to head.
Is it perfect? No. But it is without doubt the most comprehensive,
unbiased test out there, IMO.

They tested 46 waxes and polishes!
They divided them into wax (Cheap, Mid Priced and Expensive) and synthetic polishes.
To make a long story short, while recognizing that some people LIKE wax,
the Synthetics kicked the wax’s butt.

I will give you the winners of each category but you will have to buy the report
to find out HOW they tested these products and why certain products outdid their peers
and by how much.

The products that I have used, and feel that I know, were treated fairly
and I saw no obvious bias or no results that I would disagree with,
though of course, I was in no position to judge even one half of the tested products.

In the low priced waxes, the clear winner was Armor All Protective Barrier Car Wax
It was very reasonable at $2.50 and can be found on sale for 99 cents!

In the vast mid priced category, the Mothers California Pure Gold was the winner.
It sells for $9.95

In the Exclusive category of Waxes (and some of these were VERY exclusive!),
the winner was P21S.
It sells for $24.95. I have used P21 and it really is nice, though lacking in Durability as are ALL waxes compared to synthetic polishes.

As mentioned, the synthetic polish, like synthetic oil, is a clear winner
in these days and times.
This makes sense as the finish on the Murano (and all modern cars) is now synthetic
as opposed to the old “paints” which were formulated with some of nature’s materials.

They tested Blackfire, Finish First, Zaino, Formula 113, Klaase, and Liquid Glass.

The results were not only interesting, but how they got there was just as interesting.

As I knew before I read the report, Zaino was the clear winner.
This is easily understood if you have ever been a member of the above mentioned forums
or have entered cars in various car shows around the country.
I have been a winner with all three of my “cult” cars in meets from Calif to Texas
to Florida. I was also a loser in some of these meets. You can’t win all the time.

The top 5 are listed below with the GURU rating (0-4)
Zaino Brothers Polish - 3.53
P21S Concours-look Carnauba - 3.18
Klasse All-in-One & Sealant glaze - 2.94
Armor All Protective Barrier - 2.73
Pinnacle Souveran Carnauba - 2.60

I urge you to buy the report if you want to know more. It’s a great report.

[Enforcer]

Thanks for the file and the website. Great info!

Especially since I am planning on my first Zaino experiment this weekend!

[Nfilippelli]

great info!

I always knew that Zaino was better than Klasse,
but Klasse was cheaper, and easier to use.

When i get my next car (a non silver color) i will be moving to zaino.

-Nerf

[hfelknor]

That's fine, nerf. Klasse is pretty good stuff.

It is difficult for some to believe, but I really don't care what other people use.
I use zaino and there are so many customers of the stuff that it
will never go out of business and I will always be able to get a supply.
The overwhelming majority of Vette and Mustang drivers
use Zaino. That is a large audience for the product.

I just want everybody to use what suits them. But many times people don't know what is available and what are the pros
and cons of various products.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if someone here didn't go out and get the Armor All for $2.50 and proclaim it perfect for their needs.
If so, my work here is done and this thread would have helped someone.
In the end that is the purpose of this forum...........for us.

What is the purpose of this forum for the owner of the forum?

Only the Shadow know.

Homer

[esemes]

zaino it is then.....


im an old-school mother's user, but will be more than happy to switch.....

is it (Z) readily available at the typical autoparts store??

SMS

[hfelknor]

No. Internet only (There may still be "distributors" around, but I doubt it).


http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

You can also call and talk to the Pres, Sal Zaino.



Homer

[esemes]

thnx!!

but, now im even more lost......


(which Z# do i want????) i want a product to apply every other month, as i would with mothers gold (carnuba)...


BUT, i also want a product, like a quick spray zymol, to use intermittently....

please advise


SMS

[meckman]

Just get the kit. It has everything that you will need to detail the outside of your car. As for waxing your car, you shouldn't have to with the Zaino. I would recogmend applying a couple coats of Zaino and sit back and enjoy your MO for the next 6-8 months. If it gets dirty, was it with the zaino car wash and the use the detailing spray to make it pop.

Mike

[Enforcer]

I bought the ZFX (added to Z2 & Z5 to hasten drying), Z2, Z5, Z6, Z7, and Z18.

Here is my plan:

1. Wash car with Dawn.
2. Clay car with Z18 using Z7 as lubricator.
3. Wash car with Z7.
4. Apply Z5/ZFX. (swirl remover polish - repeat until desired result)
5. Apply Z6. (gloss enhancer)
6. Apply Z2/ZFX. (final polish)
7. Repeat steps 5 & 6 until desired result.

[esemes]

enforcer....

you da man........

i could only imagine doing ¼ of those steps!!

my query....... if our 'finish (know not to say paint) is so advanced and synthetic, wouldnt it need less agressive maintenence to keep it as designed??

i mean to say, i dont mind doing a polish - wax - polish routine (after good washing that is), but im jus wondering as to what extent is overkill (believe me, i thrive on some forms of overkill, and am not faulting you in any way)

i realize its all in what your personal standards are for the appearance of your car, but.............

eSe

[Enforcer]

Well...with Mothers it's wash and wax every month. THe Zaino is a layered process and once on, it outlasts and outshines Mothers. So if it lasts longer then the maintenance is less. That makes it worth it to me.

Maintenance is with the Z2 and Z6. If you let it go too far, then you'll have to do it all over again. But, this stuff is real easy to apply and real easy to buff.

And one other thing I've noticed with Carnuba waxes. If you get them on any black plastic/rubber trim it turns white and is tough to get off.

[graydonl]

I used Mothers California Pure Gold yesterday and it worked like a charm!! I wish I had found this site and your wax information when my MO was new. Thanks for posting this "gold mine" of information

Murano SL, Glacial Pearl, cloth latte, SL Premium Package

[hfelknor]

"my query....... if our 'finish (know not to say paint) is so advanced and synthetic, wouldnt it need less agressive maintenence to keep it as designed??"

absolutely!
With the quality of the coatings and especially the Clear coat, you could just wash it and after 3 years it would still look almost like new.


Of course I can take a car for a weekend and give it back to you looking better than new by a considerable amount.


Now, it has become obvious that you are a guy who likes to Mod cars. You like to improve them. Both in handling and in power.
Siurely you realize where I'm going don't you?

Isn't it fair to ask you Mr esemes sir, if the Murano is such a good car, can't it be enjoyed without spending a ton, on mods?

See how it works?

Some people are perfectly satisfied allowing the car to age gracefully. Wash only.
Some, probably most, are willing to spend a little extra time, making their car look really good. Wax 3 or 4 times /yr
Some want the thing to always look much better than new, even 5 years later. Zaino routine.

And of course there are 17 guys who will never wash their Murano and complain about resale value.
There will also be 17 guys who do the Zaino Routine every two weeks, win some trophys and ribbons, and complain about everything.

Nobody has to choose one of these categories.
Life itsownself will do that.

Homer

[CTCJCC]

I was eating lunch the other day & flipping through an auto magazine & came across an ad for a product called '5 Star Shine'. They claim that you wash your car (if it's new) once the regular way, wash with their special wash with polarizes the paint, and then use the final product which contains PTFE (apparently the same product used on pans that make them slippery & impervious to things sticking to them)! They say that you then will only have to hose off your car with water for the next few years. Supposedly you don't even have to wash it! Sounds way to good to be true and I'm very suspicious!!! Anyone ever heard of it or used it?

[esemes]

Originally posted by hfelknor
"my query....... if our 'finish (know not to say paint) is so advanced and synthetic, wouldnt it need less agressive maintenence to keep it as designed??"

absolutely!
With the quality of the coatings and especially the Clear coat, you could just wash it and after 3 years it would still look almost like new.


Of course I can take a car for a weekend and give it back to you looking better than new by a considerable amount.


Now, it has become obvious that you are a guy who likes to Mod cars. You like to improve them. Both in handling and in power.
Siurely you realize where I'm going don't you?

Isn't it fair to ask you Mr esemes sir, if the Murano is such a good car, can't it be enjoyed without spending a ton, on mods?

See how it works?

Some people are perfectly satisfied allowing the car to age gracefully. Wash only.
Some, probably most, are willing to spend a little extra time, making their car look really good. Wax 3 or 4 times /yr
Some want the thing to always look much better than new, even 5 years later. Zaino routine.

And of course there are 17 guys who will never wash their Murano and complain about resale value.
There will also be 17 guys who do the Zaino Routine every two weeks, win some trophys and ribbons, and complain about everything.

Nobody has to choose one of these categories.
Life itsownself will do that.

Homer

now now homie...........

i wasnt attacking those who use multi-step protection on their MO's (or any vechicles)... i was simply bring to light the necessity of doing such... (in florida, the sun WILL kill a paintjob in a years time) ...hell, i wash (and detail) mine no less than once a week.....

and yes, the mo is fine as is, ...... it doesnt need the upgrades i plan..... but it is my nature to research my cars (and bikes) to see what can make them even better, then decide if its something within my budget, or needs (normally the budget is the majority of thinking)....

now, back on track............ i will be trying the Z-line for myself!!

eSe