People who go the Carnauba route on their personal cars

W

wizardofahs

New member
I know that the synthetic products are great and all... much more durable than natural waxes, and the look is also amazing. I know of a lot of people on the board with BF, K, or Z on their personal rides, but how many people here go the Carnauba route?



So far i've been striping my synthetic products of every other month or so. It's just to hard to keep it from getting any swirls in the top layer. I figure i might just go with a really good glaze, and a nice natural wax (souveren probably unless i find something better).



I'm an autopian so i wouldn't mind waxing my car every 2 weeks, and multiple layers would really shine. Carnauba waxes seem to do a better job hiding problems in the finish when layerd. When i just put a coat of #26 on my civic i scratched over the hood with a metal button on my jacket.. it wouldn't buff out, but another coat of #26 covered it up well. I think a natural wax will be more maintenence, but make my car look better more of the time.



Does anyone here do this on their personal cars? What are your expierences? (i have about $30 in Z already on my car so i want to think a gather more info before i strip it)
 
I say use up all of your Zaino, and before you reorder, decide on what you want to do.



Today, I just did a full detail on my black C32. I clayed, used #9, used #7, and topped with P21S in that order. I might also point out that there are essentially no swirls left on the car at all. The paint looks very deep and rich. I love the way carnuba feels and looks on the black paint.



Originally, I was going to use Klasse. However, the ease of using the products I did was too tempting, so I did not wait. I used a foam applicator and wiped it off with microfiber. It was all very simple, as the only limiting factor was the time required to apply each product and buff it off. There is none of the waiting time you might find with acrylics. Also, if you have a black car, the added longevity of acrylics does not matter so much because black requires constant attention. I think most autopians are constantly monitoring their paint as well. Carnuba is the classic choice, and you still cannot go wrong with it. I think versus Zaino, you will like the change if you can get the shine to where you want it. Perhaps we all need a change of scenery every once in a while.
 
I've tried the polymers - both Klasse and Zaino. On my cars, and in my opinion, they are a waste of time. They take a lot of extra care in application, and you can't put carnauba over them without wondering ever after if it is 'safe' to add another layer. The 5 layer Klasse test I did looked nice, wasn't hard to apply and buff once I learned the right technique which was both non-obvious and extremely important, but I noticed severe marring after washing and drying. A new coat of SG fixed it, but what's the point of the longevity if I have to reapply it all the time anyway?



I have a black car, and it gets swirls. Period. I tend to look after a section at a time - for example when i got back from the track last week I went after the hood all the way down to FI-II, and the upper fenders and upper door surfaces with SMR - then waxed the whole thing with 2 coats of Gold Class followed by 1 of Souveran. (It looks great!) But I will end up polishing at least one area with something as aggressive as an SMR or more at least once a quarter. So I don't need more longevity than that.



I think carnauba looks WAY better - especially souveran. When I do a deep clean/swirl remove I use Meguiar's Gold Class as a base - it looks better than the polymers too. Then I Souveran after almost every wash - because it is so damn addictive, easy, and fun. I don't worry about whether it is "OK" to put "this" over "that", or if I need to strip first.



So - after nearly two years of evaluation and testing of products, and weighing all these factors - I am back to carnauba.



With all that said, I do NOT take care of my wife's Audi. It is silver, so it dopesn't show flaws, and she gets it washed at a good place frequently. I polish out odd scratches for her, but i don't obsess. If the car ever starts looking too ratty, i will go after it - and I probably WILL put 5 layers of Klasse on it - because I know I won't touch it for at least another year.
 
I use carnubas on my own car. I've been using Souveran lately-the wet gloss is very intense. I also polish with Meguiars Hand Polish every other time I wax, and about every 6-9 months, I will also use Meguiars Swirl Free Polish as well. In late October every year, I use SF and HP, then Meguiars #20 polymer, then top with a carnuba (#26 until I started using Souveran).



The Dallas area is pretty kind to carnubas, given the summer heat. Very little industrial fallout and no acid rain to speak of. I wax my car about every 4-6 weeks, but I have customers whose cars are still beading after 2-3 months with Meguiars #26.
 
I use Zaino on my silver car because I feel it gives the best look on light colors.



On my black car, I use carnauba for the following reasons:



1. I live in So California and can detail all year long. There is no harsh winter to live through and so I do not need a polymer which will provide 6+ months protection through the harsh winter season.



2. You cannot get the same level of deepness, richness & wetness in shine with a polymer like Zaino or Klasse that you can with carnaubas (or traditional waxes). I used to think different when I did a side-by-side test on my hood and couldn't detect much of a difference. However, after applying a carnauba wax to my entire car, I can definitely notice a difference.



3. It is much more enjoyable to apply a paint cleanser and follow it up with a good carnauba wax than it is to apply a polymer sealant. I also agree with carguy in the sense that I like the fact that I do not have to worry about bonding issues anymore. The polish I use leaves a very nice, slick surface and I'd rather wax right over it instead of doing another wash to remove the oils.



I'm not a big fan of the Klasse + carnauba routine either. You get durability, but I don't think you get the same amount of wetness in the shine as you would when using a polish like GEPC or PPCL and following it up with carnauba.
 
I tried the polymer waxes for a couple of years and then switched to the high quality carnubas.... since then I've been very happy. I wash my cars weekly and usually apply another coat of wax, so longevity is not an issue for me.



I've used P21S and Blitz.... I like them both, but probably favor P21S more. It's easy to apply & remove and I like the results. When I really want to add some extra gloss to the car, I'll buff it with distilled water and a soft piece of cotton flannel after waxing. Kinda like spit shining your shoes.



According to some of the other posts made on this forum, Blitz probably lasts longer than P21S.



I'm of the opinion that there's no "right" wax for everyone. Each of us has different requirements and tastes. It's a matter of finding a product which you like using and produces the results you're looking for.
 
I AIO the "other" cars, 1 work in of AIO and then ease in a coat applied 20 minutes then buff. If I want to add a bit more, I'll add some Blitz the next day, looks great :up
 
Exactly!



Even though I have a white car, (the steel blue one is the daily driver) nothing is more rewarding than applying a fresh coat of Souveran or working the oils into the paint with some Platinum PPC. I love running my fingers down the paint to enjoy the buttery feeling of curves- it’s so rewarding!



And living in So. Cal. while working mainly at home is also great. I don't hesitate to detail my cars; there is always something. Maybe the exhaust pipes, maybe the brakes... and carnauba definitely helps me with this (expensive) therapy.



And nothing can come close to the wetness, depth, glowing, and general appearaance of a quality carnauba wax.



:xyxthumbs



Intermezzo said:
I use Zaino on my silver car because I feel it gives the best look on light colors.



On my black car, I use carnauba for the following reasons:



1. I live in So California and can detail all year long. There is no harsh winter to live through and so I do not need a polymer which will provide 6+ months protection through the harsh winter season.



2. You cannot get the same level of deepness, richness & wetness in shine with a polymer like Zaino or Klasse that you can with carnaubas (or traditional waxes). I used to think different when I did a side-by-side test on my hood and couldn't detect much of a difference. However, after applying a carnauba wax to my entire car, I can definitely notice a difference.



3. It is much more enjoyable to apply a paint cleanser and follow it up with a good carnauba wax than it is to apply a polymer sealant. I also agree with carguy in the sense that I like the fact that I do not have to worry about bonding issues anymore. The polish I use leaves a very nice, slick surface and I'd rather wax right over it instead of doing another wash to remove the oils.



I'm not a big fan of the Klasse + carnauba routine either. You get durability, but I don't think you get the same amount of wetness in the shine as you would when using a polish like GEPC or PPCL and following it up with carnauba.
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I agree there is no right and wrong,whatever you use that gives a shine andgood finish is great. I use 50% yellow carnuba from autospa and on top I put souvern,what a shine, but then again I wax once a week!I have blitz I have gold class I have omega glaze they are all awesome products that put a finish on your car that you would need sunglasses! now I am waiting for platinum (why i dont know)but anyway you look at it SOUVERN is the easiest to put on and off
 
After applying the p21s gepc and souveran, it will be hard to go back to the synthetic route. The shine, depth, and ease of application make it oh so nice. But come winter, ill have to come to my senses and put something on because appying souveran when it is 15 degress out and snowing wouldnt be fun!
 
If you have the time and enjoy detailing (most of us here), I think carnaubas are a good recipe. There's just SOMETHING enjoyable about putting a nice layer of pure paste wax on a car.



My favorites are Blitz and Souveran. SO easy to work with and a shine that's hard to beat.

Simplicity at it's finest.
 
rd_volvo said:
Omega Glaze + Blitz + Show Off = Beautiful



For around $40. you can't go wrong.



OG has look all it's own.
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Why Doesn't CMA carry the Omega Glaze? I am very happy with Blitz Wax and might get some when I order more Big Blue Towels.
 
I´am also in love with carnauba, I generally use #26, but, may I suggest you try 3M perfect it show car paste wax?



I like to use it every once in a while, it leaves a rich, wet looking very reflective shine, and lasts a good while, I wax around twice a month, and use # for 2 or 3 times, then one time the 3M one.....I think it is a very good product, and smells so nice :):)
 
I also went back to Blitz from Z..Z has a great shine and is very durable but it can't match that carnuba look!! Im going to try some Omega after I use up my #7 and IHG...Maybe someday Ill try Souveran but for now Blitz looks great..especially with Show-Off!!
 
Very interesting thread, just when I thought Carnaubas were near extinction. What's next? Cotton diapers regain popularity over MF's? :confused:
 
I've also thought about giving up synthetic products, because long term durability really means nothing to me in the moment. I put on a coat or two of Zaino every week anyway (never longer than 2 weeks without a coat), and the ease of use -wipe on, wipe off- process especially Souveran (and I believe P21S) is like a dream comes true to me. I was seriously considering to lay down massive amount of Carnauba over Z, because it is such an easy way to get some quick dirty shine (my definition of "dirty" meaning paint looks oily/wet, nevertheless it's a good thing :D ), and just forget about the whole deal of "optical clarity" since I wax often and Carnauba is going to save me a lot of time. However, the thing is my technique on Zaino is getting better & quicker. I used to get 1.5 coats out of 1/2 oz, but now I can get 3 coats out of 1/2 oz. It's hard to let that technique go, and IMO and my untrained eyes, Zaino has a distinctive shine that looks "cleaner" than Carnauba. I dunno, it's a tough decision I'm still trying to decide.



Another thing is, is OILY/WET shine the kind of look you really want? I just met up one of my friend this weekend, and he also has a black car and a big time Meguiars user. It was 12PM NOON and sunny, and looking close at his car and my car under direct sunlight, I think his carnauba finish is really much wetter and shinnier than my car, and that is really a shame because I have over 30 coats on my car, however, mine has sharper reflection but just not as oily shinny. In the end, I thought his car was shinner, but he thinks just the opposite and stated my car looks better and he's thinking about switching to Zaino. :nixweiss
 
If you have the time and enjoy detailing (most of us here), I think carnaubas are a good recipe. There's just SOMETHING enjoyable about putting a nice layer of pure paste wax on a car.
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:D That's why I'm going to try P21S over my Z this summer!!:xyxthumbs
 
I guess there is a much larger backing of doing this than i guessed... Tomorrow i'll be stripping my Z off and applieng some of my 'mystery' products followed by 3 layers of souveren... expect some pictures.



I was under the impression that 90% of the people on this board went the synthetic route... guess i was wrong.
 
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